observation essay

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Nicole Stirrat
Professor Nora Kabaji
Freshman Composition
Observation Essay
28 October 2014
Write an observation essay about the people and activities going on at a public place that you have visited or a public event that you have attended. Be there. Place yourself on the scene and use "I" and/or "we" throughout the essay. Do not use "you." Describe what you see, what is typical of the place, and what is essential for the reader to understand the environment of the place/event. The essay should be 725-750 words
La Ciudadela There is a market tucked away from all the loud bustling of the city streets in the Distrito Federal (Federal District) of Mexico City, it is called La Ciudadela. Roughly translated, it means The Citadel, a strongly fortified place or stronghold. This market, formerly an abandoned arms depot, was converted in 1964 into the first roving craft fair in Mexico City. For 50 years, this market has been offering handmade Mexican products to locals and tourists.
The outside perimeter of the market is a bleak tan color. There are a few shops just inside the complex’s perimeter wall and a few parking spaces. Initially, it didn’t look like much. I arrived right as the shops were opening, it was still quiet. As I kept walking I noticed a small hallway to the right. I walked through this hallway and the market was instantly transformed. There are over fifty shops set up in a grid, overflowing with items from food and tequila to novelty items and clothing. All the products for sale are so big and brightly colored.
Once the shops are open, the salesmen and women sit and wait for customers. Some of them are working on products to sell. One man is whittling wood into the shape of a skull that will later be painted with bright reds and blues, a tribute to “El Dia de Los Muertos”, or Day of the Dead. As soon as they see me walking through the narrow hallway, they all jump up and try to sell me their products. Some try to negotiate to a price that will make me want to buy, some just tell me the price and won’t budge when I try to negotiate. The merchants are all very nice, and some of them have learned to speak a little bit of broken English. For a tourist that doesn’t speak the language, this is a big selling point. If you can’t speak the local language, you don’t have much negotiating power. Most of the other patrons walking through the market alongside me are also tourists; newlyweds on their honeymoon or backpackers making their way through the city. I can hear several languages, besides English, being spoken around me; Spanish, French, German and Russian.
Every product being sold in the market has its own distinct smell. I can smell beef cooking over an open grill and paint being applied to clay pots and jars. There is a faint smell of wool wafting from several of the shops selling blankets and ponchos. There is a courtyard in the middle of the market where there are a few restaurants. The windows open into the courtyard pushing the lovely scents into the market, luring people in.