Taxi Story - the Palestinian

So you are on a mission from God? You want to go to heaven or hell? (laughs) Sydney? Is that heaven or hell? Yes, I agree, probably heaven. I have been in Melbourne for more than ten years mate. I like it here. Sydney is nice. Went there once in 1999. Hard to drive around. A mess. I can get you to the airport at 8.27pm. I can go faster but only if you give me $500.00 to pay for the fines. 8.27 it will be. I came out here with my family when I was a young boy. We stayed in some refugee camps but not for long. We came here in 1995. Palestine had just got its independence - or so it thought. There was lots of building and construction going on. But it was not safe. My parents wanted to bring us up in safe place. All I knew about Australia was that there were lots of sheep. I thought it was going to be a big sheep farm and thought we would be seeing lots of sheep. I was very surprised to land in a city and not see any sheep for many years. I have not been back to Palestine. All my family are here. Why would I go to a place I do not know and which is not safe and not really independent? I have all I need here.

(and yes, we were delivered to the airport at 8.27 precisely)