I won't miss the taxis
I didn't think I'd get out of Jordan without having at least one more taxi adventure. It would have been too good to be true.
That's why I just HAD to get lost going to Darat al Funun in Weibdeh. Again. Make this the fourth time I get lost going there in a taxi. You'd think I'd know the way by now, but I've never taken a direct route. We always drive around and around, asking for directions and in some haphazard manner we finally manage to stumble upon the place.
Funny though that the drivers always say OK when I tell them where I need to go, like they know where the place is. Never fails though. They get to Jebel Weibdeh, to Duwar Hawooz, and then they look at me over the seat and say "Wein?"
Tonight I had to mime to the driver to get him to ask for directions. I pointed out the window at some guys on the corner of the street.
"Ask for directions."
He shrugged. "Hada shara?" (this street?) And he started to drive towards it.
"La, la," (no, no) I say, waving my hands. What's the word for directions? I learned it in my Arabic classes all those months ago... ijahatos? I knew it started with an "i". I say the word and there is no recognition on the man's face.
Ok. I point to the men, point to the window, act out the rolling-the-window-down motion and then move my hand like it's talking.
"Directions!"
He shakes his head.
Wow this guy is thick, I thought. Fine. I'll do it myself. I rolled down my window, yelled out lausamat and got one of the guys to come over. I asked, "Wein Darat al Funun?" and the guy proceeded to tell us. In Arabic, of course, but I hoped my driver was paying attention!
After all that we ended up getting lost again.
At one point my phone rang and I told my friend (who didn't know how to get to this place either) I had to go cause I was busy being lost. He laughed and said good luck.
So we drove around some more, the whole time the driver is mumbling away to himself, probably saying something like "This crazy girl has gotten us lost and doesn't know where she's going." I took his cue and started talking to myself, wondering how a cabbie can not know the way to such a well known cultural centre?
At least by this point the driver realised he should be asking for directions and we asked two more people before finally arriving at the place. When he saw it he slapped his hand on his forehead and said, "Ah, Darat al Funun!"
Isn't that WHAT I SAID??
That's why I just HAD to get lost going to Darat al Funun in Weibdeh. Again. Make this the fourth time I get lost going there in a taxi. You'd think I'd know the way by now, but I've never taken a direct route. We always drive around and around, asking for directions and in some haphazard manner we finally manage to stumble upon the place.
Funny though that the drivers always say OK when I tell them where I need to go, like they know where the place is. Never fails though. They get to Jebel Weibdeh, to Duwar Hawooz, and then they look at me over the seat and say "Wein?"
Tonight I had to mime to the driver to get him to ask for directions. I pointed out the window at some guys on the corner of the street.
"Ask for directions."
He shrugged. "Hada shara?" (this street?) And he started to drive towards it.
"La, la," (no, no) I say, waving my hands. What's the word for directions? I learned it in my Arabic classes all those months ago... ijahatos? I knew it started with an "i". I say the word and there is no recognition on the man's face.
Ok. I point to the men, point to the window, act out the rolling-the-window-down motion and then move my hand like it's talking.
"Directions!"
He shakes his head.
Wow this guy is thick, I thought. Fine. I'll do it myself. I rolled down my window, yelled out lausamat and got one of the guys to come over. I asked, "Wein Darat al Funun?" and the guy proceeded to tell us. In Arabic, of course, but I hoped my driver was paying attention!
After all that we ended up getting lost again.
At one point my phone rang and I told my friend (who didn't know how to get to this place either) I had to go cause I was busy being lost. He laughed and said good luck.
So we drove around some more, the whole time the driver is mumbling away to himself, probably saying something like "This crazy girl has gotten us lost and doesn't know where she's going." I took his cue and started talking to myself, wondering how a cabbie can not know the way to such a well known cultural centre?
At least by this point the driver realised he should be asking for directions and we asked two more people before finally arriving at the place. When he saw it he slapped his hand on his forehead and said, "Ah, Darat al Funun!"
Isn't that WHAT I SAID??
posted by Grace at 7:39 PM
3 Comments:
Eeeeyyyyeeee! Slapping my forehead in empathy.Taxis back home will be SO boring now!
I hope to avoid taxis as much as possible, actually. My precious Honda Civic is waiting for me!
I wonder if, in some little lost corner of your mind, you'll actually miss the daily excitment that comes with riding in Amman's taxis?
...Doubtful ;)
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