The Economist

Today was beautiful. The rain clouds have parted and the warm sun that I had been expecting when I arrived has finally revealed itself.

This morning I met a fellow Aussie at the hostel, his name was Franky. We went and grabbed some breakfast from the local supermarket. He does a lot of graphic design work and was a really good guy to talk to. Nice to have a bit of normality again.

I went back to Ueno and saw this man taking some things out of his coin locker. He was 80-something years old and could hardly walk but was extremely cheerful and was very appreciative when I offered to give him a hand carrying his belongings. We sat in the sunshine for some time and he told me about the careful considerations he makes while shopping. He was a very frugal man that seemed to make smart decisions with his money.

I should point out that he is not homeless but lives in a very small apartment shared with two other older guys. Despite living in poverty, it seems as though his wise spending has managed to keep him off the street.

As we continued to chat I asked him about his life. He had worked in the Osaka police force for 35 years and had two children who were both teachers. He also described the difference between humans and animals as their ability to have faith in God.



Minolta X700 Rokkor-X 45mm f/2.0 : Ilford Panf 50