"Eric Takabayashi" <etakajp@yahoo.co.jp> wrote in message

> > Even cheaper in France. Well I did it when I was a primary school kid
> > (recycling newspapers).
>
> My classmates who needed money baby-sat for decent money, considering they
were
> also as young as elementary school themselves. You did not have such an
option?

I was baby-sitting for free, all the time. And I had no need to get pocket
money, I had all I wanted for free (that was primary school, my desires were
very modest).
The money from recycling paper was not for my pocket. I don't know for who
exactly, but you can be sure that was for people that needed it. That was a
sort of emergency fund for the school, and a little further around that
school the years we really collected lots of papers. The teacher had the
idea as he knew nobody recycled the papers in the area (so we were not
stealing the homeless's job) and that would make needing families less
reluctant to accept the help than if that came from direct charity. I know
of people that received help because they told me, never because the teacher
went to tell it around. I admired that guy.

> With most of the homeless I see, eating is not the main problem. It is the
> condition of living outside without the proper clothing or shelter itself.

You're right. I think the problems are more to keep your belongings, assure
your security while you sleep. And in case you are sick or get an accident,
consequences can be terrible if you don't have a reserve of money.

> The cheapest rent here I recall offhand, is 38,000 yen for a one room
> apartment.
>
> Beyond reach of your average Osaka homeless

At their reach. If 4 or 6 of them shared such a room, they'd live in much
better conditions than outside. There is a number of *guesthouses* in Osaka
where you can get a
tatami for 10 000 yen/month. A friend lived in such a place for a while. He
said that was correct, he even had heating/air conditioning (what he
couldn't afford in the independant flat he took later). He could take
showers, store 2-3 things in a fridge, cook a little, live a normal life of
employee/baito/blue collar, so why not trash collector. But you know what it
is like to have room mates  ! When I was in the gaigin house, I have thought
a couple of times that I'd be better in a tent in the nearest park.

> > That's the logic. How much do you ask for your work ?
>
> I take what people pay me or what was advertised or offered. I make no
demands.
> I have never demanded money or raises at any of my jobs.

You don't take jobs at 200 yen /ton of recycled newspapers.

> * Over the course of about four days, the city or workers on behalf of the
city
> have completely cleared the playground under the train tracks near the
station,
> including the old woman on crutches and the man who simply sat in a daze.
They
> also painted over all the graffiti. Even the lingering smell of urine is
no
> longer proof that five or six homeless actually lived there. I do not know
> where any of them are now.

Same thing here. Osaka prefecture has "shelters" (that's free from what I
was told), and they'd want to see all the homeless there, and get the parks
clean. But...you'd go to such a shelter, you ?

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