One eyed gringo takes money from shoehine boy!

johne

Silver
Jun 28, 2003
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For the past few weeks I have been wearing a black patch over my left eye due to a temporary problem that I am having with dry eye and not being able to produce tears.Last week while sitting in the park in Boca Chica waiting for some prints that were being made up the street a beautiful thing happened to me.

An eight year old boy approached me to ask if I wanted my sneakers shined. As he got closer he slowed as he saw I was wearing the eye patch, stared at me and asked if I had one eye. I said yes and would you give me some money as I have one eye and no money. WITHOUT hesitation he reached into his back pocket took out the two coins he had and gave them to the wiseguy gringo from NY. I asked if he would like to see the missing eye under the patch. Sure. OK step a little closer. Takes one step. Closer. Takes another step as I placed my index finger and flipped open the patch with a very loud yelp! He must have jumped two feet off the ground and then laughed harder than any shoeshine boy with no money I ever saw.
Now me thinks there is a lesson here for me to understand - -so I rewarded him for his insight on true charity. ( which cost as much as the film I was developing) and well worth it.
JOHN
 

rellosk

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Mar 18, 2002
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Great story!

Not to distract from your posting but I was curious if the nightlife in BC is still dead.
 

frank alvarez

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Apr 13, 2004
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Dominicans are generous.

Nice story. I like to criticize my fellow Dominicans, especially on what they lack in education, good manners, common sense, etc. However, one thing
that never ceases to amaze me is how they demonstrate a high sense of solidarity towards their fellow human beings. This story does not surprise me as I have seen, countless times, a small boy buy a piece of sweet costing one peso and split it into several tiny pieces to share with his buddies.

Just think of the thought-processes of this little boy, seeing that gringo missing an eye, he thought, and how he was willing to give him all he had in his pocket, 2 pesos or 6 US cents, so he could get his eye back. Wonderful!
 

johne

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Jun 28, 2003
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Don't know

rellosk said:
Great story!

Not to distract from your posting but I was curious if the nightlife in BC is still dead.

I would guess so but dont know as I spend no time there at night preferring dinner at the hotel or going into the capital. I did see that most if not all of the large open air joints were chained and padlocked.

JOHN
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
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Burbujas is alive and well!
Austria Bar is open as a pool hall.
Zanzibar looks like he may reopen one day.
All the other's remain closed.

**note: As of 6/10 so 2 weeks old**
 

WINSTRIC

New member
Jan 7, 2003
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johne said:
For the past few weeks I have been wearing a black patch over my left eye due to a temporary problem that I am having with dry eye and not being able to produce tears.Last week while sitting in the park in Boca Chica waiting for some prints that were being made up the street a beautiful thing happened to me.

An eight year old boy approached me to ask if I wanted my sneakers shined. As he got closer he slowed as he saw I was wearing the eye patch, stared at me and asked if I had one eye. I said yes and would you give me some money as I have one eye and no money. WITHOUT hesitation he reached into his back pocket took out the two coins he had and gave them to the wiseguy gringo from NY. I asked if he would like to see the missing eye under the patch. Sure. OK step a little closer. Takes one step. Closer. Takes another step as I placed my index finger and flipped open the patch with a very loud yelp! He must have jumped two feet off the ground and then laughed harder than any shoeshine boy with no money I ever saw.
Now me thinks there is a lesson here for me to understand - -so I rewarded him for his insight on true charity. ( which cost as much as the film I was developing) and well worth it.
JOHN


Great Post John!
 

Mirador

On Permanent Vacation!
Apr 15, 2004
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This is more than a good story, it is representative of the good-natured Dominican spirit, it's ample capacity to appreciate directness, its fondness for jokes and prankish behavior. What is unusual is for a gringo to pull such a stunt ;)

Here's a recent one. I stopped at a gas station on the way to San Juan de la Maguana, to fill up on gas. The pump attendant was a young local man with unusually bright light-colored eyes. As he approached to receive payment, I told him that people like him, his kind, with those eyes (I empathized the word by pronouncing and extra j (jojos), as some country folk do in the South), were evil and very dangerous. For a moment he was taken aback, and then looking into my SUV, he pointing to my daughter Angela in the back seat, and told me forcefully, 'look, that girl, she has my same evil and dangerous eyes!'. When I slowly pulled my dark glasses down and stared at him, he doubled up laughing.
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
johne said:
For the past few weeks I have been wearing a black patch over my left eye due to a temporary problem that I am having with dry eye and not being able to produce tears.Last week while sitting in the park in Boca Chica waiting for some prints that were being made up the street a beautiful thing happened to me.

An eight year old boy approached me to ask if I wanted my sneakers shined. As he got closer he slowed as he saw I was wearing the eye patch, stared at me and asked if I had one eye. I said yes and would you give me some money as I have one eye and no money. WITHOUT hesitation he reached into his back pocket took out the two coins he had and gave them to the wiseguy gringo from NY. I asked if he would like to see the missing eye under the patch. Sure. OK step a little closer. Takes one step. Closer. Takes another step as I placed my index finger and flipped open the patch with a very loud yelp! He must have jumped two feet off the ground and then laughed harder than any shoeshine boy with no money I ever saw.
Now me thinks there is a lesson here for me to understand - -so I rewarded him for his insight on true charity. ( which cost as much as the film I was developing) and well worth it.
JOHN
I did the same thing while at the Voodoo lounge one evening. I asked first for 10 pesos and he gave me 5. Yeah he made out in the end but I had a good time.

Escott
 

J D Sauser

Silver
Nov 20, 2004
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Beautiful little story which tells a world about the heart and soul of this people.
It must have restored your ability to produce tears when that kid handed you his two coins. So now, you owe him the split on a Dr.'s visit, wise guy!

Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised we'd soon see Boca Chica shoe shine boys wearing black pads too! :D ... they're li'l wise guys too and sure do learn quick!

... J-D.