Alyssa DiTota
Professor Dalton
WFSS
3rd Decemeber 2019
Interview with Alexa
When I first walked in Saint Catherine’s park on 67th street and 1st avenue, I was overwhelmed with the number of subjects available for me to focus on. As I approached the park, I came upon an iron gate that came up to my waist. I unlatched the creaky gate and made my way up the paved hill towards the playground. The space is divided into four sections. On the far side there is the “Big Kid” playground consisting of monkey bars, several slides, bridges and tree houses. This is where the most chaotic games of hide and seek occur. The school age kids were wrestling and bumping about while some toddlers trying to fit in bumbled about, narrowly escaping injuries from the older crowd thanks to the nannies and parents anxiously chasing them around. On the other side, closest to the entrance are the swings where a long line of kids was waiting for their turns. Behind them was the play area for the toddlers, complete with miniature slides and a sand box filled with miscellaneous toys. On the opposite end of the park, separated by an extremely tall fence was the basketball court. This portion of the park Is attached to a middle school and serves as their outside recess area. But, after school hours the gate is open, and kids of all ages play various sports games. This is where I saw one of the women I would speak to during this site visit.
Alexa
The first thing I noticed about Alexis was that she was much younger than the other nannies at the park that day. She was looking down at her iPhone wrapped in a puffy grey coat with a pink scarf and white hat. Her dirty blond straight hair was down, reaching all the way down to her waist. As I approached her to ask if I could interview her, I noticed she has bright blue eyes. Her face had a childlike quality to it. And she seemed timid but interested in sharing with me. She maintained a friendly smile throughout our entire conversation. She was dressed casually, but wore a substantial amount of make-up, including light pink eyeshadow and eyeliner. I recognized that she was an attractive person and she had a nice personality
Interview Excerpt
Q: So, where are you from
A: I am Russian
Q: How old are you
A: Twenty.
Q: How long have you been in NYC?
A: Just 3 months, since I have been working with this family.
Q: Oh really? Did you find this job after moving here?
A: No, I moved here because of this job. I live with the family.
Q: Oh wow, do you like it?
A: It’s okay
Q: Do you have a nice room?
A: I share a room with the kid. In a bunk bed. So, it’s a little strange.
Q: Do you ever find time to yourself?
A: Yes, but he is up early for school and I have to help him, but when he gets to school sometimes, I go back to sleep.
Q: If you don’t mind me asking, how much do you get paid?
A: Its okay, well…. I get paid 500 a week for 6 days. I know it’s not a lot but they give me a place to stay and tell me that makes up for it.
