One More Of The Cloisters Just Because....

One more of The Cloisters just because....

Connections: Vienna, London, Overground, Montessori, Psychogeography...

Taking a step back in time, this is a journal type entry I wrote a week back:

Having lived in Vienna for five years I know the feeling of being away from familiar surroundings and a constant wonder of if your new home will ever feel like a real home. There are inevitably a variety of factors involved in how at home you feel: who is around you, what job you are doing, any familiar objects (such as in the home). However, we are all inevitably affected by place. It is the overall feeling. I feel it in my bones – apologies if I am stating what may seem as obvious to others, but there is something in the saying. Our bodies are good indicators of how we are experiencing life and for me, beyond doubt, an outward expression of those feelings inside.

When I am away from home – either having moved somewhere new (whether it is in London or abroad) I increasingly feel like what I witness in cats when they move; The slow wandering into the new environment to find my feet – to return back to my base. I often don’t feel at home in my flat or house until I have made connections with the outside environment – place and people included. I often prefer to wander rather than be in a new home. I have also increasingly appreciated the sense of a need for a home base. I love traveling, but have always felt that I want a home base. Something I have not found really and in some places it is easier than in others. Crystal Palace has a huge potential for me. I am trying to attach myself even more to this area for reasons and feelings of nostalgia in the knowledge that our family has roots in the area – in particular my grandma – and in many ways her lost stories here. I hope I can find them in the space. I also have my own past connections with having lived in West Norwood for years before moving away and back again.

I like to think about how we form links and connections with places…

As I start my journey on the overground on this day, I begin my book about psychogeography. The first pages talk of psychogeography being a tale of two cities / London and Paris - that’s ok and that’s good as I know I am in a significant place to start my research. If I can go to Paris to try out a trail/walk there, then that would be a bonus.

I am obsessed with connections and links and making sense of the world. I think making sense of the world is key to any form of learning and something that we are often trying to do throughout or lives, even when it is more subconscious – it is something that my experience of Montessori practice has taught me. It has always intrigued me and it seemed to make so much sense when first reading about her philosophy. It is again something that may seem obvious to us but for me it was the first time I had thought of education in that way. The philosophy is based on creating materials that make sense and help children to understand different elements and theories, which in turn help them and us with out greater understanding of the world. Montessori was also very much for her education helping towards creating world peace and I think that is a pretty noble thing. I will try and find some inspiring quotes in due course. I am intrigued to find out whether any of it will have any relevance to my project!! Same with psychogeography!

On my journey, I pass by scenery that even if I have passed through it a few times before, I have never really looked at. A lot reminds me of Vienna and definitely triggered my thoughts in that respect.

At the Museum of London, I notice all the wonderful books about London – I am sure that is something that has increased in recent years. So many of the most intriguing seem to be on titles such as: ‘Secret London’ – It feels like a recent phenomena to me – that we are trying to find those hidden parts of the city to feel like we have found something special and unique.

I am interested in the choice of obscure places to create a trail? They often seem a bit more obscure, also off the beaten track- something that I will have to go out of my way to try out. This will make a new experience for me in itself. From the brief overview that I have at the moment, it seems like people have made some trails as part of a process for people in areas of change – and are in fact – probably quite political. Psychogeography is set to have one root in an obscure cemetery, linked to the dissenter Defoe… I still need to read more…

I am wondering what does child development and psychology in general say about place and time? Any links?