Teens

March 19, 2009

A gaggle of teens scrambled around the open door of the #5 sherut on Bavli, as Linda and I approached. For some reason, several decided not to board, so the driver signaled to us that there were two seats. We joined six 13-14 year old girls and two other women on the route. Several had braces on their teeth and they all had cell phones within easy access. Within seconds there was a cacophony of giggles, rapid-fire statements and responses, uproars of laughter, and more animated conversation, sometimes punctuated by the rings of cell phones. Even the customary passing of the fares from the back of the van up to the driver was animated and funny. After a few minutes, I could not resist any longer.

“So, who speaks English?” I asked.

About three of them immediately recognized my question and a second or two later the others did so there was an explosion of ”I do” or “she does.”

Now English joined the raucous mix of laugher, broken occasionally by a phrase. The driver at one point asked for “sheket” (quiet), the first time I have heard this on a sherut. We learned that they were in 8th grade, heading down to the shuk (market) to purchase sunglasses and other items for a school trip to the Negev next week. We also learned that they liked Obama and Abercrombie and Fitch. “Is she pretty?” “She has colored eyes,” meaning that her new contact lenses were tinted. Three had been to the U.S—Orlando and LA is what I heard. There was a chorus of farewell greetings and energetic waves from the bus, after we exited on Dizengoff near Frishman.

8th grade girls, bubbly, full of life, from any city and probably many, many cultures. These just happened to be riding the #5 sherut in Tel Aviv.