Ghostly Spaces: Empty or full of History?

                         Source: Author's photograph

        A simple old abandoned house, located near the heart of Chagaunas. Would this space be considered unwanted and disdainful to look at, or would its history and architecture be an irreplaceable ingredient which helped shape the city of Chagaunas. 
       According to Edensor (2008) a site like this would be considered a ghostly and mundane space, which still has a lot of its past visible, a past which would evoke previous eras, communities and social, economic or political movements and activities now long gone. A space which may seem incongruous when set against more recent developments, but if destroyed the very foundation of the present cityscape would be lost.
       And it is true without spaces and landscapes like these we would loose our sense of history and eras of culture. buildings like these offer us not an unpleasant sight but rather opportunities to revamp. Theses buildings could be rebuilt while preserving its unique architecture, it would add to the city's architectural culture and enrich the history found in the city .


    I chose a poem which i think relates my photo, i hope you like my choice. For me it depicts that something left behind can be full of beauty and value. 

Rust
Iron, left in the rain
    And fog and dew,
With rust is covered. Pain
    Rusts into beauty too.

BY: Mary Carolyn Davies        


Source: 

•  Edensor, T. (2008) 'Mundane hauntings: commuting through the phantasmagoric working-class spaces of Manchester, England', Cultural Geographies, 15(3):313-333.
• Peterson, R. Stanley, et al. (1964) 'A second book of Poetry', New York: The Macmillan Company, pg 87.

Concrete Jungle?

      
Source: Author's photo (Emperor Valley Zoo)

   A city, a maze of tall high rise concrete buildings, hot, tar roadways and endless vehicles. Is it however just that?  In some cities there are rear but precious "green areas" that can take you away from the everyday craziness that we call life. The Emperor Valley Zoo in Port of Spain is one such place, the atmosphere is suited for all ages. Fun for the kids, exotic and beautiful animals of all shapes and sizes, peaceful trails canopied with a range of trees and and breathtaking blooms of flowers. How then can a place of this nature exists in the hectic city?  
       "Since the widespread process of industrialization during the 1980's the centers of cities have been extensively redesigned to make then attractive environments and assets in the attraction of external capital, in the form of tourists, business  tourists and companies." (H. Barrett, T. Hall. 2012 : 250.) I could not have said it better myself, areas like this create huge revenue on a daily basis from tourists. Some find it better to discuss business in calm environments like this. 
    Spaces like these are important in building cities and showing that even in all the hassle there is a speck of peace within a city. 

 Where is Heaven?

By: Bliss Carman

Where is Heaven? Is it not
Just a friendly garden plot,
Walled with stone and roofed with sun,
Where the days pass one by one
Not too fast and not too slow,
Looking backward as they go
At the beauties left behind
To transport the pensive mind.

Does not Heaven begin that day
When the eager heart can say,
Surely God is in this place.
I have seen Him face to face
In the loveliness of flowers,
In the service of the showers,
And His voice has talked to me 
In the sunlit apple tree.





Reference: 

•  H. Barrett, T. Hall (2012) Urban Geography (4th edition.) . Oxon : Routledge. pg : 250.
• Peterson, R. Stanley, et al, (1964) 'A second book of poetry' New York: The Macmillan Company, pg 27.