22:54 Hours, Hotel Park Plaza, Leeds, UK - I am at the 15th floor room of my Hotel at Park Plaza in Leeds and the city looks splurged with lights from its buildings - like stars of all hues have descended on this lovely city. The view is spectacular and quiet tonight. Last night was a riot as the whole town was on the streets because of a Holiday today. But, today it is quite and the slight chill adds to the eerie quietness.
BBC1 just concluded a thought-provoking documentary on emigration profiling two polish people who emigrated for work and better oportunities to England. Against the backdrop of some soulful polist music their stories unraveled the pain, suffering and loneliness of the hundreds emigrants that i have come across in my few days here - asians, east europeans, africans, caribbeans. I see the same loneliness, the blank looks and the sadness in their faces as they work their way in restaurants, stores, super-markets and bars.
I just got back from a lovely cuban dinner of Tapas at Cuba Viva and the young, drop-dead gorgeous lady serving us was having a bad day at work. She tried to explain in her highly accented polish english that she was not supposed to come in today but had to and she is new here, so having difficulty understanding the northern accent, etc. I just wanted to get up and hug her and tell her she was doing just fine and was being a good waiter. I didn't.
After that unsettling experience at Cuba Viva, watching the documentary helped me make sense of the loneliness, frustration and anxiety possibly felt by many emigrants in this developed country.
Challenges of low wages, unorganized sector, having to do many jobs to make ends meet, not having a family, having to move from city to city to seek stable jobs and struggling with language, stress and sometimes even crime and abuse - it must indeed be tough on many emigrants.
I dont have solutions but I know something can be done and I let this entry remain unfinished as my thoughts lingers on some possible solutions.
BBC1 just concluded a thought-provoking documentary on emigration profiling two polish people who emigrated for work and better oportunities to England. Against the backdrop of some soulful polist music their stories unraveled the pain, suffering and loneliness of the hundreds emigrants that i have come across in my few days here - asians, east europeans, africans, caribbeans. I see the same loneliness, the blank looks and the sadness in their faces as they work their way in restaurants, stores, super-markets and bars.
I just got back from a lovely cuban dinner of Tapas at Cuba Viva and the young, drop-dead gorgeous lady serving us was having a bad day at work. She tried to explain in her highly accented polish english that she was not supposed to come in today but had to and she is new here, so having difficulty understanding the northern accent, etc. I just wanted to get up and hug her and tell her she was doing just fine and was being a good waiter. I didn't.
After that unsettling experience at Cuba Viva, watching the documentary helped me make sense of the loneliness, frustration and anxiety possibly felt by many emigrants in this developed country.
Challenges of low wages, unorganized sector, having to do many jobs to make ends meet, not having a family, having to move from city to city to seek stable jobs and struggling with language, stress and sometimes even crime and abuse - it must indeed be tough on many emigrants.
I dont have solutions but I know something can be done and I let this entry remain unfinished as my thoughts lingers on some possible solutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment