journal 12

The Fresh Food Company

=] ...... I'm greeted by the smiling face of the woman working the register. I proceed in my search for a table, but the place is packed. I luck out and find a good seat in the middle of the dining area. As I sit down, I begin to observe my surroundings. There is lively R&B music playing in the background. The dimmed lights set a relaxing mood and I immediately feel at ease. I see groups of friends sitting together, laughing and having a good time. The smell of roasting meat, sizzling vegetables, and fresh baked goods fill my nostrils. The servers smile as they feed the line of hungry college students that never seems to end. To my right, a young woman just made an icecream cone that's about 5" tall. When she turned around to show it to her friends, it tipped over from imbalance and fell on the floor. The girls all laugh it off. In the corner, you can see a couple enjoying a meal together, when it is interrupted by the boy's friend. You can tell that the girlfriend is annoyed. The clean up crew buzzes around like busy bees, rushing to clean the tables for the incoming diners. The room is filled with positive vibes. Good music. Good food. Good company.

>=[ ...... The cafeteria is overcrowded with greedy people. The lights are so dim, I can barely see what is going on around me. It is extremely noisy. All the people inside are talking at the same time, I can hardly think straight. There is a group of obnoxious young men sitting at the table next to me, laughing aloud and disturbing the other diners. Across the room, a smaller group of girls begin screeching, causing everyone to look in their direction. The lights are dimmed, so it's hard for me to see what I'm writing. The tables are messy with dishes that the workers have failed to pick up. Behind the pitiful looking servers, you can see remains of butchered cows and pigs cooking. A young lady in the corner has a pile of books on her table(studying for her exams I assume), and she looks very stressed. I notice that the majority of the workers do not speak English and it is very frustrating.