Elmatador,
The Sofitel maid seem to be part of a well knit guinean community in Harlem (her sister lives there, according to other reports). The area around 116th street in Manhattan is called Little Senegal.
en.wikipedia.org
news.bbc.co.uk
We have friends in the area and visit many restaurants in the area.
The area seems like a West African village, everyone seems to know each other and typically hug each other with big smiles when they meet. The language spoken on the street is French and there are african immigrants from many countries such as Senegal, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea.
There is a mosque between 115th and 116th street on Central Park West extension known as Fredrick Douglass Avenue. The block looks a little messy and dirty but has a lot of joyful activity. There are lots of families. Girls in hijabs, who if you overhear the conversation, sound like like any american kids. Kids playing on the sidewalk, chasing each other, while their parents are praying inside the mosque.
Anyway, I have visited this cafe across the street where many West Africans hang out, many of them after visiting their mosque. The food is reasonable and staff is very friendly. The owner Ibrahim, a guinean, has managed to create a warm and friendly place.
youtube.com
Turns out that the Sofitel maid was a regular visitor to this Cafe and the Cafe owner was one of the earliest people she called.
harlemworldblog.wordpress.com
-Arun |
