As an international exchange student here in Melbourne, everyday I experience people, sights, sounds, and smells that make me realize I am very very far from home.
It wasn't until I actively started exploring the ideas of "house vs home" that I realized what it was that made me feel so far away, and what things made me feel like I was making a home for myself, even if I am hundreds of miles away from the real thing...
The first time I realized I was so far from home, was when I was living in a dorm room.
The "cup of tea" exercise, furthered this feeling..
Making a cup of tea is supposed to provide a sense of comfort and relaxation....
An industrial water heater, cheap mug, and communal kitchen doesn't really make one feel at home!
My dorm room...
When considering how to document our "homes" in model form, I was inspired by thoughts of general forms, stacking, and uniformity. Here are some journal pages of thoughts and inspirations for my model...
Inspiration Images: Shipping crates, cardboard boxes...
Inspiration Images: White walls, personal touches...
Thus, I was attempting to demonstrate that where I was living was hardly a "home." Rather, it was a generic space. The only thing to make it my own, was the objects I put into the space. My personal possessions were what made my dorm room, MY dorm room.
In model form, my goal was to use my inspiration material to build my room. By using cardboard for the whole model, I was able to show the basic, generic quality of the room. There is nothing unique at all about the room itself, but rather, what I put in the room that makes it special....
Once I moved into a house, in a residential area, I further began to understand what makes ME comfortable in a space, and the ways I unconsciously make a space a "home."
I attempted to consciously observe how I make a space my own; where I put all my belongings, what I choose to display, what I choose to hide away, or what things I choose to take with me wherever I go.
My goal with the video, was to portray the feeling of comfort and ease I felt upon moving into a house.
Video stills: hallway comparisons, dorm vs house
Generic dorm rooms vs a home with character!
Video segment: Making a house my home...
So, I have moved for the last time. I am in a place where I can now confidently say I am at "home." It took me some time to consciously determine it is that makes me feel "at home." It differs from person to person. Most people would probably bring things of sentimental value such as pictures, or souvenirs. I realize for me, what makes a space "mine" are the everyday objects I use. When my clothes are put away, cosmetics placed in the bathroom or on the nightstand, purses hung over chairs and scarves draped over corners, any room will start to have my personality placed upon it.
I did bring a few pictures of friends and family, and only recently put them up for the first time since moving here. However, they don't seem to have as much importance as I would have thought. It seems I feel more "at home" when I come home from a long day, only to find clothes all over the floor, and my personal belongings taking up every corner of a space. Living in a house rather than a home means that I am living in a space with its own unique spaces and qualities. Creaky floors, roommates playing music, cooking bbq meals, are all factors that contribute to a feeling of comfort and ease.
I guess these are all reasons why I feel more at home now...
WHATS NEXT?
Thoughts about Brief 3...
"People and Their Spaces"
After exploring the idea of MY home, I have become really interested in how other people live and travel, and how they find ways to make places THEIR homes.
As an exchange student, I am in the same situation as many other students before me, trying to find their way in a Country that is not only very different from their own, but very far away as well. What do these people travel with? What kinds of smells, sights, or sounds make them feel at home, or make them feel far from home? How do they change their surrounding spaces to make them feel more comfortable?
All of these questions are things that I have thought of with regards to my own life here in Melbourne, and are of interest to me, with regards to the lives of other international or exchange students.
Perhaps a video asking all these types of questions to others, will help see how I differ from others...
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