Karim Elhaoui column: Qahwa with the boys
Qahwa with the boys
Back in summer I traveled from Groningen to my father's home country Tunisia. It's always something special for me because it's like diving into another world. Especially the men's coffee shops fascinate me. Mostly run down on the outside and flooded with a specific kind of white plastic furniture, these spots are a playground for guys between 20 and 50 years. Usually the chairs are not arranged in groups but facing the street. Confidential topics and everyday conversations are conducted here. A meeting point similar to a schoolyard, a smoking area or a kitchen in the office. This time I joined my cousin and his boys.