Jul 12, 2007

A Cab Ride with Dolmas


So this post has nothing to do with China... it has to do with my favorite cab driver, Jihad.

Jacob and I live really close to the DFW airport, so when we are going on long trips, it is cheaper to take a cab to the airport than to pay for parking. I met Jihad several months ago when the cab company sent him to pick me up, and we hit it off. (I love talking to cab drivers... they have interesting lives.) He immigrated from Iraq in 1981 (he is Kurdish), and his wife is from Palestine. They are Muslim, and in the 5 minute drive from my house to the airport, we had a fascinating discussion about faith, life, and the tensions in our world. I guess he enjoyed our conversation, too, because after that first trip, he gave me his card and asked that I call him in the future if I ever needed a cab ride.

So, since then, any time I fly up to Minneapolis (which lately has been about 1 time a month), I call him for a ride. This past Monday, Jacob and I were flying together on an 8 o'clock flight. Jihad dropped us off at the airport, and Jacob and I found out that our flight was cancelled. They rebooked us on an afternoon flight, so we decided to go home until it was time to leave since we had several hours. We called Jihad and he came to pick us up and take us home. On the way home, we starting talking about our love for all Mediterranean food... yum! It is our favorite!! Hummus, and Baba Ganoush, and Kabobs, and Tabouli, and Feta, and Greek Olives... mmmmmm... I could go on and on.

All except dolmas... I'd never had a dolma I liked. Nor had Jacob. In fact, it is one food that inevitably causes a gag reflex in Jacob. For those who don't know what dolmas are, they are grape leaves stuffed with a rice and meat mixture (pictured above). So, we told our cab driver that it was the only part of Mediterranean cuisine that we hadn't thoroughly enjoyed. He got so excited, for -- as fate would have it -- his wife was making dolmas that very morning. He say this as a divine opportunity to share the beauty of dolmas; we starting getting a little nervous. We'd already agreed that he would pick us up 5 hours later to take us back to the airport, and he decided that he would bring us homemade dolmas when he came to pick us up. Jacob and I looked at each other with a worried glance; we could tell how excited he was to share his wife's cooking, and we knew that it would hurt his feelings if we declined, so we agreed.

All morning long, Jacob would occasionally mutter "oh no" under his breath in anticipation for what he was sure would be a painful eating experience. We knew better than to expect 1 dolma each; we knew it would be a plateful, and we knew we would need to eat them all so as to avoid hurting any feelings. The closer we got to 11:30, the more nervous we became. I poured big glasses of water to have them ready and waiting. Sure enough, at 11:30 on the dot, Jihad arrived at our apartment door with a carton full of dolmas. He also brought us forks, napkins, and a bottle of cold water, for his wife was concerned that she had made them too spicy for us (since she didn't know she was cooking for others when she made them). We all settled around our kitchen table, and Jacob and I dove in.

They were PHENOMENAL! In fact, several days later, I'm still craving them. Jacob agreed. It was some of the best food we've ever had. Just goes to show, sometimes it is worth taking a risk. Jihad was so thrilled that as we drove to the airport, he made plans to bring us tabouli the next time he picked us up.

I love the people God puts in our path... Life is always an adventure. Let me tell you, I never could have guessed that I would have been sitting at my kitchen table with my cab driver eating homemade dolmas. But I'm glad I did! Today I'm going to eat Somalian food with some refugees that I've been teaching a basic computer skills class to... I'll let you know how that goes when the meal is finished.

23 comments:

Chris and Jane said...

Mmm, I love dolmas...wish I'd met Jihad. Tell him to mail some to ABQ! Miss ya'll! Jane

jeanette said...

I've never tried a dolma...but I think your story is hilarious! :) Wish I could be there when he brings you tabouli -LOVE that stuff!

The Byrd's Nest said...

I've never eaten any of that stuff but hey I love anyone who will bring me food!

Anonymous said...

Jihad sounds like a much better cab driver than the one we rode with in Cleveland, OH. Remember? I'll never forget it as long as I live.

Irving Taxi Service said...

Irving Taxi Service is here to your rescue! just call @(972) 369-3128. Irving Taxi Service would get you to your desired destination in time. It’s an affordable and comfortable way of travelling in our busy world where every second counts. http://www.quicktaxiandlimo.com/
Irving Taxi Service

AutosBd

Limo Service Dallas said...

Our Main Services are Dfw Limo Service, Airport Limousine Service, Wedding Limousine, Bachelor & Bachelorette Party, Night Out, Corporate Limousine, Special Events, Sight Seeing, Prom Nights Limousine entire Dfw metroplex area.
Contact us now for book a Limousine @ +1 972 594 9291 any time 24 hours a day.

Plano Taxi service said...

We have a wide range of quality vehicles to choose from. Our selection is unbeatable in the Plano area. We have everything from yellow cabs, taxi . Our entire fleet, from cars,and airport taxi service , is held to our high standards when it comes to cleanliness, comfort, reliability, and quality. Our friendly office staff can help you select the right vehicle depending on the type of transportation service you need and when you need it. We also have child car seats and infant seats available upon request. We promise you will not be disappointed! Call us today for more information (214)-470-0818
Visit our website http://www.planotaxiservice.com

Airport Taxi Dfw said...

Airport Taxi Dfw is operational Transportation Service for valid customer during 24/7. With the sincere motivation Airport Taxi Dfw keeps the price range within customer support.
https://airporttaxidfw.com/

Irving Taxi said...

This Blog is fascinating one which induce me to know about it. Keep on updating like these blogs. I am waiting for your upcoming blogs.

SEO Service Provider Company in Bangladesh said...

SEO is the next big thing on online market. To approach more customer one has to rank top in google search. Creative Tech Park - SEO Service Provider Company in Bangladesh provides best seo service.

gpx demon 150 said...

gpx demon 150
gpx demon 150 price in india
gpx demon 150 price in bd

Yamaha R1 said...

yamaha r1 price in bangladesh
yamaha r1 price in India
Yamaha R1
Yamaha YZF R1

BMW S1000RR said...

BMW S1000RR Specification
BMW S1000RR
BMW S1000RR Price in Bangladesh
BMW S1000RR Price

Bajaj Pulsar 150 said...

Bajaj Pulsar 150 Twin Disc Specification
Bajaj Pulsar 150
Bajaj Pulsar 150 Twin Disc Price in India
Bajaj Pulsar 150 Twin Disc Price in Bangladesh

Toyota Aqua said...

Toyota Aqua S Specification
Toyota Aqua
Toyota Aqua price in Bangladesh

TVS Apache RTR 150 Matte Blue Edition said...

TVS Apache RTR 150 Matte Blue Edition Specification
TVS Apache RTR 150 Matte Blue Edition
TVS Apache RTR 150 Matte Blue Edition Price in Bangladesh
TVS Apache RTR 150 Matte Blue Edition Price

Royal Enfield Classic 350 said...

Royal Enfield Classic 350 Specification
Royal Enfield Classic 350
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Price

Yamaha R15 V3 said...

Yamaha R15 V3 Specification
Yamaha R15 V3
Yamaha R15 V3 Price in Bangladesh
Yamaha R15 V3 Price

Royal Enfield Classic 350 said...


Royal Enfield Classic 350 Specification
Royal Enfield Classic 350
Royal Enfield Classic 350 Price

Thai Elite Visa said...

Want visa for Thailand? Thai Elite Visa provides the 5-20 year long visa processing servince.

Lamborghini Urus said...

Lamborghini Urus Specification
Lamborghini Urus
Lamborghini Urus Price

Bajaj V15 said...

Bajaj V15 Specification
Bajaj V15
Bajaj V15 Price
Bajaj V15 Price in India
Bajaj V15 in bangladesh

Autosbd said...

Kawasaki Ninja H2R Specification
Kawasaki Ninja H2R
Kawasaki Ninja H2R Price
Kawasaki Ninja H2R Price in India

Yamaha YZF-R6 Specification
Yamaha R6
Yamaha YZF-R6 Price
Yamaha YZF-R6 Price in India
yamaha r6 price in bangladesh

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails