The tidings in my inbox caught me unawares. There was an email from my ex-roomie RD (from the Brigittine Convent Hostel days) which said "My boss is in India and more specifically in Bangalore. Will you take him out to dinner tonight?"
I had to round up my thoughts, which had immediately begun to disperse in tangential directions. Keeping up a conversation with a stranger is trying enough, let alone a boss! To spice things up, my grasp of the American accent is comparable to dancing on a cake of soap. And, my ma would implode, sans dynamite, if I told her I was going on a date with a "Mickey"!
I said yes, I would take him out but it would have to be lunch.
Mickey Oliel is an Israeli. He's lived most of his life in Israel. He moved to California just three years ago with his wife and three kids.
From my part, there was never an awkward moment in that "date". The conversation hopped from one topic to another in tandem with the dishes that appeared on the table, and both were smoothly lapped up. We spoke about Mickey's travels and my desire to see the world. About life in Israel and the war in Iraq. Mickey was a soldier in the Israeli army for four years. So was his wife.
What started as a lunch meeting stretched to a coffee at Cafe Day and later drinks at "Urban Edge". Where ever we went, we were the center of attraction. Anyone with blonde hair invites curious stares, more so if he's hanging around with a girl barely half his height!
We spoke of LOTR and Mickey's family. How America was wonderful, but still not "home". And how, if I really wish to see the world, I should just "pack my bags and start" !
I think both of us were trying to relate to another stage in life. Speaking with a stranger has the potential to unlock introspection. I thought I could see Mickey's life of some twenty years ago, coming back to him. I saw through him another phase, the future tense impending in my life.... sans 3 children, of course!
I had to round up my thoughts, which had immediately begun to disperse in tangential directions. Keeping up a conversation with a stranger is trying enough, let alone a boss! To spice things up, my grasp of the American accent is comparable to dancing on a cake of soap. And, my ma would implode, sans dynamite, if I told her I was going on a date with a "Mickey"!
I said yes, I would take him out but it would have to be lunch.
Mickey Oliel is an Israeli. He's lived most of his life in Israel. He moved to California just three years ago with his wife and three kids.
From my part, there was never an awkward moment in that "date". The conversation hopped from one topic to another in tandem with the dishes that appeared on the table, and both were smoothly lapped up. We spoke about Mickey's travels and my desire to see the world. About life in Israel and the war in Iraq. Mickey was a soldier in the Israeli army for four years. So was his wife.
What started as a lunch meeting stretched to a coffee at Cafe Day and later drinks at "Urban Edge". Where ever we went, we were the center of attraction. Anyone with blonde hair invites curious stares, more so if he's hanging around with a girl barely half his height!
We spoke of LOTR and Mickey's family. How America was wonderful, but still not "home". And how, if I really wish to see the world, I should just "pack my bags and start" !
I think both of us were trying to relate to another stage in life. Speaking with a stranger has the potential to unlock introspection. I thought I could see Mickey's life of some twenty years ago, coming back to him. I saw through him another phase, the future tense impending in my life.... sans 3 children, of course!
