Post #6

     A normal day in Baltimore is unlike a normal day anywhere else. On Loyola's campus, the area is always alive and bustling with students making their way to classes. On a nice day, the quad gets so crowded you can't even find a seat to sun yourself in. 

    The entire city of Baltimore seems to always be alive as well. Each small neighborhood is always lively throughout the entire day. I have a sister who lives in Federal Hill, and every time I visit her there, there's always a large group of people getting ready to go to a bar in the area. Usually, I do go at night. That's probably why I end up seeing such a great part scene. 

    Fells point is a different story. During the day, it is quaint with a quiet atmosphere. If you go on a Sunday, you will see restaurants lined up on the water with a family crowd sitting around. Usually, there will be a man sitting in a cart that serves dollar oysters to the customers who occupy the restaurants. 

    The interactions that that oyster cart man has are incredibly colorful. Though he serves a family crowd, every father of the family seems to be drunk off of an 8% local IPA. I've witnessed the oyster cart man be greeted by many as an old friend, despite the fact that he most definitely has never met any of them. 

    Recently, while I was in Fells with my own family, I witnessed my own uncle get happy drunk and strike up a conversation with the oyster cart man. I was mortified. However, I realized that the man serving cheap oysters was used to this kind of behavior. He handled my annoying relative with ease. 

    Loyola's campus also has its fair share of interesting interactions. If you walk through the Starbucks at any given time, there will always be people sitting around at large tables doing work together. If you happen to pass through the Fernandez center, people will be sitting around in small rooms with glass windows. Though they may share the occasional chuckle with each other, their eyes are glued to their computers and their fingers are planted firmly on their keyboard. It's a shame really. Sometimes I wonder if we could get true interaction back if we switched to pen and paper. That's likely a pipe dream though. 

    If you head North of Baltimore, you will hit Towson. The only reason I bring this up is because I once worked in a crab shack in Towson. They seem to enjoy crabs more in Towson than they do in Baltimore. If you head over to Parkville, you end up on a highway that seems to have nothing but cheap liquor stores and crab shacks that claim they all have "the freshest seafood in Maryland". 

    If you find yourself desperate enough to wander into one of those crab shacks, you will be met with a lecture on how all of the seafood is caught fresh daily. In my experience watching interactions like this, the customer will usually nod their heads and agree. I never worked up the courage to tell them that the majority of the fish are imported from New England and Alaska, and they actually sit in the back freezer for months on end. 

    The last place I can think of is my own dorm room. The interactions there are usually short and not interesting. I really only know two of the guys I live with. When it comes to the other three, I can count on one hand how many times I have had a conversation with each individual one. My direct roommate will usually welcome me to the room with a firm slap to the back of my head. In return, I'll usually ball up my fist and punch his leg in order to make it go numb. 

 At the end of the day, there is no shortage of interactions In Baltimore. Though I certainly wish I could be observing interactions in places like Italy and Greece, Baltimore will simply have to do.