Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Note to self:
Must find/create recipe for amazing coconut/chocolate/coffee cookies from tonight. Don't think it was even cooked. Or if it was, it had egg white in it.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Meknes!
I went to Meknes yesterday. It's about 30 minutes away. We had fun. We took the train. It ended up not being at the time it says online. That happens now and then. So we are good at adapting.
After we got off the train, we decided to walk to the old city. On the map it looked straightforward, so down the hill we headed. And after a bit, we started to see more people and stuff. And we followed a direction with more people and more stuff and found a covered market. It was cool. I got Valinda a present there. I think it's cute. We also got little bags of popcorn there for about 5 cents each. After wandering a bit more and seeing cool stuff, we stopped at a cafe and had coffee and tea (we shared a little pot of tea that would be two American cups and it was only 5 dirham!)
Then we decided to figure out where we were, because we were certainly not in the main part of the old city, as we had planned. We showed a map to some guys and asked them where we were. They looked at it as if they'd never seen a map of their city. And maybe they hadn't. Because, for a lot of people, why would you? You learn where you need to go, and you get there. There aren't a ton of street signs or anything. And some people live in the same city their whole lives, so it's not like there is a big need to learn how to read a map of a bigger area. Plus, honestly, the map wasn't that helpful. They did know the name of the square we were on, and it was nowhere to be found.
We thanked them and left and decided to just ask a taxi driver. He similarly didn't know what to tell us about the map, but did know where the old city was. We decided to let him take us. Which may have been a bad idea, but we didn't realize it at the time. Think about it: You just told a taxi driver that you have no idea where you are. And how does a taxi driver make money? By driving you further. We are quite sure that he took the verrrry long route to the old city because when we left it in a taxi to get back to the train station, we realized that we had approached it from the west with him, though we had definitely gone too far east while we were walking. Ah, well, supporting the economy, etc, etc.
The medina was cool, though. We walked around, bought some stuff (we had all heard that it was easier and cheaper to buy stuff there than in Fes b/c Fes is so much bigger and more popular with tourists - I mean it's a UNESCO site and the largest car-free city area in the world. Who wouldn't want to come???) And we had a good lunch and then went to a museum that was in an AMAZING building built toward the end of the 1800s by some crazy rich guy. There was a sign that said no pictures. And then one guy told us pictures of the building were just fine, but not the exposition. And then we came to a room that was hard to tell which category it would fall into... and I will post the pictures for you later :) I just didn't think to bring my camera card today.
We had fun with the rest of the afternoon. Walked more, bought more, got told a thousand times to eat at the restaurants in the touristy area (we didn't) and went into the covered food market area. I feel weird about taking pictures of people I don't know going about their everyday jobs, but I certainly considered it in there. There was a whole row of cookie-making people. Soooo pretty and soooo tasty, I'm sure. The problem is that the bees agree with this tastiness. It used to creep me out a lot, but then you kind of get used to bees being everywhere. But there were more here than anywhere else I've seen, due to the density of the cookie people. Still, we walked through, drooling, and decided we'd come back. We passed some vegetables and meat and then it happened. Another girl said 'ah!' and looked like she almost tripped. The Moroccan guys who saw her said (in French) 'it's ok, he fell' and I'm thinking, 'what? yeah, it's ok, but SHE is fine and didn't trip.' Then she asked if we could see a bee stinger near her collarbone. Oh, THAT 'he' fell. So I guess the bees aren't as friendly as I'd like to think. We waited a bit before we got cookies, and we got them from a stand separated from the rest (and therefore with much fewer bees.)
In other news, my class schedule changed. Now it's 10-12 and 2-4. Gives me a nice amount of time to eat lunch and then get back. I am off to a nearby hotel and see if I can get a pool membership for 3 weeks. We'll see how it goes. There's a rumor that it's $13. And another that it's $13 EACH TIME you go. I'm good with the first, not the second. And I do have lots of sunscreen, don't worry :)
***UPDATE**** Neither rumor was true. It's *just* $11 per swim. (grumbles rude things about snooty hotel)
After we got off the train, we decided to walk to the old city. On the map it looked straightforward, so down the hill we headed. And after a bit, we started to see more people and stuff. And we followed a direction with more people and more stuff and found a covered market. It was cool. I got Valinda a present there. I think it's cute. We also got little bags of popcorn there for about 5 cents each. After wandering a bit more and seeing cool stuff, we stopped at a cafe and had coffee and tea (we shared a little pot of tea that would be two American cups and it was only 5 dirham!)
Then we decided to figure out where we were, because we were certainly not in the main part of the old city, as we had planned. We showed a map to some guys and asked them where we were. They looked at it as if they'd never seen a map of their city. And maybe they hadn't. Because, for a lot of people, why would you? You learn where you need to go, and you get there. There aren't a ton of street signs or anything. And some people live in the same city their whole lives, so it's not like there is a big need to learn how to read a map of a bigger area. Plus, honestly, the map wasn't that helpful. They did know the name of the square we were on, and it was nowhere to be found.
We thanked them and left and decided to just ask a taxi driver. He similarly didn't know what to tell us about the map, but did know where the old city was. We decided to let him take us. Which may have been a bad idea, but we didn't realize it at the time. Think about it: You just told a taxi driver that you have no idea where you are. And how does a taxi driver make money? By driving you further. We are quite sure that he took the verrrry long route to the old city because when we left it in a taxi to get back to the train station, we realized that we had approached it from the west with him, though we had definitely gone too far east while we were walking. Ah, well, supporting the economy, etc, etc.
The medina was cool, though. We walked around, bought some stuff (we had all heard that it was easier and cheaper to buy stuff there than in Fes b/c Fes is so much bigger and more popular with tourists - I mean it's a UNESCO site and the largest car-free city area in the world. Who wouldn't want to come???) And we had a good lunch and then went to a museum that was in an AMAZING building built toward the end of the 1800s by some crazy rich guy. There was a sign that said no pictures. And then one guy told us pictures of the building were just fine, but not the exposition. And then we came to a room that was hard to tell which category it would fall into... and I will post the pictures for you later :) I just didn't think to bring my camera card today.
We had fun with the rest of the afternoon. Walked more, bought more, got told a thousand times to eat at the restaurants in the touristy area (we didn't) and went into the covered food market area. I feel weird about taking pictures of people I don't know going about their everyday jobs, but I certainly considered it in there. There was a whole row of cookie-making people. Soooo pretty and soooo tasty, I'm sure. The problem is that the bees agree with this tastiness. It used to creep me out a lot, but then you kind of get used to bees being everywhere. But there were more here than anywhere else I've seen, due to the density of the cookie people. Still, we walked through, drooling, and decided we'd come back. We passed some vegetables and meat and then it happened. Another girl said 'ah!' and looked like she almost tripped. The Moroccan guys who saw her said (in French) 'it's ok, he fell' and I'm thinking, 'what? yeah, it's ok, but SHE is fine and didn't trip.' Then she asked if we could see a bee stinger near her collarbone. Oh, THAT 'he' fell. So I guess the bees aren't as friendly as I'd like to think. We waited a bit before we got cookies, and we got them from a stand separated from the rest (and therefore with much fewer bees.)
In other news, my class schedule changed. Now it's 10-12 and 2-4. Gives me a nice amount of time to eat lunch and then get back. I am off to a nearby hotel and see if I can get a pool membership for 3 weeks. We'll see how it goes. There's a rumor that it's $13. And another that it's $13 EACH TIME you go. I'm good with the first, not the second. And I do have lots of sunscreen, don't worry :)
***UPDATE**** Neither rumor was true. It's *just* $11 per swim. (grumbles rude things about snooty hotel)
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Slow it downnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
There are plenty of things at home that I miss. And will be thrilled to do/see/smell/taste/touch/etc when I get back. But there is still a lot left to do here! Most of the people who got here when I did are leaving this weekend, or shortly after. So I've heard a lot about their plans and about what they are gonna do back home.
Now I have one month left. I leave crazy early the morning of August 8th from Casablanca. That gives me 3 weeks of classes to enjoy (or not enjoy, depending on the specific class period) and loads of things to see and do and eat.
Lately I've been walking home with a couple of other girls. We've been stopping now & then to try different sweets and other foods sold by the guys on the street. Today I got a giant macaroon-like thing. It was tasty. I've also had a savory chickpea thing, a very thin-doughed pastry (kind of like phyllo) filled with 'sweet,' as the guy told me. I think it was left over fried honey-cookie-things, chopped up and wrapped in the pastry and either baked or fried and then coated in honey. Mmmmm, delicious honey. There was also a night that we got a box of different kinds of pastries from this one place and each had 1/4th of each. They were pretty big. And the other time that I got about a pound of petits-fours for $6. So tasty.
I'm sleepy, I may try to take a nap now.
Now I have one month left. I leave crazy early the morning of August 8th from Casablanca. That gives me 3 weeks of classes to enjoy (or not enjoy, depending on the specific class period) and loads of things to see and do and eat.
Lately I've been walking home with a couple of other girls. We've been stopping now & then to try different sweets and other foods sold by the guys on the street. Today I got a giant macaroon-like thing. It was tasty. I've also had a savory chickpea thing, a very thin-doughed pastry (kind of like phyllo) filled with 'sweet,' as the guy told me. I think it was left over fried honey-cookie-things, chopped up and wrapped in the pastry and either baked or fried and then coated in honey. Mmmmm, delicious honey. There was also a night that we got a box of different kinds of pastries from this one place and each had 1/4th of each. They were pretty big. And the other time that I got about a pound of petits-fours for $6. So tasty.
I'm sleepy, I may try to take a nap now.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Some pictures from Asilah
I'm not sure why, but some of the others didn't want to upload. I'll have to try them again later, but this should get you started:
At the beach
The beginning of sunset (ate during it.)
A small fair we found while looking for suitable dessert (didn't find any I liked)
On the floor in the hotel
At the beach
And still the beach
The beginning of sunset (ate during it.)
A small fair we found while looking for suitable dessert (didn't find any I liked)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
shta, shta, shta!**
For some reason, my host mom sometimes repeats things, like a single word, 3 times. I think it might be b/c the last student did. Or maybe it's a typical thing here. Hard to know. Today seems to merit it, though, from all of the 'shta'-ing that happened.
Tonight there was a concert for free at the school's residence. I went over and saw that it was some sort of drumming group. They also had something like a tambourine as well as 2 long horn things (silver colored and seriously like 6-8 ft long when assembled) and two short oboe-ish things (dunno, reed instrument that reminded me of a recorder due to its open finger holes).
Here, people don't just listen to music. They clap. They sing along. They dance (shta). So I think that for these groups it must be really weird to play for Americans who don't know when to clap. Or any of the words. And sit and watch politely and silently. One of the drum/tambourine players would motion at us to all clap along, and it would happen for a bit. Then he came down and started trying to encourage people to stand up. We were sitting in the front row & felt like we should play along, so me & 2 others got up. We found ourselves soon drug along into dancing. Sometimes there would be two rows of people facing each other, and it was like a scene from West Side Story, as one person later said, as a person from one side would show the rest a movement and then the group would walk up the other row doing the movement (shaking a finger, clapping a certain way, kicking, holding hands and bringing them up in the others' faces, anything it seemed) and then back off. Then it was the other guys' turn to step up.
There was some really cool dancing, too. Some of the guys could do some cool footwork with jumping around - one of the American girls said it looked like they were made for stepping. And some of the dancing looks sooooooooo suggestive to us. It's funny that I, a person who has no hesitation dancing in ways that are absolutely suggestive (in the right company,) am surprised by it. But there is lots of hip and lots of shoulder movement. After a while, an older lady (guessing by her face alone, her body and hair were all covered) started dancing. And WHOA could she move. It was amazing. She danced with me for a little bit and I tried to imitate her movements. After maybe 15 seconds of one, she'd add something or change something and I'd try to follow along, mostly just mesmerized that her hips and torso could still be attached while doing all of those things.
We also had cookies and tea and got rose water sprinkled on us (traditional for the type of music, apparently for religious reasons as well as cooling affects) but, seriously, at one point I thought that I might just collapse from jumping around so much. And I was wearing a linen dress that went just past my knees. I can't imagine in a long-sleeved jellaba, with a full outfit underneath, how they keep going. I know, I know, they're used to it. But you know what I mean.
** Disclaimer: I keep mixing up the words for rain and dance because they're pretty similar to me as a non-speaker-of-the-language. I think this is dance... and that rain is 'stash'... but I could have it backwards. Or both of them wrong, come to think of it....
Tonight there was a concert for free at the school's residence. I went over and saw that it was some sort of drumming group. They also had something like a tambourine as well as 2 long horn things (silver colored and seriously like 6-8 ft long when assembled) and two short oboe-ish things (dunno, reed instrument that reminded me of a recorder due to its open finger holes).
Here, people don't just listen to music. They clap. They sing along. They dance (shta). So I think that for these groups it must be really weird to play for Americans who don't know when to clap. Or any of the words. And sit and watch politely and silently. One of the drum/tambourine players would motion at us to all clap along, and it would happen for a bit. Then he came down and started trying to encourage people to stand up. We were sitting in the front row & felt like we should play along, so me & 2 others got up. We found ourselves soon drug along into dancing. Sometimes there would be two rows of people facing each other, and it was like a scene from West Side Story, as one person later said, as a person from one side would show the rest a movement and then the group would walk up the other row doing the movement (shaking a finger, clapping a certain way, kicking, holding hands and bringing them up in the others' faces, anything it seemed) and then back off. Then it was the other guys' turn to step up.
There was some really cool dancing, too. Some of the guys could do some cool footwork with jumping around - one of the American girls said it looked like they were made for stepping. And some of the dancing looks sooooooooo suggestive to us. It's funny that I, a person who has no hesitation dancing in ways that are absolutely suggestive (in the right company,) am surprised by it. But there is lots of hip and lots of shoulder movement. After a while, an older lady (guessing by her face alone, her body and hair were all covered) started dancing. And WHOA could she move. It was amazing. She danced with me for a little bit and I tried to imitate her movements. After maybe 15 seconds of one, she'd add something or change something and I'd try to follow along, mostly just mesmerized that her hips and torso could still be attached while doing all of those things.
We also had cookies and tea and got rose water sprinkled on us (traditional for the type of music, apparently for religious reasons as well as cooling affects) but, seriously, at one point I thought that I might just collapse from jumping around so much. And I was wearing a linen dress that went just past my knees. I can't imagine in a long-sleeved jellaba, with a full outfit underneath, how they keep going. I know, I know, they're used to it. But you know what I mean.
** Disclaimer: I keep mixing up the words for rain and dance because they're pretty similar to me as a non-speaker-of-the-language. I think this is dance... and that rain is 'stash'... but I could have it backwards. Or both of them wrong, come to think of it....
Sunday, July 3, 2011
So, I paid $90 for this and it's not waterproof
I went to Asilah with 10 other Americans this weekend. We all had a nice time, I think, except for the girl who apparently got sick from last night's dinner. Sad. It was much cooler, we got to swim in the ocean, and just relax and not worry about stuff.
Travel here is so much less expensive than France or the US. Obviously it's due to the general wages and cost of living, but it was about $25 for my roundtrip ticket to the city 3 1/2 hours away. I am well aware it's a lot for locals, but at least I can make it work for once. We stayed in a hotel a couple of blocks from the beach, ate food at a restaurant that I thought was pretty good (I had the same thing as the sick girl, so either I got lucky, her system is just different, or it was something else. Or all of the above) and mostly just had fun being somewhere different.
It was also pretty amazing that when we came back, it was actually chilly in Fez. It was a very pleasant surprise, and it's supposed to be a bit cooler this week than last. Wait, I'm feeling like I may have already told you that. Well, whatever.
I'm actually feeling tired now, though there are still guests in the main room. I may just close the door to my room. For now, then the mystery $90 item? ........................ Wait for it. Chimney's passport. Yep, boys are bright at times. Like when they run into the Atlantic with a passport in the pocket. Oops. (Chimney = nickname for the only one that smokes out of the group who went.)
Ok, goodnight!
Travel here is so much less expensive than France or the US. Obviously it's due to the general wages and cost of living, but it was about $25 for my roundtrip ticket to the city 3 1/2 hours away. I am well aware it's a lot for locals, but at least I can make it work for once. We stayed in a hotel a couple of blocks from the beach, ate food at a restaurant that I thought was pretty good (I had the same thing as the sick girl, so either I got lucky, her system is just different, or it was something else. Or all of the above) and mostly just had fun being somewhere different.
It was also pretty amazing that when we came back, it was actually chilly in Fez. It was a very pleasant surprise, and it's supposed to be a bit cooler this week than last. Wait, I'm feeling like I may have already told you that. Well, whatever.
I'm actually feeling tired now, though there are still guests in the main room. I may just close the door to my room. For now, then the mystery $90 item? ........................ Wait for it. Chimney's passport. Yep, boys are bright at times. Like when they run into the Atlantic with a passport in the pocket. Oops. (Chimney = nickname for the only one that smokes out of the group who went.)
Ok, goodnight!
Friday, July 1, 2011
I wake up in the morning feeling incredibly sweaty
Yesterday some dark clouds rolled in and the wind kicked up a bit in the afternoon. A lot of places I have been, that means that it is going to rain and get cooler. Which seemed like a nice idea and we all started hoping for rain - as long as it started after we were in a taxi home because they seem to disappear the second that rain starts.
It didn't rain while we were at class, or later when we went to wander the medina to look at potential future purchases. It didn't get around to it til about 12:30 when I was finally going to bed. I don't know why I stayed up so late, but I planned to get up at 8:45 today, so no problem.
At 7:45, though, I woke up just nasty sweaty with sun in my face. I closed my curtain, but the darker curtain that blocks the sun, but still lets in a breeze, has been reappropriated to a window in the main room. I'm sure it needs it, too. It probably wouldn't have made a difference today anyway, it is just hot and pretty humid for once. I couldn't sleep anymore, but I remembered that I haven't updated all week, so here I am. It's supposed to be a little cooler this weekend, but if it stays this humid it won't be much of a relief, if any.
That's ok because I'm headed to the beach! It's supposed to be 91 tomorrow and 85 Sunday there. Doesn't that sound beautiful??? (It's supposed to be 100 and 94 here each day, which is actually cooler than it has been.) There's a city on the coast only 3 1/2 hours away that is the movie-typical mediterranean style (white walls, blue doors & trim.) It has about one paragraph on travel sites, which call it a break from the bigger cities and a 'sophisticated' introduction to Morocco, whatever that means. All I care is that it's got water to play in. And probably sand to sit in :) And I do have sunscreen, don't worry!
This week has been surprisingly packed with stuff to do. I've been hanging out with my roommate and a girl who grew up about 10 minutes from where I did, as well as a few others. Wandering the medina on your own isn't fun for me because you get too much attention in certain areas, and some people try to intimidate you. With several of us, we each get slightly fewer offers of 'help,' massages or aphrodisiacs (did you know that dates, olives and oil are among those? Just ask the guys here!) And if a shop-keeper tries to get you to buy stuff (we told them all we were just looking and most were ok with that) it's easier to just leave when you have company.
Tuesday night I went and bought some groceries (and wine and desserts!) with a couple of other grad student girls studying here and then we went back to the apt one of them has and made dinner. And ate it. It was wonderful. Really, it was just afriheims (taste like bell peppers, but shaped like big anaheim peppers) with rice, egg, spices, almonds 'in,' or on, them and some couscous. Plus the wonderful petit four things. We will probably do it again, but the boys will have to buy the wine and desserts if we are cooking. They were all properly appreciative of good food and even since then have been saying that they are for buying the expensive stuff if we cook. Yay for grateful people.
I'm very excited about my new clothes. Tuesday while shopping we saw that there is basically a used clothing market just up from where the food is, and one of the girls really wanted to go back. Wednesday she asked if I wanted to come and, having nothing better to do, I agreed. It was actually fun to look through all of the stuff. Some of it was obviously used or crap, but a lot of it was in really good condition. I got 2 skirts, 1 dress, 1 shirt. The shirt is 100% linen, white, and fits me very well for something to wear over a tank (gaps at chest when buttoned.) It was 10MAD ($1.25). The dress I actually can't wear here, but couldn't pass up. It is missing a strap to go around the neck, but it was still worth the 15 MAD ($2). It's cream and will go just above my knees, with a halter-style top. One skirt is a linen/cotton blend (50/50) and the other doesn't say but looks and feels like it could also be, but probably more cotton. Each 15MAD as well. For a grand total of 55MAD, or just under $7. I don't think I could have gotten 2 of them for that at an American goodwill. Goodwill is actually getting kinda pricey lately.
More to say, but I should be getting ready for class!
It didn't rain while we were at class, or later when we went to wander the medina to look at potential future purchases. It didn't get around to it til about 12:30 when I was finally going to bed. I don't know why I stayed up so late, but I planned to get up at 8:45 today, so no problem.
At 7:45, though, I woke up just nasty sweaty with sun in my face. I closed my curtain, but the darker curtain that blocks the sun, but still lets in a breeze, has been reappropriated to a window in the main room. I'm sure it needs it, too. It probably wouldn't have made a difference today anyway, it is just hot and pretty humid for once. I couldn't sleep anymore, but I remembered that I haven't updated all week, so here I am. It's supposed to be a little cooler this weekend, but if it stays this humid it won't be much of a relief, if any.
That's ok because I'm headed to the beach! It's supposed to be 91 tomorrow and 85 Sunday there. Doesn't that sound beautiful??? (It's supposed to be 100 and 94 here each day, which is actually cooler than it has been.) There's a city on the coast only 3 1/2 hours away that is the movie-typical mediterranean style (white walls, blue doors & trim.) It has about one paragraph on travel sites, which call it a break from the bigger cities and a 'sophisticated' introduction to Morocco, whatever that means. All I care is that it's got water to play in. And probably sand to sit in :) And I do have sunscreen, don't worry!
This week has been surprisingly packed with stuff to do. I've been hanging out with my roommate and a girl who grew up about 10 minutes from where I did, as well as a few others. Wandering the medina on your own isn't fun for me because you get too much attention in certain areas, and some people try to intimidate you. With several of us, we each get slightly fewer offers of 'help,' massages or aphrodisiacs (did you know that dates, olives and oil are among those? Just ask the guys here!) And if a shop-keeper tries to get you to buy stuff (we told them all we were just looking and most were ok with that) it's easier to just leave when you have company.
Tuesday night I went and bought some groceries (and wine and desserts!) with a couple of other grad student girls studying here and then we went back to the apt one of them has and made dinner. And ate it. It was wonderful. Really, it was just afriheims (taste like bell peppers, but shaped like big anaheim peppers) with rice, egg, spices, almonds 'in,' or on, them and some couscous. Plus the wonderful petit four things. We will probably do it again, but the boys will have to buy the wine and desserts if we are cooking. They were all properly appreciative of good food and even since then have been saying that they are for buying the expensive stuff if we cook. Yay for grateful people.
I'm very excited about my new clothes. Tuesday while shopping we saw that there is basically a used clothing market just up from where the food is, and one of the girls really wanted to go back. Wednesday she asked if I wanted to come and, having nothing better to do, I agreed. It was actually fun to look through all of the stuff. Some of it was obviously used or crap, but a lot of it was in really good condition. I got 2 skirts, 1 dress, 1 shirt. The shirt is 100% linen, white, and fits me very well for something to wear over a tank (gaps at chest when buttoned.) It was 10MAD ($1.25). The dress I actually can't wear here, but couldn't pass up. It is missing a strap to go around the neck, but it was still worth the 15 MAD ($2). It's cream and will go just above my knees, with a halter-style top. One skirt is a linen/cotton blend (50/50) and the other doesn't say but looks and feels like it could also be, but probably more cotton. Each 15MAD as well. For a grand total of 55MAD, or just under $7. I don't think I could have gotten 2 of them for that at an American goodwill. Goodwill is actually getting kinda pricey lately.
More to say, but I should be getting ready for class!
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