Fed by the gypsies
Oct 18, 2009 11:18:06 GMT
Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2009 11:18:06 GMT
Some of the gypsy beggars in Paris choose a location, and stick with it. It builds up a certain fidelity among the neighborhood residents, even when it is somewhat annoying.
Right in front of my building, there is really a quite lovely young Roma woman with a young child. She is either the daughter or the granddaughter of the horrible woman who was there before (and who still 'works' in the neighborhood near the metro station).
I give her a few coins from time to time, but I refuse to pay a toll systematically for going in and out of my building, in spite of her smiling supplications. Nevertheless, on my way out to the market this morning, I saw her in her spot, and she asked for money as usual. I said okay but not immediately; "I'll be back in a little while."
I had prepared a few coins (0.70€ to be precise) on my way back. But she had a new treasure in front of her that she was sorting through -- about 30 cans of food from.....? Actually, my guess would be that they were from the grocery store next door ("Istanbul Oriental" is its highly Parisian name), which just reopened yesterday after complete renovation. They probably gave her some stuff that they didn't want to restock.
I said to the Roma woman, "All that?" She looked up at me beaming and asked "Do you want some?" I said no, of course not, gave her the money and continued on to my door. But she jumped up and gave me five cans of tuna salad as I entered my building.
I think this is the first time that a beggar has given me something rather than the reverse.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure that she must not like tuna salad, but I thought it was a nice gesture since she obviously could have sold the cans for a few coins instead.
Right in front of my building, there is really a quite lovely young Roma woman with a young child. She is either the daughter or the granddaughter of the horrible woman who was there before (and who still 'works' in the neighborhood near the metro station).
I give her a few coins from time to time, but I refuse to pay a toll systematically for going in and out of my building, in spite of her smiling supplications. Nevertheless, on my way out to the market this morning, I saw her in her spot, and she asked for money as usual. I said okay but not immediately; "I'll be back in a little while."
I had prepared a few coins (0.70€ to be precise) on my way back. But she had a new treasure in front of her that she was sorting through -- about 30 cans of food from.....? Actually, my guess would be that they were from the grocery store next door ("Istanbul Oriental" is its highly Parisian name), which just reopened yesterday after complete renovation. They probably gave her some stuff that they didn't want to restock.
I said to the Roma woman, "All that?" She looked up at me beaming and asked "Do you want some?" I said no, of course not, gave her the money and continued on to my door. But she jumped up and gave me five cans of tuna salad as I entered my building.
I think this is the first time that a beggar has given me something rather than the reverse.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure that she must not like tuna salad, but I thought it was a nice gesture since she obviously could have sold the cans for a few coins instead.