Joel, My Pasta Guy
For whatever reason I've ended up talking to a lot more people this year.
It has become routine that I get a pasta every alternate night from the cafe below my dorm. I used to get it made by the same guy every time last year and it was only a few weeks before I left for the summer that I got his name. Well, he left the job and this year I've found a new fellow who I meet nearly every day at 9 30. Every day we inch a little forward in conversation. His English isn't very good which is why I try and keep it simple small talk. Today I found him crouched under the counter holding a first-gen iPhone in his hand. Now that's a conversation starter for me. So we got talking and eventually he mentioned how he has no music on the thing. He can't afford an AT&T phone plan so using it as a phone is out. So I gladly offered to put some on to it for him, since he didn't have a computer - let alone an internet connection and a lot of music. So for the second time so far this semester I took my laptop out, set up in the cafe, got the cables and started trying to figure out what sort of music he likes. He seemed to be in to metal and rock which were my speciality. He didn't know many artists names. He knew a few, so I gave him all I had from those he mentioned. He also mentioned an artist that I don't have which I'll procure eventually. So when I connected the iPhone it asked what I wanted to name it, so I finally got his name, which is Joel. And then dragged all that he wanted into a playlist and left it to sync (my lossless files meant it took an hour in the end). During this time I got to know him a little better. The part which hit me right in the face is the guy is hardly a year older than me. He works from 10am to midnight, I think everyday. I obviously didn't ask him what he gets paid but I'm sure it isn't enough for the amount of work these guys put it (they're hardly ever idle). He said he wanted to learn English so he could take some courses at Baruch across the street "I want to improve my life man" - coming from a guy not much older than you working 14 hours a day isn't easy to hear. I know that a lot of the world is full of much worse than this. Wars, poverty, hunger, starvation... and there are so many people in far worse situations than he, but I don't have an income to help those more in need and worse still I haven't had many a chance to come face to face with them like I have with him. This probably hit me a lot more because I'm here, living in Manhattan, going to one of the best visual arts colleges on the planet, fully paid for by my mother and uncles - and this guy who works at the cafe downstairs, less than a year older than me, is going to make his life better all on his own. I found out his birthday is October 27th (I hope I heard it right) so I can spare a bit to get him a decent pair of headphones and figure out a way I can help him learn better English other than just talking to him a bit more. Azhar Chougle | www.azharc.com
