Reflection: B’Ham Wanderer 3

Detour and go with the flow

 

I pay attention to two things: first) the flow of busy city people in several intersections/crossroads, second) the entrance/exit pathways in the city.

 

With the first concentration, I draw map of the intersection and draw lines of these multi’ordinary flows, that to me, is extraordinarily shocking… of how crazy the map turns out to look like. While wandering around with the flow without putting thoughts into it, I find that sometimes it is very easy to change the beat of the flow. There are many many flows that I can choose to be led by. I get easily distracted. And just by looking around, though I am walking with ‘the flow’, it somehow feels that I am at the same time, walking against ‘the other flow.’ One thing for sure is that most path I have chosen to go along leads to the central cathedral, which supposed to serve itself as what it is.. a cathedral… but instead, it is like a hub where people just use the spaces as a pathway to another place. And on the way back to the meeting place, I decided to walk against the flow. It is a totally different atmosphere. I got a look from others like “why are you walking in my way???” all sorts of hostile feelings. The same situation occurred just in front of the mall where on the ground there’s a painted text which says “Keep Walking Left”—to me this is a very strange instruction.

 

One funny thing though… Using Baz’s technique, trying to follow 2 girls, surprisingly after few minutes of being a secret stalker, both of them end up at H&M!! I am certain that they do not know each other.     

 

Other observation I have made is the entrance/exit pathways of the city. It is like an open space where the X entrance leads on to the Y entrance, and then to the Z entrance—without a clear cut exit point.