13.04.06 - 11:04

I don't know why any of you would care, but this is done, edited, ready. t's an interview I did for our newsletter, "The Nouakchott Notes".

"Take Me to Le Candy Shop"

Kathleen “Kathy” S. (Khadi Diop, to Mauritanians) is the honey-tongued proprietress of Le Candy Shop, a new boutique chock full of American confections. She has been, at various times, an agriculture volunteer in M’Bagne (“the most beautiful village in Mauritania!”), an employee of Peace Corps headquarters, and a worker for the African Development Foundation. She was also, as third-year volunteers remember, the AO here at our Bureau, before that post was filled by the effervescent(1) David S.

Molly M: How did you decide to start Le Candy Shop?

Kathy S: I decided that I had enough of government work for the moment. Some friends and I had talked for 15 years about doing a business in Mauritania, so when I went back to the States in 2004, I started organizing to come back and start a business. So, voila.

MM: So, why candy? Because it seems like quite a shift from vegetable gardening and good nutrition to candy.

KS: Because there is no candy store here. We are the first.

MM: What are some of the items that you sell here at Le Candy Shop?

KS: Mostly, we sell bulk candy items, with some individual “kiddie” kinds of candy. The most popular items we sell are the Bubble Tape, which is six feet of bubblegum [for you, not them – ed.], and Tart Sour Spray. [We also have] Sour Patch Kids, Mike-n-Ikes, Swedish fish.

MM: How about the most unpopular?

KS: Most unpopular? Well, you know, that is the weird thing because what happens is something will not sell and you’ll think, “oh gosh, nobody likes it” right? No. Because five weeks later, suddenly everyone is buying it.

MM: Who are your customers?

KS: Everybody, actually, but thankfully there are tons of Mauritanians that come in, mostly kids of course, but there are some adults.

MM: What has been your biggest surprise working here at Le Candy Shop?

KS: (getting more and more perturbed) It’s astonishing how I put the prices everywhere and yet, every single time, people will ask me, what is the price? It’s right there, in front of their faces, so that just astonishes me. (Her voice becomes high-pitched and near-hysterical.) I can’t get over that, that the price is RIGHT THERE but they’re asking me “how much is this?”

MM: What is your favorite candy?

KS: That is difficult, because I am a candy lover, but I would guess the Sour Patch Kids.

MM: Which candy would you recommend as the perfect dessert for goat head and couscous?

KS: The goat head and couscous, definitely on the greasy side, so you need something to cut that grease, so I would recommend some Starlight mints. That way, you’ve not only taken care of the grease, but also the after-dinner breath problem.

MM: Who can make a sunrise and sprinkle it with dew, cover it in chocolate and a miracle or two? Who can make a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh, soak it in the sun and make a strawberry lemon pie?

KS: (in a tone that suggests “well, duh.”) The Candyman can.

MM: Do you feel that part of your business philosophy here at Le Candy Shop is to mix it with love and make the world taste good?

KS: Of course.

MM: Do you have any advice for PCVs with all of your experience in Mauritania?

KS: Make the most of your experience, because you’ll never have another one exactly like it.

MM: This brings me to a very puzzling question. The Lonely Planet writes of Mauritania, “life in this harsh land is affected by overwhelming poverty, lack of resources, and ethnic conflicts… we would just about suggest that Mauritania was THE place to avoid.” Why are you still here?

KS: Because I don’t think people who write for Lonely Planet actually spend a lot of time in the country. Every country has issues, doesn’t matter what country it is, but you can either work with it and try and help, or you can say “avoid the place.”

MM: Thank you, Kathy S. Now, can I get 300g of jelly beans?

Le Candy Shop is open Tues through Sun, 10-1 and 5-9. It’s located close to Pizza Nana, but closer to the Stade. Kathy invites all of you to “Just come on by!”

(1): Effervesce: intrans. verb 1 : to bubble, hiss, and foam as gas escapes
2 : to show liveliness or exhilaration

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