Phenomenology and Building seminar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Phenomenology and Building seminar - Essay Example The place where I was born, the place where I grew up, the place which I learnt was called a house, a place that was so much more. It is difficult for me to describe how much this place means to me. It is the place where I took my first steps. Where I laughed and cried and grew up. It is a tangible representation of all my memories. Moving towards the history of my home, the historic value of this house is also very sentimental. When my parents got married they moved into this house. Thirty years ago it was constructed by the housing development in Tehran. However it seems older to me. Looking back at the last time I visited my childhood home I remember it all so clearly. Last year during my winter break as I went to Tehran I decided to go visit the old neighborhood. My cousin dropped me at the mosque near my home and I silently stared at it for a minute listening to the sound of the azaan. I was overcome with emotion because of the beauty of that sound and the way people left what t hey were doing and headed to the mosque to answer the call for prayer. The sound of azaan had always calmed me down and filled me with peace and hope. I had missed it a lot Moving on I walked on the footpath as I had done many times before. Then I was finally there. I was in my old neighborhood. There are so many times in life that we think that we would know how we would feel in a particular situation. Its times like these that we realize for our all knowledge, for all our experiences, for all our perceived understanding of things, how little we really know. I was here after twelve years. We had moved into a new house as I turned sixteen. Everything had changed so much.. I walked down the street and I smell the faint but familiar aroma of xangak and chelo kebab. I smile at the little children riding their bikes and running around. I see their mother’s watching them with such fondness from their driveways. I see so many faces. Strangely I recognize none of them. I see the tre es nearby and so many birds flying in different directions. I see the yellow bridge and it makes me happy as I remember standing on it as a child hoping to catch a fish. At this point Martin Heidegger’s concept of dwelling crosses my mind. I had initially struggled to grasp what he had meant when he had related buildings to dwelling. How he had mentioned the fourfold elements of earth, sky, divinities and mortals as essential for the idea of dwelling. At this point I could see with certain clarity what he had meant. My house was located near a natural environment. It was how I had related to the overall environment, also known as ‘place’ as Christian Norberg-Schulz would call it, and not just a structure of a building in which I spent a majority of my time in. I’m standing outside my house now. It’s a building of modest proportions. It’s a two storey family house built along a minimalist design. The character of which is defined from its semi hanging open terrace, a set of white pillars that start at the base and finish lightly touching the roof top, with huge glass windows and a small courtyard that provides shielding enclosure from the street while maximizing light and views.  I stare at the white residential security gate and I smile as fond memories flood my mind. I see myself struggling to climb over that gate and when tiring from the effort of doing so sitting right at the base with my feet hanging out and waving at people passing by. I can see my

The Characteristics of Main Modes of Transport in India and Australia Assignment

The Characteristics of Main Modes of Transport in India and Australia - Assignment Example The transport modes help a nation to attain its people and freight to achieve utmost mobility. Nowadays, most transport systems are capable to handle both freight and passenger traffic. Here, the attempt is to compare the main transport modes of India, a developing country in Asia; and Australia, a developed country and a diverse continent by itself. Besides, the essay attempts to investigate and to explain the reason behind the difference in the development of transport modes in these countries. Muehlich & Hamacher reflects that: â€Å"global passenger and freight transportation activities, consumption levels of fuels used for transportation purposes† (2006) the difference in transport mode in different countries is because of the relation with passenger and freight activities and the difference in fuel consumption level. Thesis statement: Comparison between the transport modes of India and Australia, and investigation of the reason behind the difference of transport modes. In India, transport modes play a significant role in economic development and cater the needs of above 1.1 billion people. The transport infrastructure in the South Eastern and South Western parts of the country is far better than other parts. The road network is the backbone/lifeline of the country. World Bank Independent Evaluation Group reflects that: â€Å"Since 2000, transport demand has shifted among transport modes, mainly to the advantage of road transport† (World Bank Independent Evaluation Group 2007) the year 2000 shows a tremendous shift in transport demand in India. For instance, in the year 1997, revenue from the road network consists of 4.4 percent of GDP. But the people who live in remote villages get less access to all-weather roads and they become isolated from the other parts of the country in monsoon seasons. The rail network is the longest and 4th heavily used system in the world.