Usually I don't like waiting to the last minute to get any assignments done, however, due to a busy, yet eventful week, it seemed that the only time I had to do my observation was the day it was due. To give you an idea of the setting of the story, it is 1:15 pm on a Sunday afternoon. The sky is painted a gloomy gray with a fluff of melancholy clouds grazing the top of the Oregon Mountains.
After a weekend full of excitement, it seemed perfect to wear my most comfortable outfit. It seems as if everybody else got the memo, because my field site was filled with students wearing their stretchiest pants and a hoodie. Most girls wore leggings, or spandex shorts, a large, over-sized sweater, and sported the messy-hair look. Guys wore either sweats or basketball shorts, socks and athletic sandals, and t shirts. It looked as if everybody had just rolled out of bed; this fashion look for the day fit the choice of food for the early afternoon. Breakfast was still being served at 1:00 pm! I guess you could say it was a Sunday brunch, which I don't mind at all, but disappointingly, I was not in the mood for breakfast and ended up eating half a waffle drowned in sugary syrup, and a small bowl of oatmeal covered in brown sugar. Needless to say, I did not enjoy my Sunday brunch.
Contrasting from last week's observation, most people eating were in large groups of people. Less people were sitting alone. Everybody was part of a group of at least five people, all talking and laughing. The mood of the room was quite light and it was clear to see that everybody was in a really good mood. Despite the fact that the restaurant wasn't as packed as last week, it was still almost as loud. One observation I came across this afternoon was that instead of gender mixed groups, girls were sitting with girls, and guys were sitting with guys. Everybody needed a break from hanging out with people from the opposite sex. Maybe it was just "bro time" and no girls were allowed to invade. Although, whenever a person knew somebody else in the restaurant, (which it seemed like everybody knew each other today) they would make it a point to approach them and hold a small conversation. It was evident that more boys occupied the restaurant than girls.
A loud group of boys sat at the table next to me. Before they sat, I could hear them talking from across the restaurant. They all looked extremely similar, not just in their clothing, but in their hairstyle and overall appearance. They were all fairly tall, with messy hair, pale skin, and imperfect smiles. They all wore baseball caps with football team logos on the front. Due to the volume of their voice, I could hear every word spoken in their conversation. They were discussing football teams, arguing over whose team was the best. It was implied that they were going to be spending their afternoon watching Sunday night football.
Unlike last week, there were less people sitting alone today. If anybody was indeed sitting alone, they were not scrolling through their phones. In fact, nobody today was consumed in social media. Most people were engaged in other people's actions, no matter if that person was sitting alone or part of a group. I guess the differences that I noticed this week were due to the fact that it was a weekend. Last week, I went on a Friday afternoon. Most people were eating lunch before their next class, so there were more people eating alone. This week, it was easier for people to gather all their friends and have a meal together. People were dressed lazily because there was no need to impress anybody. The restaurant was less packed overall because people have other plans on the weekend. I guess you could say that the weather also set the mood for this very lazy Sunday.
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