A Nod to Ramadan Down in San Diego

To snub my nose at tax season and get one last Cali girl night in before heading back to Deutschland, I hit the road and headed south for San Diego.

And who is in San Diego but my webmeister, the brilliant HEATHER. This is the girl that makes money without working”¦. doing some online techno computer stuff “¦. I don’t know how, but she wakes up in the morning and there’s money in her bank account.

So with Ramadan rapidly approaching, we decided to head for the Middle East. We found a pretty good representation right there in the Hillcrest district of San Diego. First, a sampling of the flavors of Afghanistan at a favorite local restaurant”¦ then a trip to the Moroccan hookah pipe shop that her husband manages. I am pretty sure the hookah pipe store sells a lot of stuff that *could* be used for “˜suspicious purposes’, but I’m one of those “˜don’t ask, don’t tell’ people, so I just browse and say “hmmmmm”¦.” There are also many vespas in Hillcrest, and they travel in packs. We were practically mowed down by a gaggle of about 500 vespas hot on the go.

Now I should mention that “Hillcrest” has a very specific reputation that can surprise the unsuspecting visitor. It is the longtime center of gay pride in San Diego. This feature attracts a very diverse crowd. I always get an education in Hillcrest, and am especially careful not to walk into establishments where I don’t know exactly what is being sold”¦

In keeping with the Ramadan theme, we returned to Heather’s pad for some sweet mint tea and Moroccan photo books. I am always totally inspired by and appreciative of Moroccan architecture and tilework. As a matter of fact, there’s nothing I’d like more than to live in a Moroccan style home, with a full-time Moroccan cook, and plenty of Moroccan music. That said, there are certain aspects of Morocco that I am definitely NOT fond of. I’ll leave it at that. (yo my girls, you nodding your heads out there???!!)

And so, a few representational photos of our San Diego outing:

I kindly point out our location….

…before enjoying some REALLY good Afghan vittels:

And here is an example of that fabulous Moroccan zellij (think I can have that done in my new flat??!!):