Have you ever wondered why the pace of life in St. George's feels so much more relaxed and peaceful than in Hamilton? Or why, on the approach road into the old town, one automatically feels like slowing down, whereas on certain stretches of road, such as that between East Broadway and Crow Lane, or the Causeway, there is an automatic desire to speed up? According to Fung Shui practitioner Mrs. Barbara Bluck, it is all down to the flow of good Chi and bad Sha.

Fung Shui (pronounced fung schway), often defined as "the art of placement,'' has its origins in ancient Chinese culture.

Like people of other civilisations, the Chinese believed that the world and everything in it was inhabited by an indefinable quality which infused and animated all life. Classified as breath, air, energy, spirit and soul, they named this quality Chi (pronounced Chee).

According to their wisdom, Chi travels in a curve. When forced into a straight line it travels like a speeding bullet or arrow, threatening to wound anything at the receiving end. Fung Shui strives to protect from these secret arrows.

Negative Chi is called Sha -- a carrier of unfavourable currents which adversely affects us. Among other things, Sha gains speed when forced into straight lines, and occurs in places dense with people, animals or things.

Various elements, including glaring lights and loud irritating sounds, aggravate Sha, affecting our physical, mental, spiritual and social conditions.

The Ba-Gua is an octagonal template showing the eight directions of life: wisdom, family, career, fame, wealth, partners, creativity and support which, when combined, add up to health, which is at the octagon's centre. Placed over rooms, buildings, and even towns and cities, in a particular manner, the template becomes a practical tool to guide people in all areas of their lives.

As with elements of many cultures, Fung (meaning wind) Shui (meaning water) has become increasingly popular in the Western world, where it has been adapted into our culture, and is being used in architecture, design and general life.

Here in Bermuda, Mrs. Bluck practises Fung Shui in all facets of her life, but for this article is confining her focus to what she sees as man's on-going destruction of the landscape, and its detrimental effect on local culture.

"What concerns me is that I don't think people are aware that with the changes they are making with the buildings and the streets, it is changing their lifestyle,'' she opines.

Drawing a comparison between St. George's and Hamilton, Mrs. Bluck points out that while both are built on harbours, the old capital has retained its restful, peaceful atmosphere while Hamilton has become a stressful place to be.

Relaxed St. George's; hectic Hamilton This, she suggests, is because those responsible for the development of each site approached their use of the topography differently.

"St. George's harbour was the only natural entrance to Bermuda through the reefs in the 1600s, and when St. George's was being created as a settlement, the community was reliant on the ships that came in there.'' The tides, Mrs. Bluck says, played a major role in the early citizens' lives, whether in connection with supplying gunpowder in 1775 to General George Washington, blockade running during the American Civil War, or sailing home-built ships out of here.

"The whole community was reliant on natural phenomena -- crops, building ships, the tides -- so their culture was attuned to nature, accepting of what came, and patient in waiting for `everything in its time' -- that is, everything with the tide.'' This, Mrs. Bluck believes, created a laid-back, accepting culture based on what nature provided.

In addition, in Fung Shui, the "armchair position'' -- deemed the most favourable for siting a town, home or building -- consists of high ground behind, somewhat lower ground on either side, and water at the front, so St.

George's is in the perfect armchair position.

Moreover, those responsible for the town's evolution instinctively preserved a key element: they neither altered nor destroyed the natural topography.

"The topography and architecture have not been rearranged in this modern age,'' Mrs. Bluck notes. "They haven't levelled hills, or totally revamped what nature provided.'' In addition, since Chi travels in curves, the meandering street patterns of St. George's have always played a significant role in the town's peaceful atmosphere.

"The streets were laid out following the contours of the land,'' Mrs. Bluck points out. "They don't really have straight streets there. The main arteries wind around and have been left. Consequently, as you go towards St. George's you begin to slow down, look around, relax, and get into a more accepting emotional state.'' A similar feeling exists when driving on the Harbour Road, for example, as compared to The Causeway.

Hamilton, on the other hand, totally lacks a relaxing atmosphere because man has not worked in harmony with what nature provided, but has continually revamped the topography, and in so doing, Mrs. Bluck says, continues to seriously affect our culture.

"Man has taken control of his destiny in Hamilton. The channel into the harbour has been widened and deepened, the streets have been laid out in a grid system at right angles, which is Sha -- straight arrow or cutting Chi, hills and contours have been flattened, and buildings have gotten taller.

"Originally, business in Hamilton was conducted in relation to the ships which came and went, and there wasn't anything behind Front Street for a long time, so the capital's reputation rested on retail, and that ultimately became tourism. Now, because man has created an enlarged city and extended it, the large buildings are oppressive. Many of the buildings have also blocked the water views, thus interfering with man's pleasure.'' Explaining what effect these changes have on the human experience, Mrs. Bluck says that because of the grid pattern of streets, the positive Chi, which normally flows with the contours of the earth, is forced to flow in a straight line, thus becoming Sha -- a negative force.

Coupled with this is the growing proliferation of tall buildings, which create feelings of pressure, thereby contributing to an accelerated lifestyle and ultimately an altered culture. Far from the Island's erstwhile soubriquet, "The Isles of Rest,'' its capital is now all go, go, go.

In addition, Mrs. Bluck feels that the community's primary focus has shifted from religion to finance, as evidenced by the new buildings in and around Hamilton. She suggests that if the Ba-Gua was placed over a map of the City, money would be indicated as the primary interest.

"Traditionally, the tallest building in any community reflects where the community puts its priority,'' she explains. "Historically, it is churches, but now when you enter Hamilton the Cathedral is being dwarfed, so my personal reason for speaking up is that while change is a part of life, I believe it should be informed change.'' As a trained dreamworker also, Mrs. Bluck feels there is a connection between Fung Shui and her work in that sphere.

"Open your eyes,'' she urges all Bermudians, in reference to the construction and other factors which are changing our formerly relaxed lifestyle. "Be aware. Life is a waking dream, therefore we should be lucid over this kind of dreaming and take charge if the dream goes in a direction we don't want.'' Armchair town: The meandering street patterns of St. George's have always played a significant role in the town's peaceful atmosphere.