Thursday 17 May 2007

Taxi Tales

Taxi driver (T) - Where to?
Jonny (J) - Gan Sacher please.
T - Jump in.
J - Do you mind not smoking?

Taxi driver chucks his cigarette out of the window

T - You just have to ask, you know?
J - I know - I just asked.
T - All right, but you don't have to make a big deal about it.
J - I didn't - I just asked.
T - Whatever. What's going on at Gan Sachar tonight?
J - Big concert for Yom Yerushalayim. All the stars are going to be there.
T - Why do you want go there? It's going to be full of freichot and arsim.
J - Just fancy doing something special for Yom Yerushalayim.

After two years in Israel, I still get surprised when I have to explain myself to taxi drivers.

As we reach a junction, a guy with long hair rides past on a bicycle.

T - You can't tell the difference between them.
J - Between who?
T - Boys and girls today.
J - Hu?

The conversation paused for about 30 seconds while I tried to figure out what he was talking about.

T - Did you hear the news?
J - What?
T - More Qassams fell on Sderot.
J - Yeah. It's a mess.
T - I don't understand how you can go to a concert and celebrate when Qassams are falling.
J - That's Israel. We're always at war with someone, but somehow manage to find a way of celebrating life.
T - Who's performing tonight?
J - Everyone... Idan Reichal, Harel Skart, Shlomi Shabbat, Hadag Nachash...
T - I have all their DVDs (I think he meant CDs) . Why don't you stay at home and listen to them. You could have a babrbeque and open a bottle of wine.
J - Because it's not the same as seeing them live.
T- I don't understand you kids.

He pulls over outside the park.

T - That'll be 18 shekel.
J - Here, take twenty.
T - Thanks. Is that Shlomi Shabbat on stage?
J - Yeah.
T - I love that guy. Let's see if we can find somewhere to park.

2 comments:

ifyouwillit... said...

Given that it took both us acting thing out for me to understand what went on in your cab, you highlight an excellent point.

Israeli cab drivers are a different species... their minds drift as erratically as they change lanes.

One minute they're trying to convince you to go to the zoo rather than the cinema, the next minutes you're sitting next to them at the movies.

Considering We're always at war with someone, but somehow manage to find a way of celebrating life, this is just another of those day to day contradictions that I wouldn't want to be without!

eliesheva said...

Nice. Love these guys. Hate these guys.