Milan Snapshots 1.0

Snapshot #1

Imagine standing in the shadow of the Duomo di Milano, its Gothic spires reaching towards the heavens. Now, shift your gaze slightly and there it is - an incongruously modern Bulgari marketing banner draped across our architectural marvel. In this moment, Milan becomes a city where time-honored grandeur and contemporary audacity collide.

I wander through Milan’s labyrinthine streets. History whispers from Neoclassical garments, modernity screams from neon billboards. My journey of first impressions unfolds. Having arrived three months ago, I am already trapped within this dance of fleeting moments. Often dismissed as superficial, first impressions are in truth the architects of our enduring perceptions. This journey echoes Proust's Madeleine effect – a sensory experience triggering a flood of memories and emotions:

“Mais à l'instant même où la gorgée mêlée des miettes du gâteau toucha mon palais, je tressaillis, attentif à ce qui se passait d'extraordinaire en moi. Un plaisir délicieux m'avait envahi, isolé,  sans la notion de sa cause. Il m'avait aussitôt rendu les vicissitudes de la vie indifférentes, ses désastres inoffensifs, sabriè veté illusoire, de la même façon qu'opère l'amour, en me remplissant d'une essence précieuse: ou plutôt cette essence n'était pas en moi, elle était moi.”

Snapshot #2

Perception – recognizing, organizing, and interpreting sensory information – begins with sensory input. Our brain processes this input using existing knowledge, memories, expectations, and cultural background. Expectations play a crucial role; they are forecast based on past experiences. When reality aligns with, or surpasses these, satisfaction ensues. Therefore, first impressions set the stage, coloring our experiences, and leading to pleasure.

But why do first impressions matter? Far from being mere shadows of new encounters, they are the cornerstones of our experiential edifice. Harvard researchers Nalini Ambady and Robert Rosenthal suggest that our initial assessments stubbornly endure, even in the face of contrasting evidence. In seconds, we form opinions about people and places, before a word is spoken, before a street is fully walked. This rapid categorization, a skill honed for primitive survival, now influences our interactions in all spheres.

In Milan, the restoration workshop on my apartment block’s ground floor, the central courtyard with its historical Manzoni family engraving, and the past-present coexistence characteristic of the city's streets all contribute to my initial impressions. Gothic frescoes, hidden churches, vibrant street life, and spontaneous dancing add layers to my understanding. The aesthetic joy of architecture, tranquility in courtyards, the city's historical resilience... these elements begin to paint a more delicate picture of Milan.

As the brain adapts by updating associations, this initial juxtaposition of ancient and new, jarring at first, gradually weaves itself into the fabric of my everyday perception. The social ritual of grabbing gelato with friends, unique fashion, and romanticization of Italian life, once surprising, now go unnoticed.

Snapshot #3

“Je bois une seconde gorgée où je ne trouve rien de plus que dans la première, une troisième qui m'apporte un peu moins que la seconde. Il est temps que je m'arrête, la vertu du breuvage semble diminuer. Il est clair que la vérité que je cherche n'est pas en lui, mais en moi.”

Navigating this metropolis, I ponder on acclimatization. How do our initial perceptions reconcile with the mundane realities of daily life? How do we reconcile our initial snapshots with the unfolding narrative of experience? Adaptation involves both psychological and behavioral changes. The news that startle us, events that break our predicted patterns, challenge and reshape our initial assumptions. This marks the integration of new information into our knowledge framework, sometimes altering our perspectives.

Milan is no longer a mere backdrop but a living, breathing entity, continually reshaping my perceptions and experiences. In essence, first impressions in Milan evolve into a dialogue between past and present, expectation and reality, culminating in a symphony of sensory fulfillment.

"Tout cela qui prend forme et solidité, est sorti, ville et jardins, de ma tasse de thé."

Just like Proust’s Madelaine, this city differs depending on the subject experiencing it. To each their own reality. In every soul, there lies a different Milan, waiting to be unveiled. All it takes is a wander through its heritage to unearth your own.