Thursday, February 12, 2009
use your nostrils
i just want to comment on the different smells one will encounter while travelling... i find every city or small town has its own distinctive odour..in every city i have been to in north america i find a different smell...and after all that, maybe because edmonton is my home, i miss the smell of this city most...due to the refineries i know that sometimes we can get some disgusting reeks blowing around, but for the most part we are blessed with nice clean prairie air that refreshes...there is also something nice about the river valley that is engrained into my nasal memory...so ya, next time you're going to a different city, smell this one and keep that memory, then smell the one you go to...maybe i'm just weird but i find it very distinctive...
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I entirely agree that there is something nostalgic about the smell of Edmonton that one misses intensely when away. It reminds me of the smell of campfire, intoxicatingly delicous. Everytime I come back into the city I do get that little giddy whiff of sweetness, tis great!
ReplyDeleteThats funny. I agree that there are smells that trigger an Edmonton memory. Some are good Some are bad. I laughed when I read this because it made me think of how 104 Ave by Grant MacEwan always smells so bad. Like sewer overflowing. My boyfriend and I always comment on it while we are walking and its funny because it contributes to Edmonton's chrachter: 104th Ave smells. And thats thats :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Vancouver over the summer, some friends and I decided to get away from the city for a day. We drive past Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford, and end up in Chiliwack. Since we were surrounded by mountains, I opened the door ready to take the deepest breathe of fresh air. Unfortunately, what I got was no, infact, fresh air. Rather, it was smell of fresh manure.
ReplyDelete"Oh, it's just the manure they put on the mushroom fields. You'll get used to it."
Why would someone WANT to get used to that smell?
Moral of the story: the smell of a place can definately affect the way you perceive it. =)
Haha, I love how your blog is about smells of the city. I don't think Sonlit mentions that in her article. But I do agree about the smells of certain places. But I don't have a smell that reminds me of Edmonton. I know that whenever I'm in a parking garage and I smell gasoline fumes and cigarettes,it smells like certain streets in Lebanon. I know that sounds bad, but its actually nice. And the smell just after it rains on a summer day reminds me of my hometown, but I don't have an Edmonton smell. Can anyone pinpoint what it is?
ReplyDeleteI am in total agreement with you that cities do seem to have their own particular smell. I do love Edmonton, honestly I do, but I must admit, I have come to associate a smell of sewage with particular areas of Edmonton. Without a doubt this is extremely unappetizing to say the least. I don't know if its just my 'special' back alley or what but I've even smelt in on campus near the entrance to HUB mall. I hate how this is the smell that resonates for me with the city. Perhaps I need to familiarize myself with your part of town...
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