Yesterday I was wandering around the city centre in the afternoon(I'd been attending a course earlier that day for unemployed professionals of which I am myself one at this moment in time) and spotted someone tapping on O'Connell Bridge. It appeared to be at first glance a Romanian woman as she was pretty dark skinned and was wearing the long skirt and head scarf that you usually see the Roma women in. I stopped walking for a moment, leaned against the bridge and just observed her for a few moments and tried to see the world from her vantage point. All I saw was a blur of legs and people walking past. Nobody stopped. Normally I would probably have been the same but since I decided to embark on this project, I figured it would be hypocritical not to at least attempt to talk to her. So I did. I walked up to her, introduced myself and asked her what her name was. Alas, it appeared she did not speak any English. However, she did seem to understand when I was asking her where she was from and said something that sounded like "Romania". I thought perhaps she might be suspicious of my motives and like Jacinta before her, might assume I was a bangarda or someone attempting to move her on so I attempted to explain that I only wanted to ask her a few questions but either she really didn't speak English or she was a pretty good actress. At any rate, it seemed pointless to try and continue talking to her so I walked on.
Later on I came across someone else. This time it was a guy and he was gaunt looking and approaching pedestrians directly outside Stephen's Green Shopping centre and asking them for money. Determined to try and engage with someone else, I walked up to him, introduced myself and explained that I wanted to ask him a few questions. The minute I mentioned "questions", he seemed defensive and said "Look love, I'm not really in the mood today. I'm on methadone and I'm not really in the right frame of mind just now". I explained once again that I wasn't a guard and he seemed relieved and said "Oh I thought you were as I've been arrested before for tapping". Once he knew I wasn't a guard he was more inclined to converse and volunteered that he was from Sligo and his name was Seán. He mentioned that he'd been off heroin for 6 months and when I explained that I wanted to just chat to him and find out a few things, he was much friendlier, gave me his number and said that he would like to talk to me and that he'd be in town at the same place the following evening around 6.He seemed like a decent enough chap, he was polite and courteous at any rate.
Admittedly I was skeptical as to whether or not the number was even a real number but in my naivety, I tried calling him this evening and actually got through. However, I hung up immediately before the phone was asnswered as I realised he possibly now had my number which might not be such a good idea. In fact, as soon as I hung up he rang me back straight away and asked who I was. I explained that we'd met yesterday and he said that he rang back immediately as he thought it might be his mother. I had initially been ringing him to explain that I wasn't going to be able to make it this evening for our chat but he pre-empted me and apologised saying that he was sorry he wouldn't be able to meet me that evening as he'd been arrested for begging ('tapping') and was right at that moment in the Garda station. He didn't sound particularly worried-in fact he seemed fairly nonchalant and told me that they'd just hold him overnight and then he'd be released.He reiterated that he was keen to talk to me and asked if another time would do. I suggested Monday and said I would give him a ring.
Will try meet him again this week and see what other information I can find out about him.....was sily to ring him from my personal number though. Note to self: May now need to change phone number!!!
Later on I came across someone else. This time it was a guy and he was gaunt looking and approaching pedestrians directly outside Stephen's Green Shopping centre and asking them for money. Determined to try and engage with someone else, I walked up to him, introduced myself and explained that I wanted to ask him a few questions. The minute I mentioned "questions", he seemed defensive and said "Look love, I'm not really in the mood today. I'm on methadone and I'm not really in the right frame of mind just now". I explained once again that I wasn't a guard and he seemed relieved and said "Oh I thought you were as I've been arrested before for tapping". Once he knew I wasn't a guard he was more inclined to converse and volunteered that he was from Sligo and his name was Seán. He mentioned that he'd been off heroin for 6 months and when I explained that I wanted to just chat to him and find out a few things, he was much friendlier, gave me his number and said that he would like to talk to me and that he'd be in town at the same place the following evening around 6.He seemed like a decent enough chap, he was polite and courteous at any rate.
Admittedly I was skeptical as to whether or not the number was even a real number but in my naivety, I tried calling him this evening and actually got through. However, I hung up immediately before the phone was asnswered as I realised he possibly now had my number which might not be such a good idea. In fact, as soon as I hung up he rang me back straight away and asked who I was. I explained that we'd met yesterday and he said that he rang back immediately as he thought it might be his mother. I had initially been ringing him to explain that I wasn't going to be able to make it this evening for our chat but he pre-empted me and apologised saying that he was sorry he wouldn't be able to meet me that evening as he'd been arrested for begging ('tapping') and was right at that moment in the Garda station. He didn't sound particularly worried-in fact he seemed fairly nonchalant and told me that they'd just hold him overnight and then he'd be released.He reiterated that he was keen to talk to me and asked if another time would do. I suggested Monday and said I would give him a ring.
Will try meet him again this week and see what other information I can find out about him.....was sily to ring him from my personal number though. Note to self: May now need to change phone number!!!
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