I’m triple parked in Bourj Hammoud (neighborhood in East-Beirut) main street. I’m picking up a sewing machine that was in repair, and there are no parking spots anywhere. The entire street is double parked as it is anyway, and there is no way I can haul a 50 pound sewing machine over a couple of blocks, so I decide to triple park, be real quick, and take my chances.
When I come out of the repair shop, sewing machine in hand, I spot a policeman near my car, leaning in my window, and honking the horn. He’s got a ticket book in his hand.
As I walk over to my car, I give him my biggest smile. I put the sewing machine in the back and look at him. He looks back.
When I come out of the repair shop, sewing machine in hand, I spot a policeman near my car, leaning in my window, and honking the horn. He’s got a ticket book in his hand.
As I walk over to my car, I give him my biggest smile. I put the sewing machine in the back and look at him. He looks back.
“Dior?” he asks me.
“Excuse me?” I ask him, as I keep giving him my most charming face.
“Your perfume.”
“Oh, oh, my perfume! Yes. Yes, Dior.” Confusion now.
“Which one?”
“Which one what?”
"Which Dior?”
“Oh. Oh, my perfume. Uh, Pure Poison.”
“Ah, good one. Nice,” he says, and he walks off.
No ticket.
I think I needed about 5 minutes to regain my composition. Totally impressed. So this is a traffic cop in Beirut. Knows his scents, this guy.
I wonder what he must have thought.
‘Definitely blond’, maybe?
9 comments:
Amazing. This made me laugh :)
Sietske, what a hoot! And really - if you're going to get a break on a ticket, wouldn't you want it to come from a policeman with refined tastes :) :)?
I've just found your blog (thanks to delirious for that). good post, so true, so funny, so unreel like this city.
keep posting!
Very good blog, with relevant posts !
Only in Lebanon!
I just discovered your blog Sietske thanks to Delirious who posted a link on David's blog, and I find it very interesting!
Wow, quite a crowd I brought in :)
Love your posts, as always, keep posting!!
Oops, it seems the link on my name has not been typed properly. Actually, it is : http://libanparadisetchaos.blog.20minutes.fr.
Keep on posting Sietske !
Hey! You were in Bourj Hammoud! I should've known :)
WoW Bourj Hammoud
k, the next time the cop asks you "Dior?", answer him: "Na dior?"
It will give him a laugh, and will be amazed at your answer...
Note: this answer will surely work in Bourj Hammoud, since most are Armenian too.
Note: the phrase "na dior?" is not Armenian, but Turkish, which means "what is he saying?" or "what are you saying?"
hehehhe,
Lovely.
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