Today I am proud of myself. Exceptionally proud…more than usual, for those of you who know me well and know I already have a healthy self-pride. Haha.
Yesterday I was required to go to an orientation kind of meeting for a boat trip I am going on this weekend. (I’m sure I’ll tell you all more about it later this week, but if you’re bored and want to check it out now, look up www.bengaltours.com) Anyways, after the meeting, I needed to do some errands in the Banani area, so I struck out and adventured through the streets and shops slowly tracking down the things I needed…and more. Anyway, like it is want to do in this country, the wind picked up quickly and I knew I was in trouble…because once the wind picks up you don’t have time to find cover from the impending rain. And boy, did it rain. We do have a selection of umbrellas at the flat, but being raised a southern Albertan girl through and through, I have never truly grasped the need for an umbrella. Anyways, I ended up getting absolutely SOAKED by the 10 minute rain. I was quite a sight I’m sure, this giant bideshi (foreigner) strolling down Kamal Attaturk Avenue without an umbrella.
Regardless, I finished up my errands and decided it was about time to go home – about a 15 minute drive away. So I hailed an empty CNG (sort of a covered 3-wheeled scooter – he step between a rickshaw and a taxi) and began my, now familiar, bargaining with the driver. See, these CNGs and taxis have meters, but strangely enough, whenever a foreigner hails one down, their meter just isn’t working that day so you have to haggle out a price the hard way. Toby and Annabel (who have been here 3 months and 1 year respectively) have yet to ever get a ride with a running meter…though my roommate Alana is legendary at getting drivers to use the meter. And well, I must have learned from the best because after only a short amount of time, I got this guy to agree to use his meter. I was so in utter astonishment that I asked him more times that I needed to if I really understood him right…and at the end of the trip, I gave him a big tip because I was so happy he used the meter…so really, I cheated myself, but it’s the principle of the thing…I got a CNG to use the meter! And for that I am exceptionally proud of myself today.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Yeah for Bri! Ok so in my head i'm comparing a matatu to a rickshaw. Haa.. No meter and i know what the going rate is. But they still try! Public transportation, isen't it great!
I'm exceptionally proud of you too!
Try taking the subway, wearing heels and being stuffed in like a sausage. goodtimes, I say. goodtimes.
Post a Comment