This week we were set a task to sit in one place for 25 minutes and take in our surroundings. This included not just visuals but also smells and sounds. I sat in the Minerva building canteen area.
What I saw:
- lots of people walking
- cyan, magenta and white walls
- people walking up stairs
- people talking
- dull, boring beige chairs and white tables
- lights of vending machines
- lights of cash machine
- people carrying food and drink
- people carrying work and books
- a woman dropping an object
- someone walking with a wet notebook
- a couple pushing a pram
- a man tying his shoes
- copper statue in a glass case with lights
- a man bouncing a ball
What I smelt:
- cleaning supplies
- food
- coffee
What I heard:
- lift closing
- cutlery being used
- people laughing and talking
- footsteps going up stairs
- the sound of food packaging opening
- people talking different languages
- sounds of the revolving door
- sounds of the automatic doors
- people swearing
- sound of chairs
- coughing
- heeled shoes
- a guy talking on his phone
- rattling keys
- a security guard rolling a trolley and then putting it down
During this exercise I was overwhelmed with how much is constantly going on around us and how much we miss each day. It gave me a feeling of power that I had control over these peoples lives, thinking what have they done with their lives? how did they end up here? what are they doing next? It was a surreal experience to take in all the sounds, smells and visuals that you usually miss in day to day life. It made me realise how much we need these things otherwise there would be no atmosphere or meaning to certain activities.