Thursday, November 09, 2006

Confessions Of An Ex-Taxi Passenger (Pt. 2)


So yeah, remember how part one was about the various stories taxi drivers tell you? Strings of tales about them and their families.. I've always wondered how true these stories were..As much as I want to be an objective person, and I would like to believe their stories, but I really find it hard to!
I mean, why would a person tell a perfect stranger like myself, sensitive details about their lives? Well.. Because they can! Because they know I'm a stranger, I won't judge them.. And because it might not be the truth at all and they know they'll never see me again, and if they did.. I wouldn't remember..
(except for those I've taken more than once only by coincidence)..

So folks.. I started doing the same.. Telling tall tales..white fibs, whatever you want to call them.. My stories were a work of fiction generated by my imagination.. Each time my story would differ, my intentions from telling it would also differ, whether I do it to generate affection or seem like Miss tough cookie, or even just to add some excitement to the cab driver's life in those 15 minute rides..

I was engaged many times, I'd tell the cab driver about my fiancee.. If I were headed to the flower shop I would tell him I'm getting flowers for my fiancee's mom.. Thing is, these guys wouldn't just lend you an ear, but they will listen to you intensly with all their power and interest! There was this guy who was interested to hear how my friend tried to kill herself.. How I leave Jordan every summer to some country in Europe, how I'm half british, thats why my English is excellent.... I've told many stories.. Now, I'm not exactly a liar.. white lies would never hurt anyone.. And besides, it was all for the fun of it.. I got my satisfaction from the smiles on their faces the moment I step down from the car, knowing that I've made someone's day by telling them a story..

It all started one summer, when I came back to Jordan from my 3 month holiday in Muscat.. Now you should know, my memory is somewhat crap when it comes to names and directions.. So I'd take my first cab for the day, after I've just gotten home.. I start giving shitty directions and hoping that the name of the place or road would just pop into my head.. When the cab driver throws the wise-ass remark of "So..you aren't from around here, are you?"...

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Confessions Of An Ex-Taxi Passenger (Pt. 1)

This might be the first post that is somewhat..."Jordanian" lol.. Because I'm gonna be referring to taxi cabs in Jordan, as I don't take taxis around Oman.. It's not a very friendly idea for women to take cabs here.. And plus, thank god for my car! :p

Maybe I should change the title.. I'm not totally an "ex-passenger" per say, I mean, I will be taking cabs if I ever go back to Amman for vacation as I don't have a car there..

Anyway, I'm sure we have all ridden taxicabs at some point in our lives, and we all know the drivers' tendencies to just chatter away with passengers (I think this happens everywhere!) and would go on and on about their lives, their golden past and the bleak future!

I've heard stories from the driver being a uni graduate with a degree in Engineering, but couldn't find a suitable job, to a driver who doesn't really own the cab, it's his cousin's and he's just helping him out and ofcourse the story of a driver with connections, related to someone in the government, knows someone who knows someone..etc..

There was this one taxi driver though, I will never forget him. He kept on blabbering and went on and on about his life and wouldn't stop asking questions about me and what I did and where I was headed.. I thought to myself, GOD please let these 15 minutes end quickly (I was headed to Jabal Amman from Dahiet Al Rasheed).. Ofcourse, I must confess that I usually do converse with the drivers if they appeal to me, I would be very friendly to them, like I've known them for ages! But this one....nu-uh.. This one, I did not like.. He was this "sege3" "damu t2eel" kind of guy, in his 30's with the sleek hair brushed back with tons of gel, long pinky fingernail (to either pick his nose with, or his ear shub3arefni!), and ofcourse the disco-tec vehicle.. snore..

Anyway, lets just say "ma a3teito wijeh", but being the nice and polite person that I am, I gave him short replies, yes and no, with my face to the window at all times, I wouldn't even look at him, but I could see he was staring through his miror..

Now at that point, I was 5 minutes away from my destination on the first circle, he's still telling me how his friend betrayed him and how macho he was and blah, when he gets interrupted by his ringtone.. Saved by the bell I thought.. All of a sudden he truns to me with this fearful look on his face and says "Sssshhhhhhhhhh".. Picks up his phone and says "Aah 7abeebti..." .. I was gobsmacked! .. "Keep the change".. I walked the remaining distance!

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For all the years I've been in Jordan, I have been in zillion taxicabs and there are ones I've ridden more than once (fate lol).. Most of you Jordanians out there know exactly what I'm talking about here.. I'm not being offensive to taxi drivers ofcourse, I'm just reflecting the irony.. After all I wasn't able to get anywhere without them! Ya3teekom il 3afyeh! :D

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Ugh...Seriously..



Alright.. So this is not a serious update.. I surprisingly have nothing to blog about... Either that or it's that I have ALOT to blog about, it's just that I don't know where to start from! :os Bummer..

So Snooky wants me to blog about him.. Hmm.. I must say I was shocked to learn he was from where he was!! (I'm not mentioning the country just incase he's not up for it).. But he's not Omani..that's what you should know! He is a cool young dude..No really.. Im not just saying :p

There you go..I blogged about you man! lol..

Hmm.. Incase everyone is wondering, I'm still on my job hunt, but doing it rather "half heartedly" as Alex (Mimosa) said to me yesterday.. I'm not trying hard enough.. Because I don't want to.. I'm just waiting to snap out of this phase I'm in...or even just "snap"!