Ali's family is from Lebanon. He is in his forty's and owns a restaurant (might I say the best Mediterranean food I've had) in Margarita, Venezuela. He is now fasting for Ramadan. "We haven't been to the beach, because if you go in the sea, salt water will get in your nose and that counts. It is forbidden. I have my first meal after sundown and then around 1am you get hungry again so I snack because my wife is sleeping. And at 5am before sunrise I eat another meal. If you skip breakfast, your body can handle for the rest of the day." He implies water is the hardest part.
"I went to New York for my studies and ended up staying 12 years. One day my mom told me how long I've been in the US and I could not believe it. The US just consumes you, time flies by. So we live here in Margarita now, where you work but feel on vacation."
His restaurant did not serve alcoholic drinks. But after his father passed, a strict muslim. He offers beer now (Venezuela has a drinking culture).
"I had a visit from the government a few days ago. They wanted 1,800 USD. But my brother took care of it with 200 USD. It is basically a 'vacuna' (tax) you just have to pay and they come one year later, if you're lucky and don't get an in depth inspection. But they don't do that in places where there is a cashier and the owner is not directly handling the register."
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