Talking Benches and Eccentric Coffee Shops

    Take a bench. Without a second glance, most seem like a couple of yards of wood hammered together, propped in random places around the globe as the occasional rest stop. And perhaps they are so- at least on the surface. Benches, coffee shops and front stoops are some of the most lowest maintenance but highest valued places in society. Each place has a special relationship and story to tell depending on who gathers there, whether it is an individual or group of people- however what is the attraction that creates such a bond and atmosphere that drives people to visit these places? The function of public places for social gatherings is more important and delves much deeper than is visible to the naked eye. The role of this project is to find out what creates the aura of an optimal place for social gathering and its evolution, whether it is a lone bench or a couple of large stairs in front of a building or an artsy coffee shop down the street.  (173)

    What exactly makes a hangout place? Keeping this in mind, I think of all the places my friends and I have spontaneously gathered over the years, those spontaneous gatherings becoming more routine until finally we claim one spot as ours. This spot could have been a table at a particular café, an abandoned row in a bookstore or perhaps a couple of stairs large enough to carry a few people. These places, whether visited by one or a few at a time can evolve to carry a holy essence to them, either because you can be one with others or yourself. Through this project, I plan on exploring why certain groups of people gravitate towards certain spots and the purpose of the spots when they were built in order to attract people.
    The primary focus ultimately depends upon where society would lead me, for example, what places or shops around campus hold social importance and why? Other than exploring why the place holds value at the current time period, I would also find out the history of the place. For example, if there was a coffee shop, with what purpose was the place built and what audience did it have in mind. Ultimately, through this project, I would like to explore why people gravitate toward these places and why they are needed in society. (227)

Sources

"What Is a Sacred Place?" Open Spaces, Sacred Spaces. TFK Foundation, 2010. Web. Oct. 2010.      <http://www.tkffdn.org/what/what_is_a_sacred_space.php>.

Stoner, Tom, and Carolyn Rapp. Open Spaces Sacred Places: Stories of How Nature Heals and Unifies. Annapolis: TKF Foundation, 2008. Print.

Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place: Cafés, Coffee Shops, Community Centers, Beauty Parlors, General Stores, Bars, Hangouts, and How They Get You through the Day. New York: Paragon House, 1989. Print.

Assister, Alison, and Jeff Noonan. "Human Needs: A Realist Perspective." Journal of Critical Realism 6.2 (2007). Print.

OUROUSSOFF, NICOLAI. "By the Architects, for the People: A Trend for the 2010s." Ney York Times 2 May 2010, C1 Architecture sec. Print.

 

Lewis, Pierce K. "Axioms for Reading the Landscape: Some Guides to the American Scene." Print

Jeremy, Korr. "A Proposed Model for Cultural Landscape Study." 29.3 (1997). Print.

 

Hughes, Samuel. "Digging Routes." Pennsylvania Gazette (2009). Print.

 

 

 

Villages

Even though I spent only my first two and half years of life actually living in India, I still consider its streets and alleys my first real home-despite the fact I can barely remember what they were like. My family came here from India when I was two years old, a good 16 years ago, we make a point to travel back every few years to visit family, our house and, at least for me, keep tucked in my mind the roots of my heritage. However, each trip brings new surprises to this place, this place that apparently I know so well.

            Growing up in the States as the child of two Indian parents who spent majority of their life in India brings about many conversations reminiscing “the good old days” when things were so much simpler. India it seems is being pulled and pushed into two different directions as it attempts to find its identity. On one hand, it cherishes its culture and way of thinking, which are so unlike any other place. Yet on the other hand, it has been plunged in this political battle for technological and economical development.

            One of the things I do remember as a kid however, is the feeling of community the small village in the state of Punjab brings about. During my parent’s time, everyone knew everyone, like a communal family- together with joy and despair. Now, my cousins can barely name the people living only a few houses down. Now, there are more vacation houses where people come by for a few months at a time. Now, there are more people scoffing at sitting in someone’s front yard and enjoying the first harvest together.

            India will always be my home country, yet at times I wish I could experience it at its height in maintaining relationships with one another. Now, when I go back it seems more and more like I will be received as another visitor rather than a member of community.

Boho

Bohemians- you've definitely heard of the term before, but what or who are they exactly? A Queen song about the troubles of love and life? A form of architecture? Or a way of "go with the flow" attitude about life?

In all its essence, Bohemianism is an unconventional attitude on life revolving around art, music and expression. Starting off as a French term to portray the unorthodox social views, Bohemians stood for free love and poverty.

Today Bohemians strive past the image of the starving artist and lack of personal hygiene towards a more fashion chic form of expression. Today, you’ll find Boho’s as a form hippie-chic as they put an aesthetically pleasing angle to the ‘60’s with their flowing loose fitted tops matched with a pair of skinny jeans.

Pierre Renoir Auguste 1868- The Bohemian

Even though through the ages the sense of style, music and expression has changed inevitably, the essence of Bohemians has been stagnant, as can be portrayed by this 1862 Westminster Review, “A Bohemian is simply an artist or "littérateur" who, consciously or unconsciously, secedes from conventionality in life and in art”

                                                                                                              

Abstract Abstracts

Tree Hugger
Living in a place like Ellicott City, MD it’s easy to look upon a tree as a mundane object without any second thought. There are so many of them, what can you expect one to do? But truly, what place does a tree serve in society- other than a nice addition to a community or a place for smokers to enjoy their cigarettes under? From biblical times and stories of the Tree of Knowledge to the South Asian Rudraksh and its spiritual value, the tree is a valued entity that has a plethora of traditions and customs to explore.
WC-99

Make it Work
“Make it work!” Tim Gunn exclaims as he motivates the designers on Project Runway with his gruff voice. Making it work in the fashion world means putting together pieces into an aesthetically eye pleasing composition. But, not everyone takes such thought into his or her wardrobe, claiming they do not have time to make statements with their attire. However, by trying not to make a statement, aren’t they making one anyway? What are the various proclamations one can make with what they choose or do not choose to wear and how do they vary based on background and environmental factors? What made the 80’s “THE 80’s”and what how do we incorporate older styles into more contemporary terms?
WC-117

Please Don’t Stop the Music
Music, in the simplest terms, has been a means to express, to learn and to teach- whether you are the one making the music or listening to it. It is also a means to judge or be judged. Wherever you go, you can find yourself identifying music clusters, whether it is the die-hard metallic fans, the soulful R&B listeners or people who simply refuse to listen to anything “mainstream”. What causes these tastes in music based on status and how do these music preferences effect people on day to day life- from what they choose to wear to whom they choose to hang out?
WC-104

Sat Sri Akal

Sat Sri Akal my friends. Yes, you may be wondering what these three words mean. Literally, they mean Truth in God. Now, as deep as this already is, these words carry an even greater meaning for me.  A greeting in any culture has a story behind it, whether it's a quick wave or a "how are you" that leads to a whole conversation. I carried these words with me when I moved here from India; even though I was only two years old at the time, they are a part of my identity- something I truly did not realize until this past summer.
I’ve been to India every few years in the past, each time soaking in the life, not as an alienated culture forced upon me, but as a comforting journey back home. This past summer I went to India again for a good three weeks; however, unlike trips before, I made this journey by myself. It was astounding to see just how much any country changes when you realize you’re there on your own will and agenda. Coming back to what seemed like the epitome of yuppie town was one of the most discouraging journeys I’ve ever had to take- truly I asked myself if there was anything worth coming back for other than family and friends. So, yes I realize that the streets are too crowded, the bargaining can be endless and the dust at times too unbearable to handle. But how could one possibly overlook the deep spirituality, the feeling of closeness the people you meet for the first time give, or even the great food? No matter where this journey in life takes me, whether its in Catonsville for college or someplace in Europe for a semester, I know I’ll always have home in India.
Even though living in a sheltered suburban area in Ellicott City has transformed my style of greeting with close friends and everyday people, when I come in contact with someone from my own culture, I bring my hands together in the front and say Sat Sri Akal.