In Elise Wu’s essay “Out Patients,” she investigates the online community surrounding the medical condition called factitious disorder (FD). Wu creates a verbal portrait of this community by throwing the audience into an ER as she begins to describe her own experience. She also depicts the forum and group message board she visited during the study, giving behaviors that the posters tend to have in common when voicing their thoughts. Yet she distinguishes the two sites by explaining how their behaviors differ. Additionally, Wu lets the audience in on insider language – “coming out” referring to disclosing to those close to you of the medical condition.

Wu utilizes several different sources throughout the study. She uses herself as a source, having had FD herself, to insert her narrative and thoughts into her writing. She also employs medical facts to contextualize the subject of her study – especially after illustrating her memory at the beginning of the essay. Wu wields the observations she made on both the forum and group message board to show the perspectives of those with FD and those effected by FD.  Wu was able to triangulate her data by effortlessly switch perspectives. This enabled the reader to get a well-rounded view of the online community of FD. In her essay, Wu made the choice to incorporate footnotes which made the text flow easily. The footnotes helped give context to some things that the audience may not already know. Wu does a great job of portraying the online community she chose.

As a transplant in New York City, I often find myself amidst the buzzing building of Penn Station where I await yet another train ride to New Hampshire.  I try to get there early as I have made many rookie mistakes of being late, thus leading to the dreaded missed train.  So, in my time spent watching minutes slowly pass by I have had the interesting opportunity to observe all the chaos of the lives of fellow travelers.  On this particular day, I found myself in a unique situation due to the fear of the Coronavirus.  Among the various rushing crowds, I counted twenty seven people walking around with masks on, and eight of those people also wearing latex gloves.  Although official information states that these masks are nearly pointless in the efforts to avoid the virus, I tend to agree with those who choose to wear them that go by the saying “better safe than sorry”.  Aside from the things I noticed relating to this pandemic, I also observed several happenings which I have found to be common in my many visits to Penn Station.  For example, there are many homeless individuals who roam about and sleep inside the train station, and on this day, I saw twelve.  I have been taught by New Yorkers to ignore them, but that is not in my nature.  One man with a prosthetic leg and a long scraggly beard asked me for my kindness in a donation to his efforts to find shelter.  I spoke with him for a minute and I did not have any cash on me, so I gave him some of the snacks I packed for myself for my six hour commute.  Talking with this man reminded me that a six hour train ride is not so bad compared to the situation he is in, and I appreciated the realignment of my perspective.  I also often see young high school boys with clipboards wandering the crowds and asking people to donate to their basketball team.  I have been told by many people here that this is a total scam and to never fall for the innocent faces of youth seeking help for a supposedly good cause.  However, I tend to assume the best in people and I always hope that they are sincere, although this might just be a blatant display of how naïve I am to the natural schemes of the city.  I saw seven of these boys asking about, and every single interaction I observed ended in the stranger rejecting their request.  Some individuals were rude and dismissive to the boys, others ignored them and kept walking, and one woman reacted in the same way I did five minutes before by letting them finish their routine and respectfully declining.  Somehow, I find it easier to turn someone down if I at least hear them out first.  Lastly, I took a fly-on-the-wall moment to observe the people impatiently watching the screen displaying all of the train departures.  As the line with the information for a train to Washington D.C. finally posted its designated track, a sea of people scattered through the crowd to line up for boarding.  The group I stood surrounded by swiftly thinned out, and in minutes, steadily grew again just as quickly.  My favorite part of Penn Station is watching all the people running around trying to catch their trains.  Before moving here, I grew up with this image of the hustle of the city, and I find it to be so satisfying that one of my many “rose-colored” expectations of this place is true.  However, it is not so gratifying when I find myself in that very situation, experiencing the panic of a pure New York Minute.

Today I decided to observe the City College NAC center. In particular I observed the rotunda area above the escalator entrance, one of City College’s busiest areas. What I noticed is that a lot of students were still going about their usual business. The usual hussle and bussle could still be found (at least during the time I spent observing the area) in the area. People still had set up stands and were doing informational events using their set up desks. There was even a free food stand still despite the recent events with the Corona Virus. I found this very interesting in particular, cause I figured people would be too paranoid to eat free public food out of worry of the virus spreading. I considered getting a free donut myself, but I held out on it. Admittedly, I’ve began taking some precautions while going to class such as bringing a hand sanitizer bottle with me, and decided to pass on the free food… just in case. Besides that though, I did of course overhear a lot of talk about the Corona Virus itself. It seemed overall that City College students were still willing to go and do what they had to do, (which today would’ve been to show up on campus and attend their classes) even despite the virus. Now this has all changed given the update today, but I still found the spirit of the students to be pretty admirable. It shows that even despite the public mood being uncertain and uneasy, many of us CUNY students were still willing to give it our all.

Today I went to Brookville Park in Rosedale, Queens, NY. I chose multiple places for observation as I was there today: the open field, playground, and bridge with the lakewater beneath it. As I was in the open field, I watched a bunch of teenagers play catch with a football. They practiced running routes (which is the specific direction on the field that you’re supposed to run during a play). They continued running routes for about fifteen minutes, then switched to practicing defense techniques. None of them were wearing coats, which makes sense because NYC’s weather has been getting warmer. I wondered if they were skipping school since their age group is in high school and today (March 11th, 2020) is a school day. As I was on the playground, I saw children running around, playing tag and enjoying the swings. One little boy, about 3 or 4 was chasing a girl about the same age. The little girl fell and started crying, so the boy helped her up. The children on the swings were swinging at dangerously high heights and had to be warned against that so that they did not hurt themselves. They too, were wearing no coats, but rather sweatshirts instead. After watching them play, I casually made my way over to the bridge over the lakewater. It was a much less populated area; no one was there except the occasional person walking or jogging by. Even the joggers had no coats on. The lake was very still; virtually no movement was present within it. Common themes I realized within my observation is that people’s attire is reflecting the change in season and that people tend to be very happy when participating in physical activity. 

As I sit on this couch that could be at most worth 99 cents, I’m beginning to wonder whether I am in the right place to begin concentrating to write on this blog. I reside currently on the 3rd floor of the library at City College of New York. As people walk in and out, I noticed that not one book is missing from these shelves, which leads me to the thought like when we were kids and had to go on that trip to learn how to checkout a book from the library, was that even necessary? We sit in a circular shape, everybody in a different seating position, slowly but surely leaning in to hear into this debate. My friend Demetrius, a skinny 5’7 child. Kanye is his favorite rapper of all time and he made a ballistic claim that Kanye had more classic albums than Drake and that set me off. Resulted in everybody throwing their favorite songs out and the volume of each voice amplifying as the discussion progresses further and further. End of discussion was with me leaning so far up to where I almost fell off, but all in all i won so its ok.

The place I chose to observe people was a Korean bbq. Right off the bat, watching the servers and how they stare at customers who’ve been here long is quite amusing. They don’t shy away after being caught, continuing to bravely stare, making it known that they’re ready for them to leave. The couple just laughs as the boyfriend gets up and grabs more meat to cook.
Walking in, the manager or possibly even the boss, happily shows us to our table, taking in face fresh faces as more money on a Tuesday night. The serves immediately turn on the grill and advises us that the buffet closes at 11:30 and the establishment at 12am.
As we’re picking out the meat we want to cook, another couple leaves, and the waiters immediately rush over and grab the tip, pocketing it and cleaning as fast as they could, relived there was one less table to worry about.

A older white man walks in with two dogs, immediately advising everyone that he’ll be “quick” while the servers look amused at the sight of a dog in a bubble backpack.

As the night reaches closer to 11:30 the Hispanic clean up crew begin to eye the last two remaining tables, making noise that indicates it’s time for us to hurry up and leave.

The servers begin to talk amongst themselves in their common tongue, one would self consciously wonder if it’s about them. The other 4 faces at the table look tired and ill, focusing their eyes on a plate of chicken left to be cooked. They look at it as if they’re regretting even going out for the night, wondering if it was even worth it.

As the night wraps up, the servers quickly hand over the check and before it’s even signed, the table is cleared and the server has already turned off the grill.

I found it odd that the server was just staring at an innocent couple enjoying their mean, not even hiding the fact that he was doing so. A takeaway would be that the boss is always in the mood for more business and clients but the servers don’t feel the same.

Bethanie Corona

3/11/20

Post #3

Walking into the McDonald’s on 125th and Saint Nicholas the smell of fries and apple pie ran into my nostrils causing my mouth to water. I had been craving a cheeseburger and fries and I hadn’t had McDonald’s in a while. Once I walked in and saw the line I was perplexed because I was super hungry after class and I didn’t want to walk to the one nearest to my building in Brooklyn when I was already in one. The McDonald’s was packed with young middle schoolers and high school kids, families, strollers and some elderly with their canes and coffee. As I waited in the kiosk line, a young mom in front of me waiting to order was yelling at her kids to be mindful and not horse around. The mom gave them that look and they instantly stopped play fighting and began to chat about the toys displayed in the window on the wall, they planned about which one they hoped to get in their happy meals. After I ordered I realized how much the line was backed up clearly, the workers are just finishing up from a rush hour and I waited almost 30 minutes for my order. The person handling the brown bags with the orders next to the cashier was flustered and had to keep double-checking with customers if they had gotten their drinks and sauces. I sat down on a bench like a table as I waited and almost wobbled off because the seat was broken, luckily an older gentleman, with a salt and pepper beard who was sitting across from me was reading the newspaper, so I don’t think he noticed which saved some embarrassment. I got up and stood near the counter to wait for my order as I watched people walk in. Two young sisters around 14 years of age, were waiting and when they got their food they instantly sprinted out the door to get out of the suffocating space. I observed an older lady holding up the kiosk line because she couldn’t figure out how to use the new technology; people tried to help her but she inevitably gave up and went to the cashier to order. A mid-aged woman with a large personality and long bright fingernails began to complain about an odor and the line. Then she tells the struggling old lady that “she should of went to the cashier from the jump for all the time she spent in the kiosk.” Right after I finally got my food, I sat and ate.

On Sunday afternoon, I came to a small Korean restaurant in Queens. Compared with the Korean restaurant next door, the space I went to was only one-third of the space next door. This restaurant is a bit old-fashioned. The environment in the shop is not that well, and the walls near the kitchen area are covered with soot. The tables and stools in the shop are old, and the menus on the glass are worn out. Compared to the good restaurants in the city, this place is more like a small restaurant deep in the street. The ordering boss is a middle-aged uncle. When I went in with friends, he greeted us warmly. He put the two tables in the corner together because we have three people. All the tables in the store are the same size and only two people can use it. When he finished ordering, I watched its kitchen, which is open and visible to all guests. There are only two cooktops, a younger chef and an old lady wearing an apron are employees. When he finished ordering, I watched its kitchen, which is open and visible to all guests. There are only two cooktops, a younger chef and an old lady wearing an apron are employees. The chef is in charge of cooking, and the other grandmother is in charge of making some sushi. This grandma brought kimchi and miso soup when she brought the meal. I learned that this is a Korean culture because Korean food is served with kimchi. I observed that the guests in the shop were only one at the table. They were two Spanish girls who were chatting happily. Occasionally, guests come in to see the menu and then take it away. Because of the congestion here, I see that most customers prefer the option to take away the food. Then I noticed that there were two Korean men who were older and looked like regulars in this shop. They are very good at greeting the staff in the store. I watched them sit up and watched the TV overhead. This restaurant has a TV set hanging on a very high wall. The TV broadcasts Korean news. The atmosphere in the shop is very warm, this shop is not like a professional commercial restaurant, and the staffs are very kind.  I think this is the unique charm of this small restaurant.

I’m at the administration building in City College. Sitting on one of the black couches facing the entrance of the building. There’s a front desk for the financial aid office. I noticed how a lot of students stopped at that office to ask questions than continued with their quests. I noticed two types of students mostly, ones that seemed relaxed and ones that seemed angry and in a hurry.
The relaxed ones strolled at a medium pace staring down at their phone. They don’t seem to be in a rush. They’re not looking at the lines like someone who is in a rush. They just stand in line or get a ticket if they need to and wait patiently on their phones or laptops.
The ones in a rush come through the entrance at a fast pace. Their body seems to know where it’s going on its own. They have this determined face that is locked on a certain office, usually the finical aid office. I noticed many upset or stressed students head straight for the financial aid office. These students are usually not on their phones, their eyes instead are looking at how long the lines are.
They are some students who seem to come here just to chill. They sit on one of the black couch’s or metal chairs and charge their phones. Always somewhere in the distance, you hear a student getting frustrated and confused with the responses they are getting. At some point, it just becomes background noise even when their voices get louder and angrier. You can also hear the employee who’s trying to help try to stay as polite as they can. It’s a cycle that never seems to end.
Some students walk out of the building with a small smile saying “Have a good day” to whoever helped them, and some students walk out with a grim. You can tell with the student’s body language if their needs were met.
There’s not much interaction between students in this place. They are there for business only, unless they came with friend/s. This building although it has more than one floor it barely seems like the other floors are being used. In the hour and a half, I was sitting there only about 4 students used another floor beside the first one.
The lines stayed mostly empty and I noticed it’s probably due to the virus. Students had on medical masks, gloves, and scarves around their faces although outside was not cold. I even saw some friends bump elbows instead of a hug or shake hands. They always laughed about the situation afterward.
When it comes to the interactions between students and employees behind the desk, it’s unique. When their ticket/name is called the student rushes quickly back up to the front. They try to be polite and ask the employee “how are you?” before the employee finishes the word “good” they are already asking the question. The employee doesn’t seem offended by this rude behavior. It almost seems like it’s an automatic response to say “good” and move on. The student always and I mean always at some point tell the employee they are wrong or misunderstood them. But the employee does understand them and is telling them the truth, just the truth they don’t want to hear.
Once the student has accepted the defeat, they usually stomp their hand down on the desk lightly and say “alright” more to themselves. I heard this happen many times in front of the admission office. Some students huff and others accept their defeats silently and leave with a quiet “thanks”.
You can tell this building is the most disliked building on campus. Students are here only to solve problems. And sometimes they aren’t solved, or they need time to be.

The place I choose to observe were the Piers in Manhattan. I walked from pier 42 all the way down to battery park. It was a perfect day to walk such a distance as the weather was super beautiful. The sun was up bright and burning hitting very nearly the 60’s degrees. This was seen in the clothes everyone around me was wearing. People in shorts, tee shirts, and even sandals. It really felt like summer. As I walked along the railing I noted the waves splashing along the shore which created a slight change of color to the concrete. The water was very dark, nothing seen below its surface. Only some very bizarre wooden sticks and wires that barely stuck out the surface of the water. Soon after I decided to sit on a bench for a while and fully absorbed my surroundings. My attention was always drawn to the very large skyscrapers that touched the clouds. One very peculiar building caught my attention that was very unique. It looked like something out of Minecraft or built out of legos. It had a very random and unorthodox structure with many gaps shaped out of the ordinary. My attention was then brought back to the water, as I looked on to the horizon I could see the statue of liberty. Its green color and island around it. From where I was it looked so tiny in comparison to everything else around me.