What shall we see
Most of us were introduced to the concept of perception at some point in our education. We learned that we often see what we are used to seeing and, thus, what we expect to see. If we expect to see negatives or the same thing we saw yesterday that is probably what we will see. Obviously we see with our brains – memories, values, expectations – and not with our eyes. I was thinking of this early this morning while listening to a Ted Talk by Ivan Baan who documents the work of architects. He has also, for the past several years, been documenting “what happens when architects and planners leave and these places become appropriated by people, like here in Chandigarh, India, the city which has been completely designed by the architect Le Corbusier. Now 60 years later, the city has been taken over by people in very different ways from whatever perhaps intended for, like here, where you have the people sitting in the windows of the assembly hall. But over the course of several years, I've been documenting Rem Koolhaas's CCTV building in Beijing and the Olympic stadium in the same city by the architects Herzog and de Meuron. At these large-scale construction sites in China, you see a sort of makeshift camp where workers live during the entire building process. As the length of the construction takes years, workers end up forming a rather rough-and-ready informal city, making for quite a juxtaposition against the sophisticated structures that they're building.”
He also reports: “Just over three years ago, I was for the first time in Caracas, Venezuela, and while flying over the city, I was just amazed by the extent to which the slums reach into every corner of the city, a place where nearly 70 percent of the population lives in slums, draped literally all over the mountains. During a conversation with local architects, Urban-Think Tank, I learned about the Torre David, a 45-story office building which sits right in the center of Caracas. The building was under construction until the collapse of the Venezuelan economy and the death of the developer in the early '90s. About eight years ago, people started moving into the abandoned tower and began to build their homes right in between every column of this unfinished tower. There's only one little entrance to the entire building, and the 3,000 residents come in and out through that single door. Together, the inhabitants created public spaces and designed them to feel more like a home and less like an unfinished tower. In the lobby, they painted the walls and planted trees. They also made a basketball court. But when you look up closely, you see massive holes where elevators and services would have run through.”
Obviously, some will look at the building and see makeshift living arrangement, squatters, or “those people.” Others look at these buildings and see a place for homes, churches or other common places to gather. Whether in Cairo, Nigeria, or some other place, one can notice very ingenious people finding a way to create communities which many will see as slums inhabited by “those people.” Mr. Baan sees the ingeniousness of we humans to find ways to create beauty, to take care of our families, and each other using whatever resources are available - possibly junk to others – to create all that we need to survive.
I recall visiting Estonia shortly before the fall of the Soviet Union. I saw sculptures created of munition parts. I also saw fresh flower stalls everywhere. The song fests also continued to thrive despite the poverty which did not allow for things we take for granted such as paint for building, food for the stores, or the means to keep the bodies of water clean. Often, where others saw decay and despair, many saw art, heard music and opportunities to create pockets of beauty.
I decided that I would invite my adopted niece and nephew, Sam, the six-year-old and Paul, the 12-year-old to accompany me on an excursion of perception. I called their parents and asked if they would be okay with me taking the kids to a section of the city where many are living on the streets and in the parks. Unlike many parents who might respond with fear for the safety of their children, these parents applauded the idea. Later I called to talk to Sam and Paul who were always excited to go on an excursion with Uncle Jim. We decided that we would go after school. We agreed that I would pick them up from school at 3:30.
At 3:30 I was at the school when I saw scores of children coming out of the school building. Soon I spotted Sam and Paul heading straight for my car.
Me: Hi! How was school?
Sam: I had a good day Uncle Jim but I could not wait until you picked us up.
Paul: It was okay Uncle Jim. Could you explain again what we are looking for?
Me: Well, we talked about the fact that we often see what we expect to see or what others have told us we will see. Today we are going to look for examples of beauty and strength in places where we can expect to see individuals and families who are often labeled as homeless and are frequently considered an eyesore. I thought we would start by visiting some folks who are waiting to eat at The Soup Kitchen. We can also have dinner there.
I have a notebook and a pen for each of you to write down examples of beauty and strength. I will do the same thing. Do either of you have homework to do?
Sam: I told my teacher what we were doing and she said that my homework is to report to the class about our experience.
Paul: I have some math homework Uncle Jim and I have to tell the social studies class about our experience.
Me: Great. Seatbelts fastened?
Paul and Sam: (Exasperated that I could ask such a dumb question.)
Me: Thanks.
I drive to the area of the soup kitchen. It is not long before we come to a park where I know that there are homeless “camps” unless the city has recently decided to make them leave. They do that every so often when “the good citizens” complain.
Me: Let stop here and take a walk through the park.
Sam: Okay Uncle Jim.
Paul: Do we take our notebooks Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes, let’s do.
We all get out of the car. I put money in the meter and lock the car. We start our walk through the park. It is not long before we come to a place where a couple of people are napping next to shopping cars filled with stuff. We do not bother the people. Sam and Paul look sad. We walk on to a bench where I suggest we stop and write in our notebooks.
Sam: That was sad Uncle Jim. I did not see anything pretty or strong.
Paul: How can people live that way Uncle Jim?
Me: How strong do you think you have to be to live outside Sam and Paul?
Paul: I never thought of that. I would be really scared and want to give up. I guess it takes a really strong person to live that way.
Sam: Were the two people together because they take care of each other Uncle Jim?
Me: Very possibly. In my experience homeless people often help each other. I was listening to a Ted talk by a person named Ivan Baan who had taken photographs of people around the world taking care of each other. In one South American city a lot of people took over a 45-story partly completed, abandoned building and have created a community.
Did either of you notice anything else positive?
Sam: I saw a bird’s nest where a mother or dad was sitting on some eggs. That was neat.
Paul: There was a dogwood tree next to the folks sleeping on the ground. It was sort of providing an umbrella of shade and you could smell the flowers Uncle Jim.
Me: That is great. So, at first we just saw sadness of two people sitting on the ground. Now we see the strength of living outside, the beauty of two people taking care of each other, the tree providing shade while sharing it’s beauty and the scent of its blossoms. Wow! Your perceptions changed a lot didn’t they?
Paul: That is interesting Uncle Jim. I like this experiment.
Sam: Me too.
Me: Let’s walk a little further and then we will head to the soup kitchen.
Sam; There, Uncle Jim. Some more shopping carts, but I do not see any people. They are filled. They are like little moving vans aren’t they?
Paul: Don’t the carts belong to some store Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes, I think all the carts were purchased by some store but no matter where you go – even in small communities – you often see shopping carts being used as mini trailers to hold or move possessions. You see that some of them have garbage bags which are waterproof containers to hold clothes and other valuables.
Paul: That is very creative isn’t it Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes. I think the term is repurposing which basically means finding another use for something that was originally designed for some a particular purpose.
Sam: How do you spell that?
Paul: R e p u r p o s i n g.
Sam: Thanks.
Me: Shall we head to the soup kitchen? Who do you think we will find there Sam and Paul?
Sam: Really sad people who are hungry?
Me: Yes, people are coming there to eat.
Paul: People who have no jobs?
Me: Well, not always Paul. Often there are people who work full time but cannot afford to rent or own a place to live. Sometimes if people pay rent they do not enough money for food.
Paul: John said that his Uncle is a police person in San Francisco and has to live in his car because places to live are so expensive.
Sam: People who did not finish school?
Me: Well, let’s see. I am not sure that is always accurate.
We reach the car and get in.
Me: Seat belts buckled?
Sam and Paul in unison: Yessss Uncle Jim!
Soon we reach the soup kitchen. There is a parking space close by. We get out, lock the car and again put money in a meter. We then walk over to where folks are waiting in line. Some people recognize me.
“Hey Jim.” What you doing?
Me: Hi Carl. Hi Missy. How are you all doing?
Carl: Fine. Who are these young people?
Me: These are Sam and Paul, my adopted niece and nephew. We are learning about perception - about seeing with our brain and not our eyes. We just came from the park where we saw some folks with their shopping carts napping. We are here so that they can find out a little more about your experience and how it compares with what we expect to see or find out. Carl, would you take Sam and Missy would you take Paul to dinner and help them meet and find out about folks?
Carl: Great. Sam, will you come with me?
Sam: Thanks Mr. Carl.
Missy: Paul, will you come with me.
Paul: Okay. Thank you.
They go off with Missy and Carl. I go over to spend some time with Fred who I know was a college professor until his alcoholism took over his life.
After dinner I meet up with Missy, Paul, Carl and Sam.
Me: Thanks Missy and Carl. How was it?
Missy: We made them honorary members of our families. Thanks for bringing them Jim. They are great kids.
Me. Yes, they are. I really appreciate you spending time with them.
Sam gives Carl a hug.
Sam: Thanks. I had a good time.
Paul gives Missy a hug.
Paul: Can I come back and visit with you Missy?
Missy: I would like that Paul.
We walk to the car. The kids are quiet.
Me: Well, obviously you two make new friends. What words do you want to write down in your notebooks?
Paul: I want to write down educated, loving, kind, giving.
Sam: I want to write down pretty, funny, strong, friendly.
Me: I am very impressed. Seems as if you saw much more than you expected to see. You obviously listened and paid attention. I am really proud of you both.
Me: Do you need help with your math homework?
Paul: No thanks Uncle Jim. Mom will help. I will call if we need help.
Me: Thank you both for going with me. I had a good time
Sam: I did too Uncle Jim.
Paul: Thanks Uncle Jim
Written April 19, 2016
Most of us were introduced to the concept of perception at some point in our education. We learned that we often see what we are used to seeing and, thus, what we expect to see. If we expect to see negatives or the same thing we saw yesterday that is probably what we will see. Obviously we see with our brains – memories, values, expectations – and not with our eyes. I was thinking of this early this morning while listening to a Ted Talk by Ivan Baan who documents the work of architects. He has also, for the past several years, been documenting “what happens when architects and planners leave and these places become appropriated by people, like here in Chandigarh, India, the city which has been completely designed by the architect Le Corbusier. Now 60 years later, the city has been taken over by people in very different ways from whatever perhaps intended for, like here, where you have the people sitting in the windows of the assembly hall. But over the course of several years, I've been documenting Rem Koolhaas's CCTV building in Beijing and the Olympic stadium in the same city by the architects Herzog and de Meuron. At these large-scale construction sites in China, you see a sort of makeshift camp where workers live during the entire building process. As the length of the construction takes years, workers end up forming a rather rough-and-ready informal city, making for quite a juxtaposition against the sophisticated structures that they're building.”
He also reports: “Just over three years ago, I was for the first time in Caracas, Venezuela, and while flying over the city, I was just amazed by the extent to which the slums reach into every corner of the city, a place where nearly 70 percent of the population lives in slums, draped literally all over the mountains. During a conversation with local architects, Urban-Think Tank, I learned about the Torre David, a 45-story office building which sits right in the center of Caracas. The building was under construction until the collapse of the Venezuelan economy and the death of the developer in the early '90s. About eight years ago, people started moving into the abandoned tower and began to build their homes right in between every column of this unfinished tower. There's only one little entrance to the entire building, and the 3,000 residents come in and out through that single door. Together, the inhabitants created public spaces and designed them to feel more like a home and less like an unfinished tower. In the lobby, they painted the walls and planted trees. They also made a basketball court. But when you look up closely, you see massive holes where elevators and services would have run through.”
Obviously, some will look at the building and see makeshift living arrangement, squatters, or “those people.” Others look at these buildings and see a place for homes, churches or other common places to gather. Whether in Cairo, Nigeria, or some other place, one can notice very ingenious people finding a way to create communities which many will see as slums inhabited by “those people.” Mr. Baan sees the ingeniousness of we humans to find ways to create beauty, to take care of our families, and each other using whatever resources are available - possibly junk to others – to create all that we need to survive.
I recall visiting Estonia shortly before the fall of the Soviet Union. I saw sculptures created of munition parts. I also saw fresh flower stalls everywhere. The song fests also continued to thrive despite the poverty which did not allow for things we take for granted such as paint for building, food for the stores, or the means to keep the bodies of water clean. Often, where others saw decay and despair, many saw art, heard music and opportunities to create pockets of beauty.
I decided that I would invite my adopted niece and nephew, Sam, the six-year-old and Paul, the 12-year-old to accompany me on an excursion of perception. I called their parents and asked if they would be okay with me taking the kids to a section of the city where many are living on the streets and in the parks. Unlike many parents who might respond with fear for the safety of their children, these parents applauded the idea. Later I called to talk to Sam and Paul who were always excited to go on an excursion with Uncle Jim. We decided that we would go after school. We agreed that I would pick them up from school at 3:30.
At 3:30 I was at the school when I saw scores of children coming out of the school building. Soon I spotted Sam and Paul heading straight for my car.
Me: Hi! How was school?
Sam: I had a good day Uncle Jim but I could not wait until you picked us up.
Paul: It was okay Uncle Jim. Could you explain again what we are looking for?
Me: Well, we talked about the fact that we often see what we expect to see or what others have told us we will see. Today we are going to look for examples of beauty and strength in places where we can expect to see individuals and families who are often labeled as homeless and are frequently considered an eyesore. I thought we would start by visiting some folks who are waiting to eat at The Soup Kitchen. We can also have dinner there.
I have a notebook and a pen for each of you to write down examples of beauty and strength. I will do the same thing. Do either of you have homework to do?
Sam: I told my teacher what we were doing and she said that my homework is to report to the class about our experience.
Paul: I have some math homework Uncle Jim and I have to tell the social studies class about our experience.
Me: Great. Seatbelts fastened?
Paul and Sam: (Exasperated that I could ask such a dumb question.)
Me: Thanks.
I drive to the area of the soup kitchen. It is not long before we come to a park where I know that there are homeless “camps” unless the city has recently decided to make them leave. They do that every so often when “the good citizens” complain.
Me: Let stop here and take a walk through the park.
Sam: Okay Uncle Jim.
Paul: Do we take our notebooks Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes, let’s do.
We all get out of the car. I put money in the meter and lock the car. We start our walk through the park. It is not long before we come to a place where a couple of people are napping next to shopping cars filled with stuff. We do not bother the people. Sam and Paul look sad. We walk on to a bench where I suggest we stop and write in our notebooks.
Sam: That was sad Uncle Jim. I did not see anything pretty or strong.
Paul: How can people live that way Uncle Jim?
Me: How strong do you think you have to be to live outside Sam and Paul?
Paul: I never thought of that. I would be really scared and want to give up. I guess it takes a really strong person to live that way.
Sam: Were the two people together because they take care of each other Uncle Jim?
Me: Very possibly. In my experience homeless people often help each other. I was listening to a Ted talk by a person named Ivan Baan who had taken photographs of people around the world taking care of each other. In one South American city a lot of people took over a 45-story partly completed, abandoned building and have created a community.
Did either of you notice anything else positive?
Sam: I saw a bird’s nest where a mother or dad was sitting on some eggs. That was neat.
Paul: There was a dogwood tree next to the folks sleeping on the ground. It was sort of providing an umbrella of shade and you could smell the flowers Uncle Jim.
Me: That is great. So, at first we just saw sadness of two people sitting on the ground. Now we see the strength of living outside, the beauty of two people taking care of each other, the tree providing shade while sharing it’s beauty and the scent of its blossoms. Wow! Your perceptions changed a lot didn’t they?
Paul: That is interesting Uncle Jim. I like this experiment.
Sam: Me too.
Me: Let’s walk a little further and then we will head to the soup kitchen.
Sam; There, Uncle Jim. Some more shopping carts, but I do not see any people. They are filled. They are like little moving vans aren’t they?
Paul: Don’t the carts belong to some store Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes, I think all the carts were purchased by some store but no matter where you go – even in small communities – you often see shopping carts being used as mini trailers to hold or move possessions. You see that some of them have garbage bags which are waterproof containers to hold clothes and other valuables.
Paul: That is very creative isn’t it Uncle Jim?
Me: Yes. I think the term is repurposing which basically means finding another use for something that was originally designed for some a particular purpose.
Sam: How do you spell that?
Paul: R e p u r p o s i n g.
Sam: Thanks.
Me: Shall we head to the soup kitchen? Who do you think we will find there Sam and Paul?
Sam: Really sad people who are hungry?
Me: Yes, people are coming there to eat.
Paul: People who have no jobs?
Me: Well, not always Paul. Often there are people who work full time but cannot afford to rent or own a place to live. Sometimes if people pay rent they do not enough money for food.
Paul: John said that his Uncle is a police person in San Francisco and has to live in his car because places to live are so expensive.
Sam: People who did not finish school?
Me: Well, let’s see. I am not sure that is always accurate.
We reach the car and get in.
Me: Seat belts buckled?
Sam and Paul in unison: Yessss Uncle Jim!
Soon we reach the soup kitchen. There is a parking space close by. We get out, lock the car and again put money in a meter. We then walk over to where folks are waiting in line. Some people recognize me.
“Hey Jim.” What you doing?
Me: Hi Carl. Hi Missy. How are you all doing?
Carl: Fine. Who are these young people?
Me: These are Sam and Paul, my adopted niece and nephew. We are learning about perception - about seeing with our brain and not our eyes. We just came from the park where we saw some folks with their shopping carts napping. We are here so that they can find out a little more about your experience and how it compares with what we expect to see or find out. Carl, would you take Sam and Missy would you take Paul to dinner and help them meet and find out about folks?
Carl: Great. Sam, will you come with me?
Sam: Thanks Mr. Carl.
Missy: Paul, will you come with me.
Paul: Okay. Thank you.
They go off with Missy and Carl. I go over to spend some time with Fred who I know was a college professor until his alcoholism took over his life.
After dinner I meet up with Missy, Paul, Carl and Sam.
Me: Thanks Missy and Carl. How was it?
Missy: We made them honorary members of our families. Thanks for bringing them Jim. They are great kids.
Me. Yes, they are. I really appreciate you spending time with them.
Sam gives Carl a hug.
Sam: Thanks. I had a good time.
Paul gives Missy a hug.
Paul: Can I come back and visit with you Missy?
Missy: I would like that Paul.
We walk to the car. The kids are quiet.
Me: Well, obviously you two make new friends. What words do you want to write down in your notebooks?
Paul: I want to write down educated, loving, kind, giving.
Sam: I want to write down pretty, funny, strong, friendly.
Me: I am very impressed. Seems as if you saw much more than you expected to see. You obviously listened and paid attention. I am really proud of you both.
Me: Do you need help with your math homework?
Paul: No thanks Uncle Jim. Mom will help. I will call if we need help.
Me: Thank you both for going with me. I had a good time
Sam: I did too Uncle Jim.
Paul: Thanks Uncle Jim
Written April 19, 2016
RSS Feed