Today I went out to downtown Evanston to photograph strangers for my journalism assignment. The assignment was "features", which was defined as "unstaged scenes." Embracing the vague definition, I trekked down south to Barnes and Nobles, first approaching a lovely high school student who sat down to read across from me... and there it began! It wasn't that hard after the first, as cliche-ridden as that sounds. Eventually I found myself complimenting a clothing store lady for her "attractive, strong facial features" and the man at J.K. Sweets for "looking 40" when he was actually 70 years old. I did not know me. The desperacy, and I think a tinge of hypocrisy, was something I never knew I had in me. An ambivalent surprise? Yes? Today was a day filled with realizations.

And More:

1. I like the feeling of hands thawing in warmth after a cold, cold day out.
2. People should use better vocabulary. "Like" "Chill" "Cool" "Legit" "Awesome" won't suffice for long.
3. Vanilla ice cream is an unattractive flavor unless topped with hot fudge.
4. Tylenol is useless!
5. I've been using more and more exclamation points!
6. It becomes easier to ignore emails because there are so many. Frequency pushes you away, rather than pulling you in, I think.
7. Shiojima sennsei doesn't believe in compliments. Last week I wrote my first Japanese Narrative Essay and had it handed back to me today. I was ecstatic to see compliments written on the comment sheet.
8. Talkativeness is contagious. Awkwardness is contagious. In fact, it's hard for a feeling to not be shared. It's also hard for a feeling to be perfectly mutual.
9. People are fun to watch.

On that note, the young and talented Nicholas Hoult.

About A Boy, 2002

A Single Man, 2009

Guichanaso.