Next to people-watching while standing in line at the supermarket, I also enjoy doing the same at restaurants. Of course, it’s better if I’m with like-minded friends so we can be judgmental, pass comments and jump to all sorts of probable and improbable conclusions.
The kind of people one sees, depends, naturally, on the place where one is eating; so if it’s a family/fast-food place, coffee shop, ‘cool’ or ‘in’, fine-dining, the groups vary accordingly and the possibilities are endless.
Some types are generic, found in all places- couples, students, working professionals, women’s’ groups and families (without or without bratty kids in tow!) But every so often, one sees a group or a pair that doesn’t fit a type, and that’s what makes the process so much more interesting.
For eg, those two men sitting side by side in a booth at a coffee place and talking.seriously. Why aren’t they sitting across the table, as is usual? Hmm…
Then, there’s a father with his two young daughters (both look like middle-schoolers) having lunch on a Saturday afternoon at a popular Chinese restaurant. So, where’s the mother? Is there a mother?
Look at that group of well-dressed, well-fed ladies, all of them flashing branded accessories and manicured hands,..and the little kid who’s sitting with them, engrossed in his iPad. Who’s kid is he? And why have they tagged the poor fellow along to what is obviously a ladies lunch?! Nobody’s even talking to him!
Now, that group is easy to place- they’re obviously out for an office lunch. Guys of different ages and just one female. The guy who’s mostly on his mobile must be their head or something; when he speaks, they all listen. The female, keeps her eyes on her food a lot, smiles politely and doesn’t say much. (Huh.Typical all-male set up, patriarchy, etc etc- that’s me jumping to conclusions and being judgmental!)
OK, now these two young couples are very different. This pair is very casually dressed, they’re chatting in between checking their phones, the guy now and then even ignores the girl when she says something. They’re obviously a couple of long-standing. The other pair- better turned-out, lots of nodding, taking small bites and tiny sips, wide-smiles, listening attentively but not much conversation. They’re out on a first date at McDonalds! (where else!)
This is what I call live entertainment! I wonder if, equally, someone is observing me and wondering- has that woman come here to eat or to stare at people?! And how embarrassed her daughters look! See, that one said something and rolled her eyes… God, she should so get a life!!
Oh well, another reason why I also like to go out by myself. Then I can be as perverse and ‘judgy’ as I wish! It’s also heartening to see more and more women, sitting by themselves in restaurants and having a quick sandwich or snack or a quiet cup of coffee. But that’ll keep for another write-up!
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