School, sisters and spitting taxi drivers

So I have finished my first week of Arabic school and at the moment all I can think of is – thank god it’s the weekend! The first day of school I walked into the classroom to find another student, I am no longer the only one in the class (but still hoping to be top!) So now we have 15 hours a week (plus homework every night), and it has been very intense! But my teachers are really lovely and already I have learnt a lot. And with another 5 weeks I’m sure it will just get easier and easier!

Unfortunately with all this study, I haven’t found any time to have a siesta! School starts most days at 2, right in the middle of siesta time. And I have been waking up quite early because it is getting HOT! It has been high 30’s into the 40’s every day this week, and I don’t think there is any change on the way. I think soon we will have to migrate out of our bedroom (which is without doubt the hottest room in the house) and start sleeping in the TV salon with the air conditioner! 

 Mum and Dad left yesterday after spending about 10 days here with us in Fes. I really enjoyed having them here to see and experience this new life of mine (and also because they did the dishes and washed the floors!) Not only did they get to meet Karim but most of his family too, and when we weren’t out exploring Fes, we were most likely drinking ‘jus d’orange’ in the local cafe. But all too soon their time here was up and Livvy and Anje quickly took their place, with Sophie arriving tomorrow! So an onslaught of inlaws for Karim, not that he has been fazed by it in the slightest. He really does give a new meaning to the term ‘Moroccan Hospitality’. 

And lastly to today. Liv, Anje and I were due to meet Karim in the medina to go to his parent’s house for couscous, but first we had to catch a taxi there, which is notoriously difficult around Friday lunchtime. Usually I have no problems with the taxi drivers here, but the one that we hailed refused to use his meter and instead wanted to charge us 20 dirham (nearly double the price.) He wouldn’t lower the price at all so he pulled over and we got out – and then he spat at me. Anje remembered some of his number plate and it only took a few hours for Karim to track him down. And after a visit to the police station, I don’t think that taxi driver will be ripping off tourists anymore! But this incident has made me extra motivated to learn Arabic – so the next time someone tries to rip me off I can tell them where to stick it!

Fresh watermelon and mint cooler, made in my brand new Blender called Bernie!

Dad getting into the spirit of the 'siesta'

Me and Dad having lots of fun at the supermarket!

Mum and Karim not having as much fun at the supermarket

A picture of the King who apparently also loves to shop in supermarkets!

Kings, Queens and Princesses

A lot has happened this last week and I’m not sure I will be able to blog it all, but will try my best to fill you in!

Firstly to my birthday – for this day I’m hoping the saying ‘a picture tells a thousand words’ will be enough for you. No words I write will be adequate to describe the party that Karim held for me. It is without doubt the best and most interesting birthday I have ever had! I’ve posted some photos below but if you would like to read a bit more, go to my mum’s blog at http://roaringfiftys.blogspot.com/2011/06/family-food-friends-more-food-and-lots.html

This week has also been an historic week for Morocco. The other night the King gave a big speech about making Morocco a fairer and more democratic country. The speech was very well received in Fes and around the country with people flocking to the streets in celebration. During our evening walk in the new town we found ourselves right in the middle of such a celebration with crowds and cars parading up and down the streets, horns honking, flags flying, music, drums, and chants of ‘long live the king.’ Karim then organised a horse-drawn cart for us and we trotted up to the King’s palace where a lot more people had gathered in celebration. So interesting times for Morocco ahead, with the first elections held on July 1^st!

Another busy day on Saturday when we went to the Festival of Cherries in Sefrou, a quaint town about 30mins outside of Fes. I had been there before but yesterday was something else – the place was buzzing! First we went to a horse show where elaborately decorated horses and horsemen line up in a row and then come charging down the field, shooting their guns up in the air simultaneously at the end. We also visited the cascade just outside of town, had a delicious lunch, listened to some berber music in a camel-wool tent and indulged in the different stall offerings – nougat, fairy floss and cherries of course! By this stage we had spent a very long day in the sun, so when the main parade was more than 45 mins late we gave up and went home without seeing the newly crowned cherry Queen!

And on top of all of these things there has been medina tours, carpet shopping, Friday couscous and of course excursions to the supermarket (we found another Marjane which is even bigger than the first one!) But also a lot of time relaxing in cafes, reading books and having siestas! My parents are here for only a few more days and still plenty of things to do before they leave! Then as soon as they’re gone I will have a whole new set of visitors when my sisters and Anje come to Fes!


So its been a busy week – quite a change from sitting around the house watching dawson’s creek and oprah. But now my time of leisure has come to an end for good (or at least for 6 weeks) as my Moroccan Arabic class starts this afternoon! I am excited to start learning, but a little nervous! I am the only one in the class as well, so will basically be having 2 hours of private tuition a day. At least I’ll be top of my class!

Getting henna the day before

Moroccan princesses with their princes

The Boy Table

The girl table

The Band

The main course - half a roasted sheep

No caption necessary

When in Morocco...

Cherries at the cherry festival

Fairy floss!

The horse show

Local Boys with a good vantage point of the parade

Music in the medina

Me again, just putting up a few photos of last night – one of the best nights I’ve had in Morocco! So through some special contacts we managed to get 2 very good seats to see Ben Harper play on the last night of the Fes music festival. It was a magical summer night under the open sky, and Ben Harper was beautiful against the majestic backdrop of Bab Makina. Towards the end of his set he invited some people up on stage to sing with him and lots of people starting jumping up left right and centre. The next thing I knew Karim had popped up on stage too, when a minute before he had been standing right next to me! A very fun end to a great evening in Fes!

Waiting for the concert to start

The most beautiful setting for a concert

Ben Harper doing his thing

Ben Harper and fans (Karim is in the orange shirt on the right)

Ben Harper wearing a djellaba!

1 month today!

Today is my one month anniversary of arriving in Morocco – the longest time that Karim and I have ever spent together in one go! Everything is still going great with us and it’s nice to know we still have 5 more months together. 

This last week has been the Fes festival of sacred music – a festival of world music that has been running for 17 years. Overnight it seemed that the tourist population of Fes doubled and the Moroccans are out in force too; there are a lot of people around! Most of the concerts you have to pay to get in but every night in the main square there is a free concert with mainly local groups. And while Moroccan music isn’t for everyone (i.e. me) the atmosphere is pretty cool! The festival finishes up tomorrow with Ben Harper (the only musician i had heard of), so we might go to that if we can get tickets!

With all the tourists around Karim has been extra busy, so I have spent a lot of time at home doing not a whole lot! I am not completely alone though – in my first week I bought a small fish tank and have since succeeded in killing 3 goldfish! I still have one left and he seems pretty sturdy, I’m hoping he’ll last the distance. Karim has offered on many occasions to bring me home a kitten (the streets of Fes are filled with cats) and I’ve been tempted to rescue many a tortoise and chameleon from cramped pet shop cages. And while it would be nice to have a pet (I miss my dog at home!), I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it behind in a few months time. Although a pet chameleon would be pretty awesome!

I won’t be alone for too much longer though – mum and dad are currently on a train bound for Fes! It will be nice to show them my new city and all my favourite places. I have already planned a supermarket sightseeing tour (which mum wasn’t so excited about), and I’m sure Karim will be able to show them the rest. I’m hoping too to get some good homecooked meals out of them! Moroccan food is great but it does lack variety. Tagine, tagine, tagine, couscous, tagine, tagine, tagine, bbq and so on... I have made a few pastas and a stirfry but even in the big supermarkets the availability of western ingredients isn’t great. Breakfast would have to be my favourite meal of the day just for the fact it is normal! The toaster was definitely a good investment, though I’m hoping my small jar of vegemite from home can last the distance. And my giant box of German cornflakes and my imported from Australia box of special K is always on hand when I feel like some cereal. And don’t forget the freshly squeezed orange juice! Mmmmm, breakfast. (I wrote this paragraph for you, Emma Ross). 

So that’s about it from me, I will be busy the next week or so entertaining my guests and of course with my birthday on Tuesday for which Karim has been planning a special Moroccan party. And then my Arabic course starts in 9 days. Busy Busy! But after more than a month of doing absolutely nothing, I’m looking forward to a bit of action!

Karim at the festival

Some Moroccan band

Lots of people enjoying the music

My one remaining goldfish

One of the kittens Karim offers to bring me

Summer starting

1^st June – the start of Summer! The weather has actually been really nice, not too hot at all (a nice 30 degrees today) and even getting a little cool during the nights. We’ve also had a bit of rain and a few storms, but it seems Fes has a lot in common with Melbourne – one minute it will be pouring down and 5 minutes later the sun will be shining. Way to make me feel at home! But unlike Melbourne, i think the start of summer will see the end of the rain and the next few months are going to be Hot Hot Hot!

And so another week has passed. My parents arrived a few days ago and I went to meet them in Casablanca for one night. I hadn’t spent any time in Casa apart from the airport so it was nice to explore a little, though what everyone says is true – the only thing to see is the mosque. And what a mosque it was! The 3^rd largest in the world with centrally heated floors and a roof that opens electronically, it’s enough to tempt anyone to convert (kidding mum.) For dinner I was happy to get away from the endless tagines and couscous with some fresh seafood, before watching the final minutes of the champions league final (go Barca!). The rest of our time in Casa was spent drinking orange juice, wandering around the markets and just generally catching up. And then it was time to part ways again – they will be travelling around morocco for the next week or so before coming to stay in Fes at Palais Phoebe!

Not much else has been happening – I am definitely still in holiday mode, sometimes not getting out of bed until 11am. I have been reading lots, doing Sudoku and of course a bit of housework. After lunch comes siesta time and then generally just sitting in cafes or wandering around the medina. It’s going to be a shock in a few weeks when i start my Arabic class, waking up early in the morning and having to concentrate for hours on end. But definitely looking forward to it, at the moment the language still seems completely impossible! But this week I also met Karim’s friend Aziz’s girlfriend – Julia from America. She lived here a few years ago and studied in the American centre too and she can speak the language – so it has given me hope that someday i might be able to do the same!

For those interested in my supermarket journeys, you will be saddened to know that I have not been to Marjane this week. But only because we have found a supermarket close to our house! It’s not as big as Marjane, but it has everything we need and its within walking distance! Needless to say, I will be spending a lot of time there over the next few months. The name is LaBel vie – the good life. And it certainly is!

Inside the Mosque

Me outside the mosque (mum didnt manage to fit the whole minaret in the picture)

Ma and Pa with a fountain (I think dad fell asleep in the picture)

The lower level of the mosque where they come to wash before praying

Nearly got the whole mosque in the photo!