So now that you have a Disney-sized dosage of what this holiday is all about, I can provide you with how one might envision West African life if you were a pedestrian wandering this city called Paris (hint: it’s not that accurate).
I’m not in Dakar at the moment, but I do happen to be in a place that has pas mal d’immigrés sénégalais. While out on my first morning run in Paris, I passed by a handful of people who were speaking French with African accents (it’s far less snooty sounding than what you normally hear). My neighborhood has an excellent diversity of local residents, and it just so happens that Little Africa in the 18th arrondissement is not too far away from me. How appropriate for Megan.
So with that said, let’s see what the neighborhood has to offer:
I’m currently in a country that kind of ignores religion, but the General Olmsted in me still wanted to go out and do something deliberate to mark Korité. It’s not much, but I I felt like walking around these parts gave me a tiny connection to the West African population here in Paris.
It’s not just West Africans living in this neighborhood, and I definitely know that I heard more ‘Asalama Alaykum‘ more often than I heard ‘bonjour‘ in conversations between vendor and buyer.
The food was cheaper here too (as opposed to in the center of the city). As usual, everything looked looked amazing; I love the markets of Paris- you really can’t beat the freshness, quality and selection.
Here I wanted to snap a picture of manioc, a root-type plant that is used in many West African dishes. It’s not exactly nutritionally-dense, and I don’t think that this would sell particularly well if it was moved any closer to the Seine.
You’ve got your butcher…just not the kosher kind.
A big slice of the store fronts revolve around communication and money transfer. Keeping in touch and sending money to families back home play a big role in the lives of the immigrant population. Checking out the clothing of the people you see walking around here. There is much to be appreciated in the great diversity of a neighborhood like this (not matter how populaire the quartier may be to the upper class).
Here we have an Algerian restaurant next to a store selling Europe’s top Arab music hits. I am sure that the music is top notch, but I didn’t think they would have any U2 for sale in there…
You don’t normally see these license plates in the EU. This one is a diplomatic plate from West Africa. And that said, you don’t see too many Chrysler 300s in Dakar….
No Eiffel Tower magnets for sale here. Instead you’ve got some prayer beads and religious books on offer.
I just thought that this gate was pretty. I am often distracted by shiny and colorful objects.
No matter where you’re from, everybody likes to have a little taste of home when they are so far away- even if I have no idea what Cameroonian food might entail. I imagine that their version of almond butter and Greek yogurt sells like hotcakes here…
This is the only mosque that I came across while walking around, and it doesn’t even look like a mosque. Even though Muslims make up about 10-15% of the population here, France kind of has a contentious relationship with Islam (click here for a bit on that). I think that this ‘issue’ has been going on since the beginning of time…
Goutte d’Or, or ‘golden drop’ is the name affixed to this neighborhood. This area is definitely not as clean and sparkly (or touristed) as the center of Paris, but I would still say that it’s a welcome change from wading through the marble halls of the evil Louvre.
You can find lots of African fabrics for sale in the 18th, and there are lots of tailors who will make you an authentic boubou. I like the fact that I can walk around all of Paris and still seeing people sporting the bright African patterns that will probably never make it to the haute couture runway.