by Kelly Sereikas


Click photo to see slideshow

Multicultural Waiter

     Sam Cedik moved to Berlin 23 years ago from Macedonia because of political problems.  Although he has been here for more than half of his 40-year-old life, he doesn’t consider Berlin his home.
     “I live here and work here, but in my head I think of home as Macedonia,” he says.
     Sam explains that family is very important to people in Macedonia, and says that if his family were to leave the city, he would drop everything and follow.
     Twenty members of Sam’s extended family live in former East Berlin. Several of them work with him at Al Dante Italian Restaurant, where his second cousin is the head chef.
     Most of his time is spent serving guests at the restaurant, where, on some nights, he talks to each table in a different language. Sam is fluent in Macedonian, Albanian, Italian, German, and he is learning English. At night he joins his friends at Billiard 4 Fun two blocks away from the restaurant to shoot pool and play darts.
     “Some nights I play till three, four in the morning,” he said.
     His life in Berlin is busy, but he looks forward to the days where he can get away from the fast-paced metropolis and return to his family’s garden in Macedonia. He visits every summer for a few weeks to remember his roots.
     “There is respect in Macedonia for all people,” Sam said. “It does not matter whether you are rich or poor, all people will help you.”