Cab drivers and chitchat
Since I've started living here and settling into a non-travelling but living and working setting, I've had to get accustomed to a few things.... Aside from food and of course being away from home and everyone again....
I don't have a car here. I work about 40kms from home and in normal train conditions it's fairly simple to get to work. Train for 30 to 40 mins then 20 minute special GSK shuttle....this is in theory when the trains are on time....which is as probable as Belgium having a stable government....but I'll leave that for another time.
So it goes without saying that I've been taking cabs alot more than I do back home. My usual contact with taxi drivers back home is me tipsy trying to make chit chat with the poor driver who has to work the overnight shift and pick up drunken idiots who try to make chit chat.
I won't lie, there have been a few of those moments here but also many times when I've just left places too late to take the metro or tram. At those times, in my sober moments, I try to make sober chit chat with the drivers who are usually incredibly interesting people.
For some reason in Brussels, Moroccans have the cab driving monopoly and they all come with such interesting stories. Some will even give you pastries they were bringing home to their family. Some have families, some are single, young, old.... but the one thing they have in common is that they all have something interesting to say, a little story about a person they drove around, a little anecdote about Brussels or other places they've worked in ..... and somehow I always come home with a smile after making little chit chat :)
I don't have a car here. I work about 40kms from home and in normal train conditions it's fairly simple to get to work. Train for 30 to 40 mins then 20 minute special GSK shuttle....this is in theory when the trains are on time....which is as probable as Belgium having a stable government....but I'll leave that for another time.
So it goes without saying that I've been taking cabs alot more than I do back home. My usual contact with taxi drivers back home is me tipsy trying to make chit chat with the poor driver who has to work the overnight shift and pick up drunken idiots who try to make chit chat.
I won't lie, there have been a few of those moments here but also many times when I've just left places too late to take the metro or tram. At those times, in my sober moments, I try to make sober chit chat with the drivers who are usually incredibly interesting people.
For some reason in Brussels, Moroccans have the cab driving monopoly and they all come with such interesting stories. Some will even give you pastries they were bringing home to their family. Some have families, some are single, young, old.... but the one thing they have in common is that they all have something interesting to say, a little story about a person they drove around, a little anecdote about Brussels or other places they've worked in ..... and somehow I always come home with a smile after making little chit chat :)
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