Reflection: B’Ham Wanderer 1

Observe-Wonder-Perceive

 

(taken word by word from my recorder—from seeing)

-It’s an Indian community and what I’ve noticed so far from the first 5 minutes walk is that there’re a lot of differences between this place and city centers. It’s really really different. It reminded me of a community like a slum community-like. There’s a lot of contrast of buildings—some modern yes, but very very old fashion brick building houses. What I’ve noticed is the fact that most of the houses are quite … not dirty but there’re lots of garbage all around and telephone wires everywhere. It’s not properly organized. Houses are let they have all these things lying out there in front of the door. It has not been organized. The sign No Ball Game is on almost every street.

– I was actually expecting a lot of busy city life here. But it seems like this is like a dead city—as dead as a tree. People here are actually not really friendly. I mean I smile at people but nobody smile back at me. It is such a sad community or maybe it’s just a fact that it’s bloody early that no one is in the mood for a chat or a smile. It’s a good community in a sense that all the streets and signs are quite clear. But yet it is still a messy place. All the garbage is on the floor and pedestrians.

 

I observe young people trying to paint graffiti/ trashes on the floor

I wonder what kind of life is going on here

I perceive the smell of gasoline and sound of footsteps of children going to school

 

Interview with community’s school teacher

Q: Do you live in this neighborhood?

A: No of course not! (then there was a slight moment of guilt in her eyes)

Q: Please describe this community life.

A: (video1) This community is very insular. Many of the children and family here stays within this area. They don’t move further than about a mile awa. They have aunts, uncles, brothers. Sisters, mummies, daddies and grannies all living very close within a few streets from each others. Many of the children don’t know what is it like outside this area. Which is very difficult for them. Some of them don’t even get to go to the city centre. And they certainly don’t even know that Stratford road goes all the way to Stratford. There experience of life is just this area. On occasion we will take the children to a trip to the seaside. And they go… WHAT is the water over there… it’s the sea… Oh OK. And then they get very excited. So it’s quite a sheltered life for the children live here. Of course they’re influenced by local area, there are some gangs operating in the area. We try to minimize that influence to the school but it does influence the children outside the area. Most of the children in this area and this school are mostly Muslims and they attend local mosque probably every night for 1-2 hours.