My Cultural Diversity Project

CD project from Pradumn Mishra

Poverty in Europe

We have been hearing of recession in European countries followed by the Euro Crisis but I never thought that I would witness it in such a manner.

A little context first, I am on student exchange for a term in Clermont Ferrand, France, and have utilized this opportunity to visit many European countries.

Wherever I have been I have seen beggars around. But they are not like beggars in India. None are dressed in rags (This might be because of the weather here). In fact most are well dressed. Some are very young and even good looking men and women.

I would like to recount these two of the instances which really touched me.In a Spanish train from Port Bou to Barcelona, a guy simply kept a slip on every window which told of his problems and he didn't even verbally ask for anything, just left those slips and collected those afterwards. quietly, without even saying anything.

A group or a single guy or girl playing various musical instruments is another way for the poor here to get some money. I have seen hundreds of such performances. But I was pretty touched by a women at a metro station in Paris. She was playing the Cello or I should say trying very hard. She looked like a 40 something lady, well dressed and one who has refused to say no to hardships of this world. I could not help but imagine that she might even have children to feed.

Since I am on a tight budget here, I coould only give her 20 cents but still she smiled back at me and even gave me advice in her broken English to keep my wallet inside my jacket to save it from pickpockets. I just loved her gesture and could not stop thinking about her for a long time.