Observation Essay Example

My observation essay was based on any area that has a food place, and I did mine on a food court that is located in Tyson’s Corner. When I went there for observation, I noticed a lot of things that were going on in that area. I saw that some people interacted with one another while others kept to themselves. I could see that there were a lot of foreigners as I could tell by their varying languages and clothing. I went to the same place for observation twice, and I expected my observation to be the same, but it was quite the contrary as to what I noticed there on the weekday as compared to what I saw on the weekend.
When I visited Tyson’s corner food court to really focus on the people and how everything went about in the area, I realized a lot of things that I had not thought about earlier because for me Tyson’s corner was the one of the malls I just enjoyed going to the most. When this research paper required an observation about focusing on people and the environment, I decided to give it some insight. I observed that couples were having a great time in the food court eating together. Friends had gathered around. Families had come as well with two or three children, and they would laugh and enjoy themselves together. People in this food court came from all around the world such as Pakistan, East Asia, India, the UAE, and America. I saw friends with different geographical and national backgrounds, and they all seemed to be having a good talk while they were eating. They were all dressed casually, and many of them had come in their national dresses. Some of the people were sitting alone with their food and were engaged with their Smartphones and laptops while eating. The weekends were the busiest, and that’s when I noticed that people were most comfortable and enjoyed themselves the most, which was evident by their facial expression and body language. My second visit was on a weekday and people seemed to be in a hurry, and they are wearing suits and dressed formally which meant they belonged to a workplace, plus they seemed more serious and tense as compared to their demeanor on the weekend.
What interested me the most was the way the foreigners behaved in their new surroundings. It was relatable for me because I could understand that when a person from a different national background comes to another place, they have difficulty in approaching foreigners, and it puts them in a tight spot when they have to talk to them or engage in work like ordering food and conversing. I remembered my own time because coming from East Asia; I too had difficulty in talking to a foreigner. I felt shy and uncomfortable and got very shaky if I had to converse. Now I observed the same thing happening to non-natives in the food court. It was quite interesting to watch because many of them stumbled and struggled with talking in a non-native language and the equal amount of difficulty in comprehending them was found in the natives.
When I went to the food court on a Friday, the first thing I saw was to my left was a miniature playground designed for kids. In that playground, there was a train going all around the place making kids happy and seeing I could see bright smiles on their eager faces that translated “I wanted to have a ride on the train.” Many children already on the train were shouting and happily calling out to their parents.
Then I saw a counter that was selling tickets for movies in the cinema, and this counter was followed by the cinema situated on the right. Between the playground and the cinema is the food court taking the entire place on the left, in the middle of the place there is an opening shaped like a circle which is followed by the ceiling that has a kind of clear glass that allows the sunlight to enter the whole area. The restaurants were in a chain placed in a semi-circle all along the vicinity. On the other end, there is a door in the middle of the chain that provides a little separation. In the center of this semi-circle, there is the table which organizes the semi-circle in a very nice manner. There are seats around the edge of the area that comprises the restaurants, and there are tables lined up vertically while there is a path centered on the door that is placed in the middle.
As I looked around the place, I began to contemplate on the design, colors and ambiance of the food court. It was a very welcoming place. The entire area was very colorful and inviting, with the use of bright colors like red, green, blue, orange and yellow. The color scheme and design were such that did not irritate the eyes and were not very loud and disturbing. Rather it made the place very amiable and fun to be in. The use of artificial plants and greenery made the place more welcoming.
Concluding, I can say that the food court is not just an eatery, but it is a place where people can sit and enjoy themselves with their loved ones. A lot of foreigners enjoy coming to this place, and it shows that the food court is a hub of international gathering and activity. Friends, family, and children enjoy this place equally, and it makes the place one of the most favorite recreational spots for many people.