Red Square (Squared)

So I returned to Red Square for my second travel piece. My objective: to observe and record. I have to be honest that not a whole lot has changed with Red Square in the past 5 weeks. To be honest I think that today was an exact carbon copy of the day I went 5 weeks ago. However, it is entirely possible that in this observation, my neutrality was contaminated from last observation. I carefully studied Red Square last time and all the impressions I had are still quite vivid. Whatever, let's take a look at the observations:
- My previous bench is taken, this is unforgiveable
- Grey and dreary
- Trees are still dead and crows are still morosely cawing
- Silence broken by drone of overhead aircraft
- Squat, urban, grey, imposing, institutional, cold
- Lone skateboarder (keep living the dream)
- I got distracted and talked to my cousin who I bumped into for like 10 minutes. She doesn't go to UW which is why it was fortuitous to see her on campus. She was initially confused why I was sitting alone scribbling notes.
- Same silence. Lines of people silently trudging to class or back from class
- Asian tourists!
- Slightly warmer, last time my hands got very cold
- Suzzalo is good looking building. Kane, not so much.
- Why do they call it Red Square. In fact, it is not that squarish, nor is it markedly red.
- Common Travel Paths:
A) From Terry/Lander bridge cutting down towards Drumheller (and vice versa)
B) From Memorial Way towards Drumheller (and vice versa)
C) From Terry/Lander to the Quad
- What is in the circular thing that is in between the benches in the middle of Red Square, is it a time capsule?
- Types of people identified:
1) Greek (easy for me to recognize Greek letters)
2) Dorms
3) Graduate Students
4) Professors
5) Tourists (only saw two)
6) Garden variety vagrants (skateboarder)
7) Didn't see high school tour groups but I know they exist, they probably come when it is nicer out
I'm gonna be honest, I didn't get a whole lot more out of Red Square than what I saw the first time. Had I gone in the spring time things may have been better (Frisbees, tango club, fraternities, the guy who preaches "Turn or Burn"). But as it was, I went on the same day, at the same time, exactly 5 weeks later. Not much has changed. The weather was about 7 degrees warmer, but other than that, no substantial differences.