People Watch

Observation 1 –  Old Uncle at Hawker Centre (Uncle Steven)

Settings:

• 8 November 2009
• 4pm
• Marine Parade Hawker Centre

Physical Characteristics:

• About the age of 70 or more.
• He was wearing an old cotton neck t-shirt and a dull brown knee length shorts along with a while and blue strap slipper which you would find in Olden Shops.
• He has short white hair.
• If I am not wrong, he right leg is injured, hence he was limping.
• He has a pretty buffed figure for someone of his age.

Movements:

• He was alone when I saw him.
• His attire gave me a feel that he was not from a very well to do back ground.
• Although he was old, he gave me a feel that he was very confident. Probably, it was his gestures and walk. He seemed to know where he was heading and what he was to do.
• He didn’t talk much, but he always had a smile on his face.
• He tend to greet people around him with a smile.
• When a toddler, around the age of about 3, was walking towards his table and suddenly tripped, he immediately leaned forward to carry him. It gave me a feeling that probably he was wither a father or someone really caring.
• Unlike usual aged people, he was indeed patient because when he ordered his food, he waiting without complaining or giving any facial expressions of frustrations even though his food took a long while to arrive. The people around him were indeed frustrated.
• He was simple gaze into thin air. It felt like he enjoyed viewing his surroundings.

Point of Realisation:

This was something additional I did. I found him to be very friendly, hence I decided to approach him to spark a conversation. Although I hesitated, I found a good opportunity to do so. I bought The New Paper and thought since I have read it, why not pass it on to him. When I appraoched him and in laymen term I offered him the paper, I suddenly realised that it was a English printed paper. He didn’t look like he understood english language. To my surprise, he spoke clear english. While growing out conversation, he told me he was an old boy from St. Patrick. He even offered to buy me grass jelly, but I passed it. I had my DSLR camera with me at the moment. I told him I was taking some pictures and requested whether I could take a picture of him. As kind as he was, he agreed. Indeed a pleasant man to brighten up my day!

Observation 2: Group of Teenagers at Ubi Bus Stop (Mostly Girls)

Settings:

• 8 November 2009
• 12pm
• Ubi Bus Stop
• Slightly Raining
• There was only the group of them in the Bus stop with me.

Physical Characteristics:

• Styled Hair
• Casual Clothing
• They each carried a bag.
• They wore track shoes.

Movements:

• They ran towards the bus stop.
• They had a sense a urgency in their speech and gestures.
• They constantly glance through the bus directory at the bus stop.
• The girls kept gossiping about a boy one of them met a few days ago.
• The girls often burst out giggling when they mention how cute that boy was.
• Just then a bus stopped at the bus stop and it had an advertisement on it, featuring shirtless male model and the girls started ogling at the picture.
• When the few boys saw the girls ogling, they started mocking the girls.

Short Story:

“Tick” her watch clicks at 5pm, as Dillon sits still on an old wooden bench by the bay. It is a silent day. Even the usual raging wind stands calm and still. Anything would be considered calm or silent in relevance to dance in her mind. Though tragic incidences dance through her mind, her eyes are not kept shut. Every stranger that strolls by catches Dillon’s eyes. Even then, only her eyes shifts but her mind stays put on the letter she received at her door front that morning. She squints her eyes in frustration, disagreeing of her behaviour in the letter. Her eye water up and a tear trickle down. As she wipes it, a little girl hops by her with a pink balloon in her hand.  She stops right in front of Dillon and looks at her dejected face. She slowly walks towards her and looks Dillon at her eye. She smiles an innocent smile at Dillon and introduces her self, “Hi, I’m Melody! What is your name?” Dillon replies with her name and Melody says, “You look as if someone stole your teddy away. Would you like my balloon instead?” Dillon smiles at that little angel she sees in front of her and says, “You little sweetheart. Would you sit here with me and play?” Beaming with joy, Melody hops onto the seat. Dillon places her sorrows aside and enjoys playing with the little one.

Reflections:

What I found very interesting about this exercise the is the point of perception. When we first meet someone, the perception that derives from within us is from the source of their outer image and behaviour and sometimes it is the total opposite of who they actually are when you get to know them better. I saw the different mode and actions of different characters and how they responded to different scenarios, events, or issues. Sometimes the strangest looking people tend to astonish you with the brightest character! Looking at the teenagers, although I was one of them not many years ago, it is very interesting how I could have reacted and behaved. It astonishes me further how as you grow and when maturity hits you, you change and start blossoming you way to a young adult. Through this experience, it truly confirms that we should never judge a book by its cover and still waters run deep!