Adnan Afzal from Pakistan only drank Coke on the long flight to Ireland because it was the only English word he knew.
Adnan Afzal from Pakistan arrived in Dublin in 2002 with his mother, two brothers and sister to join his father who was a butcher at Ballaghaderreen in Roscommon. For the whole duration of their flight to Dublin they only drank Coke because it was the only word they knew in English. They were instructed not to eat any food on the plane because they didn’t serve halal, or the Muslim way of slaughtering meat. He wanted to learn English but he stopped attending classes with other Pakistanis because he believed it can only be learned by integrating with the local community. He met his wife though arranged marriage and has always kept his Pakistani/Muslim traditions close to his heart. After working in various jobs and setting up two takeaways, he is now managing and cheffing at Zam Zam pizza takeaway in Roscommon town which serves different kinds of food including halal.
