On the taxi ride back from the resort to the airport, my Mexican cabbie, Servicio, wanted to get chatty. I'm not sure if it's because a) he was just naturally friendly, b) found silence awkward and thus terrifying or c) figured it might beef up the tip. Probably all three. As I was pretty worn out with mankind at that point, I'd have paid more for silence, but I played along.
Somehow, we got to the point where I told him I vivo-ed en Afghanistan. Considering my Espanol is embryonic, I couldn't think of much to say. I figured I'd tell him that the people there were sorta moreno pero con ojos verdes o azules. He then clarified they were not brown like him. Then, he asked if they were Catholic.
I often mock/embrace American centered-ness. "America!", I'll randomly scream.
That being said, I was actually shocked that the Mexican cabbie didn't know anything, whatsoever, about the country los Estados Unidos has been at war in for the past decade, particularly with his shuttling around American tourists. I get that the American tourists that go to Cancun aren't watching MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, but still.
"No," I explained, "they are not."
Then I said "Ellos son Muslim."
Nothing.
"Islam."
He said, "Israel?"
"Muhammed?" I threw out there.
My high school Spanish class did not prepare me to teach Islamic theology to Mayan cabbies.
"No. No Jesus. No Maria. Solamente uno Dio. El nombre de el dio de Islam es 'Allah.'"
That fairly blew his mind and I'm pretty sure he assumed that I was getting it all wrong because I don't speak Spanish, because how in the mundo bueno verde can there be no Maria o Jesus?
He changed the subject to the women there. He asked if they were all covered. That made me think he'd definitely heard of Afghanistan but that he simply couldn't accept that they really didn't believe in Roman Catholicism.
He was still pretty baffled when we got to the airport, but by that point so was I.
Somehow, we got to the point where I told him I vivo-ed en Afghanistan. Considering my Espanol is embryonic, I couldn't think of much to say. I figured I'd tell him that the people there were sorta moreno pero con ojos verdes o azules. He then clarified they were not brown like him. Then, he asked if they were Catholic.
I often mock/embrace American centered-ness. "America!", I'll randomly scream.
That being said, I was actually shocked that the Mexican cabbie didn't know anything, whatsoever, about the country los Estados Unidos has been at war in for the past decade, particularly with his shuttling around American tourists. I get that the American tourists that go to Cancun aren't watching MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour, but still.
"No," I explained, "they are not."
Then I said "Ellos son Muslim."
Nothing.
"Islam."
He said, "Israel?"
"Muhammed?" I threw out there.
My high school Spanish class did not prepare me to teach Islamic theology to Mayan cabbies.
"No. No Jesus. No Maria. Solamente uno Dio. El nombre de el dio de Islam es 'Allah.'"
That fairly blew his mind and I'm pretty sure he assumed that I was getting it all wrong because I don't speak Spanish, because how in the mundo bueno verde can there be no Maria o Jesus?
He changed the subject to the women there. He asked if they were all covered. That made me think he'd definitely heard of Afghanistan but that he simply couldn't accept that they really didn't believe in Roman Catholicism.
He was still pretty baffled when we got to the airport, but by that point so was I.
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