Iroh keeps an eye out for poorer kids. He can't do as much about it now that he's not running a shop any more, but every little bit helps. And at least the cold has stopped being so cold.

He does notice Hiro -- and that Hiro is clearly a Foreigner. Even if a kedan was good enough to mimic a Foreigner, that wasn't any of the kedan scripts. He crouches down to expect the drawing. "It's an ocean-going turtle, not a tortoise." Because herpetology is really important, okay?