Saad - Pronounced: "Sod"
That is the name of the guy that I met in Amman Jordan. He just happened to pass by me on the sidewalk and said "Bonjour" and then "Hello" and we started chatting. One of those had to work, right? It seems later that this is his modus operandi. He invites me along to an Iraqi coffee house. As he seems harmless and I don't have anything better to do, I go with him for tea. Frankly, the thought of returning to my poorly chosen, Japanese-dominated guesthouse was quite unappealing.
We chat away over a sheesha about the topics of life, war and religion. Mostly religion. He teaches me how to play backgammon (which I have since used countless times in the middle east). Then goes into a ten minutes discussion on how the game of backgammon relates to life. Wonderful analogies that I will have to save for you all over a game of the same name. Of course I pay for tea and sheesha since I've just acquired a new skill and outlook on the middle east.
I spend the evening and next with Saad and it seems he doesn't have an ordinary job. When I ask him what he does his reply is: "Take Italian tourists' money." I quickly learn that Saad is a very smart man who works very hard to avoid work. He lived 10 years in Italy and speaks 5 languages (I saw him use four fluently). And his deal is that he walks around Amman, Jordan and talks to foreigners. Helps them find cheap clothes, bus routes, hidden tourist areas, nicer accommodations for less cost. He is the man about town. From this he gets kickbacks around town, gifts from those he helps, and occasional meals from the less monetarily endowed such as myself. It was magic to watch him work over two nights. My only thought was how much reward he could get if he only used his talents a little entrepreneurially - he certainly had the creativity part licked.
One of the best things Saad showed me was a new twist on the value of a dollar. He said "The value of a dollar is all perception. It's really just paper. The dollar in my hand is worth more than the dollar in your pocket." I balked at first and then he asked me what I paid for my water. How much my taxi cost and to remember how he showed me where to buy a meal for two that cost the same as my usual meal for one. Interesting, eh?
We chat away over a sheesha about the topics of life, war and religion. Mostly religion. He teaches me how to play backgammon (which I have since used countless times in the middle east). Then goes into a ten minutes discussion on how the game of backgammon relates to life. Wonderful analogies that I will have to save for you all over a game of the same name. Of course I pay for tea and sheesha since I've just acquired a new skill and outlook on the middle east.
I spend the evening and next with Saad and it seems he doesn't have an ordinary job. When I ask him what he does his reply is: "Take Italian tourists' money." I quickly learn that Saad is a very smart man who works very hard to avoid work. He lived 10 years in Italy and speaks 5 languages (I saw him use four fluently). And his deal is that he walks around Amman, Jordan and talks to foreigners. Helps them find cheap clothes, bus routes, hidden tourist areas, nicer accommodations for less cost. He is the man about town. From this he gets kickbacks around town, gifts from those he helps, and occasional meals from the less monetarily endowed such as myself. It was magic to watch him work over two nights. My only thought was how much reward he could get if he only used his talents a little entrepreneurially - he certainly had the creativity part licked.
One of the best things Saad showed me was a new twist on the value of a dollar. He said "The value of a dollar is all perception. It's really just paper. The dollar in my hand is worth more than the dollar in your pocket." I balked at first and then he asked me what I paid for my water. How much my taxi cost and to remember how he showed me where to buy a meal for two that cost the same as my usual meal for one. Interesting, eh?
posted by bdvankeuren @ 12:27 AM
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