Opening a Bottle of Coca Cola

When I open a Coca Cola bottle of never really take much notice of the amount of detail around the bottle itself, let alone the different senses I use when opening a bottle. I do however notice how cold the bottle is and the moisture around the bottle, as I like it coming straight out of the fridge. The moisture around the outside annoys me a wee bit which I guess is why I notice it so much.

See: When looking at the bottle the moisture around the outside is the first thing I see. I also see bubbles fizzing inside the bottle as I move it.  The smooth wrapper around the outside of the bottle is a main feature of the bottle. Once the lid is released the level of the coke inside drops as the pressure inside the bottle is let out.

Hear: When opening a coke bottle lid I can hear the sound of my fingers rubbing against the ridges around the lid. It is a very faint sound and is similar to rubbing your finger along a bumpy desk. The noise of the lid crack as it is breaks away from the seal. The noise of the pressure inside the bottle being released which makes a sort of csssshh noise. When listening closely, I could also hear the sound of the bubbles popping as they reach the top of the bottle.

Feel: The moisture and coldness of the bottle against my hand. The ridges around the lid as I open it. For very small ridges they are certainly very easy to feel. My fingers create a form of tension against the ridges of the lid. The detailing on the bottle, such as different bumps and the coca cola label on the plastic to form a grip for the user to hold the bottle. When the lid is released I could feel the stiffness of the plastic bottle become more flexible as the pressure is released and the bottle fills with air. One thing I felt which I normally take no notice in was a pressure of air against my hand when the lid was released. It was a mixture of air and moisture. I have never noticed it to the extent that I did when taking notices of my senses.

Taste: Because I am only opening the bottle, I do not physically taste anything.

Smell: If I place the bottle close to my nose once the lid has been released I can smell sugar and plastic. It’s not a very intense smell and unless you go out of your way to smell it, then you would not notice it. 

Squeezing Toothpaste from Tube

Squeezing out toothpaste is a daily activity that I do both morning and night. It’s become such a part of my daily a routine that I never really take much notice at how exactly I do it or which senses it involves. It’s a task I never really think about in any detail.

See: The different indents in the tube from where I have put pressure on the tube before. The ridges around the outside of the lid although very small, do stand out. Obviously the branding on the outside of the tube stands out when looking at the tube. Once I have opened the lid and squeeze the toothpaste tube, I can see the toothpaste emerge from the tube. The three different colours that make up my toothpaste stand out against the white lid.

Hear: When I opened the lids cap it made a faint pop noise. When squeezing the toothpaste it doesn’t make much noise at all. The cap closing however makes a loud click noise. This noise allows me to know that the lid is completely shut. It gives a sense of closer and is a very satisfying sound. Whereas if the lid had toothpaste around it then it would not close properly meaning I wouldn’t hear that particular sound and this would annoy me a lot.

Feel: The cold plastic of the tube when I pick it up. It is very smooth plastic and also very flexible. The ridges around the lid against my fingers, these ridges form a grip for my fingers to hold. The pressure against the top of my finger as I push the cap open. If the lid is closed very tightly it will sometimes even leave an indent on the tip of my finger. When squeezing the tube I can feel my fingers sink into the flexible plastic, creating indents exactly where I’m putting pressure. Near the lid, the tube is fatter so my fingers sink into it further than near the end of the tube. Once the toothpaste is out, I close the cap. Going from a very flexible, soft plastic, to feeling the hard plastic of the lid.

Taste: As I am only looking at opening and squeezing the toothpaste out, I do not directly taste the toothpaste. But because the smell is so strong, you get the sense of the taste just by smelling the toothpaste alone.

Smell: My toothpaste has a very strong mint smell. I can smell this as soon as I open the lid. As I smell it, it sort of opens up my nose and clears it. I feel as if I can breath easier.

Opening a Window in the Morning

As part of my daily routine, when I wake up in the morning I open my bedroom window (unless its freezing or a storm outside) because I find it refreshing and enjoy letting air into my room. It is fair to say that the only thing I do really notice when opening my window is the breeze of fresh air against my face once I have opened it.

See: Condensation is a big thing in my room. I see it on the windows every morning. When looking closely at the window I have also noticed things I have not looked twice at before. There are fingerprints on the glass around the handle, which, I have obviously put there when not opening the window by using just the handles. Also there are paint chips off the handles used to open the window. This shows they have been there for quite some time.

Hear: Before opening the window, I can hear faint noises of the city such as traffic and road works that is happening down the road. When opening the window the rusty handles make a quiet stretching sound as I twist them to the side. Not the most pleasant sound to hear in the morning but because it isn’t too loud, it is bearable. Once I’ve twisted the handles the window releases and makes a sort of suction broken noise, like that of a lid being taken off a plastic container. This is due to the window being closed securely during the night. To me this is a pleasing sound as it means the window has kept out any cold air during my sleep. When pushing the window open it makes a very quiet creaking sound but nothing to loud. Once the window is open, the sounds of the city become much louder. I can also hear more of the quieter noises from outside as well such as tress blowing and birds chirping. I find this interesting because before the window is opened you are sort of in your own little space but the once you open it, its like you’ve become part of the cities hustle and bustle.

Feel: The handles are made of metal so when first gripping them they are very cold and unpleasant to grasp. They are quite stiff to twist so I grip them very tightly and can feel the smooth metal against my fingers and palm of my hand. When I begin to twist the handle I can feel the flesh of my hand move against the metal creating tension. This also allows me to feel when the paint chips are on the handle. When pushing the window open I feel the moisture of the condensation against the palm of my hand. This sends a shiver down my spine. Once I have pushed the window open, I can feel the fresh air on my face and arms. This is such a refreshing feeling. If there is quite a breeze outside then I can also feel my hair move in the wind. For some reason I really enjoy this. It wake me up for the morning.

Taste: I don’t particularly taste anything when I open my window, as I don’t plan on licking my window.

Smell: Before opening the window my room has a very faint stuffy smell to it, especially if the sun has been shining through my blinds. Once I have opened the window I can smell fresh air. The smell of the trees and nature from outside is very enjoyable. The best word to describe it is refreshing.

BrainStorming

To help me decide on what three daily activities I wanted to look at I did a brainstorm.

From here the three activities I have chosen to look at are:

- Opening a window.

- Squeezing out toothpaste.

- Opening a coke bottle.

They are three very different activities and I hope to get very different results from each.

Project One - Sensory Ethnography 30%

Sensory ethnography involves observing, analysing and documenting the ways in which the world is experienced through sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. Each student will document and analyse their own sensory experience of three everyday activities with the view to reveal experiences that often go unnoticed. These auto-ethnographic findings will be documented on a blog and presented to the class. Students will then choose one of these activities and observe this experience in five other people. These observations will form the basis of a multi-sensory research diary.