Friday Night Bites

I am back at an old restaurant from a previous field note, number 3.  It try to sit in the same section as the last time in order to get a more repetitive perspective. I am sitting near the back of elevated seating area. The restaurant is more crowded than the last time. I am here at the same time and day of the week though. The area isn't as clean as the last time, perhaps the crowded dinner rush has left the establishment short staffed. Not incredibly unsanitary but there are dishes left on more than 3 tables near me.

The table at the entrance of the elevated section has a large family with two tables pushed together. There is a mother, father, three daughters and an infant that I believe belongs to the eldest daughter. The family appears to be Hispanic and from the vernacular used in the bits of conversation I can hear, they speak a Spanish-English mix. The father is balding with nice clothes on. The mother has her hair done and a fresh nail job; they are at least 2 inches long. They both appear to be in their late forties to fifties. The eldest daughter is talking to the parents about something that has to do with UTEP. The eldest looks like she is in her early twenties. The teenage sister to her left is consumed by her cell phone, she gives the impression of not knowing if anyone is around her. When the waiter comes teenage daughter barely looks up to respond. The final daughter is about 6-10 years old. She sits with pig tails and an El Paso Chihuahuas t-shirt. She is playing with what looks like her infant nephew.

The restaurant is clearing up after about half an hour of my note taking. The noise from the bar has significantly died down because of a large group of college football fans leaving. The kitchen has become slightly louder with the clanking kid dishes. But I could probably attribute that to the emptying of the store.

The table next to me that has filled up has a group of four. It looks like two couples. They both appear to be in high school because of their attire. Three of the four are wearing letterman jackets from a local high school. They are all talking about a football game that is being hosted the college stadium. Apparently they left the game at the half because they were hungry. The two girls of the table are talking to each other about something on a social media site. They are sharing each other’s phones and laughing.

My night here is over but people are still coming into the restaurant. The popularity may be from the family atmosphere and diverse American based menu, appealing to a wider range of people. This restaurant may have the most diverse ethnic audience. More than any of the other places that I have visited. 

"The? That's pretty cool."

The group is gathered around the television, engrossed by the movie Space Balls. This week, the group consists of Star Lord, Mr. Piccolo, Rocket, Guy, and Van winkle. The dress is still the same within the group. Each guy wears a shirt of something they like and wears either pants or black slacks with their shirt. The movie is almost over. The group does not really talk right now because they are too focused on the interesting parts of the movie.

After a few minutes of laughter then silence between the group, Rocket begins to go through his Vanguard cards. I assume that they are new considering he has never been seen with these cards before. Rocket mentions that he has built a new deck and would like to try it out. Star Lord said he brought his deck and would gladly battle with Rocket. At this point, the movie is over and the group splits up again. Rocket and Star Lord move over to the opposite side of the store to play Vanguard while Mr. Piccolo, Guy, and Van winkle stay on the side of the store that has the television. I join Star Lord and Rocket with the intent to see if more personality traits come out from playing the game.

Rocket has a cyber-demon deck that he recently built while Star Lord has a Jewel Knight deck that I believe he has had for a while. Before the game has even started, it is clear that Star Lord is a superior player. Star Lord’s deck has sleeves to prevent the cards from being damaged while Rocket’s deck does not. Star Lord is also better at shuffling his deck; Rocket struggles with the shuffling. As the two play the game, Star Lord has to remind Rocket of the rules. However, Star Lord does not seem to mind this. Even though it is clear that Star Lord is the superior player and has the ability to completely destroy Rocket within the game, he does not. Star Lord seems more interested in Rocket learning how to play the game and wanting for him to have fun rather than the game being about himself having another victory under his belt.

As Star Lord and Rocket are playing, Mr. Piccolo, Van winkle, and Guy stay near the cash register. This is because a few customers have actually came in to the toy store and purchased a few items. The three guys mainly talk about their usual topics: the store owners, how their week has been, comic books, movies, and things of that nature. After it is obvious that no more customers are coming in to the store, the three guys move over to the side of the store that Star Lord, Rocket, and I are on.

The first game ends between Star Lord and Rocket. Star Lord is the victor, but he does not take any pride in it. He merely brushes it off and asks if Rocket wants to play again. Rocket agrees and the two start another game. The other three guys continue to talk among each other with Star Lord and Rocket occasionally voicing their opinion on the subject. The second game ends with Star Lord once again being the victor.

Rocket asks for another game, but with himself using a different deck this time. Star Lord agrees. About halfway through the game, Rocket makes a comment saying he would be able to win if Star Lord did not have this powerful Grade 3 card. Star Lord then says he had no intention of building such a powerful deck. He merely wanted to build that deck because the characters on the card looked cool. Star Lord also mentions that his deck is one of the most expensive decks to build, but he only spent half of the money that it’s actually worth on it. Mr. Piccolo asks how much the deck is worth. Star Lord said that the deck is worth $150, but he only spend $70 on buying cards to build the deck. Star Lord takes some pride in his comment, but then quickly dismisses that pride to focus on the game again.

The final game ends with Star Lord being the victor. Rocket says he would have been able to won if he had better Grade 3 cards, but Star Lord quickly says “In the anime, they show that you don’t have to have a Grade 3 to win. All you need is a good strategy and some luck”. Rocket seems touched by Star Lords comment. Rocket then mentions that he has to go get some food for his wife and leaves the toy store. The final four members of the group say that they will also leave and say their goodbyes. They all tell each other to be careful driving home and that they will see each other next week to play Hero Clix. 

Student Lounge #2

            It is about 10:34 a.m. and I settle into a spot fairly central to most of the action in the eating area of the student lounge. There is a steady and rather busy flow of students of all ethnicity, races and cultures flowing through the restaurant area.

I notice two students in particular each seated alone at the two tables in front of me, the first appears to be Hispanic and is casually sipping a Fanta soda while browsing his cell phone and listening to music I presume. The second is also male and appears Caucasian, he is also browsing his phone but is drinking a tea instead of a soft drink. Just now Tea begins to gather his things in a methodical manner quickly wipe the table and leaves.

I now notice two female students both using one of the computers set up against the wall of the lounge; the first is a dark brunette and appears to be of an Asian ethnicity. The other is a somewhat heavier set Caucasian girl. They both posses very large backpacks that seemed filled to the brim. They don’t appear to be doing school work on the computer but instead; simply seem to be passing the time surfing the web.

Fanta has almost finished his drink and appears to be packing up, he packs his bag, grabs his sun glasses and proceeds to down the last bit of soda before leaving.

The computer girls also seem to be finishing up whatever they were doing on the desktop, they log off of the computer sit back for a few minutes talk a bit and then leave together deeper into the building.

Two Hispanic males now have taken over the table that Tea was once seated at and begin to casually enjoy a meal and small talk. In a way they have almost a “gangster” look to them as they both are wearing rather baggy clothes but they also are both wearing heavy work boots and seem quite professional in manner. One appears to have what looks like a pretty expensive watch.

At a farther table to petite Hispanic/Asian students are also enjoying a meal together, I can’t quite make out exactly what race they might be but I will simply refer to them as the “pair”. They are in no hurry what so ever as far as eating or having anything in particular to do. They are mostly talking and slowing picking at their food rather than full on eating a meal.

The gangsters and already finished their meals, exchanged a few words and taken of f in a somewhat hastened pace as if back to work; not necessarily in a hurry but at a busy pace.

They pair also is now finishing up their conversation and are making their way out. They gather their leftovers, I don’t believe they finished their food completely, one disposes of the trash and the other waits for her friend to catch up and they then depart. 

Battle to the Death

This week, more people are at the toy store. On one side of the store, Mr. Piccolo, Loud Mouth, and Eevee sit around the television while Mr. Piccolo and Loud Mouth play Gundam on the X-Box. On the other side, Star Lord, Rocket, Van Winkle, Guy, and I sit at the tables. The other members of the group talk about how their week has been while I sit and observe them. Guy then asks Star Lord if he would like to play a game of Hero clix. Hero clix is a game that I have heard Star Lord describe as “chess with super heroes”. The players decide on the number of points they want their team to be and build a team from there. They take turn doing different actions whether it be attacking, moving, or resting. Star Lord agrees to play and asks if the other guys would like to join. They all agree and agree on a 600 point game. Eevee stays on the other side of the store, wanting to watch Teen Titans and draw in her sketch book. 

Each member of the group has a different team. Star Lord has a Sailor Moon team that he customized himself. Rocket has a team of Nova’s. Mr. Piccolo has a team of Pacific Rim pieces that Star Lord made for him really quickly. Loud Mouth has a Blue Lantern team. Van Winkle and Guy don’t really have a system for their team. They just put together pieces that they liked. The teams seem to be another reflection of their personalities. 

The battle begins. The playing styles immediately become evident in each of the players. Loud Mouth clearly has a competitive edge and desires to win. Rocket wants to win, but feels that it is more important to have fun and play a team filled with one of his favorite characters. Van Winkle does not really care if he wins, but rather just wants to have fun. Guy wants to win, but does not really seem to know the strategy to win. Star Lord and Mr. Piccolo do not seem to have a desire to win and are just playing because they enjoy playing.

As the game goes on, the players talk to each other about their usual subjects. Eevee continues to be engrossed in Teen Titans and her sketch book. I started to notice some patterns around the group. Eevee and Mr. Piccolo are married, yet she wants to stay apart from the entire group because Mr. Piccolo mentions that she is not comfortable around large groups of people. Star Lord and Mr. Piccolo are close friends. It seems as if they have known each other the longest. Rocket and Van winkle are more friends to both Star Lord and Mr. Piccolo, but they don’t seem like they have known each other that long. Loud Mouth seems to a long time member too, but everyone makes fun of him at one point. Guy is probably the newest member of the group. This is because he tries to fit in with the group, but still is seen as an outsider.

The game finally ends with Loud Mouth winning. Star Lord looked a little annoyed towards the end. This is probably because he does not like the competitiveness that Loud Mouth brought to the game when it was supposed to be something they do for fun. The members of the group continue to talk, but some leave. Van winkle takes off, saying he will see the group next week. Then Loud Mouth leaves too, without saying goodbye to anyone. He just yells out bye to the group. Star Lord mentions that he will probably not be buying any more Hero clix and sell a lot of the ones he already owns because no one really comes to play anymore. Apparently, this many people was a rare occasion for the toy store. Next week will show if this statement is true or if several people will continue to show up. 

Weekend at the lake

This weekend I went up to the lake for a fraternity retreat with a bunch of friends. Getting up there was quite the hassle because apparently finding the correct beach isn't as easy as one would think. As I arrived I noticed how unbearably hot it was, there wasn't a cloud in sight. I noticed everyone in my party putting sunscreen on so I lathered as much as I could without making myself look whiter than I am and plunged into the refreshing water.

After my swim I came out of the water and noticed the two English members of our Fraternity playing with a football (soccer ball) on the beach, I gladly joined them and was quickly shown up by their superior skills that they had learned as young lads whereas I had just started to pick the game up.

After my miserable failure of trying to dance with the ball at my feet I decided to take a seat and get some sun, giving me the opportunity to observe my brothers, hanging out and having a good time. After a while I decided to try and catch some dinner casting for some fish. After a couple hours of nothing but nibbles and false hope for a fish I noticed the guys got the fire pit ready and I was starving.

Thankfully I didn't put all my eggs in one basket when it came to the food, I brought traditional campfire foods, Hot dogs, burgers, beans, and smores,  After dinner we had a ceremony for the new members.

Dog's Best Friend

Its gloomy outside, yet more people are starting to arrive. Don’t they know those dark clouds that are starting to hover around us will begin to threaten us with lightning? They continue their routine without caring about the weather around them. My first impression is these people are nuts.

They’re routine consists of taking their dogs to this dog park every day after work. The dogs play as if they are at recess, while their owners sit around and watch. The park is mainly a dirt lot with a fence around it. There are a few benches and two small gazebos. Plastic lawn chairs are scattered all around the park, however the regulars have put a few together for their afternoon chats. Dog toys are found all over and there is one kitty pool that dogs use to cool down. For the owners, this park is just that, a park. However, for the dogs, this is their hangout spot.

I used to believe that dogs look like their owners but now I’m not so sure. All these dog lovers are very different, yet their love for dogs is what makes them friends. The regulars know every dog's name and talk to the dogs as if they were people. They greet the dogs and ask them how they’re doing. Thus, my second impression is these people are nuts. Moreover, some people arrive to the park in their work outfit. Others are in comfortable clothing more suitable for the outdoors. Most of the people sit by themselves or with the people they came with just watching their dogs.

The clouds continue to darken above us, and the rain has started to fall ever so gently. The dogs begin to run in a frenzy, while the owners begin to pack their things. The weather takes over and people begin to say their goodbyes with promises of seeing each other tomorrow.

Late Nights at B-block

The sun is down and moon is up. The sky seems of a dark blue color, and there are no stars in sight. The weather is calm, and with a slight breeze of cold air. Sounds of crickets and traveling cars are heard throughout the halls. A strong smell of detergent coming from the laundry room is flowing through the air.

Across my room there are a couple of lights on. College students trying to finish up late night homework. On the third floor one girl whistles a melody as she walks her laundry basket to the laundry room. She loads her laundry into the washer and returns to her dorm to retrieve a book. The book looks thick. She heads back to laundry room, and sits to read as she waits for her laundry.

On the bottom floor another young gentlemen has started on his journey to the laundry room. He carries a white basket full of colors. As he walks he disappears through the trees, and I lose sight of him.

On my side of the building two more girls head over to the laundry room, and then again 3 more people across from me. These late night hours seem to be the time a day where students have the most time to do laundry, or maybe they just prefer this time due to weather and temperature.

Besides all the laundry, there seems to be different activities going on around B-block. Across from me on the first floor a girl walks out of her room wearing a green mask of some type of lotion on her face. it must be some sort of face cleanser. She walks out to meet a friend on the bottom patio. They exchange hugs and sit down on the table to chat.

Down the hall from my dorm I can hear a guitar being played. The sound of the guitar is quite soothing. A couple of guys head over to the location from where the sound of the guitar is coming from, and they greet the player of the guitar and give him compliments.

A couple of girls have now walked past the third and first floor wearing dresses. They look quite formal. They must have been at some type of sorority meeting judging by name tags they are wearing on their shoulders.

As the night progresses a couple of girls walk through the bottom doors on the first floor. They seem to have returned from the gym. They are wearing loose shorts and tank tops, with their hair up in a pony tail. They stop and say hi to the girl wearing the green mask on her face.

On the second floor there seems to be a lot of ruckus over a video game. From the sound of the game it seems to be a shooting game. I can hear a lot of gunshots.

The girl in the laundry room reading her book has now come out. She heads back to her room, and shuts the door. Her night seems to now be over with.

The Pretzel Creep

Creeping on the Pretzel Guys

Fieldwork Week One

9/4/2014

I'll admit, somehow today has been rather slow. Not many people stopped by for pretzels, as I was at my location at sort of a dull hour of the day. I've made a note to try to stop by on Saturday mornings rather than Thursday afternoons. For the sake of this documentary, I will be changing the names of every location, every person, and even myself. We'll call my location Stink Valley Mall. It's really not all that bad, but there are lot's of preteen girls wandering by with much too much perfume on. Observation number one. I wonder why there are so many of them here on a Thursday afternoon? Seriously... there are swarms. It's like ever preteen in Las Cruces is walking back and fourth with their friends in some sort of ill fitting grunge style. They all seem to flirt with other preteens while trying to avoid their mom. Perhaps this is some sort of middle school dating ritual? Either way. I shall dub them Mall Rats. The only reason that I mention them in such great consideration is that one seems to be interested in a pretzel guy. I only know this because I'm posted on a bench in front of the place... certainly creeping on the pretzel guys. We'll get back to that in a moment.

Anyways! The mall rat in question has  hair that reminds me strongly of a cuckoo bird and a skunk that may have gotten too frisky, so we'll call her “Hairspray.” Seriously. This girl's hair defies gravity. Miss. Hairspray seems to have taken a fancy to one of the pretzel guys whom we will call “beardie.” I didn't notice at first. It seemed like she was just walking by loudly with her friends. Until she walked by twice. Then three times. And then a fourth. Each time this girl would walk by she would fluff her hair like a peacock and sort of strut. I mean... strut as far as strutting goes when it comes to a lanky preteen girl. She would raise her voice boisterously and look out of the corner of her eye at Beardie, trying to get his attention. Beardie caught on to it too, by the fourth time. So did all his friends. I could tell her actions were making him increasingly uncomfortable, as I'm sure Beardie is at least 10 years older than her (college age I'm sure), and not looking to do anything besides make pretzels. I do not think this is a usual occurrence as Beardie seemed quite perplexed as hairspray flipped her hair and talked and giggled with her friends loudly. Most times he just focused on rolling pretzels out as fast as he could. I must admit, it made for some pretty entertaining fieldwork, watching her strut and him trying his best to ignore her ill concealed, but very innocent, infatuation. She didn't have the guts to buy any pretzels, but eventually stopped walking by. I can only assume that after almost 30 minutes of this behavior someone came to claim their child. It was fortunate for Beardie, but unfortunate for me.

As soon as the distraction of Hairsprays wild attention tactics disappeared, there was almost an awkward lull in Stink Mall. So much so that even I, a very unseasoned mall goer, thought it may have been just a little too quiet and a little too awkward. Occasionally a couple or small group of friends would pass by the pretzel stand (we'll call it Greasy Petes). They would either guffaw and keep walking or their eyes would fill up with a dewy desire and almost awe at the butter saturated goods. They would eye the stand stealthily until they could no longer take it.. then give in and buy the greasy little bites of delight. I saw this only once or twice, and that was the only cover I had.

Eventually, after 45 minutes, Beardie and the rest of the gang (Tatt Man, Frizz, and Blondie) realized that I had been staring at them intently for almost an hour. They also realized that I had been writing things down about them. For instance.

Beardie is the master pretzel roller of Greasy Pete's. I'm kind of jealous, actually. His pretzels are fast and accurate.

Tatt man will try his best to work register if he can. He also was the one that ducked from the prep area to the back room for supplies.

Frizz is really good at getting people to eat free samples and guilting them into buying pretzels. It's an art really. I need to ask her to teach me. I call her Frizz because her hair was very very frizzy, even under a hat.

Blondie is the goof that generally does whatever he needs to do to make time go by faster. He took his time rolling pretzels and seemed to be the one that laughed the most out of all of them.

Tatt man was more serious and maybe even annoyed, but beardie seemed to smile and laugh. Frizz was almost always too busy trying to stuff pretzels down peoples throats to notice.

Either way... they noticed me staring and taking notes. At this point I didn't know who made them more uncomfortable... Hairspray or me. Either way, the last fifteen minutes was spent sitting in front of greasy petes was in an uncomfortable silence as they stared at me and I stared back. The awkwardness was amusing, as we stared at each other as if one of us had a third eye. They rolled their pretzels silently as I watched them roll them silently. That was the extent of my adventure. They were probably unsure as to whether or not I wanted pretzels. At the peak of the stare downs awkwardness (When I was fairly sure one of us was about to explode) I finally got up and wandered off silently, offering no explanation to my actions.

Just as I have dubbed them Beardie, Frizz, Tatt Man and Blondie...
I'm sure they have dubbed me the Pretzel Creep.

Enough With The T-Shirts

The gray storm clouds cover the sun. No one present objects to this coverage. Even so the humidity in the air is still enough to make a person run to an air conditioner. Chirping birds chatter about in the trees. On this dreary afternoon, only a handful of people socialize in this deserted place. Behind me, sitting on the tables outside the restaurant, are two twenty-something women, The Chatterbox and Chatterbox’s Friend. Most people present are wearing grey shirts including The Chatterbox. Another twenty-something woman, Phone Lady, is present but on the far opposite side of the place. Phone Lady is talking on her phone and appears to be relaxed on the bench. Her conversation cannot be heard. There are no gentlemen present.

In the far off distance, a clock tower tolls to tell the time that thirty minutes have past. The tolls silences The Chatterbox. The place is engulf in silence for a minute or two. After the moment of silence The Chatterbox continues her chatter.

A yellow shirt twenty-something gentleman casually walks across the place. On the left entrance enters Blue, a twenty-something wearing a blue shirt, and T-Shirt, a twenty-something women wearing a t-shirt. Blue and T-Shirt walk into the restaurant. The Chatterbox and Chatterbox’s Friend take no notice, too interested into their conversation. Phone Lady is still on comfortable as always on the bench, talking. Another phone talker enters the place. Mr. Red wears a red shirt and talks in a low whisper on the phone. He disappears into the one of the buildings surrounding the place. A white shirt & tie man, a professor no doubt, and his student enters. They talk inventively while walking into the same building Mr. Red disappeared into.

A black t-shirt twenty-something gentlemen walks along the building. Blue and T-Shirt leave the restaurant. They find a table outside the restaurant and begin talking. Mr. Black T-Shirt seems at ease while smoking a cigarette. A pair of polo wearing students run into Mr. Professor, a green shirt and tie older looking gentlemen. Red and Blue Polo Student appear very happy as they talk with Mr. Professor. It is concluded that they have not seen each other for quite some time.

The Middle Group, a group consisting of ten middle school students, approach the statue. More than half wearing matching grey t-shirts. The Middle Group squeezes around the statue for a picture. Afterward they take a break under the surrounding trees. The Middle Group looks tired. From bits and pieces heard, they have been on their feet for the whole day and the heat is wearing them down. Not everyone in the group is wore down. A couple of male students are energetic as they tease and joke with the other students.

Due to the Middle Group’s loud chatter, The Chatterbox and The Chatterbox’s Friend leave. Another set of middle school students arrive. These Students also pose with the statue. Unlike the Middle Group, These Students are not wearing the matching grey t-shirt. Only three students are wearing the grey t-shirt.                   

First Day at Day Care

After signing into the place of which I will be calling my workplace for the next couple of months, I hear younger children in the back. If you haven’t guessed already, I will be doing my work study on the daycare of which I will be observing for another class. As soon as I walked into the classroom, I see the children of the age of five sitting on the ground listening to the teacher reading them a nice little short story. For the most part they seemed really interested.

Taking a closer look, I noticed that the little female children were more into the story, while most of the male children were into the story, but their eyes where wondering around. They were becoming more and more uninterested in the story and started to get antsy.

After the story was over, the children were told go to the tables. When the children got to the table, they were then told to draw, what they thought of the story. After being told to do so they were busy drawing. I observed that these the female children were using more of the bright colors, while the children of the male descent used more dark. After about five minutes, the children started to socialized.

When the kids started to more and more louder the teacher then came in and started to telling the children to show their drawing. After that they were instructed to stand and show and explain their drawing. The other kids were all amazed at each others drawings. They were engaging and asking questions about what they had seen.

Soon it was time for the children to go outside. Soon as the teacher announced that, the children ran to the door. When they touch foot on the play ground all you could see was little ones running everywhere. They were so happy, running and screaming. They boys and girls together were playing with each other. Some would come up to the teacher with tears in their eyes from either falling or hurting themselves from doing something.

After they were outside for thirty minutes, the teacher blew the whistle, the kids came running lining up behind each other. Their faces blushing and sweating. They were told to go wash their face and hands and get ready for lunch. They kids were giving turkey sandwhiches, chips, fruit, and some milk or water. They all seem to really enjoy what they were given. I  could see that their eyes were getting heavy.

The children, knew what was next. They all graved their blankets and got on the floor to get ready for their nap. The teacher played a Magic School Bus episode, and not even ten minutes in the children were sound asleep.

When the children were sound asleep, it was time for me to leave. The teacher had told me that when the kids woke up they would be getting picked up by their guardians, and the afternoon crew would be coming in.

Time For A Dip

Its 3:45 pm on a Sunday afternoon as the sound of rushing water, conversation and laughter fills the air. It’s a place for people to release, to look back on the week that was and get ready for the next. People are in all corners of the facility and with alcohol and company a good time is sure to be had. Everyone in their own little groups but all with the same purpose. They are here to relax, these college aged kids are here to enjoy the water and an ice cold beer.

The array of cultures is heavily present with the sound of multiple languages being heard. The fountain is the center of it all, standing alone in the middle of the pool, it acts as the centerpiece. The interesting this about the pool I that it isn't occupied as it is intended. The pool is there for people to swim and enjoy the water, but what the pool has become is merely a place to sunbathe and hang out in chairs above water level. It seems that even though people made the journey to the pool and dressed in bathing suites, they have no intention of actually swimming. They intend to lie out in the sun and let the ray form above burn their skin to a brown or red.

It seems as if good conversation and drinking has the replaced the act of swimming. To be fair there are a few people in the pool but not swimming, they are standing up wait deep drinking a beer. Another thing that seems quite unusual is that it is 95 degrees and more people are in the warm water of the spa opposed to the cool refreshing temperature of the main pool. Just an observation which is perplexing to me. The main thing is that everyone is enjoying themselves. It seems as if that people no longer associate the pool with swimming but with a good time. Even if they could do the same activities outside on their own patio, they still prefer to be in the confinement of the boundaries of the pool. It’s all mental. Mentally telling themselves while in the pool area that they are relaxed and that inside the boundaries is nothing but pure relaxation and enjoyment.

I've been here for close to an hour now and no one has left. Everyone who was here when I arrived is still present. As the alcohol slowly starts to kick in the conversations gradually get louder and the sound of the rushing water is slowly drowned out by increasing laughter and people start to care less and less about the other groups. Everyone still seems to be having a great time and I can safely conclude that the pool is a place to let things go. It seems no one has problems and no thinks about the challenges they have. It seems that in the four walls of the pool on Sunday afternoon these people are trying to enjoy the last bit of their weekend knowing that when they wake up tomorrow a new week at school will begin but they will have the thought of their pool visit to look back on and look forward to next weekend.

The Old Sun Shop

Fieldwork Week One: The Old Sun Shop

It’s around noon, partly cloudy and a bit humid since it just rained about an hour ago.  Over all its cooler than most days this week. A few Hispanic families come in and out of the shop within the first 30 minutes. Most are from El Paso and are just looking around before they go grab a bite to eat.

An older white woman (around 60) walks in with her husband right behind another Hispanic family that just came in as well. The Hispanic family is very loud and chat about their day plans and discuss where they would like to go eat. They are in the shop to just pass time and enjoy the day and not really shop as they only glance at the products and admire a few pieces of metal art, which includes some 3 foot suns.

The White woman sees only half the shop when she reaches the jewelry section in the back. She stands there for a while looking and examining different pieces of jewelry. She sees some fashion earrings near the bottom. They are silver (almost in a Zia shape) and have designs on them that really shout out New Mexico. They also have a small and dark coral bead at the bottom of them and are worth 16 dollars. She picks them up and doesn't seem to think twice about them as she takes them up to the register to pay for them.  After the purchase, the white woman walks very happily to her husband who seems a little bored standing by the door but gives her a warm smile and they leave holding hands.

Later on the shop is once again empty and an older woman, also white with salt and pepper hair comes in all wired up. She walks fast, talks fast and seems to be on a mission. She starts trying on some Native American ointments and gossips to the owner about another store who is also selling the same product. It turns out that salt and pepper is also an employee for another store. She and the owner converse about a variety of things. It seems as though all the stores on the block need to be a little competitive to make good business.

A middle aged Hispanic women from El Paso comes in with a huge brown hat that covers most of her face. She is followed in by an older woman with white hair who is the hat lady’s mother. She seems to only speak in Spanish. A young tall man comes in with them who is the hat Lady’s son. He speaks in fluent English. The hat lady walks up to the register and starts to ask if we sell a very specific cream. Her Spanish accent is very thick that it is very difficult to understand her. I tell her that I have never heard of it but show her the Native American ointments that could help with what she wants. She is very open and starts to share with me that she works very hard in her garden and in her house and has very bad conditioned hands. She shares lots of stories as she samples the ointments. She seems to like them but she feels they are too little and expensive for their size. Finally she decides that she did not come all the way from El Paso for nothing so she decides to take a few ointments for her and her mother. She takes a few brochures that give a little more information on the product and plans to show them to her neighbor. She leaves very happily, full of energy and content with her purchase.

In between 1:30 P.M. and 3:00 P.M. the shop was very slow, almost dead with the exception of one big crowd around 2:20 P.M. It seems as though tourist and visitors are off having a late lunch since the parking lots are full but the flow in the shop is very slow. However, for being a cloudy and bit stormy day it’s quite a moving Saturday.

When the flow of customers picks up again I realize that the majority of people make a remark about how good it smells in the shop as they walk in the door. I let them know it is our candle burning and most of them went to take a look at the candles for sale with the same scent. I also realize that a lot of people notice the ceramic happy pigs at the entrance of the store. They all exclaim how cute and adorable they are either when they first come in or as they leave the shop.

A group of five older women (around their 60’s) come in chatting and looking quite colorful. They all have hairstyles that seem to be from the 80’s or early 90’s. The 80’s girls take their time and look at almost everything in the shop. They look very relaxed enjoying each other’s company, laughing, and conversing about a verity of things. They all seem to take a longer time looking at jewelry more than anything else in the store. They converse about the jewelry but did not seem to converse about any other product (besides the occasional hey look at this) that I could hear. The 80’s girls left happily continuing their relaxing day.

Another group of people walk in. Two of them are married (around 40’s) and serve in the Military. The Husband collects Kokopellis and the couple decide to buy a light copper metal Kokopelli with blue beads worth 25 dollars. A friend of theirs whom is from Ireland asks to see some jewelry. I politely ask him to repeat that because his accent is very heavy and extremely difficult to understand. His friend then tells me what he said and tells me that most people have a hard time understanding him. Ireland guy looks at a Native American piece made of white thin rocks with turquoise beads in them. It has the Hawaiian look to it. He looks at it and sees how it would look on him. I am a little surprised since I see no sign of jewelry on him and he doesn't seem as though he was shopping for someone else. He puts the necklace back and the group leaves continuing their conversation.

Around 3:40 P.M. I can see through the window that it becomes quite windy, it feels cooler, and dark clouds come by looking as if it will rain. Yet people still remain looking and shopping around till closing time. I wonder if the cooler weather (even if a little stormy) causes people to be out more. I wonder if the heat here is too much for some tourist and even some locals.

VI

It is late in the evening and the dinner rush has died down. The restaurant is crowded with bored employees trying to find something to pass the time. One is in the managers office sitting reverse on a chair rocking back and forth. The others find themselves cleaning the same sticky spot on the table over and over again. I recognize a member of the staff; he is a former friend from middle school that I had lost touch with. The floor is cluttered with old fries and straw wrappers. The first cut is the deepest by Sheryl Crow is playing on the radio in the background.

There is a family of five sitting in the corner booth and one of the sons resembles me. They all seem to be too focused on their cell phones to even notice one another. The loud music makes it difficult to hear the few words that come out of their mouths. They order chocolate milk and strawberry lemonade.

A group of people walk into the restaurant, could be a double date. Both men have their heads shaven and one of the men has a giant tattoo of an M on the back of his head. M orders iced tea and stirs two sugars into it. It seems as if he is scoping out the restaurant and checking to see what the other people are doing also. He puts on his glasses and begins to read the menu. Once M gets his food, he lightly pours some salt and pepper. It seems as if he is not satisfied.

Another bunch of people walk in and immediately start complaining about the booth. There are two men and two older women. They order coffee and begin a conversation. The loud noises coming from the kitchen make it hard to hear what they are saying.

Two older ladies come through the door and are seated at the table next to mine. One could be in her sixties and the other seventies. The older one is walking on a cane and has trouble sitting down. Just after being seated they both agree to get separate checks. The lady in her seventies makes a comment about how much easier it is to get into a chair rather than a booth. They both ask for a senior citizens menu and begin to read through it. They are the only table that got a waiter and he is a young, good looking male. He must be wanting to take advantage of the situation and get a high tip.

Toy Store!

Heat runs throughout the toy store. The door is slightly open in hopes of letting some cool air come in. However, the only thing that does come in are the conversations of people heading to the bar next door.  There are five people in the toy store. Star Lord, Mr. Piccolo, Rocket, Lunch box, and myself. The store lacks other customers due to the store being past closing time. Star Lord, Mr. Piccolo, Rocket, and I sit on one side of the store while Lunch Box sits on the opposite side, having no desire to be a part of the group. The dress of the people is very casual. Star Lord has on a Blazblue shirt with black slacks. Mr. Piccolo wears a Legend of Zelda shirt with jeans. Rocket has a plain shirt with cargo shorts. Lunch Box has a blue collared shirt with jean shorts.

The activities of the group mainly consist of talking. They jump from subject to subject as one member is reminded of something else. The topics include how their week has been, the incompetent store owners, different toy stores in the city, different people who have been a part of this group but are not currently here, and of course comic books and games. Mr. Piccolo, who works at the store, mentions the store is having a sale for Labor Day weekend and shows Star Lord and Rocket the things that are on sale. Star Lord asks if the Vanguard cards are on sale. Mr. Piccolo does not care and sells them anyways, figuring it is better to sell them and make some money for the store rather than have them sit on the shelf.

Star Lord buys most of the Vanguard cards while Rocket buys the rest. They open up their packs and sort through the cards, giving each person the cards they desire. Star Lord wants the Angel Feather cards, Mr. Piccolo wants the Nova Grappler cards, and Rocket wants the cyborg demon cards. Angel Feather are cards that have angels that are nurses on them. Nova Grappler are cards that have giant robot fighters. Perhaps the cards they want are a reflection of their personality and the other things they like besides the cards.

After sorting through the cards, Star Lord builds a deck for Rocket and teaches him how to play. This is done by actually playing a game with each other. Star Lord seems to know the most about the card game since he was the one who knew all of the rules and knows most of the cards. Mr. Piccolo stays off to the side, mentioning that he is not feeling well.  Lunch Box continues to sit on the opposite side of the store. While playing Vanguard, Star Lord starts to tell stories about the weird eating habits of Lunch Box to Rocket.

Mr. Piccolo says that he is going to leave due to him not feeling well. The group says their good byes by everyone hugging one another. Mr. Piccolo and Lunch Box leave in the same car, while Star Lord and Rocket leave in separate cars. The group says they will see each other next week at around the same time.

Stormy Night

The sky was a dark blue color and the presence of a storm was approaching at the campus duck pond. The clouds were dark and lightning can be seen flashing in the distance. A light breeze blows through the night and you can tell the rain isn’t far behind.

There is a pair of what seem like college students sitting at a table just talking. They seem like a happy couple. They just sit there and quietly talk throughout the night. They stay a long time and when I leave they are still sitting there peacefully talking.

To my right side there is two young men fishing on the edge. They seem like college students as well and might even be related, as their appearance looks very similar. One of them seems to be new to fishing and the other is trying to teach him a few pointers.

It seems like there is construction going on at the duck pond, as there is heavy machinery on the opposite side. There is a few large construction vehicles and machinery parked on the side and what seems like a foundation for something on the ground. We will see what this turns out to be as the weeks progress.

On the opposite side close to the construction vehicles there are 4 older men fishing from the side as well. They are just all gathered together talking and casting their rods in the calm water. It doesn’t seem like a good day for fishing,  I don’t see them catch anything and soon begin to pack their things and leave.

There is a man sitting on a bench all alone by edge of the water. A woman later joins him with two kids. It seems like they know each other quite well and I believe they might actually be a family. They sit there and talk for a while, I cant understand what they are saying as they are speaking in another language. After a while one of the kids starts to cry and the family starts walking around the pond in what I believe is an attempt to calm him. The mom is trying to point out things trying to stop the little boy from crying. She points out a turtle floating in the water, as well as the two young men fishing on the side. They make their way around to the other side of the pond and I don’t see them again after that.

I was expecting to see more people here today but it seems like a calm night. Everything is really calm compared to the busy heavy foot traffic by students throughout the day. Maybe its empty because of the upcoming storm or because it’s a weekday and people have things to do tomorrow. 

The Red Sofa

I enter the building and the smell of exotic coffee flavors washes over me. Immediately I am greeted by the employees that are behind the counter. One of them has an indie alternative type of style look and smiles. I will call him Josh. The other employee doesn’t say one word to me but just has a placid look plastered on his face besides the slight smile lingering there. He looks like a Nick so I will call him that. He waits while I look at what I want to order. I tell him that I’m going to need a minute and from a glance I just see him make a hand gesture as if to say “I got you.” I place my order and realize that I don’t have my wallet which is in my car. I leave and come back to see my coffee waiting there for me. Still the cashier doesn’t say one word to me. I find a table for me to sit at and immediately beginning typing. The vibe I get from this place is really rustic and has an informational side to it considering the political news station playing on the radio.

There are two gentlemen sitting next to me. Both of them look to be in their later forties or early fifties. To the right of me sit two younger girls who seem to be in a study group for one of their classes. Across the room from me is a lone girl who seems to be studying or doing homework. From now on I will call the two older men Robert and George. Robert and George seem to be professors, businessmen but maybe even students. Both of them have notepads in front of them. Both scrawling across the page and constantly looking back and forth on their tablets. I’m slightly confused on what to make of these gentlemen because they haven’t said much to each other but seem to be doing something related.

The two younger girls I will call Samantha and Ashley. They are both still at it going away at homework, Samantha hunching over the table trying to figure something out and Ashley sitting her legs crossed facing her friend with her back against the arm rest. All was calm until Samantha gets a phone call. By the way that Samantha is speaking all excited it seems that the person on the other line is a friend because her voice keeps getting louder and louder! Then Ashley joins in the conversation and they both start getting excited. I can’t make out what they are saying but it seems like they are packing it up getting ready to go.

Meanwhile the lone girl who I will call Megan is still studying away. Robert just got up to refill his coffee or put more sugar and George keeps on working. The first employee Josh just came from the back without his apron on and comes up behind the lone girl, Megan. Megan immediately turns around with a smile on her face. This is surprising… it seems like they know each other. They start in happy conversation though I cannot make out what it is. I glance up from my keyboard and Megan looks up at me. I look back down trying to look nonchalant but then Josh looks back at me too! They look at each other and say something to one another but I don’t look up again. My first thought is that I have been found out, but they both go back to talking like nothing happened but I’m going to be more wary next time.

Josh goes to the back of the store and doesn't make an appearance for a while. Samantha and Ashley have left by now. Robert is walking back from refilling his coffee and I expect him to sit down at the table but he doesn't. He comes and sits on the red sofa that is practically right behind me. I’m thinking, “Oh great now he can see what I’m typing!” Luckily he gets up to look at the newspaper options that are laying on the table right in front of me. I think this is my chance since his back is to me! Since the table is at an angle with one of the corners touching the wall I push as hard as I can so the table I will be sitting in a slightly different direction and I can squeeze myself more between the wall and the table. I’m being successful for nobody is noticing… then the table got caught on one of the grooves of the tile. I make one last ditch effort and push and finally the table gives and I am able to scoot to hide my writing. Robert comes back and plop himself into the sofa. So now George is sitting by himself continuously doing his work, ever so often mumbling to himself and looking up in grave thought.

Another girl walks in and has an employee shirt on. The silent employee, Nick, keeps the placid smile on his face. She waves and greets him but to no avail. He still has said nothing. He does wave at her though so that’s a plus. Josh calls Megan over to ask her a question which she immediately gets up and goes to him. I am not completely sure if these two are couple or just friends. George continues to do his work, still mumbling to himself. Robert has gotten up from the red sofa and has gone to another table across the room in search of more newspaper articles there. Nick comes in from the back carrying his backpack and looks like he is about to leave considering all the other employees yelling good byes… even Robert reaching up to wave and say good bye when Nick sits down. I can hear Robert mumbling, “Oh I guess not then.” Does Robert know Nick? Nick didn't even acknowledge Robert. Nick still says nothing and goes on his phone.

All is calm for a while and nothing eventful is happening until Josh drops one of the oranges he is stacking in a bowl. The orange rolls across the counter, lands on the floor and rolls for a bit only to stop in the middle of the room. Only me, Josh and Nick see what happens. Josh starts laughing slightly at himself and Nick smiles but Nick doesn’t help him and pick it up… strange. After this moment 3 other customers come into the store so the orange is just left there. Waiting. All is busy while the employees start working to help the customers. George is starting to mumble rather loudly. The second customer is standing there waiting for his order to finish when Megan says hello to him. My god does she know everybody? His order is ready so he collects it and sits one chair away from Megan and they get into conversation. Josh has enough time to come to the front and pick up his orange. Nick is still sitting there on his phone. The boy talking to Megan gets up from his chair and makes a few more comments, says goodbye and then leaves. Megan then gets up to have a long conversation with Josh at the counter.

While that is happening George gets up and goes up to Robert on the sofa to show him something. George has his back to me but my god he is so close to me I can smell his cologne. I hear Megan say that she is going to head home and she heads back to her table. George then asks Robert if he wants to go someplace and Robert says yes. Megan is about to walk out the door while saying goodbye to all the employees but then looks straight at me, smiles and walks out. Maybe I have her for a class? George and Robert are leaving too but before they walk out the door Robert says goodbye to Nick for which I finally hear him talk. I guess these two really do know each other? They both say, “Have a good weekend!” All of my “friends” are leaving so I think I’m going to leave as well. We shall see what happens next time.