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Post by lugg on Jul 8, 2013 4:39:21 GMT
What a wonderful report , Htmb, it does look as if you must have walked for miles. Super photos. If I ever do manage to visit again I certainly will travel to see the 19th.
What was the story behind the cake on the floor - 3rd last set of small pics ?
Sorry to hear your husband has been unwell, Skater, hope things are getting better.
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Post by htmb on Jul 8, 2013 7:38:22 GMT
The cake? As I was walking down the street, those two young women rushed out of a building. One put a cake tray on the sidewalk and the other removed the large cake from a bakery box. The second girl then began to spray the cake with something, all while calling to a third girl who was still inside. I'm not quite sure what was going on, even though they were speaking North American English.
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Post by nycgirl on Jul 9, 2013 2:21:21 GMT
Looks like you had a wonderful trip and you captured it really well. The new public spaces look very inviting. In a few years I bet people will be wondering what they ever did without them.
Through your lens, Paris looks even lovelier than I remember. And as a big people watcher, I especially like all your random snapshots of people.
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Post by htmb on Jul 10, 2013 13:45:13 GMT
I forgot to post this photo earlier of my local street resident. He spent his mornings on the corner drinking wine out of a bottle and holding out a cup for spare change, and his afternoons going through Eric Kayser's garbage cans. If he found the need to use the bathroom he just turned towards the wall across the street and went (I decided not to take that picture).
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Post by tod2 on Jul 10, 2013 15:37:52 GMT
I would love to hear Kerouac's opinion on the Paris clochards/tramps. Tourist like me are left a bit bewildered at times when we see the alcohol soaked old codgers lying on benches or the sidewalk and looking seriously worse for wear. Then on the other hand, I came across a room full of tables and benches with people serving the clochards a two course lunch - It was packed but no-one waiting outside in a queue. I saw this several times in the week I stayed in rue Clement off Blvd St.Germain. I can only think that if you see them scratchcing in the bins they have missed the lunch bell.....
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Post by htmb on Jul 10, 2013 17:25:37 GMT
Perhaps he enjoys Eric Kayser's garbage to the soup kitchen.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2013 17:34:05 GMT
It is a "rich country" problem, because there are social services to take care of just about all of these people. There is even a free phone number that they can call -- 115 -- to get picked up, given food, a place to sleep, medical assistance, whatever. (The rest of us are encouraged to call 115 also when we see a homeless person who clearly needs help.)
The problem is that the vagabonds refuse to be mixed with the drug addicts (and vice versa), and of course there is the problem of pets not being accepted. And quite a few of these people prefer to be 'free' out on the street no matter what. The rubbish bins are full of delicious (or at least edible) food, plus lots of people give them food in addition to what they can find. If they were really hungry, they would go to the shelters.
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Post by mossie on Jul 10, 2013 18:50:40 GMT
We have a similar situation here in England. A lot of the 'street people' have a pet dog which is not allowed in most night shelters. Drink and drugs is a big problem, but what I find most distressing is that many are ex servicemen who cannot adjust back to civilian life. I know I found it a very difficult time for a few months and I was keen to work and had not seen actual combat. Peoples minds get messed up too easily nowadays, the general culture is softer.
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Post by lagatta on Jul 17, 2013 2:54:51 GMT
Yes, in homeless shelters here there are a lot of ex servicemen (fewer ex servicewomen, but they may deal with PTSD differently). I have a friend who was teaching adult courses to ex servicepeople, and one fellow had actually served in both Bosnia and Rwanda. No wonder he was a bit off...
There is more publicity and acceptance of this problem here in Canada as Roméo Dallaire, a highly-decorated general who felt powerless about getting anyonein the west to take the Rwandan genocide seriously, was found sleeping, out of it, on a public bench in Ottawa. He did have a home; he was simply disoriented and consumed by guilt, and doubtless self medicating on drink and prescription medications. Oh, he is much better now, and involved in the problem of child soldiers - a very difficult problem as it is a deep tragedy, but of course they become the most ruthless killers of all.
And I wouldn't mind Eric Kayser's rubbish either!
Not all rich countries are as well-organised as France in that respect.
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