By: Lévana

Lévana — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:58:35 +0000

Joumana: here’s what I think is the difference: you and I grew up in poor countries. So our poor are genuinely poor, for the most part. Many American and European poors conduct it as a business. 2 examples that will make my point in full: once I was frantically asking for change of $100.00 bill for a cab ride, and asked everyone for change. Predictably, no one had any. Except one beggar, who got up from the corner he used as his daily makeshift office, and whipped out a mountainous pile of dollar bills. Suddenly he was all business, as he asked me insolently: “you won’t mind singles, will you?”. The other example is, I regularly see two very articulate young adults in front of Columbia University, fighting bitterly for their turf. Then comes the one I would gladly smack, but he cracks everyone up. He holds up a sign “I need money for alcohol research!” I think you get it. Xoxo

By: tasteofbeirut

tasteofbeirut — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:59:30 +0000

I devoured this piece as I am grappling with this issue daily since my arrival in Beirut; I find myself giving endlessly and finally thinking I am a fool (cause I am going broke!) and should be more picky. One guy who was selling bread on the street was so good at it that he got me to give him money and not take the bread at the end of a long discussion (he wanted to sell me the entire bag with 10 loaves).

Comments on: Three Beggars

By: Lévana

By: tasteofbeirut