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Nicole William's Essay

After reading Nicole's blog it helped me in many ways in order to do a very good on my ethnography research. It helped me realize how in depth i have to be to describe my environment around me. I didn't realize that I had to use correct adjectives to give the readers a specific feel of what I'm describing visually. Now that I can use the ethnography as a reference, I have direction so I can try to outdo my example.

Interviewing Informers

After reading the selected readings, I have a better understanding of how to interview informers. The first thing I learned is that you have to be a contradiction: flexible and structured. Be able to hold a casual conversation while jotting down details about their background. Also, you're supposed to be able to learn about their perspective rather than your own, so you must be prepared to ask open questions rather than closed so they'll learn more about the informer that way and you'll have a naturally good interview. Finally, you must expect the unexpected. When you have a successful interview, you will have a couple of new discoveries that you would never think of. All in all, This reading helped me learn the fundamentals of interviewing informers.

My Site: Boston Common!

   Boston Common is definitely the place to be! I believe that this site is the liveliest place in Boston, for the simple fact that it is filled with countless amounts of cheerful people who are capable of eliminating their social norms to express themselves freely. Many college students come to this site, in the front of Boston Common in particular, for funding so they can throw events, concerts, or anything of that sort. So they promote it by playing music for the most part, or word of mouth. There's also many extraordinary events that occured in the park when I was there, like when there was a 7 year old preaching God's word to people who walk by, or an unfortunate guitarist who can win anyone's heart with his amazing voice. If there's one thing I know about Boston Common, then it has to be that you will never know what to expect in that park. 

   The reason why I'm so interested in learning about this site is because I'm curious about many things there. One thing I asked myself is "How many events are thrown in Boston Common a year?" It's a random question I was just curious about because it seems to be the main spot for tourist attraction in Boston.
Another question I've always wondered is if Boston Common ever close their gates so the public won't enter. The latest I've been there is 11 o'clock, and there was still so many people there. It would make sense to not close it though, seeing that it's for the city to do what they want with it.

Response To "The Town Hangout"

After reading this ethnology by very young Nicole Williams(and still young), it made me feel reminiscent of something kind of similar I went through. One of my best friends named Dorien "DJ" Garnett and the rest of my friends used to play basketball everyday after school. DJ wasn't like any other baller because it was his true passion ever since he was a little kid. While he lived in Puerto Rico, at age 12 he was named the best basketball player in his age group in the country. On the other hand, I was just a normal athlete who didn't necessarily take b-ball seriously. But I was willing to learn the fundementals through him and from that we grew our friendship, and eventually our brotherhood. After he passed, it was really hard for me to swallow, but through the sport of basketball, I was able to lessen the pain I hold from the world's loss. The beggining of the ethnology reminded me of a personal life situation I've been through, so I'm definitely drawn in from this writing. It's a great example of how it should be done because the creator of the ethnology has a personal attachment to the project and the observations made. However, it's not a surprise that the bowling alley is the main attraction in a small city or town. my home city of Brockton has Westgate Lanes, a very popular venue for many surrounding towns.

Overall, I'll give "The Town Hangout" one and a half thumbs up because I feel that more information could be shared about the setting so I can get a feeling for the environment.