Little Egypt, Big Unrest

Although I'm not at all an expert on Indian/Middle Eastern tobacco, growing up in Astoria has definitely primed me with a subtle craving to smoke fruit-flavored hookah and sip on mint tea once in a while. One of these urges took a hold of me last weekend, so I decided to go unwind at a hookah bar on Steinway Street.

My friend and I made our way to the Egyptian Coffee Shop, a cozy spot where I spent some balmy summer nights relaxing and tasting a wide variety of Middle Eastern tapas or "mezzes" in its outdoor garden. We were extremely surprised when we arrived and the Egyptian Coffee Shop was closed. There was a notice posted on the door from a NYC department (I think it was the Department of Safety?) ordering the business to cease, claiming that it would be dangerous for the store to stay open. Being that New York's Egyptian American community has been immensely prevalent in Astoria since the 1960s, I figured that this had something to do with the recent protests in Egypt regarding President Mubarak.

Though we felt unsettled and even scared for a moment, we noticed that the hookah bar next door, Layali Beirut, was open. We entered the Lebanese cafe adorned with rustic-colored tapestries and candelabras. Sweet sounds of Arabic music calmly filled our ears as we glided over to a comfy booth. All was well again... so we thought. An hour into our conversation and relaxation over peach-flavored hookah, we heard the voices of a man and a woman escalating with every word. We turned around and spotted two people frantically arguing with each other in a Middle Eastern language that was foreign to us. My friend and I could not decipher what they could be arguing about, though we had a huge inclination that it was politically charged. The argument got so intense that both parties had to be restrained by other people in the cafe. This was the point when my friend and I decided that we should leave before we were summoned to serve as witnesses in front of a judge.

The Last Bite: Given the incredible tensions going on in the Middle East lately, I guess I can't be completely surprised at what I observed in "Little Egypt" this weekend. This experience did, however, remind me that Queens is truly a mecca of diversity in New York. And although it is plain to see that New Yorkers dwell in this city and build lives here, for many, their souls and hearts still lie with their families and connections in other parts of the world. Even though Queens is my native borough, it is often difficult for me to wrap my head around a place that is made up of so many different cultures. It is even more perplexing to realize how all of these people remain overwhelmingly tolerant and welcoming of these disparities. Thus, I'm proud to be from Queens, a place that's home to "little" communities with big hearts.

Check out this WSJ article that directly comments on the Astoria community and its relation to the unrest in Egypt.