Down and out in BC

In the Library this afternoon, busy browsing the shelves and was addressed thusly by one of the local 'Street people' who'd overheard me talking to Mrs S. "Can you say something?"
"Pardon?" I was somewhat taken aback.
"What part of England are you from?"
"Here and there." I hedged.
"That is a wonderful accent."
"Really?"
"Can you say something more?" He asked. I obliged. You can't help it when someone asks you as nicely as he did.

'Street person' had a warm jumper on which I reckon cost whoever donated it to him a couple of hundred dollars. "Good, eh?" He grinned, plucking at the fine wool on his sleeve.
"Keep you warm?" I asked.
"Sure does."
"I got my DVD player charging over there. Only cost me sixty seven bucks." He said.
"I recall when those were a thousand dollars apiece." I responded with an ironic twist to my mouth. This was one of our better dressed down and outs. As polite as the majority are round here. There's the odd one or two who are so far gone they hate the world and all that's in it, but the rest are polite as all hell. Talk about culture shock. Toffler would be nodding with an air of quiet satisfaction.
"It's pretty cool." He grinned and moved on, DVD's in hand. He at least would have viewing tonight. I passed him by later. He was wearing headphones and watching some art house movie. Not bothering anyone, just like a man who knows that the tides of fate have their ebbs and flows, and his time would surely come. All he needed was patience.

What a contrast from the UK. Damn, I love this country.