4.29.2011
4.28.2011
In Times of Madness
I was in my kitchen this afternoon, stuffing a whole chicken with thyme and onion, when I learned there had been a bombing in Marrakesh, about a four-hour drive from our apartment in Casablanca. The news was pretty shocking to both Me and Max as our expectations of Casablanca did not really include events like this. Sure, it’s always a possibility when you live in the Middle East (or anywhere with a history of bombing) but after Jerusalem we felt a bit like we’d be cooling down on the edge of the Atlantic for a while.
When there was a bombing a few weeks ago in Jerusalem my heart instantly dropped out of my chest and I emailed everyone I knew who was still there. When I first heard the news about the bombing in Marrakesh I didn’t know how to process it. Unfortunately Jerusalem is a tense place where awful things like this happen and you learn from people who have lived there to grieve, help where you can, and then brush the dust from your shoulder and go about your life. But what is the protocol here? A bombing like this hasn’t happened here for over eight years and I just wasn’t sure how Moroccans dealt with these kinds of events or how I should deal with them as a new comer.
Fast forward about four hours where Max and I attended a screening for a film called “All I Wanna Do” about a father and son duo from Casablanca who are aspiring hip hop artists. The documentary follows a parking attendant and his 17 year old son as they set about to record their first hip hop album together, get it aired on local radio stations, meet their respective musical heroes and achieve their dreams. Even though the film was in Arabic with French subtitles (neither of which I understood very much of) I was moved to employ the “think of dirty toilets” tear stopper trick that my mother in law taught me several times.
17 year old Ayoub and his father Simohamed were jubilant and irrepressible as they battled their modest circumstances and Ayoub’s would be disability of having only one leg. I couldn’t get over the extent to which they believed in and pursued their dreams- unashamedly and joyfully.
When they turned the lights on after the show all of the heads swung around to a row of people on my right and everyone started clapping. The show’s creator and its real life heroes were in attendance. They were brought down to the front of the auditorium where people in the audience made comments and asked questions. One outspoken viewer from the back, not waiting for the microphone to be passed to him, hollered something to this effect
“You are the pride of our country. You give the young people hope Ayoub.”
Unfortunately there have been attacks in Morocco before and life is not easy for its many impoverished citizens. But stories like Ayoub and his Father’s helped me know better how to process terrible events like what happened in Marrakesh today. Moroccans have hope. People of the Middle East have hope. They work hard and aim high so that their children might inhabit better, more peaceful worlds. I shall do the same.
*If you are interested in the film, and you should be, you can watch the trailer below. The film will be showing at film festivals in Miami, DC, New York, Boston and Dubai – if you are in one of those cities I would highly recommend it. There is also a facebook page for the film.
4.27.2011
4.25.2011
Bienvenue A Casablanca
After nearly missing our connection in Paris (boo for you Charles De Gaulle) we had an uneventful flight to Casablanca. As we walked down the exit ramp we were greeted by a nice moroccan man holding a hand written sign baring our names. He whisked through all manner of check points and customs lines and before we knew it we were traveling down the road toward downtown Casablanca.
I have to say, Casa is a lot greener than I thought it would be. I know it's the Spring and that Summer will mean a drier, browner landscape, but I couldn't believe the greenery as we drove into town. Max mentioned several times that it reminded him of his mission in Brazil a bit with the shrubs and mud and palm trees...as well as the crazy traffic and litter I imagine :)
Our apartment is lovely. It's in a very upscale urban center surrounded by clothing stores we won't be able to afford for some time. But a girl can always try stuff on. There are beaucoup de scrumptious restaurants around and we have already sampled a few. On our second day I met Max and some of his colleagues for lunch at Le Four A Bois for pizza and pasta. The food was delicious, but, as you can imagine, did not help our jet lag any that afternoon. I heard Max say only half joking that he would just stand up for the rest of the day. Jet lag has kicked our butts.
We have an awesome sponsor from the consulate and she showed us around the neighborhood on our first night, pointing out cafe's, gyms, grocery stores with hard to find products and the best produce stand on Max's way home from work. She even braved the terrible Casa traffic for us on Saturday to show us around different areas of the city - more on that later.
We have two doorman, a night man and a day man. They are both very nice and one in particular has proved a determined language partner for Max already. Morroccan Arabic is quite different than Standard Arabic or the Shami dialect he's been speaking for the past few years but Max has been good to get practice in wherever he can. It's been helpful for me to get some French in too. French! I have been surprised at the amount of French they speak here in Casablanca. I guess I thought there would be more Arabic and in private conversations that might be the case, but almost all official information and public discourse is in French from what I can tell. It's coming back to me slowly...
A few funny moments:
The only bag to get lost had Max's work shoes in it and he had work the next morning. I assured him that his Vans looked fine with his black suit.
We ordered a pizza the first night we were here...only our apartment does not have a number. We are the only apartment on a little side street-ish thing and Max did a whale of a job describing our apartment, the neighborhood, the apartment kitty corner and any other distinguishing landmarks before the pizza guy figured out where we lived. It was funnier for me than it was for Max, but ultimately successful.
I have to say, Casa is a lot greener than I thought it would be. I know it's the Spring and that Summer will mean a drier, browner landscape, but I couldn't believe the greenery as we drove into town. Max mentioned several times that it reminded him of his mission in Brazil a bit with the shrubs and mud and palm trees...as well as the crazy traffic and litter I imagine :)
Our apartment is lovely. It's in a very upscale urban center surrounded by clothing stores we won't be able to afford for some time. But a girl can always try stuff on. There are beaucoup de scrumptious restaurants around and we have already sampled a few. On our second day I met Max and some of his colleagues for lunch at Le Four A Bois for pizza and pasta. The food was delicious, but, as you can imagine, did not help our jet lag any that afternoon. I heard Max say only half joking that he would just stand up for the rest of the day. Jet lag has kicked our butts.
We have an awesome sponsor from the consulate and she showed us around the neighborhood on our first night, pointing out cafe's, gyms, grocery stores with hard to find products and the best produce stand on Max's way home from work. She even braved the terrible Casa traffic for us on Saturday to show us around different areas of the city - more on that later.
We have two doorman, a night man and a day man. They are both very nice and one in particular has proved a determined language partner for Max already. Morroccan Arabic is quite different than Standard Arabic or the Shami dialect he's been speaking for the past few years but Max has been good to get practice in wherever he can. It's been helpful for me to get some French in too. French! I have been surprised at the amount of French they speak here in Casablanca. I guess I thought there would be more Arabic and in private conversations that might be the case, but almost all official information and public discourse is in French from what I can tell. It's coming back to me slowly...
A few funny moments:
The only bag to get lost had Max's work shoes in it and he had work the next morning. I assured him that his Vans looked fine with his black suit.
We ordered a pizza the first night we were here...only our apartment does not have a number. We are the only apartment on a little side street-ish thing and Max did a whale of a job describing our apartment, the neighborhood, the apartment kitty corner and any other distinguishing landmarks before the pizza guy figured out where we lived. It was funnier for me than it was for Max, but ultimately successful.
4.24.2011
I know this isn't what you want to read...
but for family history purposes I have to record a few bullet points from our time in New York before moving on to more Moroccan pastures.
New York City: April 17-20
Taxi ride from Hell - JFK to Soho. Yuck.
Shared a sausage roll and tartufo at Saluggis. It made everything ok.
Worked on my thesis over a peanut butter bagel breakfast the next morning.
Walked through China Town and spent several minutes watching a man cut and scoop out a fruitish substance from what looked to be a porcupine referred to simpl as "The King of the Fruits". Anyone been to China and know what that was?
Ate a full meal, including sodas, for $9 at The Dumpling House. Dined on chive and pork dumplings with spicy wontons and pork fried buns. Delish.
Overheard this conversation between the two men sitting next to me at lunch
"Have to you been in touch with Thomas Freedman lately?"
I lean in closer
"No, he's just been so busy."
Really!? If the answer would have been yes, I think I would have ponied right up to their table and helped myself to a won ton while I caught up with old Tom vicariously. In hindsight...maybe I should have done that anyway.
Got our computer fixed at the mac store where I caught a free photoshop demonstration. New skills for the pictures of Morocco I have not taken yet.
Ate the best doughnuts ever at The Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side. We shared a tres leche, chocolate volrhona, chocolate chocolate cake doughnut, and chocolate chip cookie cake doughnut. That's a gooda doughnut. Thanks for the tip Eve!
Finished our time in New York with a bank breaking sushi night. Max was obsessed with getting "New York Sushi" because of that Office episode where Michael and Dwight aren't invited to Ryan's hip New York party. Dumb reason, good sushi.
New York City: April 17-20
Taxi ride from Hell - JFK to Soho. Yuck.
Shared a sausage roll and tartufo at Saluggis. It made everything ok.
Worked on my thesis over a peanut butter bagel breakfast the next morning.
Walked through China Town and spent several minutes watching a man cut and scoop out a fruitish substance from what looked to be a porcupine referred to simpl as "The King of the Fruits". Anyone been to China and know what that was?
Ate a full meal, including sodas, for $9 at The Dumpling House. Dined on chive and pork dumplings with spicy wontons and pork fried buns. Delish.
Overheard this conversation between the two men sitting next to me at lunch
"Have to you been in touch with Thomas Freedman lately?"
I lean in closer
"No, he's just been so busy."
Really!? If the answer would have been yes, I think I would have ponied right up to their table and helped myself to a won ton while I caught up with old Tom vicariously. In hindsight...maybe I should have done that anyway.
Got our computer fixed at the mac store where I caught a free photoshop demonstration. New skills for the pictures of Morocco I have not taken yet.
Ate the best doughnuts ever at The Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side. We shared a tres leche, chocolate volrhona, chocolate chocolate cake doughnut, and chocolate chip cookie cake doughnut. That's a gooda doughnut. Thanks for the tip Eve!
Finished our time in New York with a bank breaking sushi night. Max was obsessed with getting "New York Sushi" because of that Office episode where Michael and Dwight aren't invited to Ryan's hip New York party. Dumb reason, good sushi.
4.22.2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)