That Time of Year

Thank you to Kallun for whipping up a counting script -- near the top it now says how long I have been in Morocco -- who says there's no Santa? Bah Humbug!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, Y'ALL!


Since Christmas is not celebrated in Morocco**, I really did not have any appropriate pictures to post. I would love to claim this picture of me on a recent fantastic holiday get-away beach like Agadir or Tanger; however, it is not. This is a picture from March '04 (that's such a distance memory away!) when I was in San Diego with SC*; this is the same friend who, earlier this year, sold her home that is the historical-literary-birthplace of poet laureate Ted Hughes.


The spirit of Christmas commercialism has not completely escaped this Moroccan street vendor.


This is a typical scene of electrical outlet abuse .. whether in the U.S. or Morocco, this is an electrical fire hazard waiting to happen. Though this is not lighting up a Christmas tree, chances are the outlet for your tree is overworked, too.


Though I have not been to all the hanuts [stores] in Morocco, I have yet to see white-shelled eggs. I got to think about this because the host-family asked me about major holidays in America. This got me thinking about eggnought .. thus, leading me to the incredible, edible egg. How strange the mind works. The universe works in stranger ways.


Peace Corps Volunteer TT* and her friend PC* came to visit (yeah! my first visitors) Khemisset. They had been to Khemisset before, about a year ago, and, as we walked through familiar territories, they talked like real estate agents .. commenting on all the new constructions, where the best places to eat/shop are, etc. We took a walk through the park (locals refer to the park as a zoo because there are cages of monkeys and birds) before they caught a grand taxi home at sunset.


I spend much time on the roof-top. Such vantage offers glimpses of life's everyday activities .. including this scene of an expert "roller" directly below.


A couple of weeks ago, I picked olives at the family's olive farm. This past weekend, I continued to help process the olives to get the sort-after-scientifically-proven-beneficial olive oil. A liter of first-, cold-pressed olive oil costs about 40dh (roughly US$4). At this very reasonable price, I'm gonna wash my hair with it once a week!


While on a walk about town, I stopped by to talk with an upholsterer***. He brought out many fabric samples to show me what is possible. When I rent my own place, I'll go to him to make my pillows and ponches [Moroccan sofas].

* actual names have been changed/withheld for obvious reasons (re: safety/security)
** well, at least not in Khemisset
*** this doesn't look right, but am told it is correct.
tags: ..
another point of view ...

Blogger Unknown


You rock!!!! You gotta get some of those cool pillows and go up on the roof and work of becoming Bodhisattva :).

I am loving your adventures.
 

Blogger Nam LaMore


i hope all of you are enjoying your holidays .. it has been crap muddy outside for the last week, but i feel so warm and snugly just knowing that it is the holiday season somewhere else.

MIZEZ SLOCOMBE: you fcuking better!

HALE: thank you so much .. though christmas is not celebrated in my town, i still have fond memories of the winter holidays when i make bread pudding for my homestay family. i sneak in an extra dash of cinnamon just to bring back the memories .. they haven't a clue why i'm cooking with so much cinnamon of late!

LOVE HURTS: damn, you really know how to party .. so, what is your tune on karaoke? i'm still searching my soul for the tune that does it for me.

MQUEST: i really hope that you and the family will come to visit me once i get my own place. i'm aiming for a place with a western-style toilette, but you might have to learn to use the turkish if i can't swing my dream house/apartment!
 

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