VANCOUVER, BC -- FEBRUARY 12 marked the anniversary of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. We continue with Homeless Quatchi on the streets of Vancouver, during the celebration of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, at various locations around downtown. Homeless Quatchi was most fond of the Robson Rink, and the Olympic Cauldron festivities, but he was however immensely disappointed by the lack of Olympic celebrations on Main st. and Hastings at the Carnegie Library.
Dressed with a plastic bag poncho, and his portable home shopping cart, Quatchi soon learned that he was the ONLY Olympic Mascot in attendance during the celebrations. What happened to all the mascots? Oh yeah, they're all unemployed, living somewhere in the DTES.
Quatchi decides to participate in the Vancouver 2010 street party sponsored by the City of Vancouver. With such large crowds of people being downtown, he hopes to 'cash in' on the suckers families, and children enjoying and reliving the Olympic experience. Many people from the outskirts of Vancouver, are kind enough to spare some change, despite his lack of street performance ability.
With no talent whatsoever, he was still able to earn some money for his own Olympic celebration later that night. Hitting the pipe, or the needle.
The act of 'acting poor, helpless and needy' is a performance unto itself, required to tug at those heartstrings, of the stupid generous. So I guess you could say Homeless Quatchi is quite the Busker, with the talent to manipulate. He's such a convincing actor, his homeless friends think he should be in movies.
After getting kicked out of the Granville Skytrain station by the Vancouver Police, Quatchi decides to move his operation street performance, to where the families are least suspecting... Robson Square.
Quatchi makes his way close to the ice skating rink.
Quatchi climbs up on the railing to get a better view of the skating, and to gain more visibility from the people passing by. He waved his signs around, and manages to catch the attention of curious international students from Japan and China. They were shocked to see their favorite mascot begging for change...! The life of an unemployed mascot ain't sunshine and rainbows!
Quatchi wheels himself to the Vancouver Convention Centre. He tries to get a good view of the cauldron which was re-lit for the anniversary. This time, there was no awkward large fence to keep people away.
Quatchi decided to sneak into some photos of some Olympic celebrants. Such happy families, and couples.
Quatchi made his way up on the bridge to get a better view of the Olympic cauldron. All this excitement for a flame. Quatchi lights fires all the time in trash bins to stay warm during the cold wet Vancouver nights. The only crowds that form are those of homeless gathering by the fire in a DTES alley.
The Adventures of Homeless Quatchi will continue each anniversary, and randomly throughout the year. Stay tuned to his life on the facebook fan page.
THE HOMELESS QUATCHI PROJECT on FACEBOOK
READ THE INTRODUCTION TO THE HOMELESS QUATCHI PROJECT.
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