[Last modified: November, 1 2024 11:25 AM]
Keywords:
- Non-place [I was still quite sleepy so I erroneously wrote down “non-space”]
- Sleeping
- Groups
- Local
- Noise
- Movement
I took advantage of the 5 a.m. ferry from my island the day I left for London to take notes. Ferries fascinate me as they remind me of Auge’s definition of “non-place” that he coined for spaces of transitions like airports. The 5 a.m. ferry from Elba is the first to leave the island and the only one (almost) always departing regardless of weather conditions. Despite the weather alert that carried on for three days in the whole region, this ferry departed normally not to disrupt connections to the mainland completely. Locals usually take it when they have very early appointments on the mainland the same day, or when they need to catch an early flight without leaving the evening before, as was my case. The ferry was quite busy, and it looked like all the people were local. Tourists do not usually leave this early, and there are only a few left in an off-season time like October. People recognized each other and waved their hands to say hi, but everyone stayed within their respective groups – friends or family. It was still dark outside and probably too early for most people to socialize. The majority kicked off their shoes and lay on the sofas to sleep, whereas some sat and quietly chatted with their journey companions. The only instance in which people “broke” their groups to interact with someone else occurred when a man stood up and stopped my dad as we were looking for a place to sit. He asked him about how oil production was going since October is the time for harvesting olives, despite the great difficulties given by the adverse weather.
Note-taking was incredibly effective in outlining a story and remembering the small details that otherwise would have gone missing, e.g. the almost casual interaction between my dad and his friend, the news on the television announcing that Israel has attacked Iran (before the rest of Italy would wake up and read about it), the man watching loud videos next to me, the almost total absence of movements in the lounge once the ferry departed, and the engines’ noises that blocked out every other one. I took the ferry so many times that I usually ignore what is happening around me. A critical observation combined with note-taking turned out to be very productive. Sketches would have been a great addition, but my total inability to draw anything (and the fact that I was still quite sleepy) prevented me from capturing a shot of this early morning scene and gaining an even more nuanced understanding of it.
