Sitting on the curb outside Trader Joe's with bags of groceries waiting for a cab. After about 10 minutes he pulls up. The door opens by itself (as doors do here) and I hop in. In the front a grey wide-set man sits wearing a hat and khakis.
me: Hi.
him: Gello where to lady?
me: 666 La la Land, Studio City please.
him: Geow you spell dat?
(I spell. He shuffles about on the gps)
him: So... gaow many languages you speak?
me: (story of my life.) English and Afrikaans. I'm from South Africa.
him: (excited) Africans! Dat is big language of South Africa?
me: No no, there are 11 languages in South Africa.
him: Oooh! Aaaah! 11 languages? I cannot believe this it is amazing blah blah blah.
me: Where are you from?
him: (proudly) Armenia. I speak Russian also.
(Spot my excitement at the prospect of more Russian.)
me: Do you miss Armenia sometimes?
him: Been here 10 years. Only nostalgia. (very excited) You know Boney M?
me: The band?
him: Yes band!
me: Um. Yes...?
(Slips something into radio. Loud odd music, full blast. Bobs his head and speeds up the hill.)
him: Dis is nice area! Studio City! You nice lady! Africans! He-he-he-he!
Me: Boney M?
Him: Yes! Boney M!! I like alot! You nice lady!
Me: Can you slow down a bit??
He stops outside and helps me with my bags. I hear him counting his money behind me and saying:
Nice lady, speaking Africans...
America is full of majorly diverse people. Talking about Americans like they are all the same is a joke. They have a whole lot more than 11 languages floating about, they're just not official.
Armenian seems to be one of them.
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