28/11/2013

Study Task 1 - Leeds Central Library

Observations at 14:40:
  • 6 people in this area at start
  • calm and quiet atmosphere
  • quiet murmur
  • people reading books at tables
  • books everywhere
  • big clock on wall
  • man checking his phone
  • people looking around for books
  • people on computers
  • people are quite calm - no one looks like they are in a rush
  • no kids
  • no teens
  • mostly men
  • 2 big fake bamboo trees in big plant pots
  • large glass double doors to a cafe
at 14:55:
  • man using his phone
  • man having a nap
  • a phone call breaks the silence
  • books on tables
  • posh looking man with white hair leaving with his brief case
  • man and woman having a conversation at a table
  • people coming in and out cafe door
  • muted clanging of glass from cafe
  • man takes a call - was quite loud so he left
at 15:30:
  • beeping from librarians computer
  • a pile of encyclopaedia books of different countries left by man on table
leave at 15:50 - 4 people at end in this part of the library - one of them still here from an hour ago

Questions:
  • I wonder what he's reading about
  • was this library a library 50 years ago?
  • who designed the stained glass windows
  • why are people taking their batteries out of their mobile phones?
  • I wonder why there aren't many students about
  • What made them paint the pillars/columns bright green
  • How many books are in this library
  • where are all the students?
  • why are there more men than women in this library?

Photographs:





























27/11/2013

Study Task 1 - Leeds German Christmas Market

Pieces of Ephemera
Observations at 15:50:
  • Perched on steps of a little restaurant by a festive looking bin
  • atmosphere quite calm and quite
  • mildly cold
  • cloudy
  • Lights everywhere
  • man checking his phone
  • girl with giant candy floss
  • guy with steaming hot coffee
  • people with shopping bags
  • Hench, bored, miserable looking German woman in the stall next to us, waiting for customers
  • Sound: fairground music, chatting
  • people smoking
at 16:05:
  • Isaac the security guy came up to us - asked us what we were doing
  • sun setting down - sky getting darker
  • getting busier
  • lots of people with wooly hats and scarves
16:20:
  • people walking with XXL German Bratwursts
  • getting colder
  • lots of families with children
leave at 16:35 - coffee guy asked us if we were spies

Questions:

  • I wonder if there are actually any traditional wooden houses/ villages like this is germany?
  • who invented XXL sausages?
  • do people in Germany eat XXL sausages all the time?

Photographs: