February 13, 2007

Taxis Parisian...

We know that the French are proud of their bread,cheese and wine, but recently I got to know that they are proud of their taxis too. The Parisinan taxis played an important role during the first world war, "Miracle of the Marne" (1914), when the German troops invaded Paris, the french transported 6000 soldiers in 600 taxis to the banks of Marne. so taxis de la Marne is proudly called as the scared union by the french it seems. People also crack joke on this incident,saying that's the only time the Paris taxis were made to go in the direction that we wanted to go. Well ! I didn't have much problems with Paris taxis, sometimes they get annoyed with my accent, while giving directions, but I also had some interesting raids, seeing a foreigner they are always very curious to know more. Exactly one year back on this day (I remember well because it was on the Valentin's day's eve) I put a taxi driver into tears with a very sentimental story, and ended up having a free raid. (well! I just gave some tips) I love having such 'small talks'..which I miss a lot in France because of the language problems..once in a while I get some good english speaking drivers. This weekend, Me and Micha were returning from a party in a taxi, after leaving Micha at his home, I continued in the same taxi, and when I started giving directions I ended up in a conversation with the driver...
Me: dernière a gauche, S'il Vous Plaît! (last left, Please!)
Driver : So...you speak French..!
Me: Just a little! but you speak good English!
Driver: Thank you! What do you do in Paris?
Me: I am doing my PhD in Biology in ENS.
Driver: ENS!!! oh! you should be intelligent!
Me: Well..Not..Ex.!!!(he interrupted)
Driver: I have a doubt in Biology, Lets see if you can clear it!
Me: oops ! I am in trouble (to myself)
Driver : During fertilization among millions of sperms, how does egg select just one!
Me: All Biologist don't work on Eggs and Sperms (to myself) May be the strongest one gets selected!
Driver: But How???
Me:!!??? May be by some chemical signals!
Driver : so, you don't know exactly how it happens!
Me: Thank god! (to myself) Right here please!..that's my house! (Gave him the fare)
Driver : Thank you! But!....
Beeeeeeep! (Horn sound from a car behind)
Me: Oops! I think we are blocking the traffic, so, to be short I think.... " The Humans struggle for existence and survival of the fittest" starts right from when we were still a single cell"
Driver : Hmmm! Yeah...!
Me: Merci! au revoir ! bonsoir ! (Thank God ! He is not my external examiner!)
Note: Thats image of the taxi used by army, which now in musee de l'armee!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who would win in the fight for 'Survival of the fittest' amongst Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pierce Brosnan and Albert Einstein?
Maybe, it depends on the girl too!

Anonymous said...

I think the question itself is wrong, there has been no work that has been shown that an egg selects the sperm it wants to fertilize with. If I am wrong please enlighten me.

Uma Maheswari said...

yeah! you may be right, but the next day we had some discussion on it, many people think, its just by chance, and no selection mechanism. ...I dont know exactly!