Getting to Know the Arab Population in our Neighborhood

On rue Fontaine is a small hookah lounge called Platinum across the street from our apartment, the aroma of sweet molasses and Moroccan tea can be smelt from across the street and the purple glow of their sign illuminates our rooms all night. One night we decide to peek our heads in to see what’s inside; we’re greeted by two Arab men who don’t speak any English, but with some work we are able to communicate and they kindly show us to a small table in the back of the room. The room is small and intimate, the walls are encircled by a booth, scattered with decorative pillows and throws; exotic Moroccan lamps shed warm light in the soft and smoky room that smells of shisha and incense. Groups of people are gathered around small tiled tables and talk softly while Arabic music fills the room.

Someone brings over our hookah and a pot of Moroccan tea on a gold platter; the tea is strong and very sweet, unlike anything I’ve tasted before. After a half an hour and a pot of tea an older couple from Morocco walks into the lounge and sits at the table next to us. The couple start talking to us, asking what we are doing in Paris (we stick out pretty clearly) they don’t speak much English but with our broken communication we are able to tell them what we are doing here in Paris, what we love about the city so far, and what we are studying in our classes. Then the older lady gets up and starts dancing to a Baliwood video that is playing on the tv; she motions towards us, inviting us to dance with her. We were shy and hesitant at first but we decided to go for it; luckily, I have Arab and Indian friends in Boulder who have taught me how their traditional dance goes, and we don’t make too big of fools out of ourselves. We learned some new moves and had a great time dancing around the bar, everyone in the room was clapping to the beat and cheering us on. Everyone at the lounge was very nice and they wanted to know everything about us; despite the language barrier, we were able to have pleasant conversation and had a wonderful time dancing the night away.