“Sweets and Stories: an eye-opening experience in Observatory” by Marie

Marie's on top of the world...or perhaps it's just Lion's Head!

One of my favorite aspects of Cape Town is the diversity of its suburbs.  The look and feel of Cape Town alters from neighborhood to neighborhood with surprises around every corner; I’m always thrilled to discover something new (particularly when that something is food).  It so happened that one day, after fighting a losing battle with my sweet tooth, one of my housemates and I decided to venture to the suburb of Observatory (about a 15 minute walk from our house in Mowbray) in search of a bakery rumored to have scrumptious cupcakes.  The good news: we found the bakery.  The Bad news: it was closed.  If we hadn’t taken a detour to check out a beading shop (where I purchased some beautifully-crafted bracelets) we probably would have made it before closing time; this, however, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  After the bakery debacle, we were sorely disappointed (and my sweet tooth was practically weeping in angst); so, we decided to find another place worthy of our patronage.  What we found was a little place called “Café Crespella” where we were treated not only to delicious crepes and cappuccinos, but to a story that was begging to be told.

Upon entering the little creperie and being greeted by the owner, Mr. Shendi, I immediately noticed that his accent was one that I had not heard before.  After inquiring about his origin, my house mate and I learned that he was an Iraqi originally from Baghdad.  Wondering just how an Iraqi made his way to South Africa to start a café, we asked him to kindly divulge some of his history.  What we got was a captivating story of struggle and strength from a man who had seen so much of the world and its many facets.  After leaving Iraq, Mr. Shendi made it to Bulgaria where he met Lubka, the love of his life.  After marrying in Bulgaria, the happy couple decided to stay in Lubka’s home country but passport issues forced Mr. Shendi to return to Iraq where Sadam Hussein’s oppressive regime had taken hold of the country.  After clearing away a hefty load of Bulgarian red tape, Mr. Shendi was finally able to gain Bulgarian citizenship and move to Bulgaria permanently to be with Lubka.  However, what was initially supposed to be a permanent move would eventually turn into a temporary stay as husband and wife could not thrive under the oppressive communist regime in Bulgaria.  Although not a part of the USSR, Bulgaria has a history of oppressive 20^th century communist politics.  After Mr. Shendi and Lubka left Bulgaria, they lived in a long series of places around the world (including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Canada) before deciding to settle in South Africa.

When I asked Mr. Shendi where he preferred to live, he responded with a big smile and proudly said, “South Africa!”  Mr. Shendi and Lubka have found such happiness here and, after several decades of marriage and four children, are still very much in love.  Neither their religious differences (he is Muslim and she is Christian) nor their lack of a stable lifestyle have ever infringed on their happiness.  It was fascinating to meet a person who has experienced so much oppression in his life (first under a tyrannical dictatorship, then under a corrupt communist government) yet who still manages to see the best in people and actively seeks his happiness.  Upon our arrival to Cape Town two months ago, we were told to engage as many locals as we could in conversation.  We were told to listen and learn through our many encounters and experiences.  However, it was not until I met Mr. Shendi and heard his fascinating story that I fully realized just how much stories can change those who hear them.  Thank you, Mr. Shendi; I will undoubtedly return for more of your stories and (of course) more yummy crepes!