Friday, April 22, 2005

A Conversation with my Taxi Driver in Germany

Scene: April 2005. A small town outside Mainz. The driver picked me up at the Frankfurt Airport. Unable to find the conference center, we are momentarily lost. Driver pulls out the map.

"I see, I see. It is back there. We passed it. You didn't say anything!"

"I did not know. It is my first time here."

"Where are you from?"

"New York."

"New York? New York is here in this place?"

"Well, I am here. For a few days."

"You are American or German? Or German-American?"

"Come on. I'm American. You don't think my German is terrible?"

"No, not at all. Well, it sounded a little strange, but I thought 'perhaps she comes from Bavaria'. [...] You traveled here alone?"

"Yes, but three of my colleagues are arriving tomorrow. I'll meet them in Mainz."

"But your husband is in New York?"

"I don't have a husband. I am too young."

"A boyfriend, then?"

"No, no boyfriend."

"No boyfriend either!"

"No, unfortunately not."

"Why 'unfortunately'? Do you want a boyfriend or not? If you want one, go out and get one. It is simple."

"I don't know. Yeah, I guess I want one. These are hard questions."

"So, what are you doing tonight around 6:00pm?"

[...]

Arriving at my destination, the driver asks, "So, you don't want me to be your boyfriend?"

"I don't want a German boyfriend."

"Why not? What is wrong with German men?"

"Nothing, but I live in New York. What am I going to do with a German boyfriend?"

"I can be your boyfriend! I am a Turk! Not German, Turk!"

"Will you come and live in New York?"

"Well, you see, I have a wife and three children."

"That is a problem."

"It is a big problem."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Jeez. And you say I'm picky for not wanting to date gay guys or guys who used emoticons.

- PoD