Design for wait

At the station, the documentation of data was carried out through photographs, notes, audio recordings and a personal written log. Using the methods of open coding, key words/ themes were derived from the accounts at the station. Photo elicitation was undertaken to decode the images that were clicked as part of the documentation. The words and themes emerging from the two were then combined in clusters and analysed leading to meta themes. These could then be then used to conceptualise the interventions to be carried out at the station.

Let’s go back in time to a spacetime coordinate before the Romans decided to divide the interval between consecutive sunrises into divisions in multiples of 12. They could have chosen 10 or 17, but they chose 12 and we followed with it. Didn’t ask, didn’t care.

But what if somebody else decided how to keep track of the sun as it passed on by again and again? What if they weren’t a numbers person? What if they were a music person named Gautam Merwan? Here’s how I imagine the world would have kept time in that alternate universe. I, the king of the world (or at least Rome) would have ordered my people to play music for me according to the position of the sun rather than stress over numbers. And I imagine that would have progressed into a form of timekeeping based on varying styles of tone and tempo in the modern day.

Basically such a weird concept can seem less weird if we boil it down to the basics of the concept of timekeeping itself. Time as an entity became necessary in order to measure the intervals between consecutive sunrises and to know the durations of daylight and darkness. The interval between sunrises is what we call a day. The next step is to define a unit of time duration and divide the day into ‘n’ number of those divisions. The Romans decided to use an interval called an hour and split up the day into divisions in multiples of twelve. The last and most crucial step is to create a system to distinguish between each of those units so that you can know exactly at which part of the day you are at, otherwise if all of the units remain identical the exercise of splitting the day into those units becomes a futile endeavour. The Romans chose to distinguish the units by assigning numbers to them. And exactly at this point is where we are able to discuss the more radical ideas of “unclocked time” based on the method of identifying and distinguishing units of time across a day.

I say that units of time could be represented by a pulse. A very definite rhythm of life with a varying tempo across the day and significantly different tones to further distinguish between morning, afternoon, evening and night or summer, autumn, winter and spring, etc. It may seem like an impossible thing to ask for us all to be able to recognize tempo with enough accuracy to determine time from it but it is something entirely within our reach. Conductors of orchestras can sense the accuracy of a tempo with unbelievable precision (as can be witnessed in the movie Whiplash) so it is a skill that could become a trait of human sensibility had we been trained to perceive it over centuries of ‘time’. As we have been trained to look at some numbers on our 'clocks’ in order to know the time, we could have been touching our 'pulsators’ or somehow tacitly accessing a speaker in order to hear the rhythm of time and know how long til we get to leave our cubicle at the end of work.

07.01.2016

A day spent at the Majestic Station. Waiting and watching while the world passes us by.

For a day all of us became passengers in transit, spread out across the station, conscious of wait and willing to partake in it while watching others do the same closely. Assuming the role of the waiting passengers allowed us to merge seamlessly with the crowds and engage in the participant observations, looking at various kinds of wait, the range of behaviours that it brings out, the businesses that run on the idea and the entities involved in it.

Some of the stances and scenes captured on camera and paper

Berlin / 2010 / Mariana Pensotti

http://marianopensotti.com/avecescreoeng.html

A group of authors write live on what they see in the railway station. And other things too: private observations, things they make up, or historical information. Every word they type is projected onto a large screen, a separate one for each author. Both casual passersby and lingering audiences become characters in the speculative stories written on the spot, and each has the power to change the plot.

3 by 4/ Paul Sermon

This installation functioned between two geographically distant audiences located in separate 3x4 metre blue-box room installations at Khoj Studios, New Delhi and the Southbank Centre, London. Spanning five time zones the installation was connected 6 hours a day from 12 to 14 December 2014, combining two cities not just spatially but temporally, from the start of one person’s day to the end of another’s. 

The connectedness of these two 3x4 metre structures allowed the diverse public audiences the opportunity to explore networked spaces as new mixed-reality hybrid environments. It made it possible to experience, not only the presence of geographically distant participants, but also a sense of coexistence with them.

Dutch designer Thor Ter Kulve addresses those ordinary components of the streets such as trash bins and street lamps, and by way of clever interventions, creates something different in an altogether fun, playful and interactive public experience.

 A similar project hung spill swings from the handrails on San Francisco’s BART public transit system, while the more complex 21 Swings project in Montreal coordinated the urban swings with music for an interactive experiment

Few observe, rest go with the flow. Some take control, others just let go. This is a space where some are themselves, and some are not. A space where everyone is unique. Who are we truly? Are we in a trance?

I guess everyone just observes everyone here. In here people come and go. Some stay, Some revisit, Some it’s a home, To others a new journey. To some a dream, Others a necessity. I guess some people that I meet or see will only be confined to that moment and never again. Yet again who really knows…

Well, the only thing I have often waited for, was for the last moment!! :P But I guess that has made me comfortable with handling last minute changes & that’s probably why I left for Diwali with almost no idea about what I am gonna do in the one whole day transit break in Bombay, that too with all the luggage! So yeah, started from college, headed to Ahmedabad as usual in a rush, but closer to the station realized that had enough time… So Settled down at the station, got stuff to eat through the night because I would any day and in every way avoid the pantry car made food and started reading an online article.

Now I started texting my friends that I made it to the station and also rang up to mom & dad to let them know of same. And to my surprise, the train actually reached the platform 20 minutes before the scheduled departure as Ahmedabad was the origin station. That was the first time I have ever reached the platform before the train, while boarding from an origin station! I rushed into the train, was the first of all the people waiting to enter the compartment, settled in a jiffy into the side lower berth that I always prefer, because it’s amazing to sit legs out in the direction of the train & also be able to look out at the special view of the world through its windows!

After the TT finished his check, after train was past the urban limits, after a few minutes of the same mundane stretches of bushes & vast empty pieces of land… I had to reluctantly hold myself from opening the lap & going lost in episode after episode of “Suits” that I have accumulated, because it was my last resort for the whole day in Mumbai station tomorrow, if I couldn’t work out anything for the day. Finally I convinced myself to sleep after a few minutes of skimming through fb, economic times and autocar. Then came the next day, early morning in Bombay Central. I woke only after the train stopped, that too because of all the chaos that’s accompanied by an arriving train. I took enough time to get my stuff together and stepped into Mumbai. Looking at the high rise ceilings, I proceeded through the platform saying to myself “Wah Wah… Mumbai welcomes you Jv!!” with an imaginary bgm in my head! :D

Then, there was the descending back to reality on realizing that I had nowhere to go but for the waiting room, after 10 – 15 foots of imaginary trumpeting durbar welcome! So I moved out of line from the stream of people walking towards the front of the station. I just stood there, fiddling with my phone on whom to call, what could be done… And then there was the light at the end of the tunnel moment when I saw my friend Aniket, walking from the far end of the train! He had also travelled by the same train; he was also heading to Bombay, to his friend’s place in dardar. Now I had a place to stay, actually a place to sleep through the whole morning after the nice, roadside, soothing and unusual early morning breakfast the guys got me, when you are in that phase of life, where breakfast in itself is unusual. In the noon I really wanted to get out, at least in to the neighbourhood and explore the local food outs, hoping to get a worth remembering vada pav experience, at the least!

My host took me to an Iranian café, where we had a decent but different meal. Now the devil kicked in..!! Instead of venturing out into the city, I let myself into the temptations of “Suits” in the mildly lit cozy setup typical of a bachelor’s apartment. In the evening around 5, guilt started setting in and decided to head out to marine drive for the sunset. I had texted my friend back in Ahmedabad that am heading to marine drive and she told me just not to miss the Frankie in Churchgate! I walked the whole length of Marine Drive from the marine lines station, up till Nariman Point! And then, I took a hardly 5 minute cab to Churchgate and the Frankie was ammm-azing to say the least!

Now it was a rush back to the flat and from the flat to LTT station, in the usual Jv style! ;) I reached the station only to realise that I have been over cautious again, just like in Ahmd and arrived at least 10 – 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled departure!

I passed time informing my parents & my new friend & host I in Bombay, who gave me asylum from what would have otherwise been a gruelling long day in a Mumbai Termus, all worried about the luggage I was carrying!

                 It seemed to me then that the transit break plan didn’t actually go well, because I dint make the most of the lucky day in got… but now, when I look back at it, it doesn’t seem really that bad after all…

Janagavishnu Ponnusamy

A few interventions and precedents negotiating various forms of wait or commenting on it.

Fra Bianco’s ‘Anti-Stress’ bubble wraps at a bus stop in Milan

The Story Dispensing Machine by Short Edition

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/11/short-edition-vending-machine/

BeatSpot-A seating object inspired by two observations from the public space

https://vimeo.com/82173973

Handmade Portraits by Sophie Blackall

https://vimeo.com/36116772

Subway Stories by Alon Chitayat and Jeff Ong—An interactive subway simulator exploring the inner-lives of commuters in New York City.

https://vimeo.com/80763332

Hurry up and Wait by Maira Kahlman

https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/04/07/hurry-up-and-wait-daniel-handler-maira-kalman/

Subway Tunnel Ads

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsdF834vXkQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5IlyoovPAo

Rail radar: Real time information, it’s contribution to wait

http://railradar.railyatri.in/

Trains of Data by MIT senseable city lab

http://senseable.mit.edu/trainsofdata/

Finding Pointer

http://www.pointerpointer.com

More of digital wait here!

www.prettyloaded.com

Waiting for the Internet by Erica Love & Juan Ennxuto—Portrays internet access as a basic necessity that is distributed unequally

https://rhizome.org/editorial/2015/dec/23/front-page-waiting-for-the-internet/

The Pitch Drop Experiment

The Longest running lab experiment that measures the flow of a pitch over several years. This can be thought of as time scales for you wait slower than you know how for something that happens faster than you can think of!

http://www.nature.com/news/world-s-slowest-moving-drop-caught-on-camera-at-last-1.13418

Rerun by RAQS Media Collective

During an unplanned trip to Trivandrum, I had cut short on my trip due to certain reasons and prepare to come back to Bangalore. I hadn't slept for 3 days in a row. The only train to Bangalore was scheduled to arrive at 1.30 pm the next day. I was at a tea shop at 12 am with no place to stay and a backpack which is all I had brought along with me in the trip. I knew no one in the city and didn't know the language as everyone spoke in Malayalam and very few people could converse in English so it was pretty difficult to converse with anyone there.

I was familiar with the person who makes tea at the shop I was in as I had been spending a lot of time at that place from the past 3 days. He saw me and offered me a cup of coffee and told me everything will be alright. It lightened my mood and made me feel good that he understood that I was distressed at the moment without me telling him. His wife makes bhajjis and he sells tea and coffee till 7 am and they start by about 7 pm. I put down backpack and sat in my usual spot there and had my cup of coffee and a sutta. There was a techno park close by and since this was the only place open late night, people from there came to have chai in their breaks. I began sketching the people that came and also the environment around me and the chai wale and his wife working in his shop.

Time seemed really slow at that moment even though I kept myself busy sketching. I kept taking my breaks for coffee in between too and also had some delicious bhajjis. My sister at this time was really worried about me as I was just staying out in a chai shop in a city that i don't even know so well. She called me up when I told her about my situation and she spoke to me for a while just to make sure that I'm OK. She even had her friend call me up as he was from Kerala and he knew the place and the language. I told them I'm fine n I'm safe and reassured that to them. I hadn't exactly told my parents the entire reason why I was going to Trivandrum. My sister was the only one who knew the complete picture. 

While I sketched the people who came to the shop I also observed them and noticed that no one had come there alone. They was accompanied by one or more. I kind of did feel a little lonely at the time and I was even hesitant to make conversation as everyone spoke the local language that I didn't speak but i could understand bits and pieces of it. Some of them were really curious to as what I was really doing there. They knew that I wasn't from that city and noticed that I was just in my spot ever since them came. Some even went back to their respective offices and came back for another break after few hours and I was still there sketching. People just came near me and watched what i was doing and just continued having their chai and sutta. Since most of them came in groups no one really came up to me and spoke to me nor did i bother to with them so they let me be by myself.

I began to listen to music after a while and continued sketching. The uncle even let me charge my phone and music player. If not for him i don’t know what i would have done that night.I shifted my position at 4 am in the morning to a staircase just next to the shop where he kept all the chilies and vegetables which were still uncut for preparing the bhajjis. He doesn't let anyone there but he didn't seem to mind me sitting there. I then began sketching my view of the shop from there and also close ups of the chilies. Here i felt better as i could watch everyone from this perspective and its was less cold. I had to keep myself awake. I guess the coffee and suttas did their job. I guess the only conversation I had with uncle was when he asked me where I'm from and i told him i need to catch a train tomorrow and i want to stay here till his shop is open. He said don’t worry, just sit down and let me know whenever you want to have coffee or a sutta or something. 

That night i sketched till morning until I ran out of things to sketch around me. By then it was about 6 am. I then prepared myself to go the station and check what the scene there is. I left the shop at around 6.30 and then walked to the station. I was at the station at 7 in the morning.

I had to take a general ticket as all the tickets were sold out. It was a 22 hour journey that i had to cover to reach Bangalore and I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep as I wouldn't get a birth. Being extremely tired and sleepy i had begun to experience insomnia and I was disoriented. I took a general ticket and decided to go have breakfast and somewhere close by as the railway station didn't have a canteen there. After walking a certain distance i found a place where I could have breakfast. but I needed to brush my teeth and at least wash my face to keep myself looking sane as I'm sure i looked like a zombie after those sleepless nights. This place was actually a house where he prepared dosa ,idlis and served it outside where he had a setup with tables and chairs. He let me use the wash basin outside to brush and wash my face. I guess that made me feel a lot better and fresh. After this i headed back to the station 

and waited...

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

----

Excerpt from Oh, The Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss

The experience that follows narrates a recent journey from Ahmedabad to Bangalore undertaken on 17 December 2015. The train was to depart at 14:50; it got delayed by 2 hours. This period-in-waiting has been summed-up in 1100 words.

Since the duration of my visit to Bangalore was a mere month, I was travelling light. The status of the train had been checked before taking an auto for the station. There was no scheduled delay. Honestly, even if it showed a delay in arrival of ‘Bgkt Sbc Express (16533)’, I would have still been on time.

The platform number was visible on the LED screen at the entrance of the station. I made my way to the platform with one bag in hand. The station was not very crowded. There was more space than usual to move around. I re-confirmed the arrival of the train on platform from a man in a ‘chai’ shop. Little did I know that this very man will be a source of wide-ranging banter and endless cups of chai over the course of next 2 hours.

The train was supposed to arrive at 14:50 and I was stationed happily on the platform since 14:00. I like train journeys—the sound of train, the seemingly endless railway tracks. All journeys are laden with infinite new beginnings. In a transit space like a station, that cumulative effect is pronounced by thousands. Sharing new beginnings with people you do not know, will never know; can possibly never know. Whenever I am travelling alone, I always reach the station much before time.

Up-till 14:30, there was no change in the scheme of things as far as the arrival of the train was concerned. I was busy in an internal monologue about the semester end jury that happened a week ago.

At 14:30, the LED screen started the tease and showed a delay of 20 minutes to begin with.

With more time in hand, I decided to visit the chai shop—have a chai and a conversation with the guy running the shop. I do not remember his name but he was 28-29 years old. He told me that the delay for this particular train, that I was to board, does not happen often. He asked me my whereabouts and I told him my plans and excitement of visiting Bangalore from a dry state. We laughed. Another of those things that bonds people in Gujarat—stories of ‘alcohol hunt’ and f**k-yeah-beating-the-system. I ordered another chai. On one side was this chai shop and on the other the LED screen glaring at me. As I turned left, this time around, there was a further delay of 30 minutes. “THE” train would now arrive at 14:50 + 00:20 + 00:30.

Now that I had more time I thought of ways to spend it. ‘Nothing is going to kill my holiday vibe’ was the guiding mantra ever since I stepped out of the college campus . First thing to hit me was the availability of only a pack of cigarette with me. Will it be sufficient for the journey? Why take risk? Usually, if you run out of it, you can get the same on the train from the guys in the pantry. You are charged a little extra, but it’s worth the money for service on wheels. I was too lazy to walk till the main entrance all over again. I asked this man if he had any. He had none. He called one of his friends, with a similar shop in another corner of the station, to get one pack. Preference (in ascending order) of the available brands had been discussed.

One task ticked off the newly built checklist, I called for another cup of chai. This further delay had created a little hustle in the platform. I could see people who were to eventually board the same train now looking at the screen with more intensity. There were more people in-front of the LED screen than before. People with their luggages parked close-by; going our of their way (if one was to put it this way) to notice the fluctuations in timings.

My thoughts at this time were focussed on the LED screen and its significance in my life, our life, lives of so many people looking at it with hopes to travel—to go to a far-away land. This tiny screen now being a harbinger of hope and dread. A delay of 3 hours was shown for another train.

What would I do if my train was delayed by 3 hours?

What could (or would) I possibly do in a similar situation? So many of things that happen to us our beyond our control. The delay of the train, like many things in life seemed beyond our control. What if the LED screen, which was now the fortune teller of our immediate destiny, showed me a delay of 10 hours. What if it showed the passengers of all the trains in the entire world a delay of 16 hours? What would we have done in a situation like this? What can we possibly do—as an individual, as a collective ?

As these thoughts were plaguing my mind, I noticed the LED screen asserting its command over my life. Our lives. The time of our entry into the prized train now stood at 14:50 + 00:20 + 00:30 + 00:40.

As long as the fortune teller is telling me the time of a destined future, it is fine. Is it fine? I was filled with gratitude for this LED screen. What if there was no screen? What if there was a voice heralding the departures and arrival of trains? What if there was nothing to ‘predict’ the arrival of the train and communicate it’s movements to us, mere passengers ?

These thoughts made me feel helpless and filled me with strong sense of gratitude at the same time. My train journey was not of much consequence. I was going to meet my brother and spend time with friends; the delay was not a life death situation. What about people who travel by train as the only means to reach a destination? For me a train travel carries with it the romance of chai and time to indulge in a book. What about the people who have higher stakes in this journey—an ailing grandparent, an important meeting, an aching long distance lover, a job interview.

What is it for them to wait? The LED screen now read 14:50 + 00:20 + 00:30 + 00:40 + 00:30

A term first coined by anthropologist Marc Augé in his book and essay of the same name, Non-Places: Introduction to an Anthropology of Supermodernity (1995), it refers to places of transience that do not hold enough significance to be regarded as 'places', where "people are always, and never, at home".

Airport lounges, train stations, motorways—Transit Spaces are the spaces of institutions "formed in relation to certain ends (transport, transit, commerce, leisure)". This super-modern world contains many such ‘non-places’ where we spend so much of our time in wait, and yet they do not hold any particular importance for us, but in memories, as places where connections were established and times were spent waiting for that bus or train to take you to loved ones or to important events.

According to Marc,”A person entering the space of non-place is relieved of his usual determinants. He becomes no more than what he does or experiences in the role of passenger, customer, or driver. . . . The space of non-place creates neither singular identity nor relations; only solitude, and similitude. There is no room for history unless it has been transformed into an element of spectacle, usually in allusive texts.”

A link to the book here:

http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~jread2/Auge%20Non%20places.pdf

Research objective : Observe, define and elaborate on the experience of a transit or non-place, in the context of the Indian railway station.

Aspects to keep in mind: The physical space (structures, informational systems, objects, sub sections) Event or stories related to the space Waiting coping mechanisms Kinds of wait (occupied or unoccupied, definite or indefinite) Types of entities in the scene : permanent or ephemeral Interactions between entities Personal sensory experience Changes in the scenery (over time, pace) Time perception

Documentation expected: Notes, Keywords, Audio clips, sketches, maps, videos.

Journey is always a clean white slate for me to scribble with my thoughts. Away from the daily routine, it gives me immense space to just be me, especially when the distance is lengthy. The very minute a train stamps out from the platform, an enormous bubble of thoughts, events, incidents rush into me. It’s like I’m re-visiting and re-interpreting myself.

I have been on the train journeys quite a few times, out of which mostly were my school trips to near places. I guess it was so back then, that I cant recall anything that would have struck a cord. Recently, after shifting to Gandhinagar in July’15, I started travelling by the train more frequently.

New Delhi-Gandhinagar I was almost packed. I stuffed my two super loaded luggage into the car along with another two handbags. It seemed like I didn’t want to leave anything at home. Every little thing, like my mug, my previous birthday cards, diaries and what not. After a very long time I was travelling by train so I have too many thoughts rushing in. Moreover I was on my own on this journey unlike other times when I had my parents dropping me to the hostel. New place, new people, too much luggage to carry, leaving home and what not crossed my mind while my parents took me to the New Delhi railway station.

The railway station seemed so different, because I hadn’t been there for a couple of years. Though it was a rajdhani express and my father is always keen on reaching atleast about half an hour early. And yes, even that day, we were just before time. After getting a security check and getting a coolie to help us with luggage, we followed the coolie to the platform finding way among the impatient crowd. My father confirmed the platform and timings so we had ample amount of time to say goodbye. My mother didn’t want us part again (as I was in the hostel for 4 years before for my under-graduation) but she couldn’t help it and didn’t reflect it either. They both kept asking me if I wanted to eat a bit since it was evening and after a while he even did get me some nice kababs from a food stall I couldn’t locate due to immense crowding. While he was gone, my mother gave me the entire dose about studying well and taking care of myself. We both even tried spotting some people who might be travelling with me to gandhinagar from NID. We really couldn’t spot anyone so we overheard a few conversations here and there and laughed about it. Few minutes there after, we heard the train coming and our faces got more intense because we had to catch it. I didn’t know what I was most strongly feeling at that time: the idea of relocating to a new place or the idea of separation from the family. We got the seat, right next to the restroom exit. 3 men around and I was the only girl in that section. It felt a bit weird but I couldn’t help it much. After settling, I again went off the train to bid a final goodbye and all of a sudden I saw a teardrop running down my mother’s cheek. I just couldn’t hold it on because I’m no less sensitive. I tried to make her smile until the train began to drift. I didn’t know when would I be seeing them next and I was expecting them to accompany me. That moment I felt the separation, which I couldn’t control can hence busted into tears. But nonetheless, I waited for this moment for about quiet sometime as it I was very excited to explore a different state. As the train moved, I unfolded a new chapter of my life. I had clinged onto my bags, feared theft. Looking at tears rolling down my face, the TT didn’t bother checking my ticket also. At that instant I was going through mixed feeling of parting, fear, anxiety and excitement, all at once. 

From New Delhi railway station, the next station was Delhi Cantt where I knew my friends would be waiting to climb into the train for precisely two to four minutes to bid farewell. The minute the train stopped at Delhi Cantt, I didn’t even peep out of the door because I was obsessing over my fear of losing my baggage. They all jumped in, saw my watery eyes and cheered me up with gifts and hugs. After they left, that is when my wait began. Waiting to experience a new city, imagining how the college and people would be like, stilling being annoyed with my parents for sending me away alone. Those three men gave me a discomfort feeling though but I got a feeling that they probably didn’t have intentions to mis-behave. I chained my bags and lied straight on the birth waiting for this journey to be just in time.

The movement of the train triggered a sense of chaos in my thoughts and allowed me to be me. I just couldn’t wait to reach college and give myself a great start with a burden of separation.