Thursday, January 25, 2018

Everyone Wants Headlamps And Other Adventures

Now that I am handing out nicer quality headlamps, EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE is asking me for one. I handed out 7 headlamps and 2 pairs of boots today, along with 2 Avenger toys, suckers and mama noodles. My head is splitting with all the requests for boots and headlamps. I lost count there must have been 2 dozen, maybe more. Feel exhausted, overwhelmed and confused, feel exhausted.

I changed up my routine and went in the early evening to the dump and it was HUMMING, people everywhere, near the busiest I have seen it, many younger people, many new people, many many. The garbage trucks came and people were working hard. Saw and spoke to many new people handed headlamps out to them. Met one new women with a  young soon who did not speak, She spoke Thai and told me her husband found a new wife, we laughed about it. Really nice woman, proud. I asked her if she needed boots, she told me the ones she had were fine. I told her I would  bring boots for her son who wore old plastic shoes.

More affection today in the dump than I am used to. One man I have known for many years, a very hard working father hugged me for a long time, another held my hand in hello, a young boy put his arm around my neck in a hug while I was sitting by myself. Many others waied me, said thank yous. The new lady with no husband and the son said I was JAI DEE (good hearted). All this could make your head swell. I told one boy who spoke Thai how the people in Canada and the USA had donated money and  I was just buying things from them, not sure he understood it all thou. Wish I could explain it to everyone, wish I could make everyone understand. I am not the hero here, just a plain Joe dude being Santa Claus, others are footing the bills.

Anyway another truly amazing day in the dump. Shot pictures on the fly, not sure what worked and what  didn't Having lots of issues getting used to the digital camera, not as easy for me to use as my film ones. Will follow this path for a while, see where it leads me. I will miss these people when I return to my security job in Canada.