Hopkins Workers

So where I live I have to pass a security guard every time. Sometimes I want to say hi, but other times I am just plain antisocial and I really don't want to talk. But the security guards usually look up when you walk by, smile, nod or say hi--some form of acknowledgment. I've been noticing all the different things they do. There's one guard who always looks up when I'm coming, nods his head and opens the gate for me. He rarely talks, but always opens the gate. There's another girl who LOVES to talk and if she stops you, you are there for at least five minutes. This one today though, wouldn't look up. I said hi, tried to wave, no response. If she did make eye contact her eyes would immediately dart away. It was odd. There is another girl, who has these really big eyes. She doesn't necessarily smile at you when she sees you, but since her eyes are so big she always looks happy. I think it's interesting the personalities of people that Hopkins puts in to work here. For the most part they are very kind and compassionate and it's nice to see. You can tell how much the university cares about the students by the type of workers they hire.

Temperature Turnovers

I think temperature changes are quite interesting, especially drastic ones. When I was here over the summer I worked a couple of days a week at the Rec Center which is connected to the Athletic Center. It was crazy the temperature change that happened in the middle of the hallway between the two centers. It actually felt like you stepped into a heat wall. The Rec Center has air conditioning and the Athletic Center does not. I kind of felt that again in my room today. For some reason they have not been able to fix the heat in half of my room, well mostly all of it. The bathroom has not heat and only the little entryway does, so my actually living room is also very cold. So last night I stepped from my bedroom into my entryway and I once again felt the air temperature change. It was crazy. I also felt it today as I walked from outside into Gilman. That one is more expected since it is winter out so the building is supposed to have heating, so it didn't feel as much like a wall but an enveloping tug that pulls you in. I think it's just winter that is making me think of all these temperature changes since it's so prevalent every time you step outside or enter a building.

Noises in a Super Shuttle

So I took a Super Shuttle home from the airport today and since those rides are so extremely silent I started to notice a lot of sounds. First off, people's phones making noises. Some people had their phones on vibrate, others had their ringtones on--beeps or whistles. Then, one man had his music on (headphones though) quite loudly and everyone in the van could hear it. It reminded me of someone on the airplane who didn't put headphones in at all! But something that really caught my attention was when we stopped the car on the side and he put on his blinkers as he plugged in addresses. For the first time I felt the beeping of the clicker slow as I focused on it. Instead of the continuos clicking, it instead felt like the click would start and disappear, start and disappear, like the think was clicking completely off. It was a whole new way that I was looked at it and it completely entranced me. That or I was just sleepy from my flight.

Wicked

So I went to the theater tonight and got to see Wicked for the 6th time. As like every other time it is magical and just sucks you in! It was crazy to see some people experiencing it for the first time or the fourth. To hear what they laughed at or laughed at for the millionth time. It was also exciting to see the actor's themselves. How they transform themselves into another person. I would watch them sometimes to see if they ever slipped up, but you could tell that they knew they needed to be on the whole time. You could also tell when people were comfortable with who they were playing and if it was effortless. Others you could see them concentrating on what dance they were supposed to do or how they were supposed to step. You could see the concentration whereas for other actors you got sucked in because they became that other person completely.

Absence

Something I think is interesting is how powerful the presence of absence is. We had Thanksgiving dinner today and our relatives who live far away canceled the day before. So instead of a boisterous ten we had a calm four. You wouldn't think it would be calm, but it was people we saw all the time. We missed the loud laughs and the booming voices. One of my brothers is in Israel on a pilgrimage and the other relatives stayed home because of an illness. It all just made me realize how heavy the lack of a presence can be.

Latina Life

Today I went to get my hair cut and I interacted with a "Latina" girl for the first time in a while. It was weird because I forgot the different types of stereotypes they bring up. She was noisily popping her bubble gum, waving her comb around, and saying, "nu-uh!" She was speaking half in spanish and half in english, while gossiping like crazy. She kept asking personal questions and speaking about her family. I know they're all stereotypes, but I've had many interactions where this was true and it was weird to experience that again since I've been living on the east coast.

Dolphins in the Distance

Today I saw many things in the ocean. When I got to the beach I saw something moving in the distance--it was dolphins! They were traveling in pairs of twos spread out every so often so you could just stand in one place and different pairs would pass you. They were also very playful. They would jump up in the air and do little flips, or others would just come up and blow the water from their holes before disappearing again only to resurface yards later. I believe those might have been the older ones. I also saw another thing when I was walking along the bay but I never found out what it was. It kind of looked like a seal's head, but my mother believed it was a bird. Alas, we shall never know.

Grandpa's House

Today I walked into my Grandpa's house, somewhere I haven't been in around 10 or more years. We haven't really gone there since my Grandmother died. We used to go there all the time. It was weird to see that nothing had really changed. This mirror of my grandmothers was still lying on a table, these plastic raccoons I used to love to play with were still lining the entry and the kitchen hadn't been changed or updated in years. The carpet and smell of the house were the same except there was a shrine almost to my Grandma in the corner by the door to the backyard where there used to hang her aprons. The picture frames were the same--even ones that she had put up because they were cut, not because they had anyone from our family in then. It was weird to think that this house just never changes and instead is ever constant.

That Time I had to Break into my House

So I've had a very interesting day. I arrived home for Thanksgiving Break (yeah!) but my parents have recently moved their primary residence to another state so I was the first person to reopen our home. And there were many surprises. One was a dead rat in the pool, moldy dishes in the sink, and then I think the most disconcerting (hard to beat the others I know) was the thin layer of dust on the upstairs floor--a place that usually is so frequented and noisy that it could never gather dust. It's been my first time back since my family moved and it's weird to realize it's not the primary residency anymore. Which of course led to me getting locked out this afternoon because the doors are usually unlocked. So then I had to cut open the window screen of a window I knew was unlocked (I did a great job, perfect rectangle) and then climb over bushes in a dress and fall into my kitchen table. It's been a pretty interesting welcome back.

Pancake Eating Competition

So this morning I went to a pancake eating competition. Yes, a pancake eating competition. At 7am. It was an odd experience. My group was the largest group of supporters. Basically, there were a lot of ups and downs in this hour competition. The lead runner was disqualified after breaking all the records because she was a competitive eater, the other lead threw up and was disqualified. There was just a lot. But through it all it was nice to see how supportive everyone was. When the lead was disqualified she just sat there quietly and cheered the others on, and all the other supporters who were behind also cheered others on. It was nice to see the sense of camaraderie people could have at 7am on a Sunday morning.

Watching a Squirrel One Day

Today in class I watched as a squirrel made it's way up the tree. I got pretty invested too. The squirrel was determined to make it all the way to the top and out to the end of the branches. I watched as he rose above the level of the buildings around him and the branches started to sway under his weight as he would hop from one to the other. He didn't care at all. He was more interested in reaching the end, why I don't know, then safety. I kept waiting, wondering if the squirrel was going to fall. But he didn't. Maybe he was cocky, or maybe they're faultless, but I turned away for a few minutes (I was in class) and when I looked again he was back near the trunk headed back down. Then he disappeared.

Freshie Life.

So the girls on my floor have decided that they want to try to scare me and pop out from places. One of the girls is very tall and lean, the other also lean but shorter. So far they've hid in doorways, crouched low behind corners, sidled out of doors, and hid behind things to pop out and yell, "AHHH". They've also followed me when I've gone on rounds, waited outside doors and it's all been so much fun. They've made me realize how fun and unique a freshman year experience is. It's something you lose as you grow older and leave the dorm life. But it's so nice to be included in this with them again.

Winter is Here

Well, it is cold. Officially winter cold. I walked outside this morning and puddles from yesterday's ran had frozen over. Some were cracked and shattered while others were still whole. I even went to kick something that I thought was ice (it was a huge chunk) but it could have been glass, I don't know! Because they are both that solid clear substance that winter brings confusion to. Also, as I was walking today I decided to cut across the green grass and it was crunchy! The winter had made the green grass freeze! So the cold is here and I'm just ready to head to California.

The Prison of Hopkins Rooms

So i've been noticing lately how depressing some of the buildings at Hopkins are. Like crazy insane asylum horrible. I know (or I believe) you haven't ventured into the women's restroom in Macaulay. But that bathroom is just so weird! First off there is a little side room attached with chairs and a DESK! Secondly one of the toilets has this very large raised booster seat thing on it. It's so weird. Secondly, some of the dorms on campus make you feel like you're walking literally in a crazy prison cell. The walls are white brick that stretch until the end with no change whatsoever. The stairways are all white and the lights are always on. It's kind of like the library room i'm in right now on B Level. It just isn't pretty or welcoming and you feel trapped and like you're being punished. I think Hopkins did a good job of changing some of that stuff when they built new buildings, but some of the old ones are just terrible!

Atmosphere

It's interesting how much emphasis is put on the atmosphere of restaurants. How much people believe it will affect the meal. I went to one place today where it was kind of underground, lights were low, aka it was only candle and it was all stone. Last night I went to a place that was fancier with high and low tops and it was all wood and well-lit. It really made me realize how fantastical or practical a space could be and how it communicates the food to the costumer as well.

Frozen Air

So the weather is getting cold. And I've been focusing lately on what your breath looks like as you breath. I think it's truly amazing that you can even see your breath in the air (California girl over here)! It took me forever to realize it's because the breath leaving your body is WARMER than the outside air!!! But I think it's really pretty to look at. I think in a lot of respects I'm like a six year old. I think it's fun to breath and huff in the cold and watch it swirl out and float around your face. It's just so cool that you can see something you need to survive!

Misty Morning Activity

So I had to be awake at 6am this morning. It was torture. But, as I was walking to Barnes and Noble I was awake so early that not many other people had passed by. Walking across campus it was amazing to see the amount of animals that were out and about. Birds were hopping along the side walk and when I would get close they would slowly hop up and let a breeze carry them just a little far away before they would land again in the grass and hop around. I saw at least 8 squirrels all around me! They were digging in the ground, climbing the trees, off in the grass, and on either side of me. It was crazy to see, in the misty morning, how active animal life is at Hopkins when there aren't students running around.

The Giving of Food

I've noticed lately there is such a weird stigma around food--giving and receiving it. As a picky eater this is my worst nightmare. Giving someone a piece of what you've baked, or giving them a gift of food is great, and a sign that you are thinking of someone and care about them--but to me it's just awkward. I thought of this since a friend of mine tonight made me this cheesy Spanish bread, which was sweet. And it was so hard to eat! But there is a social standard that you have to eat it! If not, you're snubbing them and disrespecting what they've taken time to make. It's such a difficulty!

Night Routines

Going to bed routines. Everyone has them (or maybe this is a sweeping generalization for the good of this post). This came to mind because I've been babysitting this kid for a couple weeks now and every time before he goes to bed he takes his pillows off in the same way. His bed is also always made, straight as a pin. He takes them off and stacks them on a chair, pulls this old raggedy, torn towel from beneath the left pillow, and places it on top of the pillow and then goes to bed. Another one of my friends always has to go to the bathroom before she goes to bed, right before. So if you stop her and talk to her or if she watches a TV show she has to go back and go again. Every time! I always need to have brushed my teeth and hair, closed all my doors, and turn all the lights off. If not, I can't sleep. It's weird the little things we tell our minds we need before we can go to bed.

You Affecting You

I think it's interesting how our own experiences and daily routines can affect how we interpret things we read or hear/say. When I was reading Leon's poem, I almost believed it was about a horse and saddling a horse because I've started watching a show about horses. Reading Andrea's poem about the bunny, all I could think about was this baby bunny (which I ironically saw again today) that I've watched grow and that lives outside my building. I also interpret conversations based on things I know or experiences I've had. It's weird to see how much your life experiences affect you.

And Your Name Was...?

I think it's really interesting how people act when they don't know someones name. I'm that person, who in the very beginning, will maybe ask, but the later it gets I won't say a word. I'll give up and just say it's too late, I'll never know their name. Others, I know can be extremely direct and will just say, "I know we've met multiple times, but I don't know your name". It shows a lot about a person, how comfortable they are with themselves and others if they have the ability to say that.

The Rat of Baltimore

So I was walking along the lovely streets of Baltimore when I spied a giant rat that then ran across my path!!! I had been watching the sidewalk and my friend only caught it out of the corner of her eye. I then told her what it was and we then had to walk across the path. As we walked the bush started to russle, like it was having a seizure, and then we of course screamed (fear of the unknown and a giant rat) so then we of course had to scream and run away.

The Awkward Dance

So I went to this event the other day called Postsecret. It's a website where everyone mails in their secrets and then this man chooses some and posts them up every Sunday. He recently came to talk at Hopkins and I went. During that time he asked if anyone would like to get up and share a secret. One girl got up and said that she loves to hold the door open for people when they're really far away because they have to do that awkward run hop shuffle to get to the door. She thinks people look like idiots and she loves to do it to people. And now ever since she's said that I see it happening EVERYWHERE! I was walking back from work and up ahead of me was construction. I was so far away when this man told the guy above him to stop cutting the tree. And although that was super considerate (I don't want a tree to fall on me) it was also at a very awkward distance so I had to speed up and I made eye contact before I was close enough to speak. All around it was awkward. Then, this morning, I held the door open for someone when they were far away (it's such a short distance you're either rude for not holding it open or opening it too soon) and I had to watch them do the awkward dance! I have no thought completion from this. Only that the dance is awkward indeed.

Breaking In

So I just got to watch someone try to pick a lock. I was mighty surprised when I asked someone if anyone knew how to pick a lock, and this boy I've talked to once before said yes. When I asked him if he wanted to help me break into a room he responded with a very enthusiastic yes (all over Facebook). He then came down and pulled out a lock picking kit! Like a real lock picking kit! He told me he picked it up at a hobby fair... He would have one pick that was flat on one end in the hole and then he would get out a different shaped one to wiggle it around. At times he would have multiple picks in his mouth as he moved things around and tried to break it. It was really interesting to see. Unfortunately, he was not able to do it. But when the lock smith came he did and it was magical.

Against the Norm

Isn't it weird when we see people do things that go against the norm? Today I saw someone just sit down, in the middle of the sidewalk. Just sat. It was on my way to school. He had sat down to tie his shoe, but it was still so odd. And it made me think of all the times I would get so upset and it would be irrational, because although it was against the norm, they weren't really doing anything wrong.

The Feeling of Crying

Today I finished the book, The Fault in Our Stars. If you haven't seen it, it is a GOOD cry. It was while I was in my last hour of reading it, crying intermittently throughout the end, that I decided to focus on what crying felt like. I couldn't breath, my nose was stuffed completely on one side, tears would literally fall, salty and drop onto my chest below. Sobs would also break from be, my mouth would open and the sound would escape and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I was also surprised at how easily the tears fell. There was no blinking, instead it was a constant drip and they would drop down. It was natural. And it was exhausting. But it was a beautiful book.

Expectations vs. Reality

Expectations versus reality. It can either surprise or disappoint you. I've noticed this today specifically three times. I'm in NY for the weekend and we went to see It's Only a Play. It's gotten amazing reviews and was supposed to be superb. So I was watching it expecting the best. But when I saw it I was underwhelmed. The humor was for an age group older than mine. We then went for a snack at an Irish pub and ordered potato skins (traditional American). We expected half a potato, fried and warm. Instead we got a fourth of a potato and it was cold. There are other examples, but people rarely realize how STRONG expectations are and how much they can hurt you.

Statues on the Side

So I'm on the train to New York, looking out the window occasionally at the trees now losing their leaves. It's as I randomly glance out I see this statue in a empty lot. It was one that made you do a double take and then was gone. It was giant, a man on a horse, holding a banner/flag. It was all white in a sort of bumpy material. Then as the train kept moving a new statue appears in the empty lot and it's that really ugly red bar one that's outside of Gilman! So now I'm even more upset because not only do we have that statue--it's not even original!

Pumpkins!

Halloween so of course what would I talk about but (not costumes) PUMPKINS! It absolutely shocks me how creative people are becoming these days. I saw someone cut out the Natty Boh face, a Baltimore Raven, and a Oriole's "O". I also had someone cut out the tree of life (every small branch). Another one I saw was an owl, cat, and bird. Then you have some people who kind of give up halfway through (it's actually such a difficult process), while others finish, but settle for the triangle eyes and curved mouth. It's interesting to see how much time people are willing to invest in certain things.

Eye of the Beholder

Going off the theme of a few days ago, I've been noticing the ideas of disrepair and worn-in and homey. I went to the Evergreen Museum a few days ago with my parents. I was admiring how the rooms looked like someone had lived in them, loved them, and felt comfortable in them. It looked like someone was just about to walk back in and sit down in the chair, kick their legs up, and relax. Nothing bothered me about the cracked leather seats with white stuffing spilling out, or the slightly peeling paint from the walls that was bubbling up. It looked real. My parents though,as soon as we got back in the car, mentioned how shocked they were about how in disrepair the whole museum was. I think this just goes to show, everything is in the eye of the beholder.

Animal Sounds

Something that I've been trying to pay attention to recently is sounds. There is an animal that lives by my building door and most nights when I go to go inside, the bushes next to me rustle (which is extremely disconcerting by the way). I've also been listening to crickets, and I find it so funny how they chirp, but when you're directly in front of them they stop. Then you walk a few steps and they start up again. You also can never see them. I think it's also interesting that you never hear bunnies. They just don't make sounds as they hop through the grass!

When to Repair?

How do we know when something needs to be fixed or it's just character? There's this one street I walk on and the sidewalks dip down or up, there's cracks running through them, and they're covered in spray paint. Along the way the houses paint is peeling, the stucco if chipping in strips from the steps, but there are flowers outside. I think it adds to the charm, yet it's certainly run-down and in need of repair. So when do you make that change?

Laughs

I think the way people laugh is actually quite funny (the reason some people laugh in fact). Some people bend over, gasping for air cause they're laughing go hard, other close both their eyes, some people laugh with one eye closed (guilty), and others laugh so hard they cry. Laughs themselves are funny. Some people's laughs sound like a great booming surprise, other's laughs sound like helium being let out of a balloon, while others "he he he". Some people also snort when they laugh, others jiggle up and down with their laughing. It's really fun to listen to all the different kinds.

Multiple Dimensions

I have a group text message with my friends and it’s interesting to see the multiple dimensions of a person. I want to believe that no person is completely flat. That everyone has different aspects, beliefs, and drives (or things that drive them). I almost started this saying that everyone has different parts to them, no one is completely flat, but then I could think of some people, but of course I don’t know them that well, so maybe if I did they wouldn’t be. But my friends at one point will be talking about how they want to go out and party and they talk about the stupid things they’ve done, and then the next day they’re talking about the tests they have, asking who wants to go study in the library, and asking if people want to join them on this academic adventure. It shows to me how Hopkins students can deal with the multiple scenarios thrown their way.

Frozen Animals

I was just walking back to my room when I passed a bunny. It stopped, frozen hoping I wouldn't see it. I've notice this tendency in many animals. The crickets stop chirping as you walk and then start up again. It's almost like, if you can't hear them you won't see them.

Life Styles

Today I've been noticing people's standards or view on things and how they differ from person to person. It's family weekend and my parents came out this year and my mother came with me to one of my classes (of course it's a 13 person literature section). It was interesting what she came away from the class with versus what I did. It has also been interesting to show my parents around and see what their thoughts are on the places I frequent. For example, I took them to Abbey Burger and they thought it was perfect, but then the way I treat my car isn't how they would. There are other examples, but it just reinforced for me that everyone has different styles and standards of living.

The Magic of Leaves

If you haven't notice from all of my posts yet, I am entranced by trees and leaves and the act of falling leaves. I wish I could write a poem that completely fills the reader with all the sense of wonder and beauty I get when I watch leaves fall. For one, it's a magical experience--because if you catch a falling leaf (which is actually really hard to do and you look like an idiot) your wish will come true! But watching falling leaves are not only beautiful because of the myriad of colors that make up one single leaf, but the way they dance and twirl in the air, and defy time to slowly float with no pattern down to the ground. So much can be seen by just looking at at tree.

Rain that Freezes

Today it rained again--big surprise it's Fall. But I thought it was so pretty, as I walked down the street fearlessly in my rain boots, how some of the leaves looked on the sidewalk. I know I've done something like this before, but that was after the rain, this is during the rain. While it was raining some of the leaves would curl up on their side, almost as if they were going into the fetal position or they were frozen in motion as they tried to flip and roll over. In there little lip they had gathered water and there were little pools. I just loved how they looked frozen, paused from every finishing the turn or curling up all the way.

Car Decorations

I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays down on 27th street and today as I walked there and back I tried to think of something to focus on. What I decided was to focus on the kinds of stickers people put on their cars. I think it shows commitment or a lack of care when people put stickers on their car. As I walked through down the sidewalk I noticed that for the most part there were only political stickers or school affiliations. There actually were not as many as I remember the cars back home have. My Grandpa's whole back mirror is covered in stickers from every university his grandchildren have attended. There were a few random stickers, one was a cat face, and another was a weird company.

Facial Features

I've started to watch people's faces more as they talk. It has in turn made me more cognizant of my own facial expressions. Now whenever I talk I consciously think of how my face must be looking. There is one person who I've talked to a couple times today and she rarely looks you in the eyes, laughs with her mouth open, and always say, "Oh, boy". When she does she usually has her hand on her forehead, her head is tilted back and she stares at the ceiling. There is another person who I've talked to a few times. He makes direct eye contact (it's unnerving) and his nostrils suck in when he breaths. He never smiles, and his nostril thing is very distracting. The two ends suck in and sometimes it's all I see (so bad, I know).

An Alternate Life

So I went pumpkin picking today around an hour outside of Baltimore. We drove through small towns on our way there instead of on a freeway. I always get very pensive on long rides (if you can't tell from my last few posts) and I started to notice the scenery change from tall buildings, no nature, and chain stores, to forests, winding roads, and spacious houses mixed with quant small town stores. My car started to talk about how nice it would be to have a house out in the middle of nowhere. And I noticed an elderly couple moving a plant along their porch, an abandoned tricyle in a driveway, and pumpkins in flower pots. All little signs that hinted at a life so different from ours that we could never experience, but only imagine about. At the pumpkin patch we were the only people our age. Everyone else was either extremely young or middle-age. So not only were our lives in completely different places, but we also dressed very differently. Whereas most of my group had on sunglasses and boots, all the other moms had jeans, tennis shoes, and were dressing more for comfort. It's weird to think that our lives right now are so different from how they're going to be in ten years, and soon we'll be in the tennis shoes.

The Imaginations of Rides

I'm not sure if this is everyone, but I love to take train or car rides and just watch the window. I love to see the little houses and imagine living there or the lives that are led there. I love to see the forests, the trees changing color (as a California girl I'll never get over that) and imagine walking or flying through the forest. As I was actually imagining that a deer got spooked by the moving train and took off into the forest and all I wanted to do was follow it!I also saw a skeleton of some animal, which was down all the way to the bones, completely white and intact, by the train tracks. I was completely shocked by it because it must have been there for a while. How could it not have been moved? I was all around shocked.

The Moment I Realized I Was Royalty

So I'm on the train to DC and I just saw the most beautiful thing. There are these plants, green stalks with big bushy white tops and the train isn't moving fast anymore because of some issue (of course). I'm looking out the window just loving how colorful the trees are in the fall when we roll past these plants. Since the train is moving forward, the plants turn with the wind from the train and the bushy tops and stalks one by one turn to my left and bow to the train. It was absolutely gorgeous watching them all move as one and bend as if the train and man was a ruler to the plant.

Pondering over Passerbys

Today I tried to focus on people as they walked by, kind of study them. This was surprisingly difficult because I kept making awkward eye contact with a lot of people. But I saw one man walk by, head straight up and proud, put together with an earring. Another person I saw walk by had a lot of flowy garments on, her cardigan kept slipping and she was covered in tattoos. She had a butterfly with a skull in the middle, a skull to the side of that, and then another very colorful one which I assumed had a skull but it was on the side of her leg and I couldn't see. I also saw a very small asian girl walk by, hands hugging her backpack straps at the top, eyes on the floor. It really made me realize how different we all are.

Reactions to Bad News

Bad news. I recently received some, well a group of us did and I started watching people's reactions. I myself started to cry, never having known the person who had passed away. I saw other's whose eyes, just got red, some remained strong and stoic, and more people who didn't know the person began to cry as well. Some people wanted to talk about it, remain as a group, other's closed off, drew into themselves, and other's just wanted to be alone. I think the severity and the proximity of bad news can affect people in different ways. I also have a tendency to laugh and smile in uncomfortable situations, which I did last night when I also received bad news. But I think the seriousness affects my reaction.

The Sounds of Sound

I think sound is such an interesting sense. Even as I sit here typing I hear the letter keys click and create their own music. I hear the buzzing of my electronics, the whooshing air from my air vent, the turnstiles clicking and the door opening and shutting outside my window. I hear footsteps on the stairs, knocks on doors and voices talking. We are never without sound. I think to be without it would be extremely scary and nerve-wracking.

Aggressive Aggresion

Today I had powderpuff, and let me tell you it was interesting to see how different people handle competition and stress. I was also cool to see how many different ways bodies could bend. I say one girl dive through someone's arms with one foot stretched out. I saw other girls doing the splits. I also saw those who acted fairly and those who let anger take over them. Some girls when they got angry would start swearing, while others remained stone faced, wouldn't talk to anyone and would just get mean. It was a very interesting lesson in how people handle themselves in an aggressive sitaution. And it really brought out people's true colors.

The Colors of Baltimore

I've noticed that Baltimore is a very colorful city. I was walking along 27th and every row house splits in half and has at least two different colors, usually with more trim. There are also, window boxes painted bright colors, and flowers in that. I appreciate how comfortable with color this city is. It's nice because it says a lot about the spirit of Baltimore and the people.

Which Walk do you Walk?

I think the way people walk can be funny. What really brought this to my mind is because one of my friends told me she has to consciously move her arms when she walks. Then I started to think of how awkward she would look if she didn't move her arms. Then I started watching people. People run to class, backpack bouncing, legs moving speedily underneath. Or they slowly meander, headphones in, looking at the phone in their hands as they text. Some walk quickly and with a purpose, others walk slowly and leisurely and chit chat with their friends. I found it interesting to think about the different types of walks you can have.

A Whole New World

Puddles are probably one of my favorite things to see as I walk. I love to look in them from afar and watch the world upside down, and somehow more magical, pass by. I think it's just more exciting because it has a shiny glow to it because of the water's reflection. I also feel like there are always trees when I walk by puddles. I think it's also interesting how the world shrinks down to fit into this new world inside the puddle where everything is tinnier and the opposite.

Tree Bark

One thing I've noticed, is that tree bark is almost like the clothes of trees. I guess, kind of anything that a tree puts on is like it's clothes. Whether it is ivy wrapping itself around, or a twisted branch that climbs up from the bottom. There is this one kind of bark that is wrinkled and lined like an old man. There is also a tree bark that is pealing brown, but the rest of the bark is white, grey (dark and light) and brown. It's nice to walk around and see what kind of outfits trees are wearing.

Air Circles of Perfection

I would like to know why air always forms bubbles. There is a bottle of hand sanitizer in front of me and it's gloppy liquid is interrupted from smoothness by little air bubbles. Some of them are tiny, like the top of a pin, and others are bigger, about one half of the size of a pen cap. But for the most part they are seemingly perfectly round. Are they true magical circles? Others are elongated into ovals. But why are those ones ovals and the others circles? I don't understand why air forms bubbles and not odd shapes, or why they don't just rise to the surface and disappear. It's pretty, but I don't understand the science behind it (and I'm sure there is some).

Light and Leaves

Light I've found is a very powerful tool. It actually creates the color that you will see. The absence of it hinders you from seeing any color and too much of it also hinders you from even being able to open your eyes. Without light (total darkness) you would even lose your ability to see. So in regards to the way it creates the color you see, just look into a tree on a sunny day. The part of the leaves that are hit by the sun glow almost neon and transparent. But the underside is dark, opaque, and takes on a sort of grey color--the direct opposite of the bright green leaf. I think that's one of the reasons leaves can be so pretty. They aren't just ever one color.

Handwriting is the key to Personality

Handwriting is interesting. I think it can almost say a lot about a person. My handwriting I would describe as almost flowy. Instead of making my letters straight lines, they curve and loop. I know other handwriting that is almost like a typewriter it is so straight and tiny. Another person I met would write almost illegibly, and all their handwriting coincided with their personality. I am more easygoing and okay with almost anything. The girl who had very small, straight handwriting, was very put together, hair never out of place, and always dressed well. The person whose handwriting didn't makes sense was very crazy and didn't care about anything. It's interesting to think that our handwriting is almost an outward description of our personality.

Prisoners vs. Capturers

Fall is officially here, I have decreed it. I was walking by the football field and there were some leaves, crunchy and brown, that had flown up and gotten caught in the black diamond fence. There were only a few of them and kind of spread out, and it reminded me of a prison. It looked almost like they had been sucked in and weren't allowed to leave. I then walked around the corner and saw a vine that had wrapped itself around the pole. This was very interesting because it gave me the other feeling, that it had captured the pole and would not let go.

Baltimore and the Case of the Bad Streets.

The sidewalks in Baltimore. All I can say is that I'm glad I'm not a blind person, because if I was I wouldn't be able to walk anywhere. I don't understand how any city can try to be beautiful and can ask for tourists to visit or move there, when people can't easily walk down the street. Although, to play devils advocate, it is sort of pretty to see a wave of up and down in front of you instead of an infinity of flatness. But i'm just so surprised by some of it's rundownness. It's dangerous. Sidewalk cracks are uneven, or there are huge chunks missing. There was one example where the dip to get up on the sidewalk from the street had this huge black tar growth and it was bubbly and sticky. I just don't get it Baltimore.

Home Trinkets

I think it's so interesting what kind of trinkets people choose to decorate their homes with. College rooms are usually photos and letters from home as they adjust to being away for the first time, whereas adults seem to have more useless trinkets designed to decorate only. In my home we have fake books (why!?!) and tasseled pillows. The pillows are uncomfortable, why do we have them? Right now I'm babysitting and the family has a jar of M&Ms in the living room, all different sizes, but it's not for eating. There are trinket boxes and fake flowers, tiny furniture too delicate for even a child. It boggles the mind the kind of objects with which people surround themselves.

Facial Facts

Today I focused on trying to read people's expressions and just watching people's facial attitudes. There was a boy in one of my classes whose mouth was slightly ajar, his eyes were slightly closed and glossed over, and he was not paying attention at all. In all honesty, he could have been asleep or high. A girl I noticed today, when I was playing football against her, would not look in me in the eyes when she was on offense. Her eyes would move to the left or right or down--anywhere besides where I was looking. Then there was a professor I met with who would look you in the eye while constantly nodding to anything you said, and would say, "of course. Of course, right, right."

Southern Sayings

So I was in the south this weekend--kind of the first time I'd spent a while down there interacting with southerners. It was a culture shock coming from first California and then Baltimore. "Y'all" is actually used almost every other word, "mam" and "sir" are the proper titles when talking to someone, and people are polite. They smile a lot. I had one person tell me they were going to open a door for me. This was of course after I had already opened it, so then I got awkward and kind of let it close again. It was something I was not used to. I was also at a school that was gung-ho school spirit! Tailgating all day, packed stadium, painted chests, chanting the alma mater, and I got to finally see what school spirit was about and how people treated football in the south.

Meeting with a Professor

Last night I went to a meeting at a professors house for graduate students (obviously not me, but that's another story). She was a mix of contradictions. She opened the door in an apron, but then all her food she put out was store bought. She also was a balance of many roles: advisor, mother, professor, and person. She was fashionably dressed in a mix of colors I would never wear and then had screaming or questioning children all over her. She was a very affectionate mother, but then ignored her crying baby. She seemed very warm and open and then talked about how she wanted her dog to die. She was a very interesting character I never would have come up with.

Litter Bug

Liter is everywhere! Broken down signs, broken bottles, shattered mirrors, wrappers, and aluminum. So I got to thinking--how long has it been there? Why doesn't it get picked up? Whose job would it even be? And it would be such a thankless job because you would come back the next day and there would be new trash. What got me into this thought train, was when I was leaving the train station. As we slowly started to roll out of the station I noticed a rusty, obviously old, half-buried bucket. Then a rusty lid, tin boxes, metal wires--all rusty, and all had obviously been there for a while. Why were they still there? So close to the beginning of the station and they hadn't been picked up. It made no sense to me and I'm still baffled.

Uncrunchable Leaves

I realized today, as it rained, that I find leaves to be particularly strong and beautiful after a rain shower. Their color is glossier, they're shiny, and stuck to the pavements in folded or completely flat ways. They're no longer dull or easily tossed aside by the wind. Instead, they are stuck fast to the pavement, no longer able to be broken or crunched by one step. Now, they can handle many feet treading over them, and still remain intact.

Nature's Black and White

I'm taking a black and white digital photography class, and I never realized how hard it would be to take something that is so pretty in color and change it to black and white. So, I was walking home from this class when I looked up into the sky and I noticed the clouds. They were this beautiful dark gray, with light centers and darker edges and they stood out starkly against the lightness of the sky. I was shocked. Here I was looking up at a perfect example of black and white from something that is normally so colorful and vibrant (or just blue). It made me realize how much variety there is around us in terms of color, and it also made me realize how ever-changing the sky is.

Sleep Signs

Sleepy people are the funniest. I had to get up at 6:30am today, and I'm one of those people who grumbles for a second and then energy just hits me. I don't believe I'm the norm. I noticed a lot of swollen eyes, the eyelids not fully open, and the eyeballs a little glazed. There were many yawns, and head shakes, as if you could shake yourself into consciousness. My favorite thing though, was the faces that had slight indents on them from pillow creases.

Paying Off!

So it seems like my daily journal of observing has been paying off! I saw one of my residents walking down the hallway and I noticed that he had gotten a hair cut. When I commented on it he was extremely surprised since his hair is very short, and not even his really good friends had noticed. The reason I could tell was because earlier in the week his hair was in a very short mohawk, which I was surprised his hair could even do because it was so short. Then when I saw him today his hair was just a little bit shorter.

Emergency Room Residents.

The people you meet in the ER. GOOD LORD. Let me tell you it is not a place I want to frequent. Thank goodness I've also only ever gone during the middle of the day. Today there was a woman in a wheel chair. She was wearing a black tank top and black shorts, but both were too small. The shirt was pulled up above her stomach and her shorts were really short. She had died red crazy hair, a scorpion tattooed above her chest, facing down, pinchers out, and a crystal stuck to her corner lip. She had many other tattoos that covered her body, one was the name of a city in Maryland, followed by a comma, and then "MD". Also there were some IX girls, very put together, and obviously more wealthy. A concerned father with a little boy, and then me and my friend. These were just the people in the waiting room. Inside the ER is a post for another day.

Book's Cover

Personal style. It's something that is so telling about a person because of the labels that have been put upon it, but also is something that changes based on the times. Today I saw a woman walking down the street in a red m&m dress--the Halloween costume type. I was confused, but then it made me start to think about style. Some boys love color, while others shy away from it. Girls can be labeled as hippies if they wear long skirts and flawy tops, while others are edgy if they wear cut up shorts and a crop top. Style is so interesting because it can say so much about someone and in that way you can judge a book by its cover.

Utopia Reached

College is a weird place. I can't describe all the oddities, but I'll mention a few. It's kind of like you're transported into a new world. Time is different, as is the setting. Since you live and work in the same place your whole life begins to rotate around this one thing. You see people ALL the time. You live with them, shower in the same place, eat in the same place, go to class, everything. So when you don't see someone for a day the time seems unbelievably long. There are also very few people not your age. So after months of being on campus, or weeks, you leave and you see a young child or an old woman it's a shock to your system. You start to form this small world in college and it isn't real. College is just this fake time, a sort of utopia in a teenagers sense, that really can only exist for so long before you have to move on.

First Hair Impressions

Hairstyles. They're extremely interesting. They said a lot about a person, and they are what a lot of people use to judge others. If your hair is greasy, and it's hanging limply in lumps, people assume you're lazy, gross, or dirty. If your hair bounces, stays in place and swings together like in a hair commercial, you're immediately seen as put together, pretty, and other's envy you. You have a mullet? You're living in the past and are weird. The same goes for a rat's tail. Hair can say a lot about a person, and sometimes it's not even something we can control.

A Smoker's Concentration

Today I saw a man smoking. It first caught my attention because I was annoyed because I was trying to eat and the smoke blew into my face. Then I started to look at him (kind of creepy, I know). His face would pull into concentration as he sucked on the cigarette. His brows drew down, slanting in towards his eyes, and his forehead would wrinkle. It was weird to notice his face turning into something that looked like concentration, but with smoking. I never thought someone would smoke with that much force, since I've always thought of it as more of a relaxing thing to do.

The Overwhelming Presence of Leaves

Walking down the street I noticed that there is something wherever I look. That breaks up the monotony of either a sidewalk, grass, or road. Leaves. In the sidewalk cracks, they're folded like a burrito, a splash of yellow, brown or green, sometimes a pretty mix. Or they're just splayed out in the middle of the road, or they're balancing softly on top of grass blades. They're everywhere. Fall hasn't even started yet, but I could not go more than two steps without walking over a leaf on the sidewalk and everywhere I looked they blanketed the ground.

The Missing Imperfections

I've noticed that something I tend to do, and maybe others do it as well, is to glance over things. I automatically assume something is perfect and I don't look for the imperfections. I don't see the pencil marks on the brown table, all the leaves on the trees are green and whole, not browning on the edges with missing holes, and light covers are pure white without black spots. My brain would rather gloss over things and just see them as the whole image they are in my head, instead of focus on the imperfections that make it what it is.

Saturday Mall Day

I never realized how diverse a mall was. It means so many different things to different people. There were young preteens, faces heavy with dark eyeliner as they gossiped and texted, a mother with her young son, couples, and those who just wanted to be by themselves. Malls are a universal area that mean different things to different people, but it's a place that most people will end up at some point or another.

Night out

Red faces and sweaty hair matted to the forehead in sticky spikes. The cheeks are flushed and the inhibitions are lowered. Some change their style others stick to their normal colors.

What's Beneath Our Feet

Bricks are such funny things. Why aren't they the same color instead of shades ranging from orangey red to dark dried blood (excuse the gory description) color? Also, how come they aren't smooth? Instead they have little crevices, broken corners, and they aren't placed neatly together. Instead there are gaps between them. It's something that really confused me as I walked around campus today. Because how do they even get the different colors or why do they make different colors and why aren't they perfect?

Confidence with Keys

Something that is interesting to pay attention to is how people type on a keyboard. Can they type quickly without needing to look down or do they use one finger at a time. There's a man sitting in front of me in the library and he types with his two pointer fingers, one letter at a time. He's also not graceful about it. He pushes down harshly and I'm a good 10/15 feet from him and I can hear his keys protesting. Versus to the left of me there is a girl who is typing, she is using all her fingers and is hardly looking down, she is confident in what she is writing.

Hot Pink Hello Kitty

Today I saw a security guard. She was sitting behind campus all by herself. Her hair was black, in mini braids, except halfway down it changed to a dyed red color that got brighter towards the end. I wondered if it was because she was lazy or if it was intentional. I started to wonder more about her. She had a Hello Kitty backpack placed by her side, her legs were crossed and she was texting. Her phone was hot pink with electric green ends and as she texted she leaned her head to the right slowly and almost sadly. I couldn't help but thinking--why was she hear? How old was she? Her accessories and appearance said young, but then I wondered why she was working during the day if she was my age. Did she ever go to college? It was interesting how that one snapshot of her as I walked by has stayed in my head all day.

Sweat

It's weird how the world looks in a hurry. Your heart is beating, everything becomes life or death, every new to-do becomes the biggest stress. It makes it hard to appreciate, hard to recall. Recall the way that sweat becomes like raindrops when it falls from a chin or the dark brown sticky hair strand. Or the way sweat changes the color of a white shirt to see-through while it make a "U" starting out at the top of the left shoulder, down to the xyphoid process, and then back up again to the right shoulder.