Owls of Cruces

Returning back to Owls of Cruces. This time I have entered the establishment around 7pm or during the Redskin game.  Everyone working in this establishment were wearing their favorite NFL jersey. It's odd to see a lot of people sitting in around the bar on a Thursday night. Usually it's packed for a Cowboys game since, will we are by Texas and assuming everyone is a Cowboys fan of the NFL. It's packed and there's a waiting list to be seated. I sat at the first available seat at the bar. I sat by two older Hispanic gentlemen. They were talking to each other in Spanish and couldn't help but look and see they were showing pictures of their grand children s. They seemed happy, laughing, and enjoying each others company. There was only one bartender and by my view it was busy. She was very good at her job; got drink orders on time, always smiling and talking with people sitting around the bar. I could see at this point the bartender had her usual's.

The Hustle and Bustle of a Monday

I sit down and the crowd is so intense, people can't move left or right without having to wait ten minutes to get anywhere. The building is CROWDED, holy goodness. People are chittering and chattering causing the room to fill with sound like one giant beehive. I focus on one girl with long, straight, brown hair. Her pale skin looks yellow under the luminescent lighting. She stands awkwardly and is constantly glancing from side to side. Her timid nature gets her pushed around by the crowd.

The crowd is slowly starting to make its way out the door. When I say slowly, I mean slowly. Literal baby steps. The crowd itself is dressed casually. They look young.  I assume they're middle schoolers because the sea of shiny braces and greasy, young faces screams adolescent puberty. They are either talking obnoxiously or fixated on their phones.

Tis the Season

Football season is the time when people support whichever team or player they most enjoy by wearing jerseys. Watching sports fanatics react to one another, whether they support the same team but especially if they don't, is highly entertaining at first. As someone who is not a fan of football, I look at those who do as the same, I do not classify them as one thing or the other, like they seem to do, but rather all as one group. In Las Cruces, many people are either Broncos fans or Cowboy fans with every other type of team sprinkled in here and there. 

It is easy to see who is a bandwagoner through the hype however, they aren't as loud and expressive about their teams like everyone else is. People who have been fans for years talk about their team like they are personal friends to the players, maybe even like a coach does, including discussing plays and stratagems. While newer fans (bandwagoners) are more physically supportive rather than verbally. Many new fans wear jerseys often and also other memorabilia such as hats and lanyards but don't discuss the games religiously. 

At the table over there are a slurry of people from all walks of life, there is a Sodexo worker, a man with a beard and jersey, and a few more athletic looking men along with people moving from table to table discussing football. The more athletic fellows are not wearing anything that would indicate that they are fans but are talking about players like they would their first cousin, saying things like "Tommy should have ran left, I don't know what he was thinking, it was common sense, You know (coach's last name) should have made him sit that one out." To this, I am bewildered because the other bandwagoners are just sitting there quietly and listening, nodding and interjecting with irrelevant phrases from time to time or changing the subject altogether. 

Meanwhile, everyone surrounding us is watching college football on the television and ranting about similar things. There is no doubt that this is not my environment of choice, but feigning interest in the sport by watching, makes others approach me and ask questions about what I think about what is happening to which I have to admit that I have no idea what is going on.

As the table next to me raves and rants, one of them is getting upset about the opinion of one of the other guys there. One of them said something about how a player sucks and he stood up to defend him on a personal level, referencing something from his Twitter account. It amazes me how people keep up with these things. The other man did not stop there since he also referenced his rookie year and his exact rushing yards and other statistics that I was even more unfamiliar with. For the rest of the time, people would occasionally scream at one another and the television.

Back in the day

Making my way to my field sight and I see a small firework display!

They know I have arrived, what an entrance for myself. Just playing, I am getting here during halftime and I hear the yells coming from the crowd.

This brings back great memories from my high school days. It has changed a lot before there was only dirt in the parking lot now it's all paved out, lucky kids!

I see an old lady walking to the parking lot, some kids hanging around and some people barely arriving like myself.

I notice many people wearing their sweaters guess fall is kicking in already. I decided to wear my new Olympic Jordan jersey. I get a great smell of popcorn as I'm approaching the stands and I also see three young girls wearing cheer-leading uniforms from my old middle school which brought back more memories.

I see five kids playing football to the side of the stadium. I look up and I see even more kids. I wouldn't blame them the game doesn't seem interesting with the home team down 44 to 13.

Many students wearing mums which makes me think it is homecoming week.

I see two young men going around selling candies and chips one has the box while the other one is yelling, “Chips and candy!”

There are many mosquito's around and I am really tempted to ask the old man next to me if I can buy a couple of sprays of off.

I see a young boy about 2 years old in the band section playing with his toy drums I'm sure he'll become the next drum legend because he is starting very young.

The same man with the off is sitting in the handicap section with a young man who I am very familiar with. He would come and support all the sporting events back when I was in high school. He's in a wheelchair and he still manages to make it. I remember my freshman year he was presented with the fan of the year during a basketball game. I admire his support to this school.

The gap in the score had now increased as the away team scores again. That is enough for some more fans as they make their way out.

I notice many people wearing NFL jerseys a big part to do with that is it is football season. I've seen a Pittsburgh, Washington, and San Francisco jersey.

I noticed a little boy up in the stands has been on his tablet since I have arrived. This brings the thought of how technology has changed. Many young kids know how to use an electronic device and it amazes me. I mean if he didn't have that tablet would he be playing football with the kids on the side of the stands. Is this a key component to child obesity? Just has me wondering. Crazy how a day of field work makes your mind think.

I see many kids around 1-2 running around in the bottom stand one almost got hit by the camera man making his way out. Could have made a disastrous event.

Making my way out I still see the young kids playing outside which is a great thing. This sporting event attracts many different types of children. I also got to witness the game closing touchdown as my friend couldn't make the last tackle. Another great day at the field site. 

Strike 3, Your Out!!

This week I decided to switch things up and attend a baseball practice. As I sit down on the bleachers at the field I watch the players start to warm up and get ready for practice on this hot, humid day. My cousin Addie is sitting next to me in the shade playing on her iPad. I asked her what she was playing and she answered "Minecraft."

No one else is in the stands with us since this is just a practice and the season hasn't started yet so I decide to watch the players and observe what they are doing.

A group of about 6 boys start the practice off with batting at the plate. A pitcher throws the ball to the catcher while the boy up to bat practices his swing. My dad yells "Alright Louis, your up! Lets go" As the batter, Louis stands at the plate waiting for the pitch all of a sudden BAM! The pitcher releases the ball ad Louis gets a strike on the first pitch. Quickly the next two pitches fly by and Louis strikes out and has to move to the back of the line.

My cousin Addie starts poking me in the shoulder and starts to beg me to watch a funny part of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with her, so I oblige and watch the silly cartoon and laugh with her because she thinks that it is so funny

In the middle of the outfield a large group of boys start to do pop flys, grounders and everything in between. My dad starts to jog over to them and starts to shout at which boy is supposed to go where and to do what. A boy names Travis gets put into the front of the line and my dad's assistant coach hits him a ground ball. Travis lines up to where the ball is headed and catches it nicely while trawling it back to another kid that is standing next to the assistant coach.

Addie starts telling me that she is thirsty and that she wants to go inside the clubhouse to go get something to drink. I signal my dad over to tell him where we are going and we head off to the direction of the clubhouse.

Dan an interesting man...

People come in and out of the area. Its the weekend they seem to be happy on having a few days off to enjoy. The different volumes of voices fills the area. People walk past me either on their phones or talking to the person they're walking with.

A few seats are scattered around the area a few being filled. One contains a couple who are both teenagers. The girl has purple streaks in her hair, Jenny, and is sitting next to the boy who has on a muscle shirt,Mike. They sit next to each other they talk for a while. They laugh Jenny throws herself back into the seat finding whatever Mike said very funny. Mike helps her up from the laying position Jenny had taken. They continue talking for a while then they become quiet. They seem to have run out of things to talk about because both Jenny and Mike take out their phones.They stay like that for a while not exchanging words. Finally Mike gets up saying a few words to Jenny. Then Jenny stands and they both start walking away from their seats.

An old woman,Cam, is being pushed in a wheelchair by a young man,Connor. Cam is talking animately To Connor about one thing or another. As Cam and Connor get closer i notice that she has small pigtails styled in her short gray hair. There is also glittery purple eyeshadow swiped heavily on her eyelids. They slowly pass me as Connor rolls her wheelchair past me.

I had been sitting in my area for a while and nothing was really happening. The area seemed to be emptying out. When I thought that I would have to leave my area because nothing was really occurring I heard shouting. A man with wild hair,Dan, a white tank top, and army cargo pants seemed to be yelling at someone that i could not see.  I could only catch a few of the words he was saying and most were profanities. He yelled until the person must have left. Then a security guard came up to Dan asking him what was going on. I could not hear his response as I was a great distance away. The security guard tho nods at what Dan is saying and starts leading him away from where people have gathered to stare. I see a while later that the security guard that had escorted Dan away had come back and had a police officer with him. The Security Guard,Stan, pointed at where Dan had been standing when he was yelling. I could not hear what Stan was saying but by his hand movements i could tell he was telling the officer what had occurred.

I had decided to leave the area seeing as it was time to go. As i was walking toward the exit Stan and the police officer were walking in front of me.Stan was telling the police officer about how he could not find Dan and that if they had any problems with Dan they would call the police officer. They turned around heading back into the building.
  

Outside the Revolutionary Cafe

On this day I decided to sit outside and observe the atmosphere. It is a very sunny day with a slight breeze, perfect for sitting outside if you're not directly in the sun. Most of the outdoors is shaded so this attracts for people to sit down outside and enjoy the weather.  I placed my things at an empty table, most of them were occupied. I walked inside and ordered my drink. There were more people inside however, presumably because of the air conditioner.

Inside there were a few students with laptops. All of them were sitting by themselves which is what I see most often when a person is using technology. There was a large group next to the gift shop who were being very loud. Much to the annoyance of the old couple sitting next to them who were holding hands and talking. The couple costly looked over at them and made uncomfortable body language such as shaking their heads and shrugging.

I grab my drink when the short young blonde female called my name. I walked back outside and sat down. Two more people joined the two young males that were sitting next to me as I sat. One of the new males had short hair and seemed to be an old friend of the other two. The man who accompanied him was very quiet and was noticeably shy. I suspect he is the male's tag along friend and does not have any previous relationships with the other males. He is perhaps going through the awkward initiation face that comes with being in a new place and having to make new friends. His shirt had the Ohio University logo on it, maybe that is his home state. I also noticed that he wore a large watch and very suave clothes. Which makes me wonder if he is more wealthy than most. Which also makes me wonder why he chose to go to NMSU if he is a student.              

The parking lot was filled with cars. Frequently there would be a car that pulled into the parking lot looking for a spot but to no avail. They would have to exit and park on the street and make an extra 30 foot walking distance to the door. I began to see a clear pattern although that most people came to the cafe and shortly leave right after. Only a small percent stayed and sat down. I think this accurately reflects the "on the go" lifestyle of modern society. The cafe is one of the focal points of the lifestyle because a lot of people buy coffee in order to get the caffeine high that helps them through their day.  

Another student like myself was also sitting outside with his laptop. He had a backpack and books but I doubt he was working on homework since he was playing hip hop music. Judging by the side view I saw of his laptop screen It looked like he was watching some sort of videos as well. He had the characteristic hair fade artwork that alot of young people like. His shirt bore the logo of nike but he was wearing addidas shoes. On his fingers were two gold rings and his eye lobes were "gauged". He did not have anything to drink or eat so maybe he was just there to use the wifi. After 15 minutes of sitting there he received a phone call and then put his laptop in his bag and left.

A middle aged woman who was sitting on the opposite side of the patio was smoking a cigarette as she periodically checked her phone and sipped on her iced coffee. In more than one instance we both met each other's glances. I was try to be nonchalant the whole time and not give my observational status away. Honestly she was quite beautiful so enjoyed looking at her anyway.  She kept looking back at me the whole hour I was there.  I wondered what she was thinking. The whole time she repeated the same process of lighting a cigarette, drinking coffee, and observation of the atmosphere.  Even after  I left she was still sitting there. I wish I had the time to just sit and think that much. Unfortunately I must carry on.

Quiet Night at the K

As I park my car, there are two women who are unloading kids from a minivan.  There's one baby who's being held, and four other small children.  I don't think that they speak English.  I follow them into the store, and as we walk through the door the little boy pulls a snack size ziplock baggie out of his pocket.  It has some change and two or three dollar bills.

In the store it smells like clothes- crisp and clean, but a hint of manufacturing or shipping smells, the way that something smells when you first take it out of the box.  It doesn't smell bad though.  There is a woman standing at one of the first cash registers counting money.  She must be a manager.

I begin to browse the clothes section.  I see a worker walking around quickly to several displays and taking off a yellow sticker.  I try to take a closer look to see what the stickers say.

I notice the music.  It's loud enough to hear clearly over other things in the store.  There is a girl in a light blue hoodie and grey sweat pants that's wandering the store a lot and walking very quickly.  As I move into other sections, I see her walking through those as well.

There is a woman going through the clearance rack.  She's not there for long.

In the little boys' section there is a family.  A mom, dad, two boys, and a girl are there.  The dad acts like a typical man during shopping.  He stands back and seems a little withdrawn.  The mom is helping one of the boys try on a jacket.  Meanwhile the girl is trying on a halloween costume.  She does it jokingly and laughs about it, knowing that she is too big for the suit.  The coat testing station is switched out with the other little boy who is smaller.  The mom asks the group, "what size do you think?"  The older boy is playing with the long tool to reach clothing up high.  He's making loud noises too.  Without an answer, the mom says "I'd rather do that one."  She asks the little boy if it fits ok.

A woman on the other side of the store is looking through racks.  She checks the price tag on one time, but doesn't pick the item up.  She already has a few items in her hands.  She goes into the dressing room.

There is a beeping noise somewhere in the store.  It's high pitched.  As I pass another woman, I think she mumbles something about the sound.  She's by herself.  She has a cart and her purse is in it.  She's been the first person I've seen with a cart.

I walk through the section with perfume.  It's strong.  Across the aisle I see the group of kids that I saw when walking in.  The two girls are play fighting over a cart.  They make loud noises.  I think they want attention.

I see a different worker standing at a shelf in the men's section.  At first I think she's organizing the shirts, but then I realize she's messing with the yellow tags too.  I find another wrack where there's a sticker.  It's a sticker that looks like employees are supposed to fill out.  I think it might be looking at the quantity of some of the items.  It has a blank for the employee number, and a spot for it to be marked to be verified.

I move to the shoe section.  There are two women- one wearing crimson scrubs, and the other who looks a little more dolled up with bulky jewelry and bright red lipstick.  There is a small girl sitting in a stroller.  She's watching something on an iPad.  As I approach, Red Lipstick Mom pulls her to the side.  She talks to her friend, "She is a weird child.  It's very rare for Evelynn to pick a normal pair of shoes."  I keep walking and they quickly leave.  I notice that there is a male employee picking up shoes around the department.

I walk towards the exit of the store.  There's nothing more to note.

Left The Park A Bit Sad

     This week I am sitting outside in a lovely park. Lots of families are roaming around the grass or sitting on benches. There are a few families that have caught my attention.

     Sitting under a nice tree is a family of five. Most of them are dressed in some sort of denim so I am going to call them the Blue family. There is a dad with short, buzz-cut, hair, a mother who looks as if she is expecting another child, two little girls near each other in age, and a boy toddler who is much too interested in the taste of grass. The girls are playing a game of tag with their father and seem to have endless energy. The mother keeps tying to keep the little boy from sticking things in his mouth. She looks frustrated. After a bit the girls and their dad sit down next to the mother. The father pulls the boy into his lap. This seems to be an old game, because the boy starts to laugh and try to crawl away. he only gets so far before he is pulled back into a lap. Mother looks exhausted but happy with everything that is going on around them. The daughters are pointing at a jungle gym and run off to the structure. Everyone seems familiar with the pace of the day. I think that this is a regular weekend event for them.

     Another family has caught my eye. A mother with a young daughter is setting on a park bench. Her hand and eyes are glued to the cell phone. Her daughter wanders freely from her texting mom and seems to have no supervision. She is wandering over to the jungle gym as well. Texting mom has yet to even look up from her phone. her daughter is sitting under a slide, making a sort of sand castle in the dirt. Occasionally she looks around but doesn't go to interact with the other kids nearby. Texting mom is now on the phone with someone. Whoever it is, she isn't happy with them. I can hear her yelling but cannot make out the words. The conversation doesn't last long. She goes back to texting without looking around for her daughter.

     Across the way from my seat, another family is walking. Two men are swinging a little girl between them. One of the men is tall and willowy. The other is a bit stockier and has a large mustache. The little girl looks like she is about seven and she is all full of giggles. I am guessing that these men are her fathers. My thought is confirmed when they get near the swings and the happy girl pulls them over. They release hands. The men share a peck on the lips before the tall one leans down to push their little girl. She keeps laughing up a storm, the higher she goes. The mustached man goes to stand in front and holds his arms open. the happy little girl laughs some more and lets go of the swings. He catches her mid air and swings her around. The two men take her hands again and continue their walk.

     The Blue family looks worn out at this point. The two daughters have drug themselves back to their parents and are sitting next to them. They all look to be in a good conversation. This family time seems to be important to them.

     Texting mom has just realized that her daughter isn't there. She looks frustrated and angry. After looking a bit she sees her little girl and stomps over to her. She grabs her little girls hand and kind of yanks her along with her to the parking lot. The entire time she is yelling at her daughter. I can't help but feel a bit mad at the woman for this. I get the feeling that this isn't a very happy home. The little girl just kind of trails behind her mom and doesn't look up from the ground.

A Quiet Afternoon

                It was mid-afternoon and there were barely any people there. There was about only seven groups/pairs each dispersed far away from one another. I went to go sit at my usual table facing the other people. 

                In front of me there were two guys; one with glasses and a blue shirt, and the other in a grey bro tank. They were casually having a conversation. As the conversation died down, they both checked their phones and while glasses was on his phone he started to twirl the headphones on his fingers, and once it stopped, he twirled it the other direction. Glasses starts the conversation again and then grey tank starts laughing. The conversation dies down again this time and when it happened, glasses put on his headphones in one ear and started to twirl the other one again. They both grab their phone again, probably checking social media. Glasses stopped twirling his headphones and starts a conversation again and during this process his posture changes, he touches his chin. Grey is still on his phone, but looks up to start talking again. Grey started to play with his fingers as he started talking again and glasses was playing with his lanyard. Throughout this conversation, they continued to check their phone.

                Another group who was to the right of me had three girls hanging out; one with a brown sweater, one with a white sweater, and a girl in a dress. Brown opens up her bag and pulls out her make-up bag to reapply her lipstick. White is on her computer doing her work. Dress was on her phone the whole time which seemed to be for about 10 minutes. When brown finished applying her lipstick she put her bag away and went back to going through her notes. Dress gets a phone call and answers, she messes with her water bottle as she’s on the phone. White goes back and forth from the textbook on her lap to her computer. As dress was on the phone, she couldn’t keep her hands still as she was touching her face or water bottle while on the phone. Brown showed something to White, which didn’t really catch White’s opinion as she glanced at it and went back to doing her work. Brown seemed to be bored as towards the end of my observation she dazed off. I believe that there was a communication barrier because they talked very little and when dress left so did I. 

               Observing at different times i realized attracts different people and the later it is, there is always less people. 

Happiness in the Air

Today, I decided to try a new restaurant that I can't even spell or pronounce.  I have come to the conclusion that there are all sorts of different groups of people eating at various places.  We're at a part of history where there are no more places where you'll find just one specific group.  I'm also sure that other people always have the thought of trying something new every now and then.  I know because I'm the same way.

It surprises when there are problems out in the world concerning race issues, people don't realize that we impact and are impacted by a person of a different group each and every day.  When we least think about it, we are all there working together.  Apparently, admitting something is very hard to do by some people.  So sad that this world could be going so much better.

There are families at the restaurant right at this moment enjoying themselves.  With no worries and no problems, I would guess.  At least at the moment.  Children saying hello to other children knowing that who they said hi to is, like them, just a kid.  Not knowing that this world has a problem with not being same-skinned.  Even their parents are fine with it, probably because they are occupied with conversing towards others at their table.  

There is an excited father playing with his little baby.  He keeps on making funny noises and feeding him, the little baby then makes noises and his parents both laugh at his cuteness.  I also notice that there are other people at other tables also smiling and laughing at a baby's natural cuteness.

An older couple are also dining in, they seem quite happy together.  Smiling and laughing at perhaps memories.  You can see his love for her just by how he looks at her.  They're now enjoying their dessert, I'm sure like old times.  By comparison, the older couple seem to be less relaxed and quiet about themselves than a younger couple in the room.  The younger couple seem to be getting frustrated, a bit unsure about what.  A bit louder when talking.

The people seem to be done with their enjoyment, and are now leaving.  There are only small groups of friends left in the restaurant eating and being refreshed by the amazing Japanese food here.

Funday Monday

    Today is very calm for a Monday afternoon.  As I arrive, I notice that even though they have free wi-fi, there are not many plugs to charge my laptop. A waitress than asked me if I was looking for a plug probably because I had my phone charger in my hand.  She helped me find a good spot and I connected both my laptop and my phone that was about to die.  I then notice that to my right there is a guy that I recognized because he came in right behind me into this place.  He was on the phone and seemed impatient as he persistently moved his foot.  After a few a minutes he asked me if he could borrow my phone.  I had this feeling about him that I couldn't bring myself to trust him.  He had a disregarding appearance that seemed suspicious.  So, I did not let him borrow my phone. 
   I then got hungry and called on the waitress to order food.  While I wrote down my observations. A older couple walked in and they were telling the waitress how they had not been in here for a long time.  They told her that it was ironic because they live right across the street. 
    The head waitress told me that I needed to pay already because the waitress that was serving me was going to end her shift.  So I paid and gave her a good tip, because she provided good service and was very nice. 
  Then my cutie arrived to keep me company and we started texting stuff to each other, because I am doing observations and it is a way to keep my attention.  It also gives me material to write on for this blog. 
   This place works better with my schedule and I want to make it a permanent observation site. 

Valiant Effort

     It was around three in the afternoon, and I was in the mountains for a church retreat. We had all just gotten back to camp from an exhausting hike. The group split up when we arrived back at camp, some went back to their rooms to rest, some went to the rec hall, and others sat outside talking. I was along with those sitting outside talking and decided to observe a group of eight people that decided to play Ultimate Frisbee. I sat decently far away so I couldn't hear anything they were saying with the exception of the occasional expression of emotion when something good or bad would happen in the game. The group consisted of three girls and five guys. I watched as they formed their separate teams. They broke up into two teams of four, one team, we will call them the Aggies, consisted of four boys. The second team, we will call them the Lobos, had the three girls along with one of the boys.
     The game began by the Lobos kicking off to the Aggies. The Aggies quickly and easily scored and then proceeded to score five other times with the Lobos not scoring at all. The score was then 6-0 at this time, but the Lobos were undeterred. They were determined to score, but the game was temporarily stopped when one of the girls smashed into a metal pole that was sticking up from the ground. Members from both teams went and checked on the girl as she was on the ground in pain. After a few minutes the girl was up and ready to play again. The Aggies had a lot of tall athletic boys on their team and they seemed bored by the fact that there was no competition. The Lobos took offense to this and stepped their game up cutting into the Aggies lead. The score was now 8-5 and the Aggies decided it was time to start trying again. The two teams went back and forth without anyone scoring and everyone became sluggish and exhausted. The game had been going on for about an hour and a half to two hours. The sun was beating down on both teams and there wasn't a single player that wasn't covered in sweat. Being that the four members of the Aggies were at the point were they didn't want to play anymore they decided to play even harder and win the game. Both teams were talking smack to each other and had an equal desire to win. Even though the Lobos had the competitive edge and persevered through the adversities they faced, the Aggies still managed to win the game and proved to be the better team.
     Both teams shook hands and made peace with one another. Through all the smack talking, there was still constant laughter and enjoyment from both teams the entire game. Everyone understood that it was a friendly game and it was intended for fun. The members from both teams then went to their separate rooms to shower and prepare for dinner.

The fascinating people

As long as the drive is not to terrible, I will make that drive to go to one of the best restaurants the world has to offer. This time I drove to El Paso with some friends to have the best burrito for lunch and to witness some of the most interesting people. When I first walked in, it was almost a ghost town. It was like the workers were waiting for my arrival so they could make the best burrito ever. Soon after though, the crowd of interesting people started piling in.

A family of about 10 came in and I could just see all the workers and the faces they were making as they were taking the families orders and just imagining how long it would take to complete that whole order. This family started the trend of fascinating people for the amount of time I stayed their. There was a girl who had tattoo quotes right underneath her butt on both legs and her boyfriend had huge holes in his ears because of the gauges that he wore. They seemed like they loved each other so that is good for them.

Soon after the big family, there was a big group of friends that looked like they just got done with an event to where they had to dress nice for. I would say these group of friends were my favorite as far as interesting goes. There was a girl in a black polka dotted dress and she had bright neon pink hair and her boyfriend had a really long, slick back pony tail. This couple also had chellos with so I am guessing they had band practice either before or after their lunch. I always love going to different restaurants to see the different types of people that walk in to enjoy the same food I do.

Well, at least Bean and Brew is Crowded...

       It is day 4 here at Alderman Ave. Bokhandle, and it has, rather briefly, come to my attention that whenever I come here, Bean and Brew Coffee Shoppe is the only area of the store to be consistently crowded with people jovially socializing with one another, or simply sipping on their favorite coffee-based beverage. It’s truly comforting to know that at least one enterprise will be going out of business. Anyhow, something surprisingly notable happened to me during my trip to the Bokhandle: for The first time since I started going there, someone actually spoke to me (and without provocation)! As I made my way to my usual section, I saw it at its most crowded. Three young men were sitting in it: Tale, who is doing some (presumably) school work on this computer, Rion, who was reading, and Alsten, who was, upon my arrival, sitting in the corner sulking. I mention the state of affairs of the latter to point out the fact that, out of all the people in my section, he seemed the least like to want to speak, let alone to a stranger, and yet, he did. I was there for about 10 minutes before he did, and granted it was only about the Wifi, but still, the fact that, In this age of ever increasing technology, someone actually spoke to someone else in real life.

      And so this little gem had captivated my interest. In truth, I’m not really all that socially conspicuous, but I still fancy myself a fairly friendly person, however I find that more and more these days, there isn’t a place for my friendliness, as most people, whenever I pass them on the street and smile at them, usually just look on their phones or just tilt their heads down in general, in order to avoid eye contact or any sort of social interaction. And many a time I’ve seen a bunch of people sitting around a table and everyone is on their phone; not a single person is interacting with anyone around them. And again, in truth, I’ve fallen victim to this trap, but for the most part I fancy myself a social creature, and I can’t help but wonder that, in an ever increasing the technologically advanced world, will there ever be a place in society again for the kind of “Hello how are you” and “I’m fine thank you” that used to be so prominent, even among people my age. But then again, there are people who would argue that these days, social interaction includes the people with whom you interact on the Internet, even though you could be up to thousands of miles away or simply be next-door neighbors who never do things the old-fashioned way and come outside to say hello on the way to the mailbox. Those people would most likely also argue that the Internet has revolutionized how we can interact with one another a great distances. And I would like to point out that I feel personally that it has, yes achieved that aforementioned end, but also devolved how we interact with one another in close proximities. There surely got to be a way to ever evolve the one (long-distance communications) but not at the expense of the other (intimate distance communications).

University Starbucks Revisited

Sitting here at Starbucks again, and initially i can tell that the atmosphere is much different than the last time that i was present. There are a lot fewer people here, seeing as i am here in the morning on a school day, rather than the weekend. The music that plays throughout the store is much more upbeat this morning rather than the soothing relaxing music that played on my last visit. I feel like this is because in the morning everyone is still trying to wake up. If they were to play the relaxing music again, many people would be even drowsy. I have noticed very few students sitting in to enjoy their drinks, as most of them are on their way to class so they are taking their drinks to go. The only people sitting in, seem to be older individuals. I distinctly notice one older couple who seem to be solely enjoying each others company to go along with their choice of morning drinks. They seem to have not lost their flare, as they are smiling and chuckling nonstop the whole time i am there. Other than this couple, almost everyone that came in got their drinks to go, and others who didnt, were only sitting for about 5 minutes. Mornings are very busy, and it seems like they only get busier at starbucks.

Early Mornings

As I was walking up to my field site I had noticed that today was like an ordinary day except I had to visit my site in the morning instead of in the evening due to schedule arrangements. A major factor that I noticed as I was sitting down was that the population of the elderly seem to outnumber the rest of the population. Although the population is elderly their ages look like they vary from the high forties to the mid-sixties. Other than the elderly population it’s as if everyone else who is attending my field sight looks like their of mid age or college students.

Since I came at a different time of day I don’t notice any familiar faces like I usually would. Usually there’s like a hand full of individuals who are working together or their simply focusing on their computer screens but today is seems as if everyone is just attending this place for either coffee or breakfast. There’s a couple that decided to sit down and converse over their coffee a few tables away from me. I have no idea what they are talking about but they both seem very interested in each other and what the other has to say. The female looks as if she’s even flirting with the gentleman the way she keeps on touching him or invading his personal space. It’s obvious that he doesn’t mind the attention at all but seem to be encouraging it instead. 

Usually the environment of the building is very cold but this morning it feels about room temperature. There’s still music playing in the background like there always is except for instead of R & B or Hip-Hop music the genre that seems to be playing is country or some type of alternative rock music. There really isn’t anything extraordinary that’s happening I’m guessing because it’s so early in the morning. It’s as if every customer that walks through the doors is barely starting their day and is using this company to start off their days with some fresh coffee. One thing that I have noticed though since I have been here this morning is the number of customers that seem to be showing up went from the elderly to middle aged or college kids. Most of them tend to be female, as for a matter of fact the only males that I have seen come into the store were accompanied by females. When there was an individual who came in alone they were more than likely female with an exception of one or two but they stayed in the store area where I am seated in the waiting or eating area. Usually there is a group of people who are jamming out with their headphones in but today I’m guessing everyone is liking this genre of music because there is not one person who has headphones in. 

The longer I observe the more I notice how much of a slow morning it is here at this store. More than likely the activity level of this store is so slow because it is so early and people are just getting their day started. This explains why basically every customer is purchasing coffee. As a result it is a slow but peaceful morning observing here at my field site.

Another day another Caravan

Today is a slow day.. I come in later than usual to find that this hot spot has died down, the only sound I can hear is the older man talking on his phone and pacing outside of the door as I walk in. He's wearing a Columbia jacket and has really white hair.
My server is the same as always, sweet girl.
I order and sit in my usual spot. The only other people here are alone and minding their own business,
I see an Asian guy, on his apple laptop typing away with a furiously focused expression on his face. He's taking over the world.
A girl is sitting at the counter in "Jammies" studying some type of hard science textbook, bless her heart.. I feel you girl! We make eye contact and we sort of half smile half sympathize for one another.
20 mins later and I'm still working on my homework, looking up every few minutes for a change but nothing is happening.
I guess I should come in at my usual time next week, I've already been here for 45 minutes and not much action.
A worker comes by and tells me that they will be closing in 10 mins, the boy continues typing more furious than ever but the girl in the Jammies seems more than content with turning in for the night. She packs up her book, yawns, and shuffles out.
8 mins later and the boy closes his laptop, slides it into a shoulder bag and rushes out of the Caravan.
I pack up to leave and my server says "have a good night!" She's great

Dull Slow Day

Three tables are occupied, one by a lone man staring intently into his laptop, hand carelessly draped on his mouse leisurely scrolling, another table with two older women talking in hushed tones, and a mother and daughter in the corner, the mother accidentally leaving her wallet on the counter as i was ordering, and politely asked to get it real quick.

The older ladies after what seem to be arguing, leave in a huff, leaving trails of angry jiujiu all over the table they just sat at.

A couple walks in, happily chatting and standing at the counter together very close, all smiles and giggles. The man peers over the woman's shoulder, his much larger and taller frame making her seem tiny. After they receive their coffee they disappear outside to sit.

Then there is nothing that happens, just the sound of the barista making himself a shot of espresso. It seems as if D's Cafe will be slow as molasses tonight.

A man comes in, greeting the baristas making me assume he's a regular. He begins by beelineing to the pastries and tossing around what he loudly exclaims in a broodish manner that he is holding a  "rock", before making a pitstop at the soda machine, filling up a cup with water and disappearing into the private room.

I accidentally put my headphone plug in the wrong port, and draw attention to myself when I loudly play my music, mostly earning a glare from the old man who is perched in his chair staring at his computer intently.

The mom and daughter then leave, daughter's eyes glued to her phone. Typical teenager. They pass a boy who walks in asking to hang up an advertisement , and then searches for a spot on the window, again checking to make sure its okay before proceeding to add it to the window of advertisements. He takes forever to find a spot. He disappears after finding a spot and it is just me, the baristas, and the old man on the laptop.

It is dull so I decide to leave, packing up my bag and heading out the door, the old man still scrolling.

Love Is In the Air!

After a LONG day of driving, I was excited to come to the Corner Café and just relax and stare at people. As I walk in, there are pretty much a thousand people in here! It is so ridiculously busy! I’ve never seen it so busy in my life, but surprisingly, I found a place to sit. There must be an internet shortage around town and campus because everyone in here has a laptop and seems to be doing homework, checking Facebook, playing videogames, etc. The guy next to me is very amused with himself and is literally talking to himself. I thought he was singing at first, but it was just steady words. Then I thought, “oh, he’s probably studying!”, but he is just on Facebook. Officially weirded out.

There are four people at the big table in front of me, but none of them came seem to know each other. The one thing I’ve noticed about coming here is that usually people are very willing to share a table with you even if they don’t know you. I think there is just a universal understanding that we as students need to study so I feel like we all have the “we can share” mentality. I’m facing the bar where the barista’s put the drinks to be picked up. It is about 95 degrees outside so every drink that I see being made is either a Frappuccino or an iced drink. No one has a hot drink, and if they do, they are just crazy.

You can definitely tell that this is a college town because everyone is just studying, minding their own business, and so focused. I see a lot of Apple products around the room also. About 90% of the people in here that I can see have iPhone’s, and literally everyone in here either has a Macbook or an iPad. It’s pretty ironic how college students are “poor” and yet we have one of the most expensive computers out there.

Oh, and scratch what I just said about everyone getting cold coffee, two guys just got hot coffee. It’s as if they knew what I just typed and they were like “well, we’ll make you a liar”. Thank you sir’s! And they are the only ones sitting outside in the 95 degree weather! Crazies.

There are no couples in here today, everyone seems to be by themselves and keeping to themselves. This week is definitely a lot different than the past three weeks! The music is light instrumental music but it is still very upbeat.

To close this blogpost, for the past 15 minutes I have been watching these two people interact, and it is seriously something that you’d see in a sappy love story! This girl walked in and was dressed all nice, and this guy totally just loses his cool. He hugged her SO awkwardly, and was stumbling all over the place to clear a spot for her on the table. Now, she definitely looks like one of those “popular” girls in high school that loves getting attention from boys, so she was doing her forced giggle and just kept saying “aaawwww” and just little things like that. Now they are just sitting and talking, well mostly she is talking, and he is just listening to her and staring at her in the cutest way. This guy is totally in love with her. I can tell.

So yeah, that was my day and Corner Café. It was pretty boring until the two love birds cam in, but they were definitely entertaining!