Ethnography

Ethnography

September 19, 2014

Happy Mood

Today there were quite a few people. The servers are busy hustling and bustling to fill in every order. And everyone seems to be in a somewhat happy and peppy mood.

As I first walk in, I see a girl in a chocolate brown long sleeve shirt. She is sipping on what looks like to be a hot tea or coffee. She has long dark hair and a fair complexion. She seems deep in thought, her brows furrow as she types thoughtfully onto her laptop, which suprisingly is not a macbook. She is doing what most people who come here seem to do, type an essay of sorts.

I see a young man in a red and grey striped pull over sweater. We'll call him Jon. He is doing exactly what chocolate shirt girl is doing, typing away onto his keyboard in deep concentration.

The servers at the counter look awfully peppy. Which is somewhat strange due to the fact that they're hardly in a good mood on most days, perhaps it's been the rain? Or perhaps its because it's NOT raining today? I find it to be a suspicious thing.

There is a group of young blonde girls. Five in total, all wearing short sleeve shirts in various hues of cool tones and gladiator sandals. They are talking boisterously about some movie. They keep making large flailing gesticulations and over the top expressions as they all laugh in unison. I can't help but keep my focus on this group for a while. They have so much happening. All of them drinking iced teas and smiling, almost beaming. I can't help but smile myself. They look to be about late teens early twenties. Probably taking a break or maybe even a study group of sorts? Perhaps sorority sisters?

I see a man about two seats away from the blonde clique. He is wearing a black baseball cap. He is somehow quietly reading a novel, which I can't make out from my point of observation. But I'm questioning how he's reading so peacefully with so much ruckus going on just two tables down. Yet there he is placidly sipping on his coffee lounging on the seat as if he were in his very own living room.

I notice that the mood of the entire premises is very cheery, even the awful and obscure jazz they're playing is somehow peppy.

Maybe humidity has something to do with this? Yet, I fail to see how feeling like you've been dipped in maple syrup and baked in an oven would make anyone feel so peppy.

Another woman about mid twenties enters, she is also, very blonde. Wearing a dark navy blouse and she sees the other group of blondes and, not suprisingly sits with them. I notice her bag has greek symbols. I then realize my assumptions of a sorority were right! They all sit together and continue swooning and gesticulating ostentatiously.

The girl in the chocolate brown shirt eventually finishes her hot drink and she catches my glance and smiles at me. Never once since I've began doing field work, have I had one of my subjects of observation smile with me. I return the smile and she returns back to her area of work and continues her typing.

I pack up and head out once again, but with a somewhat sunnier view.

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