n.) one who solicits alms for a living
Correction on the announcement I made in my last post: I am going to facilitate two sessions at CPS this week, not just one as I first thought. There were some mistakes in communicating with OCs, but that isn't a huge problem. The name of the session is "Relocation Process, Acculturation Stress, and My Life Abroad." Not too sure what to talk about for 1.5 hour on this topic, but I'll try my best. My strategy for this session is to let delegates talk a lot to minimize my talk, because if I talk for 1.5 hour straight, no one would be awake by the end.
This weekend was probably one of the most unproductive weekend since I came to Romania (other than working on CPS materials), but I need times like this sometimes. Occasionally doing nothing at all feels good. But there were still some things happened that are worth mentioning.
I was running by Danube River on Saturday morning around 9:00, and I saw two boys - around the age of 4 or 5 - walking. As I passed them by, one of them said to me "Hello!" in English, and I was touched by his action. Unfortunately I was a bit out of breath to say anything and a bit too fast to make an eye contact, so I turned my head back, TRIED to smile, and waved. Times like this I realize that I'm here as an ambassador of my home country, and incident like this can be a very small step to filling the gap between our borders.
Yesterday morning, however, was a bit unpleasant. When I was cooking my lunch in my apartment, someone came to my apartment and rang the annoying buzzer by the door. I didn't recognize the man out the door, but I opened the door anyway judging that he isn't here to do any harm. I couldn't see them from the viewer on the door, but there were also two boys in front of the man. The man started to spill out an elevator speech in Romanian at me, which of course made no sense to me at all, but I could tell that they were here to beg for money on the most religious day of week. I may sound a like cold-blooded bastard, but I gave them nothing. I don't give them anything on the street or anywhere else, so why should I give them something when they come at my door to disturb my quiet, private Sunday morning?
Though, I always wonder if I'm doing the right thing, because it hurts me to leave them with nothing when I have enough money to drink beer with dinner at restaurants. But what if I give like 5 lei to every one of them who come to me? My empty wallet aside, they may have enough to feed themselves temporarily, but only temporarily. Giving them something just because they begged, solves no problem in the long run. As an @er I always have to think about sustainability, and I giving something just to satisfy my hypocritical mind is not sustainable. But what else can I do to help them? Hopefully I'll come up with a better answer soon other than "nothing."
What do you do with beggars?
This weekend was probably one of the most unproductive weekend since I came to Romania (other than working on CPS materials), but I need times like this sometimes. Occasionally doing nothing at all feels good. But there were still some things happened that are worth mentioning.
I was running by Danube River on Saturday morning around 9:00, and I saw two boys - around the age of 4 or 5 - walking. As I passed them by, one of them said to me "Hello!" in English, and I was touched by his action. Unfortunately I was a bit out of breath to say anything and a bit too fast to make an eye contact, so I turned my head back, TRIED to smile, and waved. Times like this I realize that I'm here as an ambassador of my home country, and incident like this can be a very small step to filling the gap between our borders.
Yesterday morning, however, was a bit unpleasant. When I was cooking my lunch in my apartment, someone came to my apartment and rang the annoying buzzer by the door. I didn't recognize the man out the door, but I opened the door anyway judging that he isn't here to do any harm. I couldn't see them from the viewer on the door, but there were also two boys in front of the man. The man started to spill out an elevator speech in Romanian at me, which of course made no sense to me at all, but I could tell that they were here to beg for money on the most religious day of week. I may sound a like cold-blooded bastard, but I gave them nothing. I don't give them anything on the street or anywhere else, so why should I give them something when they come at my door to disturb my quiet, private Sunday morning?
Though, I always wonder if I'm doing the right thing, because it hurts me to leave them with nothing when I have enough money to drink beer with dinner at restaurants. But what if I give like 5 lei to every one of them who come to me? My empty wallet aside, they may have enough to feed themselves temporarily, but only temporarily. Giving them something just because they begged, solves no problem in the long run. As an @er I always have to think about sustainability, and I giving something just to satisfy my hypocritical mind is not sustainable. But what else can I do to help them? Hopefully I'll come up with a better answer soon other than "nothing."
What do you do with beggars?
posted by Masato at
10:58 AM
2 Comments:
Take the money that you would have given to the beggar, and give it to any of the various charities/government programs that exist for them.
My two cents ^_^
i know how you feel, i had the same problem in brazil and even here sometimes, though people here aren't always so forward about it. i agree with not giving them the money, though i'll also admit that it rips me apart every time i have to tell someone (especially children) no...i try to give food or something if i can usually :)
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