In Hamburg, always within reach of government officials, immigrants try to make their way. Shezad, a Pakistani in his early 20s, lives in a small hotel run by the shady Herder. The hotel is a virtual United Nations. Shezad tries to help an older friend, Rashid, with his amnesty claim. When it fails, Herder offers to smuggle Rashid into the US for a large fee. Herder also gets Shezad a job in the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant, where he befriends Xiao, a waiter. Xiao wants to open his own restaurant; they save enough to do so, mostly through Shezad's boldness. Because Shezad is the better cook, they serve Pakistani food. Through friendship, is economic success at hand? —<jhailey@hotmail.com>