Quote:
Originally Posted by zinatf
 YAY!! We rule 
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That was quite an experience actually. There I was in
exotic Essaouira with a group of my French and American friends from high school sippin' iced mint tea with honey and shootin' the *hit, before I heard the all familiar NK twang.
"Hyaten maser laug'e hasta (pasta) saisilo, bat (rice pilaf) sae nai. Ektu monozg di huniyen."
I turned to discover a couple of waiters, obviously dyasher manush, speaking louder than most waiters ever do with one another. Essaouira is not at all a known let alone popular destination for the typical South Asian tourist and seeing a couple of our brothers was shocking enough, but the Noakhaillah was indeed quite stunning.
I introduced myself and we struck up a conversation, and before I knew it, one of the guys established several family ties. Then they invited me and my friends, there were 7 of us, to have dinner at their place. We obliged later that week and were treated to a 10 course Noakhaillah feast -- including payra, ha(n)sh, fish patur'hi etc -- with local ingredients substituting traditional ones.
With all 15 of them living inside just 3 standard 20-foot shipping containers turned makeshift rooms, they must've spent more than they could afford but did it with smiles on their faces. Affordable rentals are available but they make the sacrifice to send more back home to their families. Their places were set next to an abandoned pier with a single public toilet that they fixed up to use. We ate outdoors, right next to the "roshui ghaur" space adjacent to those containers. They live peacefully right next to the West Africans living on the island with similar stories.
I'm proud to have such folks, rather than some self-loathing, uppity NRB represent my country abroad.