I've been going to the same bodega on the corner for two years now, and I just tonight learned one of the proprietor's names.
My inspiration? People in the neighborhood call him Ali Baba. And while he is of Indian, Pakistani, or other descent, that surely can't be his name. Can it?
It's not.
It's Ahmed.
That's a pretty common and easy to pronounce name, so I'm intrigued why people call him Ali Baba. His answer?
"It's a nickname. People here can't say it. Ali Baba is easier."
Not so much.
