A Memory vs. Reality

A Memory Exercise

Part II

(in progress)

TOS 2011

A Memory Exercise

Part I

A MEMORY EXERCISE-

Maputo, Mozambique

> This exercise consisted in making a plan of any place I am familiar with marking the main landmarks and writing up a small text explaining it. Here it goes!

Being a small town as it is, Maputo is a place where memories are very easy to retain.

The area I chose to sketch and describe is in fact the one surrounding my own house which is a place I know and experienced for many years.

To begin I chose my house as a reference point (orange mark in the map) in relation to the other landmarks in the area.

The plan of the town is mostly a grid divided into square sectors where each sector is majorly for the purpose of residential buildings (in my area). With the development of the city throughout the years some of these residences started being transformed into offices, shops, restaurants, beauty parlours, etc and thats why in one sector we can find a mixture of activities happening.

In the sector of the reference point chosen (1) there are 2 main landmarks which appeared in recent years. They are 2 dental clinics, one in Paulo Samuel Kankhomba Av. Itself and the other one in Valentim Siti Rd. (2)

Crossing the Valentim Siti Rd. and still on Paulo Samuel Kanhkomba, on the left side a business hotel (3) sets another landmark and it stands right next to a petrol station (4) which is very known by the residents of that same area and others for its old age of existence.

On the right side of the avenue a Hostel and Mess (11 and 12) of the most valued university of Mozambique, UEM, set another landmark.

Again Crossing the road, this time Amilcar Cabral, there is the Millenium Bank (6) right at the corner of the street. The strategic positioning of the bank force people to make waiting lines right on the street corner to use the one ATM box belonging to the same bank.

Right opposite to this bank we find a University (8) and a Cultural Centre (9) right behind it facing another Avenue (Agostinho Neto). The university located in this avenue gave a completely different aspect and feel to the area making it more active. The inconvenient this University brought was the traffic that increased and resulted in lack of space for parking at certain times of the day. This until they provided a parking area which still does not fulfill the required number of cars.

Behind the bank (6) there is a small lane that leads to a market that serves the entire neighborhood with all sorts of goods among them vegetables, fruits, local cereals and fish, meat, local crafts, groceries, clothes, hair salons, eateries, etc.

In the intersection of Mao Tse Tung and Vladimir Lenine Av. There a church (12) which allocates many catholic functions. It a very important landmark specially because of its positioning which is right at the end of the Avenue.

Walking on the Mao Tse Tung Avenue one can find a Police Station at the corner with Cmdte. Joao Belo Rd.

• Because the streets are all in straight lines and the sectors are aligned almost throughout the city it is easy to remember the existing landmarks and names of Roads and Avenues (and where they are located). The scale of the houses in this neighborhood is very comfortable for pedestrians hence the movement of people on foot is prominent and easy.

• All the streets are covered with trees (acacias, red and yellow) which keep them cool In summers.

• In the small Roads the movement of the cars is just one way to avoid the traffic jams. Only in the larger avenues the movement is two ways separated by road dividers.

• In every road there is enough space for pedestrian movement and trees which date from many years back which provide shade and coolness in summers.

>> The next exercise is a comparison of the sketch I drew out of memory with the actual google map. I shall then make a small write up explaining the differences which might appear between them and why this could've happened.