The Stage:

• Month: November, 2016
• Time of Day: Early Evening
• Location Type: High-End Restaurant
• Kamloops, BC
• Sounds: People chattering, glasses clinking
• Smells: Food
• Colours: Dull
• Ambience: Chattering
• Lighting: Dim
• Furniture: Paintings, pictures, chandeliers
• Population: 30+

• Map (Blocking)

research-methods-map

The Players:

c/d = Cannot Discern

• Couple: Half-Asian/Caucasian Man and Brunette Caucasian Woman
• Man:
  • Gender: Male
  • Ethnicity: Half-Asian, Half-Caucasian
  • Religion: c/d
  • Age: Mid-to-Late Twenties
  • Class: High/Upper Class
  • Disabilities: c/d
  • Racialization: Half-Asian, Half-Caucasian
  • Occupation: c/d
  • Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
  • Marital Status: In a relationship
  • (Appearance)
    • Red collared shirt

• Woman:
  • Gender: Female
  • Ethnicity: Canadian/American
  • Religion: c/d
  • Age: Early Twenties
  • Class: Middle/Upper Class
  • Disabilities: c/d
  • Racialization: Caucasian
  • Occupation: c/d
  • Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
  • Marital Status: In a relationship
  • (Appearance)
    • Black dress

The Plot:

The couple appeared to engage in a rather romantic activity; a dinner date in a more expensive setting than most would consider to be a mere casual event. It would seem that they had been dating for quite some time due to the fact that the woman pulled out a small box from her purse and handed it to the man as a gift. The man received the gift and instantly put the small box into his inner vest pocket. It is safe to assume that the man did not immediately open the gift due to a Chinese tradition. The tradition is that whenever one receives a gift they will not open it in public to avoid a “loss of face” on both sides. The receiver of the gift will then open their gifts in private as soon as all the guests leave, this way all possible disappointment is hidden from the view of others.

The couple conversed until a waiter came to their table to request drink orders. They both ordered one glass of red wine and glasses of water. They continued to enjoy their conversation with laughs and smiles. The woman drank her wine faster than the man. The woman gets up to go to the bathroom and leaves the man alone at the table. The man takes the small gift that the woman gave to him previously and looks at it. He does not open the gift, merely feels it in his hand and looks at it closely. He puts the small gift back into his inner vest pocket and takes a drink from his wine.

Their food arrives but the woman has not returned from the washroom. The man does not begin to eat the food but patiently waits for the woman to return. He takes his phone out of his pocket and quickly puts it away as the woman comes back. The woman sits next to the man briefly to kiss him on the cheek then moves back to her original position at the opposite end of the table. They clink their near empty wine glasses and begin to eat. No noticeable conversation occurs while they eat their food except for a few brief expressions. When they finish their meals they converse again for a short while before calling for the bill. They continue to chat while they wait for the bill. The waiter returns with the bill and the man pays. The couple stands up, puts on their jackets, and leaves the restaurant hand-in-hand while thanking the staff on their way out.

The Finale:

The happy upper-class couple was already in the restaurant before I entered the establishment. They both appeared to be well-behaved and politely mannered towards each other and their environment. The man followed Chinese traditions that involved the reception of gifts and the lack of conversation during the consumption of their food represented their enjoyment of it. After the meal the couple continued to interact with one another in an intimate and friendly manner until they left the restaurant hand-in-hand.