Monday, May 24, 2010

Maria on the Metro


While in Amsterdam to retrieve my lost mobile phone, I happened to meet Maria selling the Daklozekrant ("Homeless Person's Journal") on Metro line 53. Perhaps because Maria has a smile that would light up the darkest night, she has the gift -- in an environment in which any kind of panhandling usually annoys -- to engage in conversation those whom she's inviting to buy the paper. And then there's that astounding wig, a major work of art...

-- Jim

3 comments:

Cathleen said...

Now THAT's a wig! What a great smile!

Manaus said...

Having had extensive dealings with homeless people in New Orleans and Omaha, I consider myself something of a connoisseur of transients, at least in the U.S. But she trumps them. I wonder if her paper was any good? I know at least one New Orleans bohemian personality relocated to Amsterdam after the deluge: John Sinclair who hosts radio free amsterdam.

Jim and Nancy Forest said...

It's an excellent paper -- well written, well edited and nicley laid out.