Caption: A photo of African musicians playing bongo drums.(Getty Images)As this was my first time ever leaving my home country of Nigeria at the mature age of 20, I wanted to engross myself in the foreign culture which was North Cyprus where I got accepted in university. Food being a major part of African culture, exploring food here was a natural occurrence. My biggest challenge however, was the language barrier, something as simple as asking for directions was difficult.
On one hand, finding places to eat, finding food i would appreciate and finding new flavors may have been difficult. As not all places were friendly to people of color or the communication was simply impossible.
On the other hand in this search I found little gems i would have never found sticking to main roads and popular places. Getting of the beaten path allowed me to discover new flavors, authentic foods and experiences that will stay with me.
This is why I became a local guide, I wanted to help other international students coming to this island. I thought I was only helping the students of colour telling them where they may run into trouble being served and where they may find food similar to home. I later realised that I was also inspiring them to try food outside of their comfort zone and also getting interest from any international visitor POC or not.
I appreciate any view as I did not even expect one. I also appreciate the invitation that Local Guides connect has sent me.