Best Valet Ever

(I apologize in advance for any typos or grammatical erros appear in this entry.  I'm trying to type this with tears of laughter in my eyes.)

For the last two nights, I've used the hotel's valet to park my car (because it's included in my room cost.)  The guys working valet are very nice, and it's been fun pretending to be all important while they take care of my vehicle.

So last night, I pull in, and this one middle-aged valet worker takes my car.  And just before I walk off, he says, "Have a good night, and Shalom!"

Hilarious, right?  But I've had people say stuff like that to me all the time.  Wearing a yarmulke gets you some great reactions from people all over the place.  (Like the 7-foot tall, 400-pound bouncer who gave me a hug and told me we were brothers because he also reads the bible.  Or the guy who came up to me on the bus one day last summer and asked me if I "was of the Jewish persuasion," so he could ask me some questions about religion.)

Anyway, this valet guy says Shalom to me, which is very nice.  So I chuckle, and go inside while he parks my car.  The next evening, I pull into the hotel again after work, and the same valet guy walks up to the car.  And I actually smile because I'm expecting he will say Shalom again.

Boy did I underestimate this guy.

As we're standing outside the car, he starts to tell me his story:

"So before Seattle I was in the Navy, maritime, for 20 years.  I went all over the place: England, Barcelona, (names some other cities), Morocco, Haifa, Israel."

I think to myself: Cool, the guy has been to Israel.  That's one step above just saying Shalom.

But he keeps going:

"So one time I was flying from Barcelona to New York, and I was sitting next to this rabbi the whole time.  And during the flight, he taught me how to sing the entire Hava Nagila."

...wait, what?  Did he really just say that?

"Yeah, I learned the whole thing.  Wanna hear it?"

Um, of course.

"Hava nagila, hava nagila, hava nagila, v'nism'cha..."

And he sings the whole damn song!!  Right there on the street in front of the hotel!!  Granted, a lot of it was gibberish, but c'mon!  How ridiculous is that?!

Needless to say, I had to pick up my jaw off the floor.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing (and hearing.)  I also had to restrain myself from asking to record him singing.

(This also reminds me of the famous AEPi Weiner Circle video.  I included the link here, but note that it's got some very inappropriate language in it.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Y2wV_xTTc )