In An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris, Georges Perec gives insight into his view of the Parisian neighborhood of Saint-Sulpice. In his essay, he discusses the traditional mapping of the area. He admits that there are maps that already exist of streets, landmarks, and buildings. However, he seeks to map the everyday things: “ that which is generally not taken note of, that which is not noticed, that which has no importance: what happens when nothing happens other than the weather, people, cars, and clouds” (3). The writer notes the streets, landmarks, people, animals, weather, signs, vehicles and other things that are part of the everyday life of this neighborhood. His observations span over three days: the first entry is October 18th, 1974, in the morning and the last entry, October 20th, 1974. Although three days would be considered a short time span in which to notice transformations, there is much change within those days.
Perec’s description of the area differs even from contemporary artists’ maps. In The Map As Art: Contemporary Artists Explore Cartography, contemporary artists utilize the concepts of visual maps in an abstract manner. Instead of viewing an artist’s observations, we are reading Georges Perec’s writing of his daily encounters. Although both express different forms of sharing observations, both types of artists observe and respond to society and surroundings. Their production is informed by their daily surroundings.
The reader can understand the neighborhood of Saint-Sulpice through the writer’s eyes. When I visited countries in the past, I learned more about the culture by sitting and observing the locals’ interactions with one another in their own surrounding. My high school Spanish teacher, Senora Minotti, brought up the discussion of being a traveler or tourist when visiting a new country. A tourist is someone who finds security in a group, happy to experience a foreign country on the surface. They buy silly souvenirs, take pictures of every significant landmark, eat at restaurants catering to tourists and avoid speaking the primary language. Tourists clearly stand out in public when visiting tourist attractions, such as landmarks and museums. When they take pictures from behind their phones, their electronics take them away from experiencing what is in front of them. Therefore, it is hard to explain their experience of the culture. I always ask myself if I want to be a traveler or tourist when visiting a country. As a traveler, one intersects with the culture. Travelers respect and pay homage to the local culture by speaking the primary language, eating local foods, abiding by the country’s customs and trying to understand local codes of behavior.
When I get to Berlin, I will ask myself if I would rather be a tourist or traveler in the city. While each has its benefits and consequences, I find being a traveler to be more of a learning experience. However, being a traveler is a challenge in Germany as I do not know the language and culture. This differs from other countries I have been to, for example, Spain, Costa Rica, and England, as I had prior understanding of the countries’ languages and cultures. I will learn about this country while being there and will challenge myself to be a traveler.