It is just Winter

Winter is upon us, the weather is changing; we can feel the cold seeping through our shoes and jackets. The mornings used to be chilly and by noon, the sun was blazing but not anymore. People are starting to get their winter wardrobe out; girls are wearing sweaters and their UGG boots. With winter upon us, the day is getting dark sooner and it feels as if we do not have enough time; 6 pm feels like 8 pm.

It is a pretty relaxed day at my field cite. Halloween is in the past, and now, people are starting to count the days for Thanksgiving Break. It is that time of year in which people are starting to feel the need for a break, and the need to get back home for a while. We still have two more weeks left before the break starts and it cannot come sooner. Everyone is wishing that time will go by faster.

The familiar smell of burritos, coffee and frozen yoghurt greets me, as well as the sound of people talking and laughing. I have noticed that the front part of the cafeteria always holds the loud people who are there to socialize, while the back part, which is separated by half a wall, is where people who go to study, do homework or to relax are.

Today, the front part of the cafeteria is filled with people. The tables are filled and everyone is socializing with their friends. No phones are in sight today. There is also a line that goes half the width of the cafeteria of people waiting to place their order. I notice that the majority of the people are drinking coffee; I suspect that it has something to do with the cold weather, but the truth is that people do not drink coffee just because it is cold. It is something that people always drink no matter what the weather is outside. Also, college students have the need to always drink coffee.

From all the laughter and noise going on there is no one that can stands out from the crowd. I a relieved to see that the moron who came about two or three weeks ago is not here. I do not think I could stand overhearing his conversations. There were three girls sitting in a table together, and they were watching a video on one phone. They were cracking up about whatever they were seeing. They spoke Spanish and lucky for me Spanish is my first language. I overheard that the video was of their roommate, and that she burned the rice she was trying to make. Apparently, the girl does not know how to cook.

I moved towards the backside of the place and I noticed that today there was more people than usual sitting there. The unusual part was that the majority of them were not doing any work. Some were just sitting alone drinking coffee and listening to music on their phones or iPads. Others were using their computers and their eyes were glued to the screen, rarely did they looked up.

I enjoyed my time at the field cite. It is interesting to watch people, and also to know that you are observing people that you have never met, and probably will never meet all of them.