Ruby Tuesday's

I have officially decided that I am going to base my essay around my observations at Ruby Tuesday's in Crossgates. I was having trouble deciding where to conducted my observations because I was trying to find somewhere easy to observe and easy for me to get to. I went to dinner here during the week, which gave me time to observe. I feel as though I have some pretty good ideas to focus on for my paper. One of these ideas being that our waitress started off as being very quiet until I asked her a question about singing for birthday's because my friend's birthday was the next day. This is something I'm looking forward about analyzing more.

The only thing I am worried about is having an interview for my paper. I was not able to interview anyone the day I went because everyone working was obviously very busy. We went around 6:30-7 so it was rather crowded. I am very happy with my notes from here, but I'm not sure if I will have the opportunity to really have an interview with someone that works here.

A Photo at 3 A.M

When I flipped my "How the Other Half Lives" book, by Jacob Riis, open, the first thing I saw was a picture titled "In the Sun Office, 3 a.m." This picture really captured my attention for several reasons.
The first thing that caught my eye were the boys sleeping on the ground. They are all piled on top of each other, but they look rather comfortable. This is surprising for me because the floor they are on looks rigid and uncomfortable. The next think I noticed was the two older men behind a chain-link fence. This aspect of the picture kind of throws me off though. It seems that they are watching over the boys, but I don't really understand why they are behind a fence. Is this an area the boys aren't allowed in? Is it a work area? I do notice that there is some sort of material underneath the men which could potentially be a clue. The next thing about the picture that really stood out was the condition of the wall.  It looks very beat up. The paint looks like it's chipping. This could also be a hint as to where the boys are. Could they have been in a factory of some sort and decided to sleep?

I would love to know more about these pictures. I am really interested in photography myself so the stories behind photographs are extremely interesting to me. I like photos that have meaning. Photos that have a meaning let you almost create a story of your own that goes along with it. This photo creates a similar a similar set up. There are a few things you notice and that really stand out, but you are left with a few unanswered questions. This set up lets you think of answers to those questions. They may not necessarily be correct, but it gives you a sense of what is going on. I find the pictures in this book to be really interesting and I can't wait to take a closer look at them.

More Ethnography

I feel like I've made some pretty good progress with my essay so far. I've gone from a pretty small list, to about a page. I'm glad I picked music over photography because it has had more an influence on my life than photography. It's a really easy thing to write about for me. The fact that I based my post about senses off of music has helped a lot. It
I haven't had too many struggles yet. I think talking about it in class a little more would be beneficial. I'm also not really sure if I'm making it too personal, or if I need to make it even more personal. It's tricky because I am so used to not even being able to use the word "I" in a paper.
After some input, I feel like I'll be off to a pretty good essay!

Ethnography

I think I have decided to write about music rather than photography for my essay. When I was brainstorming ideas for the essay in class on Wednesday, I was able to come up with a lot more ideas for the music category. I think the fact that my four senses post revolved around music helped. I had a lot of ideas already out because of that. I think the only thing I'm worried about for this essay is actually making the reader feel like they are in the story and they understand what I'm writing about. Other than that, I'm pretty excited to keep working

Heres a quick list of some of the ideas I have so far.

• My main group of friends all have the same taste in music - like the same bands, etc
• Paramore- first real concerts with one of my best friends. kind of scary at first but it was an amazing experience, kind of began the obsession
• Six Flags, New Jersey. Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour. Saw my now favorite Band.
• I live pretty close to a concert venue, so that has some influence on it.
• My friend's uncle works there; can get us in first and get us to meet people sometimes.
• Meet new people while in line before we get to go in
• People get brought together by the fact that we like the same music.
• It's a pretty small place, so sometimes the bands will hang out after and you get to meet them.
• Thrilling experience getting to see the bands you love live.
• When I start to like a band, I dont really think about the fact that I might see them live, but when I do it is such an unforgetable experience.
• The Maine - favorite band, seen them live 5(?) times, met them 4 times.
• Northernlights
• Warped Tour 

Walking On Water

"Who are you, and what are you going to do about it?" - This is the main question of Walking On Water by Derrick Jensen.
I think this is a difficult question for a lot of people to answer. For some reason it is really difficult for us to think in terms of ourself; who are we? What are our interests and hobbies?  Who and what do we care for and believe in, and why? What makes us who we are?
Looking at ourselves in terms of our five senses is a different way of thinking of ourselves. But in reality, we make memories every single day based on these senses.

Music
  I've chosen to relate my five senses back to music. Music is a huge part of my life; it's an escape. I am the type of person to express myself through lyrics rather than opening up to someone. With music being a big part of my life, concerts are too. There's nothing more meaningful that being able to see the bands that have been a big part of your life, live. Music has shaped a lot of who I am which is the main reason I believe it helps me explain who I am. I am surrounded by people with similar taste in music.

• Sound: This may obviously considered the most common sense that would come to mind when considering music or a concert. Take a second, close your eyes and think of your favorite song and what it means to you. In my case, it would be Saving Grace by The Maine. Every word means something to me. There's almost nothing more powerful than hearing everyone in the room sing along to songs that mean so much to you, and them as well.
• Touch: This is a little bit harder to explain in the sense of a concert. It is more of a sense of the feel in the air. The beat rushes through you; I can feel the music in the air, and even in the ground. I guess what sticks with me the most is the fact that its more than just listening to music through headphones. I can actually feel the song, every beat, every sound, in me. Apart of concerts that I do not necessarily enjoy about concerts that falls under the touch category is the people around me. It gets extremely crowded, and everyone around you is touching you, their arms brush against yours.
• Sight: This is a big sense for concerts. One of my favorite bands is on stage. Besides that, there are lights that catch my eyes. There are things you can't see else wear, like a drum with glitter inside of it that bounces with every beat. I get to see different types of people who are brought together by music. Everyone seems so accepting and it's amazing.
• Smell: This sense falls under somewhat under a gross category. When waiting in line or when standing by the door, I can smell cigarettes. After the concert starts, and people begin to push and get hot, you can smell anything from their deodorant to their sweat. It can be gross, but it tends to be one of the last things I think about when I'm at a concert.
• Taste: Taste is a probably the hardest one to describe. I tend to loose all sense of taste when I'm at a concert until a security guard hands you a water bottle. I think the closest thing I can explain that would be considered as taste, is I start to realize my mouth gets really dry as I sing along. But as I said, I seem to forget all about it.

A concert might be a weird way to describe myself with, but I feel like it helps explain who I am. I have been a huge fan of music for as long as I can remember. I express myself through music. Concerts are my escape. I have met people through concerts. I get to hear my favorite songs live. I tend to have friends with the same taste in music. It may not seem like it, but concerts have had a rather strong influence in my life.

Goals

I haven't thought much about my writing styles much before.
I think something I tend to do a lot though is just pour out ideas. I don't really know where I'm going with it at first but then after writing for awhile, everything seems to fall in place. I more so write on the computer more than on paper because it's much easier to go back and add in another idea or two when I think of one.
Goals on the other hand, I'm not too sure about. I think I need to become a better proof reader. I always just skim over my writing with I'm done with it. When I get a grade back, I realize that I made mistakes I shouldn't have. I should probably try to organize my ideas a little better before I begin writing too, although I feel like my "method" works pretty well.