User:ParAvion/Bliki/2017/09/11
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When Real Life Writes the Script
Our maps revolve around real life. We might map places we know and are dear to us. We might map places to get away from life for a while. Or we might map places in response to real life, such as places we have been on holiday. It is the latter that I will be discussing today.
I would imagine that most people here have places named after people they know - roads, towns, churches, businesses, and so on. A few years ago, more than half of downtown Saviso's streets were named after people I had gone to school with, although most of those names have since been switched out for ones that sound nicer or to different people. I can think of a number of places around Vodeo that are named after people important to me, but one stands out for a somewhat sad reason - Alfredton, Avalon.
Alfredton is named for a neighbour of mine while I was growing up. He was something of an honorary grandfather to me, given both of mine had died long before I was born. I spent a lot of time with him, helping around the house, learning different things, or simply because someone needed to look after me while my parents were out. He had quite a profound influence on me, and it was with a great deal of shock and sadness that I learned of his passing last Sunday (cruelly enough on Father's Day).
After thinking about it for a while, I decided that one way to honour him would be to immortalise him on the map. I think it's somewhat fitting - as a child, I used to draw maps of my neighbourhood with the different properties imagined as cities, and his name was always on there; also, because I used to draw towns in large scrapbooks, and I spent many hours lying on the carpet drawing in my books. I had originally named the town "St Alfred", as he had a heart of gold and was saintlike in his patience with his (real) grandchildren and myself. However, I didn't want the town to be confused with Myrcia's St Alfæd, and so opted for Alfredton instead... and then realised that there's already an Alfredtown north of Gerrise. No matter, that one can be renamed at some point.
On the map, the town is loosely based on that of Whakatane, in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand, a town in which I recently visited as part of my campaign activities. Geographically, it is somewhat based on Byron Bay, the easternmost point in mainland Australia, for no other reason than that I had Forza Horizon 3 on my mind last week. Nearby Cape Raingar is named for Cape Reinga, the northern terminus of State Highway 1, and commonly (although incorrectly) known as New Zealand's northernmost point. Just off the cape lie two islands - Bead's Rock (the original colour of which is unknown given the copious amounts of bird shi- guano covering it) and Canbarantorantacai Island (whose name aligns to Beha name practices and was an exercise in seeing how long a name I could make), both of which are based on a couple of islands off Cape Brett in the Bay of Islands. Interestingly, Canbarantorantacai Island has a hole in it large enough for boats to sail through, and legend says that good fortune comes to those who catch water droplets falling from the roof of the arch on their tongue.
I think he'd be pleased.
By order of the Lands Survey Department,
ParAvion (talk) 01:59, 11 September 2017 (CEST)
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I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your mentor. We're lucky we have OGF to immortalise those who have been an influence in our lives.
Also, good luck on the hustings! Not long to go now Turnsole80 (talk) 17:07, 11 September 2017 (CEST)
- Thanks, I figure that we might as well use what we have to remember and honour those who have gone. As for the election, only 11 nail-biting days to go! ParAvion (talk) 02:24, 12 September 2017 (CEST)
