My department just underwent a re-org.
This morning, I was in the middle of my first meeting with my new manager, when my desk phone rang. Since a lot of issues I deal at work can be rather urgent, I apologized, and took the call.
Answering the phone, I immediately recognized the voice on the other end as that of Member of Knesset, Miki Eitan. He asked politely if he could speak to me for a few minutes to convince me to vote for him in the upcoming Likud primaries this coming Thursday.
I just as politely replied, "Member of Knesset, Eitan, I would be thrilled to speak to you for a few minutes, but right now I'm in the middle of a very important meeting with my new manager at work, could we talk a bit later?"
Ever the gentleman, he asked when would be a convenient time to chat; we agreed on a later time a bit later, and then the call was over.
My manager stared at me -- "you just declined a meeting with a Member of Knesset, the Chairman of the Knesset Constitution committee, to continue our meeting?!"
I laughed back at him - "See how important you are!!"
It reminded me of this famous Bill Gates joke.
I couldn't have asked for a better first meeting with my new manager.
Answering the phone, I immediately recognized the voice on the other end as that of Member of Knesset, Miki Eitan. He asked politely if he could speak to me for a few minutes to convince me to vote for him in the upcoming Likud primaries this coming Thursday.
I just as politely replied, "Member of Knesset, Eitan, I would be thrilled to speak to you for a few minutes, but right now I'm in the middle of a very important meeting with my new manager at work, could we talk a bit later?"
Ever the gentleman, he asked when would be a convenient time to chat; we agreed on a later time a bit later, and then the call was over.
My manager stared at me -- "you just declined a meeting with a Member of Knesset, the Chairman of the Knesset Constitution committee, to continue our meeting?!"
I laughed back at him - "See how important you are!!"
It reminded me of this famous Bill Gates joke.
I couldn't have asked for a better first meeting with my new manager.
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael
18 comments:
Jameel - why on earth would an MK from the Likud, and head of the Constitution Committee be calling someone named Jameel Rashid?
The Likud must really be desperate for votes if the MK's are even calling you.
Zeev: Have you never heard of Likud MK Ayoub Kara? He routinely invites me to his home for his annual Chanuka "Chafla", complete with freshly cooked lamb (under the supervision of a Badatz shochet and mashgiach).
As a Druze Arab MK, his views are probably alot more inline with yours than those of the Qadima list.
Note to self: Don't trust this Eitan guy, he hangs out at the Muqata.
Hilarious, Jameel - though the Gates story had me rolling even more. :)
Ezzie: You also hang out here ;-)
The reason the story was so funny to me is that as it was happening, the Gates joke popped into my head...
Zeev: So why are you so surprised that MK Eitan calls Jameel Rashid, or that "The Muqata" is a nominee for the Best Israel Advocate JIB award?
(ooops, that was a totally unintentinal mention of the JIB awards. sorry)
Obviously you have serious issues with Arabs in this country...get over it!
I told him to call you so pretty please try not to do to him what I did to Zev Boim. http://benchorin.blogspot.com/2005/07/liars-pay-price.html
He's actually a nice guy (but he might outlaw your blog if you don't vote for him).
Ben: If I can't query him on the real issues, then what's the point?
(Like the continuing Qassam missiles, the security zone of Northern Gaza, etc.)
I just read the dialogue on your site...memorized it all ;-)
Hang in there, I see a promotion coming your way... :)
Dropping names again.
Hmmm?
The Bill Gates joke is hilarious! Did you really call him "Member of the Knesset Eitan"? That is a mouthful!
MCA: Yup...yeshiva really warped my mind so that I could speak to people in "third person."
A what tangled web is being weaved at the Muqata. After all Jameel seems to be manipulating his new manager with out even setting things up.
Loved the BG joke, but your story works wonders!
Jameel - you missed the best opportunity to plug joining the Likud!!!
Join the Likud, and maybe be elected to the central committee - and get phone calls like these!!
ace job.you deserve it.Now remember the divrei torah and your son's bar-mitzvah.
daat y: thank you, maybe he'll listen to YOU... :-) -Mrs Jameel
I heard a similar joke w/ Frank Sinatra instead of Bill Gates.
Anyways, what happened to you is something funny to tell the grandkids.
The only ones who call me are SBC (often), and Chabad (occassionally).
Years ago my signifother had acquired a very large yam at the market, and as she was showing it to me, SBC called with a sales-pitch. I shared with them my amazament at the size of that thing, and they hung up.
Both she and I now tell SBC that "mah girl-friend's got a bigg-ass YAM!". It cuts the calls, and stops 'em in their tracks. The phone now hardly ever rings.
The other day, while she was at home, the phone rang. Without waiting for SBC to identify themselves and start their pitch, she gleefully exclaimed into the receiver "mah girl-friend's got a bigg-ass YAM!".
Five minutes later, at work, I got a call from a confused Chabad rabbi.
Maybe you should've told Miki Eitan that you had a big-ass yam.
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