Monday, November 15, 2010

It all started with 'Drunken Chicken'


Atom, Pali, and I are strolling around the open market.  I smell something familiar in the air.  OMG!  guava.  Spotted, I ask the guy “Kay-mah” (how much).   From my understanding he says 8 shekels.  I pull out my wallet not knowing that a gold shekel with a number 10 on it is different than a silver and gold shekel with a number 10 on it.  The guy behind the fruit stand declines my gold 10 shekel, says something in Hebrew.  Sounds more like a “F U” to me.  So I hand him a 200 shekel bill not knowing what he wants.   He says where are you from?   I say America.  He then explains to me that a gold shekel with a 10 on it is equivalent to a penny.  The gold and silver 10 shekel is 10 shekels.   I had to wonder, if I didn’t pull out my 200 shekel bill would he have helped me or treated me like a migrant worker?

Migrant workers.  That is what people think we are.   Living in Israel Asians are the minority and the migrant work force.  I am strolling Atom around in a bugaboo, a Gucci diaper bag, wearing a Diesel skirt, Marc Jacobs sunglasses, and top. Yet people ask, are you hired help?   Are you from China?  Does hired help order cappuccinos and gelatos on a daily basis?  Yet Scott, can stroll around in an orange crush t-shirt, board shorts, and zori's which don’t match and he gets asked if he’s a diplomat.  Does he really look like  a diplomat?

 





1 comment:

  1. He definitely does not look like a diplomat for a country! Maybe just representing the UT physics club.

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