It was a shock to me to find beggars on European streets and other people with no proper sleeping places, no food and good clothes. Before I went to Europe, I had a very positive picture all together about Europeans. I knew Europeans as rich, loving, caring, and hospitable people like those who used to come to my country. However, after reaching Europe I was shocked to find that there are those who live under very poor conditions, beggers, drunkards, and drug addicts among others. I was really surprised to find some white people sleeping on streets and homeless houses simillar to school dormitories because they cannot afford to pay rent.
Most whites who could frequent such sleeping places were those who had lost meaning for life and only looking for something to eat and drink. I used to see some of them on Amsterdam streets puting on very dirty clotheses and begging for money from bypassers. With their un cut beards and dirty long hair they were really looking ugly. Sometimes you could find them in parks in groups drinking themselves silly and smooking uncontrorably. Others could go on streets to sing for bypassers so as to give them some coins.
One day I visted my Dutch friend living in the middle of the city. Paul was an artists living together with other five people in five storeyed appartment in the middel of city of Amsterdam. It was a weekend when I visited him and entering the house, I could not believe my eyes on what I saw. It was a two roomed house, with a bed, a reading table and cooking space and the rest were boxes full of un sorted used very old items raging from clothes, cups, old Tv sets and radios, old microvaves, fridges, saucepans to mention but a few.
His house was a real mess and when I asked him why all that stuff in his house he said that he picks them on the streets. “ You know, we have garbage days every week and some rich people throw nice things on the streets and when I see them I pick them and bring them to my house, infact I never buy things because I dont have the money, I instead pick from the streets” he said. Paul’s house was full to capacity and he was only left with a small space for sleeping, siting and cooking. “I am not the only one picking things from the streets even my neighbours, most of the things they use were picked from streets” he explained. I couldn’t believe that some white people were not different from some immigrants who survive by picking from streets.
