Reflective Learning Journal #6

Hyde Park, an ‘idealised landscape’ that ‘feels like home’. For a group report, I am considering how the management and design of the park creates this idea after taking an eight-hour bus journey to London, which had been delayed by four hours because of flooding. Personally, I did not think of Hyde Park as an ‘ideal landscape’ because it is an ‘artificial’ nature, created and managed by Human rather than being managed naturally by animals and weather. I suppose it could be argued that neither the city nor the countryside is entirely natural but in rural areas, nature is given places, many of which are National Parks, to grow without interference from Human exploitation or occupation. Urban areas tend to reintroduce parks and ‘natural’ areas where there may have been infrastructure, managing them in a way which creates a park which feels uniform and artificial, similar to a garden. My opinion may be biased because I live in a quiet rural area and so my attitude towards urban nature is more negative than my opinion of rural nature. Despite this, the vastness of Hyde Park made this densely populated, bustling city feel almost tranquil and empty which made me feel more comfortable than I did in any other part of London.

It struck me how the relationship between people and nature was different to the rural areas I have visited. Most people in the park walked along the paved area rather than the grass and I’ve recently noticed a similar relationship in Exeter. It almost seems like the urban society and the natural world are too completely different worlds that cannot touch, or that nature is the ‘wild’ opposite to the ‘structured’ urban area. This is very different to my rural hometown, where nature and society seem to intertwine and it feels normal to walk across the grass. In Exeter and London, however, I actually feel out of place if I don’t walk along the path laid out for me. I feel like I am being judged for doing something that is normal back home and it strikes me how feelings towards different things, such as nature, can change geographically and spatially. I read an article recently by J. Burgess (1988) which discussed how open spaces are a fundamental part of human life and that humans have a need for it. Through this, I thought of how there is a kind of ancestral link between our heritage and us. The way our ancestors lived and survived from nature has been deeply rooted in all of us, even though we do not use the information to the same extent. In my opinion, this is a fundamental reason why all of us feel some connection to and a need for nature in our own way, be it a plant in our house or a park in our city. Within nature, we can lose ourselves to our thoughts, disappear inside our psyche and escape from the outside world. Everyone needs an escape from reality every once in a while and parks and green spaces like Hyde Park provide us with the opportunity for this. Perhaps the key reason why Hyde Park is ‘idealised’ is because it allows us to escape.

References

Burgess, J., Harrison, C.M and Lamb, M. (1988) People, parks and the urban green: a study of popular meanings and values for open spaces in the city, Urban Studies, 25(6): 455-473.

~ Jones' Journal

Reflective Learning Journal #5

As Human Geographers, it is one of our academic duties to go on fieldtrips. A three day all expenses paid fieldtrip to London is pretty good. It really made up for the fact that a four-hour bus journey turned into eight. For the majority of the journey we were stuck in a stream of traffic as the storm poured rain down the windows of the bus. As we travelled – slowly – across this urbanised road, one image really struck me. Standing on a central raised point in the middle of a field were several grazing cows surrounded by a ring of glistening water. The soils were too saturated, from excessive surface runoff from the roads as well as from the storm conjuring up thoughts of the impact of the urbanisation of areas and the tarmacing of roads, for further infiltration, potentially causing severe crop damage to the adjacent cornfields. By the end of the road works, we realised the cause of our delay: two large trucks had collided, scattering debris all across the road...all that wasted milk.

Therefore, the first day largely consisted of travelling, although (after sleeping for at least half of it) it was interesting to just admire the surroundings and think about them in different ways. On our way through the outskirts of London I noticed that we drove past a Mercedes shop. Clearly, you can devise economic implications about the areas from this one shop, but as I looked around there was much more to it than just that. There seemed to be a clear-cut line between what could be defined as the ‘richer’ and the ‘poorer’ shops. The landscape along the main road to Hampstead was covered with a combination of high-rise buildings, both residential and corporation-based of modern style – square and uniform with glass walls and exterior elevator shafts, as well as smaller suburban housing and car parks.

Despite the congestion and the modern uniformity there were a few gems among the stones. In the distance, large church spires of old architectural design, towering above the smaller rows of houses, cast long shadows over the landscape. Small green parks occurred every now and then like a small oasis in a desert of common grains of sand but the plants were like manmade objects, unnaturally dispersed and maintained to suit a specific vision. Although the attempts may have been to make this place seem like a natural landscape, trying to reflect the perception of the ‘natural’ countryside, the parks seemed too artificial to me. Perhaps my opinion is biased. Being from the countryside, my vision of what is ‘natural’ or ‘unnatural’ may be clouded by my own perceptions of the differences between the countryside and the urbanised environment. When I think ‘about what ‘nature’ is I immediately think of where I come from, surrounded by mountains covered with forests and unkempt flora, vast oceans of fields and little else besides. Although I wonder now, is all of that really nature?

~ Jones' Journal

The Ghosts Of Our Past

Here it is as promised: my first short story which I've written for this blog. Enjoy!

“Do you believe in ghosts, Mr. Meyers? I do. I believe that we’re all haunted by the ghosts of those we have wronged. Do you know why I believe? It’s because I’m haunted, Mr. Meyers. I’ve been followed by the ghosts of my past all my life. They whisper to me, they torment me. After a while you just want to end it all, and all it takes is just...one...bullet.” Jason almost whispered while pointing a gun directly at his own temple, his face so close that Mr. Meyers could feel the warmth of the madman’s breath on his face as he breathed his slow and sinister words, sending shivers up his spine. Mr. Meyers was secured tightly to an old wooden chair in the middle of a vast open space, only a circle of which was lit by the bright shine of the moon while the rest of the surrounding area was swathed in a thick blanket of darkness. A piece of old cloth filled his mouth, rendering him speechless, helpless. Jason smiled, the contrasting beams of illuminating white light from the moon to the darkness of the decrepit and derelict old barn casting eerie shadows across his face. Rising to his feet he began to pace around the room, waving his gun in contemplation. Looking towards the crystalline starlit sky he continued; “I should know. It’s what I wanted. But I fought it! I carried on doing what I did and after a while I stopped listening, stopped caring...and now? I’m free!” Jason looked at his captive and raised his hands, grinning at the notion, happy that for once in his life he was no longer disturbed by the waking nightmares of his guilt. Mr. Meyers flinched with fear every time Jason quickly moved his hands, gesturing as he spoke, because the thought that Jason could end him at any second had built up a tension inside him which he could not release. “I know you want me to tell you that I’m sorry for what I’ve done, that I repent for all the things I’ve done, that I’ll never do it again but the truth is I’m not sorry. You wouldn’t understand the reasons if I told you, not even if I showed you.” Jason smiled slightly, chuckling quietly at the thought, but his good mood did not endure for long before his eyes became dark and glinted like coal and an angry expression contorted the features of his face.

                “Do you know what it feels like to be pushed to the edge of society, being told you’re a worthless piece of shit and no-one gives a damn?” Jason shouted, storming over to the chair to which Mr. Meyers was bound. “I’ve felt that all my life. Ha! They thought I wasn’t good at anything. They thought I was stupid...I showed them. So if you’re asking me why I do what I do, it’s simple; for the rush. At first it was more about justice, a little bit of vengeance for being treated like dirt. I mean, who else was going to do it if not me? The law never did anything so I had to take matters into my own hands, didn’t I? But then it became more of a hobby. I mean I had finally found something I was good at, and I loved it.” Jason smiled widely, exposing a row of white teeth. In his expression was something which almost seemed like a demented wild hunger beginning to burn inside the monster of his mind, a thought which knotted the stomach of Mr. Meyers and sent chills trailing across his skin as though he was being crawled on by the smallest insects. “It started out small; ‘taking care’ of those who had wronged me, before I got picked up by some of the more powerful people who gave me money for doing certain contracts. But the thing about those kinds of people is that they always see you as a loose end to tie up, so I just had to get rid of them before they had a chance to get rid of me. You could say I’m like a mercenary I suppose. After that though, it just became normal; a daily routine. I can’t even go a day without doing what I do best.”

A loud screeched echoed in the ominous old barn as Jason dragged a silver metal chair and dropped it directly in front of Mr. Meyers. Casually he raised the gun and pointed it between Mr. Meyers’ eyes, hovering it in front of his face. “When you’re staring down the barrel of your own gun, aiming at your next victim, they plead with you to let them go. “Oh no, please spare me.” “I have a family.” “I’m too young.” “I’ve never done anything to you.” “I don’t deserve this.” I’ve heard every plea!” His fist smacked down on a nearby table with a loud crack “And I don’t even care anymore. You know why? Because at that moment, that exact moment, you literally hold their life in your hands and you can take it away with one squeeze of the trigger. One squeeze.” He paused, light flickering in his dark eyes like an excited fire dancing to a tune. “That’s when the adrenaline kicks in, coursing through your veins, pumping your heart faster and faster until you can barely resist the urge. No one ever knew it was me. No one even ever heard the shot. I was too professional to falter at that hurdle. Oh I’ve learnt every trick of the murdering trade.” Jason leant back in the hard steel chair with a small smile etched across his smooth, young, slender face. His tousled russet brown hair was longer on the top than the sides, and his dark brown eyes glinted with satisfaction. He wore a black Armani suit with the white shirt open at the collar, a pair of black leather gloves, platinum and diamond cufflinks and a pair of black shoes which shimmered in the beam of moonlight that streamed from the hole in the ceiling. Mr. Meyers sat opposite, his smoky grey eyes filled with fear as he studied his captor. He was older than Jason by about twelve years and the hardship of being a special-agent had been wrought on his face. His cropped black hair and stubble darkened the handsome features of his light beige face, only lightened slightly by the grey-silver waistcoat, white shirt and black shoes and trousers he wore. The collar of his white shirt was stained with blood which trickled down his face from a combination of injuries: a gash in his forehead, a broken nose, and a cut eyelid from the full force of a pair of brass knuckles.

Jason rose to his feet and moved the chair out of the way. As he altered the fit of his gloves he spoke calmly, almost too calmly, saying “I’m sorry you had to get involved in this Mr. Meyers, truly I am, but you should’ve backed out when you had the chance." Jason’s face was almost expressionless as he pressed the cold steel of the gun against his victim’s skull. "Goodbye Mr. Meyers.”

~ Jones' Journal 

©

Reflective Learning Journal #4

I still find reflective learning difficult. The need to be critical rather than descriptive is challenging, I think, because of my experience studying A-Level English. Despite being given some guidelines, I feel as though I need some feedback that what I am doing is correct. I do not know if I am entitled to have it ‘assessed’ by my tutor, although I do not think so. This is obviously something I need to find out. However, I think I have improved since I started writing. I suppose throughout my course I will automatically adapt to the writing standard demand of me. I am trying to improve my ability to critically analysis  journal articles and academic textbooks, which I think develops as I read.

In our previous tutorial, the group had the task of reading two different journal articles, one of which was utterly tedious. Not only was it long, but also hard to read and, after a while, I found it difficult to concentrate so I skipped to the conclusion and took notes from that. The language the author used was very complex and he seemed to lack structure in his writing, often jumping from one idea to the next and back again. Now in the context of the entire book this journal may have made some sense. For me it was too much at such an early stage but I also found it slightly difficult to pinpoint the key ideas and arguments from the journal. The second journal was not as bad and I found it a much easier and more interesting read. I enjoyed its exploration of how an image can be represented in different ways and create an imaginative Geography that becomes embedded in social culture as ‘fact’ through the researcher’s use of the Apollo Earth images as examples. I still had to take a break from reading since I am currently a slow reader because it takes me a while to understand what the author is trying to say. Despite not knowing what questions to consider when reading these articles, I noted down ideas I thought were key and suggested them in a tutorial session. At first, I found it difficult to contribute to group discussions as I was trying to follow other people’s train of thought as well as trying to figure out which part I wanted to discuss. However, when I had finally thought of a point to raise I think I managed to put across my idea quite well, but it is clear that I am slow to think of points and I am too quiet. This may be due to a lack of confidence, an issue which I know I have faced a lot in my life, or perhaps I am slightly intimidated by the members in my group since, although I am improving, I am still shy and am not yet confident in my ability. In order to combat this, I think it is important that I put myself in pressured situations that require me to speak and contribute more to discussions, which could be done through the university Career Zone. However, when I suddenly realised what my point could be I think I managed to put across my statement, which reflected on one of the parts of the journal I found so interesting.

Thanks to another tutorial session, I now know the reading skills I have to develop. Currently I have a ‘surface approach’ to reading rather than the ideal ‘deep approach’ because, at the moment, I don’t try to relate ideas I come across in other topics to what I read and I don’t often find myself questioning what I read. I hope that now I have a list of questions to reflect on when reading geographical articles, my reading approach will change. I think that it is important for me to continue reading as many journals as possible because I think the more I read, the more I will understand and be able to critically analyse what I read.

~ Jones' Journal

Reflective Learning Journal #3

Wednesday involved a fieldtrip for Human and Physical Geography students, the first trip of the academic year. The tour took us around parts of Exeter, where we analysed how the topography of Exeter’s urban and physical landscape has changed over the course of the last few centuries, many of which were discussed at various places on the way to the city centre.

There are many evident changes in Exeter, primarily the intertwining of both old and new infrastructures. After splitting into three groups, we were tasked with drawing what we thought was significant about two areas of study: The Guildhall Shopping Centre and The Cathedral. I didn’t managed to finish either sketch because I’m what you would call a perfectionist; I would rather draw slowly and accurately than quickly and lose detail; so I think I need to improve on this by sketching different scenes more often. This way, I will be able to sketch quickly and include any important bits of detail without the sketch being too untidy. When investigating the Guildhall Shopping Centre, the majority of people drew the Higher Market due to the historical significance of being partially destroyed by the air raid during the war. The bombing of 1942, as we learned in a previous lecture, was important for the change of the layout of the city of Exeter, changing from one with narrow streets to one whose streets were widened to accommodate for the increase in automobiles, which dominated the city centre by the mid 20^th century. I on the other hand drew St. Pancras Church. Despite being small, this church had many historical links and was culturally important to the area. Built as early as the fourth century AD by Roman Christians, this church is perhaps one of the oldest foundations of the city of Exeter (Management Office, ca.2014). Not only this but there is evidence of the remnants of a Saxon door which enhances the historical significance of the small church as it poses as an important artefact during the period of the Saxon invasion of Exeter. However, what I considered to be the most important image of the area was that this ancient building, situated in the centre of the courtyard, was surrounded by contemporary buildings and shops. The modern shops and buildings drastically contrasted the church and I decided that the entwining of the two eras was both locally and globally significant to the area as it stood as a symbol of mankind’s technological advancements and change from ancient to modern ways of living; both dominated by economy, consumption and expansion but in a different way. I think this kind of analysis of the area shows some of my strengths in this field because I can think of the ways in which there are geographical links to different things, which I have also shown in a previous tutorial session.

Later in the day, we had the task of drawing and identifying different stones that were used in the construction of the wall of Rougemont Castle. I found this task very difficult to do because it was a Physical Geography exercise and, as I mainly focus on Human Geography, I have little knowledge of geology and therefore I definitely cannot identify rock types. It is now obvious to me that I have a lack of knowledge in this topic area and perhaps I need to do some research into some of the fields of Physical Geography to improve my understanding but geology is not something I take interest in. Currently I do not know where to start geological research but I assume core textbooks or journals are my best bet.

Reference

Management Office (ca.2014) St Pancras Church, <http://www.guildhallshoppingexeter.co.uk/st-pancras-church.html>.

~ Jones' Journal

Reflective Learning Journal #2

In our tutorial session on Monday, we were split into two groups of four, given one random object each, and told to reflect on how the inanimate object linked to Geography. It seemed an interesting task to undertake although our group’s object was a plastic toy Shire horse that, at first, seemed irrelevant. However, when thinking in-depth it was clear that there were many links to Geography; past, present and future.

As a link to the past some members came up with the concept that the Shire horse was used as a transportation system before the invention of cars as cart horses, carrying people and goods around the country.

As a link to the present it was clear that offshoring had taken place as the toy was made by a German company in China, giving rise to the political and social issues surrounding worker exploitation and hence leading to thoughts about the collapse of Rana Plaza, a fashion factory in the Savar district of Dhaka which killed approximately 1,129 people and injured 2,515.

As a link to the future I concocted the idea that as a toy constructed from plastic it was therefore based from oil, a finite resource and one which is running out due to civilisation’s rapid consumption of energy and fuel. This then links to climate change and how in future the Earth’s global temperatures will rise unless measures are taken to act against global warming. I was pleased that I had thought of this link, although it took me time to begin thinking of ideas. I was not overly confident with my ideas either, tending to hold back rather than speak my mind. This was my weakness in the task but my strengths lie in my knowledge of Geography and when I create an idea I can expand it to link into many different fields of Geography because in Geography everything has links to one another, be it direct or indirect.

I know that it is necessary for me to improve my confidence since it is one of my weaknesses, but it will take time and practice. In a few weeks I will have to undertake a group presentation for the same module but I am with two people who are very confident, so in order to be heard I must find the confidence deep inside to contribute to this presentation because this is my degree and in this type of environment I can only trust myself because we’re all fighting for the same thing, otherwise it will be no-one’s fault but my own. Therefore, in order to succeed I must do research and make notes on the articles we have to read so that I have ideas and reflections to contribute to the presentation while trying to balance all my other studies.

~ Jones' Journal

Reflective Learning Journal #1

I have recently found myself in my first session of my university career, a tutorial session, which consisted of various handouts about essay referencing techniques, introducing myself to seven other students and the tutor. By the end of the session I had already been assigned my first essay on if ‘Human Geography plays a key role in understanding and responding to climate change’, consisting of 20% of my module grade. I was given little information to begin with so I was anxious about whether I would be able to write a successful essay. Unsure about where to begin, I began making notes on what I thought the essay would consist of, drawing on my knowledge from A level work and reading through some of the material that was suggested to us for use in this essay, including ‘Key Concepts in Geography’. It wasn’t a particularly difficult question, but being away from a study environment for six months really effected how I worked. The problem with this essay was that I didn’t read many of the suggested readings, tending to search online for various websites and articles that were short because at the time I did not understand the importance of key readings (I suppose the word key should have given it away). This impacted on my essay because it limited my understanding of the question which would have been improved if I had read the key readings. Since I have had feedback I have began to read more journals and Geography textbooks but they seem very complicated and difficult to analyse. I understand that, since this is only the beginning, I will develop as the course progresses and eventually become used to the writing style needed for essays and will be able to understand the points made in the journals. Next time I will read more in order to have a better understanding of the question topic, which, with any luck, will mean that I get a better result for my next essay.

~ Jones' Journal

Things You Need To Know About Me

I'm a new student at the University of Exeter (otherwise known as a Fresher), studying Human Geography, (otherwise known as a Fresher) and work is already getting intense with trying to balance shopping, eating, relaxing, studies and Kung Fu (I know, awesome right?). I decided to come to university to further my career prospects, develop new skills and my knowledge.
Geography has always been an interest of mine and the incorporation of physical geography modules into the human BA course is good since it expands the areas I can work in rather than fixing me to pure human modules.
The main reason for the creation of this blog is because it is a requirement of my 'Study Skills for Human Geographers' module to write something called a 'Reflective Learning Journal'. Now many of you are probably reading this and don't understand what a reflective learning journal is but don't worry, in all fairness neither do I! All I know is that it's thinking about lectures, what my feelings were, what I've learnt, what I would do differently and I have a whole year to do it in so I have plenty of time to learn. Since I've never written one before I think I'll need a year as I suppose over time I'll begin to understand how to write it and the words will start to flow onto the page like water trickling over a stone, taking shape as it follows the contours of its form.
But this blog isn't just for my studies. Another important thing you should know about me is that I am a fictional writer. I enjoy writing short stories and I am currently in the midst of writing my very own novel. Primarily my work tends to revolve around the themes of post-apocalyptic dystopia and fantasy while occasionally I will delve into the human psyche and contemplate the dangers in a world gripped by crime. I've participated in an Open University course in creative writing which has made me a much better writer with better ideas and writing style. Over the course of this blog I'll attempt to upload a short story every few weeks (or every week if I can manage it) and hopefully you'll like what I do.

Other random things to know is that I'm quite a sporty person as I enjoy climbing, mountain biking, Kung Fu (of course), horse riding and many other activities. If sport societies in university were cheap I'd have joined a lot more! I'm also now part of the University newspaper and hopefully will be submitting short stories and game articles soon for either the printed paper or the online version.

The next post will consist of an edition of my new 'Reflective Learning Journal' and as soon as I can I'll upload a short story for you to read.

~ Jones' Journal