January 26 2011
Annex

I was walking around taking photos for thesis and I cross one street where the crossing guard smiled and said hellooo. I said hi back and started to walk away until I turned around and asked if I could take a photo of him (this is always the hardest thing to do in photography). He agreed and I took a few shots and then we started a discussion of his life story and my thesis project. He talked about the bombing Japan did and then how his daughter had asked him to move to Canada. He had nothing much left and so he decided to move but got bored just sitting around and watching TV. And so he decided to become a crossing guard and being able to interact with people, just what we were doing. :) He used to be a mechanical engineer back home. He then asked how old I thought ht was and all I could say "I don't know..hmm.." He then said it might be easier if he took his hat off. So I guessed 55. He was actually born in 1936 making him 75.

He then talked about being out in the cold, was I able to be out in the cold for too long? I said yes, last week I was out for 5 hours in the cold. He then told me he had a heating pad he put on his ankle to stay warm and the superindent in the building close to the intersection let's him stay inside during the non-busy periods of the day.

I then tried to figure out what his background is, but I went for it. C would be proud. So I asked him Filipino ka ba? And it turns out he was and I told him quickly that's all I could say, so he wouldn't get too excited and speak to me like other people in a language I don't understand.

He mentioned that the lady walking around on the other side uh giving out parking tickets haha was actually Filipino but she looked like she was Chinese, you would never know he said, but he knew, they had talks sometimes.

Then I told him I had to go and take some more photos but promised him to give him a few copies of the photos. He then asked if I wanted some more shots of him in a different backgroung haha, I said of course. He then proceded to fix his neon orange vest, unstrapping the velcro and ficing his collar and hat and so I got a few more shots. I said thanks he said his name is Elpy he thought mine was Martin or some guy's name. He's my new Filipino grandpa. Told you I'd get a grandpa.