Over the (honey)moon!

Time for my last blog – tomorrow I will be on a plane back to Melbourne. I can’t believe how quickly these 6 weeks have gone, but I guess I’m leaving just in time; Ramadan starts tomorrow or the day after! 

So after the stress and excitement of the wedding, Karim and I managed to get away for a few days for a second honeymoon! First we went to chefchaouen, a quaint blue and white medina up in the mountains. Luckily, we both had been there before so we didn’t have to waste time sightseeing – we spent the whole time at the hotel pool! Mum, Dad and 2 friends came too, so we were able to spend a bit more time with them before saying final goodbyes. 

We then travelled onto Assilah, a seaside town near Tangier. It was obviously the place to be, according to the thousands of Moroccan families who were also there! We spent 2 glorious days at the beach – reading books, getting a tan (Karim), getting sunburnt (Phoebe), swimming, putting mysterious blue/grey mud on our bodies and eating freshly caught fish. You could even get freshly squeezed orange juice! Nat and Blake joined us for the second day before we had to say goodbye to them too. 

But all too soon it was back to Fes. For Karim that meant back to work, and for me it meant time to start packing. Even with a 30kg luggage limit, I may still have too much stuff – my second carpet doesn’t help! I’ve had to leave quite a bit behind, for next time, insh’allah. And then of course I had to say my goodbyes. Only having 2 sisters growing up, I have suddenly found myself with a whole city full of brothers that look out for me, so goodbye to all of them. Then goodbye to Wally, my tortoise, who went back to the petshop. He’s so little that it was tempting to tuck him into my pocket, but I’ve seen what happens on border security. Then goodbye to Karim’s family, which is always the hardest. That day they had bought and slaughtered a sheep as further celebration of our marriage, so we ate it for lunch! But then the unavoidable question – When will you come back?  

With Karim’s visa approved, it has dawned on me that I won’t be back for some time. It’s a hard realisation – for nearly 4 years I’ve been coming to Fes, and every time I fall more and more in love with the city and the Moroccan way of life. And each time I left, I knew when I’d be coming back. But now, if all goes well in Australia, I might not be back for a year or two. I’m really going to miss it. But for once, I’m not that sad to be saying goodbye to Karim. 4 weeks is nothing compared to what we have been through, and then insh’allah he will be in Australia! It has been my dream ever since we met and I am over the moon to start this new stage of our journey together!

So until next time, whenever that may be…

Relaxing by the pool in chaouen

honeymoon!

meeting some locals

OJ at the beach

Weird grey mud, made our skin nice and soft!

Our beach

Sharing our honeymoon with friends!

Fresh fish tagine

Wally - who finally started eating after a few weeks of fasting

The sheep that was slaughtered for us

I do.... again.

So it has been a week since the wedding and so much to write about! I don’t know exactly how I’m going to tackle it all in a blog, but you can also check out my mum’s blog here (http://roaringfiftys.blogspot.com/2012/07/six-dresses-for-moroccan-wedding.html) for her perspective and more pictures!

But I’ll start from the start – the day before. A most interesting hens party if you could call it that! I have been to the hammam several times, but for nearly everyone else it was their first time and lots of giggling was had! Scrubbed, massaged and sung to by toothless topless women, we were certainly sparkling clean by the end! We followed this up with the henna party, where henna was applied to my hands and feet, including the soles of my feet, so that I had to remain lying down for a few hours while the people around me had to feed me patisseries and tea. It’s hard being the bride sometimes! Yassin’s group played lovely music while all the other ladies got henna too. In the evening, the men went off for a shave from the barber where my dad shaved his beard after more than 40 years! And then they too went off to the hammam with Karim to get scrubbed by a not-so-big baba. 

The next morning – the day of the wedding! While I went to the salon with Karim’s brother and sister, Karim was still running around and organising everything! Now I had been forewarned that Moroccan make-up can be quite over the top (understatement), so I made sure to tell them that I only wanted a little, which they seemed to be ok with. An hour later and I looked like a drag queen. I was able to negotiate some being removed, but the coloured in eyebrows, diamantes next to my eyes and bright red lipstick had to stay. Luckily, there were no touch-ups during the course of the wedding, so by the end, I think a lot of it had been sweated off! Next onto the hair; 49 bobby pins, 2 extra hairpieces and a hairnet later and I had quite a headache, but it did look pretty! And I was ready! 

Off to the venue and I was snuck in via a side door so that no one could see me. It was time for the first of my 6 dresses. A bright pink and blue number! Every dress came with its own set of jewellery, (including tiaras!) and the fact that one of my ear piercings had nearly closed over was no obstacle. Not only was my ear practically re-pierced, but both were also stretched as the thick and heavy earrings were pushed through every time. The price of beauty I guess! 

Karim and I made our first entrance for lunch and from that time onward I had a permanent smile on my face- partly from being happy, partly from being constantly on film! There were photos taken at every stage, and the video was streamed live directly to the plasma screens around the venue, so there was no escape! Dad’s drilling on table manners as a child certainly paid off as I was even filmed eating lunch. The food was delicious – meat with almonds and eggs followed by delicious chicken followed by fruit and ice-cream. Luckily there was so much food, as we had about 50 extra people show up! 

Karim and I were then led to our throne – an elaborately decorated couch on a platform where we were joined by just about every guest for photos! The lights from the cameras combined with the heavy dresses, combined with the 34 degree weather made it all a bit hot, but Karim, ever the fixer, solved the problem by getting his brother to buy us a fan. After that, we had the coolest spot in the whole wedding! 

Time for dress number 2, my favourite dress and another entrance. This time, I was lifted in a carriage by 4 men, who danced me into the venue, while Karim followed on a horse! Lots of waving and smiling, definitely a princess moment! This was followed by more photos and more couch time as the guests danced to the music and were offered tea and patisseries. May I add that I did not get offered any, but maybe this was a blessing as the dresses were already pulled in tight by the central belt! 

Dress number 3 – a red velvet number. No special entrance, but a lot more photos. By this time, my cheek muscles were getting pretty sore from smiling, so it was a relief whenever I got to change dresses, as it gave me a break! Throughout the wedding I had 4 ladies attend to my every need; they helped me into and out of my dresses, put on my jewellery, and made sure everything was looking perfect for the photos. Our headquarters were in a side room, which provided a sanctuary away from the cameras!

Dress number 4 – this time, green velvet. I was carried in a matching green carriage, while little girls got hold of the flower centrepieces and threw rose petals at me! Karim and I had to awkwardly dance for a bit (Moroccan dancing is still a bit of a mystery to me) before retiring to our couch once again. More photos!

Dress number 5, although I don’t think I could call it a dress. I had only seen pictures of it, and I had been warned that it was heavy, but nothing really prepared me for wearing it. I had the option not to, but it is a traditional Fes dress, and I wanted to have the full wedding experience. So off to the change rooms! I can’t really describe it so you’ll have to settle with the pictures, but what I can tell you is that the headdress dug into my forehead like nothing else and I was on the point of tears at one stage. But I just had to grin and bear it, although my grin looked more like a grimace! Luckily it was only for about 15minutes, and despite the pain, I’m glad I did it!

Time for the final dress – a real white bridal gown with veil! I had never tried it on, but somehow it fitted perfectly. This time, Dad walked me out and passed me onto Karim, who lifted my veil and gave me a kiss (on the forehead – it is Morocco after all!) Our final task was to cut the 5-tiered cake and feed each other a piece. After 9 hours, the official festivities were over! The girls changed out of their hired Moroccan gowns while I smiled for more photos, and then it was into the bridal car and off to the palace for even more photos! 

Finally, at about midnight, we checked into our hotel and I was able to scrub off the makeup and wash out my hair. The end of a long day! But even without the cameras, I still found myself smiling– a perfect wedding to the most amazing man, happiness doesn’t even begin to cover it. 

Before I leave you with the photos (these are photos from friends, official photos are coming soon), I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who flew over to join us, I hope you enjoyed morocco and our wedding! A big thank you also to everyone who sent love and support from afar, we look forward to celebrating with you another time. And the biggest thank you ever to my husband Karim, who organised everything and made me the happiest bride ever! 

Henna being applied to my feet

Henna entertainment

Fully Henna-ed

Henna before

Henna after!

Pretty rainbow girls!

Dress number 1 on our throne

Ohhhhh....

Band number 1 for our grand entrance

Smiling for the cameras with dress number 2

Making our entrance!

Dress number 3

Being carried in dress number 4

Keeping on smiling in dress number 4

Instantly displayed on the plasma screens

Fassia dress - ouch!

Cutting the cake in dress number 6

Dress number 6 with the family

Dress number 6 with my mother-in-law

Band number 2 played until the very end

Everyone gathering around the palace doors for the last photos of the night!

2 days to go!

With the wedding fast approaching, this past week has been busy to say the least! And this is for me who has very little to do with the wedding organisation -  Karim has been even busier! But with 2 days to go, I think most things are now sorted and we can start to get excited!

It is even more exciting that we get to celebrate with so many family and friends- I think we have about 100 people who will be at the wedding! Of course, most of these are from Karim’s side and I don’t think he has invited half of his extended family, but there are also 21 of my friends and family who have flown from Australia or Europe to join the celebrations. For my parents, my sisters and Anje, this is their second or third time in morocco so they have settled in well – especially Anje who I suspect might actually have been Moroccan in another life. And then for the others this is their first time, so everything is new and exotic! I have had a great time showing off my adopted city and it has been great for Karim to meet more of my friends and family.

Of course, being in Karim’s entourage, our guests aren’t just average tourists. We get special discounts in shops and restaurants and Karim makes sure we don’t get hassled. Sometimes it feels like things happen by magic - like when we finished one watermelon and another 15kg beast appeared at our door. My family are also the very first ones to stay in a newly restored Riad (guesthouse) owned by our friend Said, which is one of the most beautiful riads I have seen. Another friend organised a group tour of the medina for us all – and even though I generally make fun of those big groups whenever I see them, it was actually very interesting and we went to places in the medina I have never been before!

We have also been doing plenty of wedding stuff in preparation for Sunday. I have chosen my dresses and bought my shoes, and then yesterday we took all the girls to choose their own Moroccan dresses. In true Moroccan fashion there will be all the colours of the rainbow – bright pinks, blues, greens, reds, purples, you name it! Then tomorrow everyone will go to the hammam, and then the henna party in the afternoon. And then Sunday is the wedding! I'm still not really sure what will happen, so it's definitely going to be an adventure! Much more to write about, but not enough time, and I don’t even have any photos. But stay tuned for a post-wedding blog shortly!

Friends in Fes

So I have been here for 2 weeks already – time flies when you’re not doing much at all! It’s so nice to have a break from uni, I have been sleeping in until 10 or 11 every morning and then of course there is the mandatory siesta in the afternoon. I have read 5 books and watched a few movies, and spent hours sitting in cafes drinking fresh OJ and watching the world go by. 

That’s not to say that there hasn’t been any excitement – the last week has bought quite a few house guests! Firstly to Azia, the cutest kitten in the world… Karim is friends with a Canadian girl, Sarah, who is living here for a few months and she has adopted a street kitten. So when she was going away for a holiday, I was quick to volunteer to be the cat-sitter! Azia is maybe 4 or 5 weeks old, very uncoordinated and curious, with surprisingly sharp claws and teeth. And I love her! I’ve only got her for a few more days and I’m certainly going to miss her when she goes home to her real mummy. 

Knowing how much I have enjoyed having the kitten to play with, Karim somehow convinced me to get a 4-legged friend of my own – a pet tortoise! It’s definitely not as fun as a kitten, except when it plays hide and seek and I have to go searching under the couches to find it. For that reason I have named him Wally – as I constantly seem to be asking where he is. Azia and Wally are not friends, as much as I think they could be the next youtube sensation!

But it was the 2-legged variety of visitors that were the most exciting this week – Jay and Julia; friends from somers camp. They stayed with us for 3 days and it was great to catch up on their travels and share a bit of my Moroccan life with them. Jay and Karim bonded over soccer and Karim now has a soccer team in Australia to support (Melbourne Heart), while Julia and I bonded over pumpkin seeds. They were also able to enjoy Friday family couscous, which was demolished in record time! Unfortunately they had to head off yesterday to spain so they won’t be around for the wedding, but I have plenty more visitors arriving in the next few weeks to keep me busy!

And finally, we are very excited to announce that we have booked Karim’s plane ticket and insh’allah he will arrive in Melbourne on August 17, where a whole new world awaits him. But for the time being I am very happy to share his world for a few more weeks! 

 

Wally!

Azia and Wally

Azia

Me with some other kittens

peek-a-boo!

Double date!

Couscous - before

Couscous - after!

Celebrations all round!

Lots of things to celebrate in the last few days, so let’s start from the start. Firstly, I’m in Morocco again after a long 4 months! Karim came to meet me in Casa airport and we made our way back to Fes, my home away from home. Our apartment is really nice, in a great location and the bed isn’t even too hard! And most importantly, there is some couch space for friends to stay! It’s so great being back here with Karim, it’s almost as if I never left. 

The second thing to celebrate is the amazing weather! After missing 2 winters in a row, the weather in Melbourne was really getting me down, so I’m slowly being revived by the Fes sunshine! It’s not too hot either, and even quite cool at nights, although it’s set to get hotter in the next few weeks! With the sunshine comes the delicious fruit – cherries, watermelon and apricots have been my favourite so far, not to mention fresh orange juice every day!

The next thing to celebrate is our upcoming wedding, which we have been busy organising. And by we, I really mean Karim as he does all the work! I think most things are booked now, the venue, the bands, the photographer and the lady who will have my dresses. We have been helped a lot by a Karim’s chef friend who we went to visit last night at another wedding he was catering. This wedding was a little larger than ours will be, with around 600 guests invited, so I don’t think they noticed us 2 gatecrashers! It was all very grand with a red carpet entrance, stunning chandeliers and at least 4 different music groups, including a brass band! At 3am, we were the first ones to leave, so I hope the rest of the guests didn’t have to work or go to school today!

Celebration number 4 is my birthday – today! After last night, we slept most of the morning so it hasn’t been too eventful. My one request was to go to the supermarket so we will do that after lunch and then I think we will have a nice dinner somewhere in the medina. Then tomorrow we are going to see Bjork as part of the Fes world music festival. My second birthday here in Morocco and I wouldn’t wish to be anywhere else! 

The last and most important thing to celebrate is the one thing I have wanted more than anything else in the world. The other morning we received a phone call from the Australian embassy in Cairo notifying us that Karim’s visa has been granted!! I think I’m still in shock; I have to keep checking the acceptance email just in case I imagined it. I never allowed myself to think it would happen, and definitely not so soon. We were expecting at least another few months for a decision and even then there was a chance it would be refused. But after countless prayers and having our fingers and toes permanently crossed our dream has come true, Karim gets to come to Australia! At this stage it will be late August and I can’t wait for him to finally be a part of my Australian life!

That’s it from me for now, a very eventful few days! 

Me in our new apartment

The pool in our new apartment. I wish! A beautiful moroccan palace/restaurant with some traditional music

The food for the wedding

The bride and groom making their entrance

Kittens!

Phoebe and Karim - Thanks for the well thought out birthday surprise mum!