"Do you know where I can find napkins?"

There is a significant population of Lebanese folk living in Sierra Leone. Although they are small in numbers, they control a significant amount of land and commerce throughout Sierra Leone, especially in Freetown. One of the Lebanese businesses owned is a market called St Mary's which is pretty much where most of the expats in my neighborhood shop.

St Mary's offers up most things that you'd want or need. You can buy soy milk, you can Hershey bars, you can buy an electronic kettle, you can buy eggs, you can buy flashlights, etc. You can pretty buy anything you'd want from a super market, stationary store or hardware store. However, the pricing for items various wildly from traditional prices in Europe and the US.

For example, some Frosted Mini Wheats, which normally retail for 2-3 USDs in the US sell for about 8-9 USDs here. Tabasco hot sauce has a similar markup. Other items, however, light bulbs sell for pennies on the dollar.

Anyway, I know my way around the store pretty well by this point, know the guys who own and run the store and even negotiate prices when I go to pay... All of this has clearly turned me into an honorary member of the Lebanese community. Here's why:

The other day I was loading up my cart with stuff for my new flat when a middle-aged man asked me where he could find napkins. I responded in the aisle with all the plastic cutlery just one aisle over. Was not really thinking, but I assume he was just asked another patron if they knew where something was. He then found me about 5 minutes later in the aisle where the pasta and rice is found. He literally started rummaging through my shopping cart at which point, I asked him if I could help him?

He responded and said that he was looking to see if I had any more of the Louisiana Hot Sauce as there was no more on the shelf. I responded and said that I did indeed have the last bottle. But I was still completely confused as to where this was going. He then asked me for it, and I said that I was purchasing it... he looked at me insanely confused and said "But don't you work here?" I laughed and said "Pardon?", and he then asked me if I was part of the Lebanese family that runs the store... I said, "Nope, I'm American my friend and just trying to find some dinner to cook like yourself..."

The guy was so embarrassed. He thought I had been restocking the shelves. I felt bad and offered him my hot sauce as I had found a green jalapeno Tabasco sauce that i preferred. And thus, for the first time in my life... someone assumed that I was Lebanese.