5 August 2025. 4:02 pm.
I left the house in search of the Westminster walking trail maps designed by Footways. I was supposed to find them at the Charing Cross library. The library did not have them but I was referred to the Westminster Reference library by the librarian. The reference library too did not have them. I then explored Leicester square a bit. It was my first time doing so. I have been very careful of not looking at London through a tourist/commercial lens. Anyway, I got my matcha from Blank Street (oh the irony) Charing Cross and walked to the Phoenix garden.
Realisation 1- Pocket parks and matcha go well.
Realisation 2- I have literally immersed myself in my thesis.
Realisation 3- This is what I want to do for a living- visit places, write about them, design for them.
The Phoenix garden is particularly beautiful because it is situated right amidst of the chaos of Leicester square and China town. It is not preaching anything but I just saw a wooden board hung on a tree branch, on which were mounted plastic packaging of commodities with a title mentioning the number of years it takes for the decomposition of the packaging material. One of the engravings on a bench says “Look up” (so philosophical). The quotes engraved on some of the benches here make me chuckle and ponder, in that order.
I now see police walking towards the end of the park making sure that everyone is having a good time and no one is doing drugs. I also see couples sharing two flavours of gelato, a stranger reading beside me, a girl lain on the grass, having the best nap of her lifetime- probably a college student and groups of friends sharing gossips over glasses of lattes and matchas.
I now completely understand the frustrations of people whose solo/work/lunch spots get revealed to the common public who refuse to put an effort in discovering them. The design decision of naming these parks in the map seems like a cross I have to bear.
There are some common objects (topologies) that I see in pocket parks- benches, flowers, small waterbodies filled with an algae blanket. This is such a beautiful day. I feel like a fairy sitting in sunlight, occasionally sipping my matcha, typing away…
1200 pounds for four hours- private events. The garden is earning more than me.
I have decided the vibe that want for my project- weird, quirky, unhinged, quite like Phoebe from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. This was inspired from the Phoenix garden.