This weekend, Nissrine and I joined a group teachers from the school on a safari into Quiçama National Park. The park is about an hour south of the Angolan capital, Luanda. It’s a massive game reserve. Within the center of the park is a group of what seemed like decent, air conditioned bungalows along with a…
It’s been nice to have a break and hangout by the seaside in Rabat this week. While I love my town and its people, escaping the heat for a bit is helping to renew my spirit. As volunteers, in order to better assimilate, we were prohibited from leaving our site for three months. Near the…
While walking to lunch with Erika and our new friend Catherine in Selçuk, Turkey, there came behind us the sound of honking car horns and music. At first, I thought it was young people garnering attention like I see so often at home, but as the procession came closer, I saw a boy dressed all…
“If only I could be in Africa and Europe at the same time… Oh, wait! I can! I can go to Melilla!” I’m a fan of the odd, the unusual, the out of the ordinary, but when you combine that with some history, I’m hooked to the point of obsession. North Africa, or alternatively the southern…
Moroccan butcher in Agadir
Reason 933 Why I love Morocco: Despite the rapid move toward modernization, especially in the massive metropolis of Casablanca, there remains a culture of trust and goodwill that permeates informal relationships.
The latest of innumerable examples: My local butcher, who’s known me only a week or so, sent me away with my purchase, even though I’d forgotten my money, and told me I could pay when I able. Incha’Allah.
Moroccan street vendor selling pomegranate juice.
Reason 1,800 Why I Love Morocco: A large glass (not plastic, even though it’s a street vendor) of delicious, freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice is only $1.50.
There are trigger words on brown road signs that always spark my interest. Foremost among them is “fortification.” Anything big and old, I find fascinating. Yesterday, while driving from Sighișoara back to Brașov (this time via the highway) we past brown sign after brown sign that said “fortificata,” but we were on a timeline, so without a…
America has a demand economy. Not only is there is tremendous demand for new products, but we demand them immediately. In search of the almighty dollar, US business tends to neglect the humanity of people it employs. Morocco still maintains a somewhat relaxed attitude toward commerce, at least in rural settings. Though adjusting my American…
Hard at work
Reason 742 Why I love Morocco: It’s difficult to find an audience for complaining. The general consensus is “everything is as it should be.”
The other day, it was 110°F/45°C. As I went about doing my errands suffering and complaining to locals about the temperature, every response was, “Thank God for the heat.”
