Views on Lake Park Park Lake

The dead and the living
'She said "It's like a dead lake"'
Is it dead? We were told that once upon a time, when the lake was still "alive", someone drowned here. Looking at the life all around us, I wonder if there was some trade.
We sat drinking tea, when was this a lake, now its a park. The park was a lake, now lawn, now overgrown. Last season was best, balanced death and living, picnics, play and trash. Now the bugs are too active, the grass too high, an abundance of life. Who takes care of the lake, if anyone?
Occasional figures in the lake, the man carrying water, follow him back to the farming. Tea lady directs us the same way.
The farms versus the lake, productive curated space versus wild fruitful abandon. We couldn't speak or film the farmers, they were shy but polite. People love the farming, the opportunity, incuding costume tiktok guy. It's not necessarily legal, but why not? It's not beautiful, some of the plots look half abandoned themselves. The lamps are broken, the space is unloved except through their work. Their work has extended to the park, the daughter reckons you could farm morning glory down there, the right conditions.

Diagreement over the use of fertiliser. Discord and consensus, which way do you walk around the lake, clockwise or anticlockwise? Circuits of people, highest at sunset, walkers, runners, cyclists, dogs, weighlifters, zumba dancers. The unspoken agreement of anti-clockwise. But not everyone, who goes against it and why? When you walk together, you only see backs, no faces. The only people who meet are the ones going in opposite directions. Solo or group, couples, singles. If I'm strong I come every day. Photo girl group, first time here, not from nearby. Go with friends to take photoshoots.

Scenic or not? Does it matter? Everyone prefers the water, except the one guy, going in the opposite direction, filling and draining, seasons forward and backward. But everyone comes to see it, it's most popular when drained. Air conditioning, why do you come, to keep cool. What's your favourite part, the shadiest. Water reflects the sun, plants create the shade. The towers grow like trees, the trees the park doesn't have. The park is part of the development, the park and the towers are because of eachother. Do the towers block the water?

The new tower is the greatest noise, always in the background, the reminder of what's about to change. The threats of crashing collapse. Towers are already empty, how will this be filled, empty like the lake? Will the lake one day be completely encircled, the low point among the peaks. The poor space amongst the rich, no rent.

The people who live here are rich, they don't need to farm. The farms are gone, the government "improved it". The people without lake allotments have their own allotments. The lake allotments user are less rich than those with allotments elsewhere. Why would you farm in the city? Market has everything. The market can't sell you the connection with the land. Who grew up here, who left, who stayed, who moved? Movements and speed.

The runners, the sitters, the old guys with their shed, the old guys with their games, the tea stands. Last year people sat in the middle, this year is all moving, around the edges mostly, orbiting.

As we walk, as we get ready to leave, follow the backs of everyone else. Glimpses of the faces walking the other way, few and far between. On the right, sitters, exercises, tea stands, on the left, the swaying grass, the bats, the birds. The love you don't know you have.

The towers grow like trees, the trees displaced from the park

Care, whose care is allowed
What does the care look like, who needs what
The farmers won't speak to us, they're polite but shy away

Speed, conformity, direction of travel