June 21, 2007

  • Are ... you... from....???

    My normal routine nowadays when I get into a cab is to look to see if the driver is Muslim.  If I'm alone, I chat with the guy... I love chatting with cabbies about Islam. 


    Today, I noticed that the cabbie's name was "Makmat-OV Rakhim"... and I thought to myself "could he be?  could he... be... perhaps... Uzbek?" (the way to tell is that the suffix -ov is Russian, meaning that he came from the former Soviet Repulic but the Makmat- part confirms that he isn't Russian)...


    I look at the nameplate.  Then at him.  Then at the nameplate. I want to say something, but for some reason, I'm a bit chicken.  I notice that he has some cards with Hebrew on them so I wonder if he might be a Bukharian Jew ...


    I speak in Korean to my mom and aunt who are in the cab with me.  I notice that when my aunt says "Kazakstan".. he looks up.  So finally, I ask him: "Are you from Kazakstan?"


    "No, I'm from Uzbekistan!"


    "Ya zhila v Uzbekistane!" (I lived in Uzbekistan!)


    "Kto?  Who? "


    "Ya!" (Me!)


    "Gdye? Qoylooq?" (Where? In Qoylooq - the area where Uzbek Koreans live..)


    "Nyet - Besh Yogosch" (No, Besh Yogoch!)


    "Do you know the meaning of Besh Yogoch!"


    (proudly) "Yes ! Five woods!"


    Cabbie smiles. 


    We speak in Russian a bit more... he tells me he left Uzbekistan 17 years ago (before the fall of communism!!) and hasn't been back since.  We lament about the usual things... the state of affairs over there... etc, etc... he complains, in almost perfect English, how hard English is.. I tell him how hard Russian is...


    He drops us off and my mom, aunt, and I go to Saks.


    "Dosvidanya!  Spasibo!" (goodbye!  Thank you!)


    Gotta love this town.  Neeeeeww YORK!

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