Ok, I'm done being a smart-ass for now. I actually do have thoughts/observations that might be worth posting. At the beginning of this week as I was going to class I noticed very large piles of what appeared to be garbage scattered on the sides of the street. Everyone else in my group obviously noticed as well and started theorizing as to where they came from. We came to the conclusion that they are probably results of people being evicted from their homes. It's a situation that occurs all over the world but I have never seen it so obvious or common. The economy here is struggling and many seem to be struggling along with it.
In the days following the appearance of the piles of peoples belongings, others made a habit of going through these piles to find things they could use. People come on the tram with bags full or furniture scraps in their hands. It has made some of us uncomfortable and it is an awkward situation. It kind of seems disrespectful to take the possessions others had to leave behind, but it all will end up in the garbage so isn't it better to have someone else make use of it? What if the people searching through the piles have no other way of gaining possessions?
There are quite of few homeless people here. They sleep in the metro stations on cardboard and most of them are elderly. A lot of us wonder why it is that there are so many elderly people begging. It is harder to pass by them without helping because they seem so helpless. In North America I know that there are programs that are available for the homeless, but I have no idea what is available here. There are also a lot of older women who sell flowers on the street. I wonder what their stories are.
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