I am continuing where I left off from Week 2 of the Don Juan Boot Camp. Week 2 of the Don Juan Boot Camp involves having 2-10 minute conversations with at least 10 different strangers. To challenge myself, I do not count conversations with workers at a store. Previously, I was writing in a personal journal in which I recorded my experience in taking part in the Boot Camp, and I was reluctant to share my experience with you guys in the Don Juan Discussion Forum. Well, I have finally decided to share this with you to keep myself accountable and possibly get some input on improving my experience in this Boot Camp.
Stranger #3
So, I was in Ralphs one night and noticed a girl who was browsing the books section. I asked her if she has read any of these, and she replied that she hasn't. I told her that I was not much of a reader, so I haven't either. We then talked about the price of the books, how they were not that expensive. I asked her what she likes to read, and she told me that she liked to read Spanish books. She added that many books are written in Spanglish, a combination of Spanish and English, and because she is Mexican-American, she is able to read them. She made a suggestion that you can return the book once you read it to get your money back because she is cheap like that! The bottom line is that the conversation went way too slowly because of me; I need to be a faster talker.
Stranger #4
In Ralphs, I approached a woman who looked like she was having trouble stacking these items on the corner of her shopping cart. She told me that she was preparing for her relative's baby shower. I asked her where she was going to have the baby shower in, and she told me a hall. Actually, what I wanted was what city, and it took me way too long for me to ask her what I really meant in that question because I was reluctant to ask that question in the first place. I thought that it was too personal, and yes, I know that it is not that personal. She countered with a personal question of her own, and that was if I was married. I told her no, and she asked me if I had any kids. I told her no, again. Anyway, she told me that she was thinking about making the items that she was stacking fit into a bowl. The conversation went pretty slowly. She told me that I will learn after I said that I did not know anything about this baby shower stuff, and I left it at that.
Stranger #5
I was in a RadioShack near my workplace, and I saw this guy who looked a little homeless. I asked him what he was looking for, and he told me some RCA output converter thing-a-ma-jig. I asked him to repeat what he said, and he just pointed at the item that was most similar to what he was really looking for, and he described it to me. I asked him what he was going to use it for. He told me that he does hobby projects, and he was trying to hook up a stereo system. I asked him if he works, and he told me no. Mistakenly, I think I asked him right after where he works, and he told me that he works from home! As if he wasn't annoyed that I did not listen to him and just went straight to the next question as if I automatically assumed that he works. Anyway, I told him where I worked when he asked me the same. I told him that it was nice meeting him and asked for his name, and I subsequently told him mine. I tried to be a little quicker in talking. The end.
Stranger #6
I saw this guy eating next to two girls. I tried to wait until they reached a quiet moment in their conversation, so I can open up to them and tell the guy what's up. He greeted back in a friendly manner, and I asked him if they work around here. He told me yes, and it is actually in Downtown LA. He told me that he was in Koreatown just to have lunch. I asked him which company he works for, and he told me that it was a non-profit. I also asked him what their ethnicity was, and he told me their ethnicity. I was running out of questions, to be honest. I asked him if he liked what he was eating and what the price of it was. (I am Korean, and I thought that I had the right to ask.) It was too much of a Q&A, and I didn't share anything about myself, even though he told me that they work in the law department of the non-profit, and I could have said that I work for an online law school. Whatever.
Tomorrow, I am planning to approach two more strangers, and I want them to be women around my age, this time.
Stranger #3
So, I was in Ralphs one night and noticed a girl who was browsing the books section. I asked her if she has read any of these, and she replied that she hasn't. I told her that I was not much of a reader, so I haven't either. We then talked about the price of the books, how they were not that expensive. I asked her what she likes to read, and she told me that she liked to read Spanish books. She added that many books are written in Spanglish, a combination of Spanish and English, and because she is Mexican-American, she is able to read them. She made a suggestion that you can return the book once you read it to get your money back because she is cheap like that! The bottom line is that the conversation went way too slowly because of me; I need to be a faster talker.
Stranger #4
In Ralphs, I approached a woman who looked like she was having trouble stacking these items on the corner of her shopping cart. She told me that she was preparing for her relative's baby shower. I asked her where she was going to have the baby shower in, and she told me a hall. Actually, what I wanted was what city, and it took me way too long for me to ask her what I really meant in that question because I was reluctant to ask that question in the first place. I thought that it was too personal, and yes, I know that it is not that personal. She countered with a personal question of her own, and that was if I was married. I told her no, and she asked me if I had any kids. I told her no, again. Anyway, she told me that she was thinking about making the items that she was stacking fit into a bowl. The conversation went pretty slowly. She told me that I will learn after I said that I did not know anything about this baby shower stuff, and I left it at that.
Stranger #5
I was in a RadioShack near my workplace, and I saw this guy who looked a little homeless. I asked him what he was looking for, and he told me some RCA output converter thing-a-ma-jig. I asked him to repeat what he said, and he just pointed at the item that was most similar to what he was really looking for, and he described it to me. I asked him what he was going to use it for. He told me that he does hobby projects, and he was trying to hook up a stereo system. I asked him if he works, and he told me no. Mistakenly, I think I asked him right after where he works, and he told me that he works from home! As if he wasn't annoyed that I did not listen to him and just went straight to the next question as if I automatically assumed that he works. Anyway, I told him where I worked when he asked me the same. I told him that it was nice meeting him and asked for his name, and I subsequently told him mine. I tried to be a little quicker in talking. The end.
Stranger #6
I saw this guy eating next to two girls. I tried to wait until they reached a quiet moment in their conversation, so I can open up to them and tell the guy what's up. He greeted back in a friendly manner, and I asked him if they work around here. He told me yes, and it is actually in Downtown LA. He told me that he was in Koreatown just to have lunch. I asked him which company he works for, and he told me that it was a non-profit. I also asked him what their ethnicity was, and he told me their ethnicity. I was running out of questions, to be honest. I asked him if he liked what he was eating and what the price of it was. (I am Korean, and I thought that I had the right to ask.) It was too much of a Q&A, and I didn't share anything about myself, even though he told me that they work in the law department of the non-profit, and I could have said that I work for an online law school. Whatever.
Tomorrow, I am planning to approach two more strangers, and I want them to be women around my age, this time.
