American Life ?

I was @ home watchin TV today and happen to come across tis program call tyra banks show(which is my 1st) and i was so emotionally down and depress by watching the program. Aft the end of the show it really change my views on living the America Dream. Which is y i intend to post tis on my blog.

The title of the show is "Homelessness: It's Closer Than You Think". She explained that 70% of Americans live paycheck 2 paycheck, & once they dun hav paycheck they will b homeless and more than 3.5 million people r homeless. The homeless population has grown by 50% over the past 10 yrs, n the homeless mortality rate is nearly four times higher than the national average. And most of them are illegal immigrant getting out of the country thinking of getting a slice of the American Pie.

Danielle & Tyra Banks

Tyra went undercover and uglified herself as a homeless woman, living a day on skid row
(North American used to refer to a rundown or dilapidated urban area), 2 Xperience wat it’s like 2 b homeless. She have to wear a rag and thick boots and ugly makeup. The reason she have to wear thick boots is bcoz there are lots of polluted needles on the streets and she need those boots to protect herself. Tyra was guided by Danielle, a 30-year-old woman who had been homeless 4 the last five years. In 2001, Danielle lost her job and soon aft her apartment. She left her 4 kids wit her grandmother and took 2 the streets. Living on the streets was hard bcoz she never knew where she would take her next shower, where she would slp or when she would get her next meal

Tyra in her undercover look begging for money wit a paper cup

Tyra was dropped off on skid row 2 meet wit Danielle. On her way 2 the meeting spot, she met Egypt and Franklin, 2 homeless teens. The kids showed Tyra a crack pipe on the sidewalk wit fresh drugs still in it. Tyra learned they’d been homeless 4 nearly 5yrs. . As Tyra and Danielle began walking, they saw ppl smokin crack in broad daylight as if it were nothin, and others wit bleedin feet and open sores. I was shocked to see people lived like this in wat was considered the land of opportunity.

1 of the main tools Tyra & Danielle needed 4 living on the streets was the ability swallow their pride and beg for money. Aft an hour of eagerly begging, sum1 finally gav them a dollar. Danielle revealed men usually gave more money than women because women were afraid. Aft hours of begging, the ladies had received $3.50. When Tyra and Danielle entered a restaurant 2 buy sum food, the owner insisted they leave his establishment. Outside, Tyra found a trashcan full of food. She knew if she were truly homeless, she would have eaten food frm the dumpster 2 survive.

Their next mission was to find a place to wash up. Tyra was lucky enough to find a gas station tt allowed her to use their facility. As Tyra began cleaning herself up, she was hit wit the realization tt tis small sink was a bathtub and a shower. The emotions took over as she tot abt all of the ppl and their unique situations tt led them to skid row. She emotionally revealed tt she was one of the ppl tt kept walking when she encountered the homeless. Tt min make mi realise i did the same thing as tyra back i was in Times Square happily shopping around while ignoring my surroundings.

As Tyra left the facility, it was time 4 them 2 find a place 2 slp 4 the night. Tyra asked Danielle how women protected themselves on the street. Although it was illegal, Danielle confessed she carried a knife. Aft preparing their bed, Danielle stayed up to watch while Tyra slept wit a blanket over her face, to keep strangers frm realizing she was a woman. The women switched places and Tyra realized she was now Danielle’s keeper, responsible 4 keeping her safe.

I did my research on skid row and the exact location in america and was shock to know tt the street Bowery in NY is also considered as one of them. And everytime i go downtown NY ill definately pass by tt area. i hav seen streets filled wit beggers and in my mind i was telling myself WHY dun they get a job and Why they hav to beg on the streets? In USA alone there are more than 3 million ppl and counting are homeless and jobless tts almost like a population of Singapore back in 1998. Ppl like mi think that USA is a land filled wit opportunity and when you work there you are gonna hav a good life. But not all of them who went there are becoming rich when they go back to their hometown. Some of them went there and came back with juz an american accent. So aft watchin tis prog and it really woke me up, izit wise to go there and work, or am i blinded by the savoury looking of the American Pie