It's taken nearly five months, but I've finally learned how to talk to taxi drivers in this city. I have learned how to both be polite and tough. Rather than leaving the cab confused, I leave the cab knowing that I have held my own. Below is a translation of a conversation I had with a cab driver yesterday evening.
Me: I'm going to the end of the next street.Cabbie: Okay. {he waits a beat} Are you Lebanese? Welcome to Egypt!Me: Thanks!{Everyone here thinks I'm Lebanese, probably because I speak Arabic, yet I have pale skin. Sometimes I play along, other times I don't. This time I decided to play along.}Cabbie: So, are you married?{Every cabbie, no matter how old, how nice, how rich, how poor, asks this question.}Me: No, I'm not married.Cabbie: Why not?Me: Because in America we wait until we're older to get married {I was blowing my cover but he didn't notice}. Everything in America is expensive so you need both the man and the woman to work, so you wait.Cabbie: So will you marry a Lebanese?Me: No. I will marry an American.Cabbie: Why?Me: Because American men understand the importance of equality between men and women. They understand fifty-fifty. They understand that both women and men need to work, and take care of the kids. In the Middle East, I don't find that equality, so I will go back to America.Cabbie: There's freedom in America.Me: Yes, freedom.Cabbie: You aren't married, but do you love someone?Me: What???Cabbie: Do you love some person?Me: You know what, that's none of your business. I'll tell you about my life, my work, where I'm from. But other things, well, I don't want to answer your question and I don't want to tell you.Cabbie: It's personal.Me: Yes, it's personal.Cabbie: You know, your Arabic is a little bit basic.Me: {I laugh} Basic. That's a good one. Well, Arabic was my second language. I learned English first.Cabbie: So are you a Christian Lebanese or a Muslim Lebanese?Me: Again, I'm not going to tell you. Don't you see, that so many of the problems in Lebanon come from sectarianism, the gaps between Muslims and Christians, rich and poor. That's why there's been war in Lebanon, a civil war. It's because people are always asking, "are you Christian or are you Muslim?" It's not important! I mean, it's important but the religions are pretty similar. They can coexist. So no, I'm not going to answer your question. It's unnecessary.Okay, here's my stop. Thank you! Good bye! Have a good weekend!
