rcws – female nomads

#randomconversationswithstrangers

homeJames’ doppleganger [taken Dec 29th 2014]

i’d heard from a grey nomad early last year that there are more single female nomads than single males or couples (I assumed she didn’t mean including grey nomads or tourists :). I hadn’t met any thus far, tho I do tend to choose quiet places where possible.

Tonight, while parked at what seems to be Perth’s only remaining ‘overlooked*’ beach parkup (while rigging more of hJ’s windows with mozzie screens) … one of these mythical entities introduced herself and her van, Bongo.

Her van is also a Toyota and she shares my Grandad’s surname. And she came to say hi coz she’d ‘seen me around before’ – turns out there’s an  doppelganger around! I’ve seen a photo, it’s spooky!

Obviously that went extremely well :D

*tho not for long as it’s apparently been sold to a commercial car park co.

[originally posted via Known, December 27th 2014; photo added later, after i finally met the doppleganger]

 

rcws – secret santa

#‎randomactsofkindness‬

in what I can only assume is a continuation from my encounter with a local homeless guy last week (ref ‪#‎randomconversationswithstrangers‬ post [now republished here]), my inner-grinch has been given a most surprising hug.

woke this morning to find a white carrier bag outside the bus with these inside. maybe they’re not from him, maybe some other modern day St Nicholas dropped them off, I dunno. but it’s an incredibly beautiful gesture and I’m seriously touched.

happy merries, whatever you (do or don’t) believe in, whoever you’re with (or not with) and wherever you are in the world. love from a slightly less grinchy grinch x

[originally posted via Known (with comments there and via facebook), December 25th 2014]

Update December 2nd 2015: comments/discussion on these posts are what encouraged me to turn them into a collection. here are a few selections from the original post:

My response to someone else: it was still a lovely gesture. later on another homeless guy I’ve seen around came over for a chat and gave me a box of chocolates that he’d been given, saying he can’t eat sugar, and again wouldn’t take anything in return.
and to continue the story, the first guy (who left the bag – I don’t wanna say their names here) just came by asking if I got it. when I thanked him he said he had a bunch of ‘leftovers’ so ‘it was nothing’. he also asked if i’d had any trouble, he told me some people tried to break in to the building he sleeps outside in Sat. he got rid of them and warned me to be careful, said if I was ever worried I should just yell and he’d come over. BLESS!
can’t help but compare our world governments (rattling around their mansions, giving welfare to wealthy mining companies and banks but taking rights and support from the people who truly need it) to a couple of guys on the streets who have given me their food and offered protection. while I despair at the politics I can’t help but admire humanity.

Sounds like what Christmas is all about, nice to hear. Seems like a Christmas you’ll remember for all the right reasons, Fee. Thanks for bringing some light to Perth, stay cool :-) [Aubrey, Perth]

rcws – homeless people can’t starve in this city

#randomconversationswithstrangers

i saw a guy this morning using the tap outside the sold building next to which i’ve been sneakily parked for the last week. i’d never noticed him there before but i got the impression he’d been there for at least as long as me. having seen him use the tap i went to fill my water butts, which were running empty. i wanted to say thanks but he’d gone.

he just came through here again now so i smiled and he came over to ask me something. we had a lil chat and he told me that he’s been living there, outside, for a couple of years, and that they’d left the lx on there for him after they’d sold it (so he told me i could plug in there if i needed extra power, which i did coz i was parked under a tree and not getting enough solar).

am now left with the massively strange sensation of camaraderie (we’re both chancing our luck staying where we can find) and yet mine is of such privilege – and yet despite that, HE had gone out of his way to help ME. and he wouldn’t accept any food i offered either, he said “homeless people can’t starve in this city”.

puts Every Single One of my occasional moans to shame, for good bloody reason. somewhat smacked in the face with happysad right now. life is mental, all of it.

[originally posted via Known, December 20th 2014]

rcws – Kalgoorlie

#randomconversationswithstrangers

The lovely @BecBrewin came to interview/photograph #homeJames & I :)

The lovely @BecBrewin came to interview/photograph #homeJames & I :)

She’s working with ABC Open in Kalgoorlie and can be found at mybloggableday.com. Lovely chatting with her, the guys from The Kalgoorlie Miner (who also interviewed/photographed us) and everyone I met at a very posh crafts party.

Merry Xmas Kalgoorlie :)

[originally posted via Known, December 12th 2014]

Update: our random conversation resulted in this lovely article :)
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