Since I live in a small, rural town in the US, I was a little surprised to see this outdoor restaurant scene. Of course, major metropolitan communities--especially in Europe--all likely have large populations of people from the Middle East, I hadn't actually come across something like this before. I think it was the hookas that caused the surprise more than anything. My initial thought process was all jumbled up with visions of Alice in Wonderland and my own 70s counter-culture roots (Somebody cue the Jefferson Airplane). But it did click after a while. Camden town, London, UK; September, 2009.