22 June 2025. 3:43 pm
I write this as I sit in the Redemption Roasters cafe, which is a nice place to work. I would have never known about this place if it wasn’t for us exploring Picadilly by foot. They have an amazing backstory. I wonder if I can make my MA project about amplifying founder/personal stories for places. I realise that I can narrow down on places like parks and cafes instead of taking up huge spaces of areas like nation and countries. I love the idea of branding a borough or a street. I have been collecting the blue stamps of heritage placed around London. My project can also be about community-building experiences. I could handout postcards for London or maps with heritage places that are underrated.
Important insight by Neha: Where do I go after 5 pm?
I would’ve loved community spaces in India but I realise that they are not a thing because India has families. I still would not mind taking a break from them, once in a while.
In another conversation with Neha, we talked about the Mumbai coastal forest project. We also talked about diversity of a region and the future of place-branding with respect to real estate. I realise the possibility of my FMP taking a direction in the colonial history of London. I was also informed on how my take on these issues is valid because of my experiences as a post-graduate Indian student in the UK.
Schematic maps allow personal experiences to seep into a place. I could do something with tailored tours of a city that could elevate the experience. However this is completely opposite to what branding stands for- appeal to the major public.
The next step for me, I guess is my tutorial with Rob. After that I need to finalise names for interviews.
All my academic life, starting from nursery school my mother and my grandfather have begged for me to study in the early hours of the day. It is my tendency to stay up in the night, panic and not get work done anyway. How ironic is it that I understand the truth behind their appeals in the last unit of my post-graduate studies. I cannot see myself doing a PHD in the next few years but when I decide on embarking on that journey. I will wake up early in the morning and do my reading.