Ethnography

Ethnography

November 16, 2015

Lively Day At The Plaza

I arrive at the plaza on this cool Saturday afternoon. There are many people at the plaza today. Many of the small gift shops around the plaza have their doors open. All the benches are taken so I sit on the steps of the gazebo. There is a man dressed as a mariachi sitting on a chair by the gazebo. He is tuning his guitar and his wife is organizing all the electric equipment. An Asian mom and dad are swinging their toddler. They are speaking an Asian language that I think might be Japanese. The little toddler laughs hysterically whenever her parents swing her. All around the plaza, there are people going in and out of the small gift shops. Behind me the mariachi has begun to play music. His wife is singing in Spanish. People begin to gather around the plaza to listen to the mariachi. After the song is over, everyone claps and a new song begins.
There is music coming from the Corner Café also. There are many people sitting there eating and enjoying the music. A group of the 3 kids are running around playing tag. They are speaking both English and Spanish as they call each other out. I see many tourists. I usually see tourists here but there are more today than other days. I am observing a tourists couple taking pictures in front of the church. The middle aged woman poses for a picture and then checks the camera and seems to dislike the photo so she makes her husband retake the photo. They approach the plaza and the man begins to film the mariachi playing music. There is a man waiting outside a gift shop holding multiple bags. Shortly after, his wife come out with even more bags full of stuff.
A tourist family with 2 girls  approaches the plaza with a very hyper golden retriever. The wife is struggling to control the dog and she gives the leash to her husband. Her husband takes the dog and walks back to the parking lot. On of the girls is mumbling and weeping. The wife looks visibly irritated.
I am listening to the mariachi music and I just heard a loud shriek. The girl that was playing tag with the 2 boys fell and scraped her arm. A lady gets up and helps her clean up. The woman looks confused and looks around. I think she is searching for her parents. How does someone just leave their child unattended? She then takes her back to the bench and sits her down. After visiting a few gift shops and watching tourists gaze and pick out items I decide to leave. I cross myself in front of the church and walk back to my car.



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