On a Souvenir
Morgan Segui |
1. Definition: What means a souvenir for me?
A) Connection with the last
The souvenir reminds to us the moments, which we have gone through in places, where we have bought it. It is a way to return to the perfect moments, belonging to our last.
B) Gift: its role of inversion
It is possible to present a souvenir and to attribute to it other roles. I give souvenirs to the people, whom I love, for they thought of me sometimes, and to show them that I thought of them all time of my travel. In such case it is possible to tell: «I would like that you were with me in this far country».
C) Trophies
The souvenir can as serve «proof» of travel. I went in this country, and I shall show it. It reminds a sports medal which hang up on a wall.
D) Travel mediation
For me this concept is very important. The souvenir allows making travel to the people, who had not time for it, or who already are very elderly for travels. When I travel, I always bring with myself a souvenir for my grandmother, and it allows her to make travels in the head.
Conclusion: the souvenir is media information of one history. The designer of a souvenir too makes the choice of a story to tell.
2. Choice of a souvenir
A) Souvenir as connection with the past and as a trophy
The souvenir becomes a souvenir, when it directly is connected to that place, where you have got it. It is very easy to buy a souvenir, if it is connected with important for you by the moment. I organized a holiday of music in Almaty, I have seen shankobyz, and I have bought it.
B) Souvenir for representation (gift, travel by proxy)
For this purpose it is little bit more difficult to make a choice, since it intends for the persons, whom you love, and for Her, and I was wishing to find a souvenir appropriate to their characters and desires.
My father doesn't like a cold, I have bought to him a cap, my grandmother would like to travel, and I have brought for her an album with photos.
The gift is intended to share our travel; it is criterion of a choice.
Conclusion: the souvenir tells about the country, which you have visited, about meetings, but it also tells about us, travellers.
3. Ingredients of a souvenir: 5 feelings
A) Basic direction: a look
Photos, pictures, post cards with landscapes, monuments, man and woman (mainly in national costumes).
We live in a community of images, they say: I would like to see it. But to see is to not live there, there is something cold in these stiffened images that offer to us.
B) Taste
Meal, recipe. For me it's something very important. To taste a dish or something traditional with the friend, it's all the same what to return a small piece of the country in his belly. And too, it's pretext for the stories and tales, which are connected to national kitchen.
C) Hearing, Sound
Mainly it is possible to find in souvenir shops or in markets with traditional music, but as far as they are identical to sounds of the country?
It would be desirable to have an opportunity to hear a street, vote of the grandmothers in the bus, children playing in a court yard, nature and sounds of animals.
D) Touch
When we travel, we have tactile experience; there are materials inherent to each country, the sensations on finger-tops, Almaty rough trees, felt yurts, sand of beaches. How all this are to restore?
E) Smell
When I think about Almaty, the first thing, which comes to me in head, is a smell. It is very strong, when leave from the plane, and then you begin to get used to it; and for the majority of the tourists it is something especial.
This mix of a burn tree, shashlyk and snow.
If I could take all this with myself to distribute then, my suitcases would be completely engaged.
Conclusion: the travel includes 5 feelings. However, wishing to tell about our adventures, we can show only things, but we have not an opportunity to transfer that ours a nose and ears have not forgotten. I hope, the authors of souvenirs will note for themselves that when they want to transfer a piece of the country, it is possible to tell about it to another and to not overlook that the man has a nose and ears.
4. Conclusions
Presenting set of aspects of the country, the souvenir plays a role of the ambassador. Some people interpret the travel due to a souvenir accompanying them in roads. The souvenir has also second obvious economic role. It feeds craft industry, which creates souvenirs, which are advertising that's inviting to travel. Applicability of a souvenir, it's almost ticket aboard the plane.
To buy a souvenir is all the same that to import a slice of the country. The applicability of a souvenir is the moment of division of our feelings. The souvenir should represent travel mentally. To force anew to experience of the perfect moments, to recollect the people whom you love during our travel.
Morgan Segui