Yimy had the truck today helping someone, so I was briefly forced to take a taxi.
Public transportation never ceases to amuse and entertain me. When I'm in it. When I'm following it in my truck it makes me want to ram it and drive over it.
Anyhow...here's my conversation with my driver.
Driver: "That's our casino." (as we drive past a casino that's been closed for a couple of years) "It's closed."
Then he says with disgust..."Evo."
Evo is our president of whom many (most) lowlanders are not a fan of. He's to blame for all of the ills that befall us. Including, it seems, the closing of the casino (which didn't pay it's taxes and was therefore shut down).
The conversation continues.
"Where are you from? The United States or Europe?"
"I'm from Canada."
"Canada?!" he says approvingly. "CanaDA. CanaDA. CanaDA"
He just kept saying it every couple of seconds as we drove. Then he asked, "Is that close to Holland?"
"No. But it's close to the United States."
"Ah..."
We drove in silence for a time.
"How long have you been in Bolivia?"
"About seven years."
"SEVEN YEARS?!" He seemed impressed by this.
"Are you going to marry a Bolivian girl?" 'Cause you know...that's the next obvious question.
Laughing a little I replied, "I don't know. I dated a Bolivian girl a couple of years ago." Why I volunteered this information I have no idea. It just encouraged him.
"You did? But you're not with her now?"
"No."
"Why? Was it because she wanted to get married and you you didn't?"
"Uh...no not exactly."
"Was it because you wanted to get married but she didn't?"
"Uh...no not exactly." At this point I really want out of this weirdly personal and awkward conversation with my total stranger taxi driver so I start tapping my fingers on the door in time to the music.
"Ah you like this music?!" He's sufficiently distracted.
"Of course. It's clasic rock!" It was some song in English from the 1970's.
"Yes! It's my favourite! How old are you?" Again with the weirdly personal questions.
"45."
"Then you understand about this music!" Yes...because I was 4 when this song came out.
"There's a bar where only single people go to meet other single people who like this music too. People who are 40 or 45 or 50."
Uh...
Not sure how to respond to that.
As I'm contemplating my answer he says, "So you're Catholic."
Seriously I can't keep up.
"Uh no...I'm evangelical." Thinking this conversation is moving in a more serious, spiritual direction I add, "I work here with a Baptist group."
"AND YOU LIKE THIS MUSIC?!?" he yells at me and starts killing himself laughing.
I start laughing too. "Of course! And lots of my friends like it too!"
"Truthfully?!"
"Yes!"
At this point we've arrived at my destination and I pay him. As I get out of the car and he drives away I hear one more, "CanaDA" and him still laughing.
Ah public transportation...
Public transportation never ceases to amuse and entertain me. When I'm in it. When I'm following it in my truck it makes me want to ram it and drive over it.
Anyhow...here's my conversation with my driver.
Driver: "That's our casino." (as we drive past a casino that's been closed for a couple of years) "It's closed."
Then he says with disgust..."Evo."
Evo is our president of whom many (most) lowlanders are not a fan of. He's to blame for all of the ills that befall us. Including, it seems, the closing of the casino (which didn't pay it's taxes and was therefore shut down).
The conversation continues.
"Where are you from? The United States or Europe?"
"I'm from Canada."
"Canada?!" he says approvingly. "CanaDA. CanaDA. CanaDA"
He just kept saying it every couple of seconds as we drove. Then he asked, "Is that close to Holland?"
"No. But it's close to the United States."
"Ah..."
We drove in silence for a time.
"How long have you been in Bolivia?"
"About seven years."
"SEVEN YEARS?!" He seemed impressed by this.
"Are you going to marry a Bolivian girl?" 'Cause you know...that's the next obvious question.
Laughing a little I replied, "I don't know. I dated a Bolivian girl a couple of years ago." Why I volunteered this information I have no idea. It just encouraged him.
"You did? But you're not with her now?"
"No."
"Why? Was it because she wanted to get married and you you didn't?"
"Uh...no not exactly."
"Was it because you wanted to get married but she didn't?"
"Uh...no not exactly." At this point I really want out of this weirdly personal and awkward conversation with my total stranger taxi driver so I start tapping my fingers on the door in time to the music.
"Ah you like this music?!" He's sufficiently distracted.
"Of course. It's clasic rock!" It was some song in English from the 1970's.
"Yes! It's my favourite! How old are you?" Again with the weirdly personal questions.
"45."
"Then you understand about this music!" Yes...because I was 4 when this song came out.
"There's a bar where only single people go to meet other single people who like this music too. People who are 40 or 45 or 50."
Uh...
Not sure how to respond to that.
As I'm contemplating my answer he says, "So you're Catholic."
Seriously I can't keep up.
"Uh no...I'm evangelical." Thinking this conversation is moving in a more serious, spiritual direction I add, "I work here with a Baptist group."
"AND YOU LIKE THIS MUSIC?!?" he yells at me and starts killing himself laughing.
I start laughing too. "Of course! And lots of my friends like it too!"
"Truthfully?!"
"Yes!"
At this point we've arrived at my destination and I pay him. As I get out of the car and he drives away I hear one more, "CanaDA" and him still laughing.
Ah public transportation...
1 comments:
Wow! Thanks for sharing Ken - I had a good laugh :)
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