FINALLLY! lentils woohoo
and beets too
yeah for ruffage
(^^^thoughts from tuesday)
I'm off to the rural village tomorrow......I'm so glad this week is over
(thoughts from today^^^)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Really Tired
It's been a long week. and it's only Tuesday.
8:30 am Arabic class, until 12. Lunch, then class from 1 to 3. Then orientation to our village homestay, which we are leaving for on Thursday afternoon. After that we listened to a film producer discuss her movie on divorce in Iran, then I went to the train station with friends to use the internet and didn't get home until 9:30.....and that was only monday.
Today it's five pm here now and I've been in class since 8:30 this morning, with only an hour break for lunch.
I wish I could say I will be going home to bed, but alas belly dancing class tonight and then lots of homework for arabic.
On a brighter note, last night my dinner table looked much more appealing to me. Big serving of beet, carrot, potato salad with some of my basil plant sprinkled on it, as well as olives, walnuts and apricots that I bought for the family. However, the meal would not be complete without a big center dish of oily mushy vegetable and hobs (bread).
Tomorrow is going to be just as long, but I think the fact that we leave Thursday afternoon for the rural village will help me get through.....and the thought of Syrian food for dinner
PS UPDATED PICTURES.....photos, photos, photos
8:30 am Arabic class, until 12. Lunch, then class from 1 to 3. Then orientation to our village homestay, which we are leaving for on Thursday afternoon. After that we listened to a film producer discuss her movie on divorce in Iran, then I went to the train station with friends to use the internet and didn't get home until 9:30.....and that was only monday.
Today it's five pm here now and I've been in class since 8:30 this morning, with only an hour break for lunch.
I wish I could say I will be going home to bed, but alas belly dancing class tonight and then lots of homework for arabic.
On a brighter note, last night my dinner table looked much more appealing to me. Big serving of beet, carrot, potato salad with some of my basil plant sprinkled on it, as well as olives, walnuts and apricots that I bought for the family. However, the meal would not be complete without a big center dish of oily mushy vegetable and hobs (bread).
Tomorrow is going to be just as long, but I think the fact that we leave Thursday afternoon for the rural village will help me get through.....and the thought of Syrian food for dinner
PS UPDATED PICTURES.....photos, photos, photos
Monday, September 27, 2010
Let the Hash burn and the Wine flow
Weekend in Asilah, the cleanest, most beautiful place in Morocco....thus far.
Left Rabat Friday afternoon (classes were canceled!) and took the train to Asilah, a wonderful town about 45 minutes south of Tangier along the Atlantic coast. Our train kept having problems so what was supposed to be a three hour ride took four and half, but we got to see the very diverse landscape of Morocco.
Got to the Asilah finally and made our way to our hotel, which was NOT at all what we were expecting based on the guidebook's description aka it was not a newly renovated hotel with murals on the walls by local artists with an accessible beautiful roof terrace, but a dirty, somewhat sleezy hotel with very bizarre paintings on the walls with a very bare rooftop. Regardless, we (myself and twelve others) were happy to have made it there.
Headed to dinner where I got a salad (with lettuce and uncooked vegetables!!) and veggie soup. I was really hoping for some vegetable paella but unfortunately they wouldn't make it for me.
Walked around a little but returned quickly to the hotel to enjoy hash, wine and music on the rooftop.
Saturday: woke up and packed up for the beach. Got breakfast at a cafe and started our two hour trek to paradise beach. Some members of our group opted for a horse cart to take them there, but seven of us decided to walk along the coast. It was absolutely beautiful. Orange and red rocks, blue and green water.
Made it to the beach right when the tide was coming in but regardless we were happy to have made it and plopped down in the sand to read and bask in whatever sun was available to us.
Though the walk there was enjoyable, we took the horse cart back. Along with our driver, we enjoyed some funky beats, courtesy of my speakers as we bumped along the countryside back to Asilah
Arrived back at the hotel, nice and sandy, salty, and sunned from the day. Enjoyed some hash before walking around the medina a little.
Wine and hash before dinner
Wanted veggie paella again, but failed so opted for the salad again which was even better than the night before because it had beets! More wine and good times at dinner
Hotel again for hash, hash and more hash
this pplace is awesome
Sunday: woke up, breakfast, medina. The cleanliest, friendliest, calmest medina in morocco i think
I think it has something to do with the proximity to Spain. I like northern Morocco....will most definitely be making a return trip.
Got to use Spanish which was fun, and a nice change from French though between that, english and arabic my mind was a huge whirlpool of languages
Took the train back to Rabat this afternoon, easy ride.
Opinion of this weekend: beautiful, clean, peaceful, amazing. I like the north. It was really interesting to see the how much more Spanish influence there is there, comparing it to the more "middle eastern" feel of Rabat and the mid atlantic coast and wondering what the southern and more central regions of Morocco are like...I'm thinking more African
Left Rabat Friday afternoon (classes were canceled!) and took the train to Asilah, a wonderful town about 45 minutes south of Tangier along the Atlantic coast. Our train kept having problems so what was supposed to be a three hour ride took four and half, but we got to see the very diverse landscape of Morocco.
Got to the Asilah finally and made our way to our hotel, which was NOT at all what we were expecting based on the guidebook's description aka it was not a newly renovated hotel with murals on the walls by local artists with an accessible beautiful roof terrace, but a dirty, somewhat sleezy hotel with very bizarre paintings on the walls with a very bare rooftop. Regardless, we (myself and twelve others) were happy to have made it there.
Headed to dinner where I got a salad (with lettuce and uncooked vegetables!!) and veggie soup. I was really hoping for some vegetable paella but unfortunately they wouldn't make it for me.
Walked around a little but returned quickly to the hotel to enjoy hash, wine and music on the rooftop.
Saturday: woke up and packed up for the beach. Got breakfast at a cafe and started our two hour trek to paradise beach. Some members of our group opted for a horse cart to take them there, but seven of us decided to walk along the coast. It was absolutely beautiful. Orange and red rocks, blue and green water.
Though the walk there was enjoyable, we took the horse cart back. Along with our driver, we enjoyed some funky beats, courtesy of my speakers as we bumped along the countryside back to Asilah
Arrived back at the hotel, nice and sandy, salty, and sunned from the day. Enjoyed some hash before walking around the medina a little.Wine and hash before dinner
Wanted veggie paella again, but failed so opted for the salad again which was even better than the night before because it had beets! More wine and good times at dinner
Hotel again for hash, hash and more hash
this pplace is awesome
Sunday: woke up, breakfast, medina. The cleanliest, friendliest, calmest medina in morocco i think
I think it has something to do with the proximity to Spain. I like northern Morocco....will most definitely be making a return trip.
Got to use Spanish which was fun, and a nice change from French though between that, english and arabic my mind was a huge whirlpool of languages
Took the train back to Rabat this afternoon, easy ride.
Opinion of this weekend: beautiful, clean, peaceful, amazing. I like the north. It was really interesting to see the how much more Spanish influence there is there, comparing it to the more "middle eastern" feel of Rabat and the mid atlantic coast and wondering what the southern and more central regions of Morocco are like...I'm thinking more African
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Traveler's Diarrhea
everyone's got it.....and they've got it bad
I think everyone got a little dehydrated this weekend, but we all know I'm slightly addicted to water soo...missed that bandwagon (luckily)
Just got back from Casablanca. Went there last night with 6 other people and met up with three others. We went to a tapas restaurant where they had nothing for me to eat on the menu so Drew and I went to the manager and told him and he made me a special salad....ya soggy lettuce! Also went to a hookah bar, not so sanitary but thats not so uncommon
Had an info session/meeting this morning with someone from Association Bayti, which helps street children in three cities here. It was very interesting and informative.
Saw the Hassan II Mosque, which is the largest mosque a nonmuslim can go into. It was absolutely massive.
By the time we got to the mosque we were down to five from our original 10. Everyone in my program was supposed to have spent the day in Casablanca but out of the forty plus students I would say less than half of us actually made it.
After the mosque I went to the Jewish museum with two fellow jews. It was cool, kind of boring but interesting I guess.
Train back to Rabat, got home and helped make dinner, Spaghetti.
The exciting part is we ate before 10 and I got to cut vegetables and stir a pot woohoo
OH ANNNND it had lots of flavor
maybe tomorrow I'll even bring home some veggies and rice and ask if I can cook them
boring post, i know, but i'm B.E.A.T
I think everyone got a little dehydrated this weekend, but we all know I'm slightly addicted to water soo...missed that bandwagon (luckily)
Just got back from Casablanca. Went there last night with 6 other people and met up with three others. We went to a tapas restaurant where they had nothing for me to eat on the menu so Drew and I went to the manager and told him and he made me a special salad....ya soggy lettuce! Also went to a hookah bar, not so sanitary but thats not so uncommon
Had an info session/meeting this morning with someone from Association Bayti, which helps street children in three cities here. It was very interesting and informative.
Saw the Hassan II Mosque, which is the largest mosque a nonmuslim can go into. It was absolutely massive.
By the time we got to the mosque we were down to five from our original 10. Everyone in my program was supposed to have spent the day in Casablanca but out of the forty plus students I would say less than half of us actually made it.
After the mosque I went to the Jewish museum with two fellow jews. It was cool, kind of boring but interesting I guess.
Train back to Rabat, got home and helped make dinner, Spaghetti.
The exciting part is we ate before 10 and I got to cut vegetables and stir a pot woohoo
OH ANNNND it had lots of flavor
maybe tomorrow I'll even bring home some veggies and rice and ask if I can cook them
boring post, i know, but i'm B.E.A.T
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The Land of Olives and Agave
Just got back from my first hammam trip. What an interesting experience. I went with three of my friends (Drew, Anna, Adelaide) and Drew's host mom, host little sisters, and the mom's friend. We bought supplies before we went. These included a mat to sit on, a little bucket for water, a loufa esque scrubber that you can put on your hand like a mitten, mushy brown soap, and henna powder that you mix with water and scrub on you. We got there around four and didn't leave until seven. The dark, cavernous like rooms made the whole experience extra mysterious. It was like bath time for adults. Interesting to see so many naked ladies, who are normally so covered. We all had a lady scrub us, and the amount of dead skin that came off my body was absolutely disgusting yet awesome all at the same time. I've never felt so clean and exfoliated in my life....I hope this lasts awhile, though it only costs about four dollars for entrance and a scrub down.
You (yes you, my faithful readers) should definitely consider not only going to one, but installing one in your own homes.
In other news. Got to be a tourist this weekend, exciting stuff. Took a tour bus to Meknes, Moulay Idriss, Volubilis and Fes. We zoomed through Meknes and Moulay Idriss pretty quickly but they each were interesting in their own right. Moulay Idriss was especially beautiful and I wish we could have explored this brillantly white old city tucked into the surrounding brown mountains. From there we continued on to Volubilis, ancient Roman ruins (don't worry I took lotsof boring pictures of the rumble) This city was once massive and the rocks contrasted so nicely with the BLUE sky.
Riding the bus for so long we got to see a lot of the countryside. Cacti with prickly pear fruit, olive trees, and agave plants were plentiful. (I later found out in Fes that the agave is used to make silk....what a versatile plant)
We got to Fes around 6 and checked into our hotel. I went with Drew and Grace to search for alcohol....probably one of the sketchier things I've done here but successful nonetheless. We had to take a taxi to a big grocery store where the alcohol was tucked away in a separate room. We were the only girls there and had to pay in that room and leave from a back entrance. Trying to catch a taxi back was a little difficult, nerve racking and frustrating but we made it back to the hotel in time to shower and drink before dinner.
Dinner was quite the experience. We went to a restaurant that was so clearly for tourists, there were constant performances (including musicians, belly dancers, a magician, and more dancers), alcohol, and couscous (for me, meat tagine for everyone else)
Then back to the hotel, drank some more and went to a somewhat seedy hotel bar/club where we drank expensive alcohol and danced.
The next day we took a tour of Fes and its Medina, which is the largest in all of Africa. It made Rabat seem so puny in comparison. Had lunch in the medina and it was absolutely delicious. Appetizers = olives and a bunch of various tapenades. My meal was couscous again, but it had flavor so it was great. After lunch we went to a shop that sold traditional clothing. We all tried various things on and most of the girls eventually bought "modern jellahbas" (we all wore them to dinner that night) They are just one piece of fabric and tie in the back then wrap under the legs to create a jacket like effect, so comfortable and you feel like royalty in it.
Drank again before dinner just because we could, dinner was awful at the hotel, bad food, bad experience but lunch was so great that I didn't care.
Back to Rabat this morning, hammam and homework. School tomorrow morning, Casablanca tomorrow night and Wednesday!
You (yes you, my faithful readers) should definitely consider not only going to one, but installing one in your own homes.
In other news. Got to be a tourist this weekend, exciting stuff. Took a tour bus to Meknes, Moulay Idriss, Volubilis and Fes. We zoomed through Meknes and Moulay Idriss pretty quickly but they each were interesting in their own right. Moulay Idriss was especially beautiful and I wish we could have explored this brillantly white old city tucked into the surrounding brown mountains. From there we continued on to Volubilis, ancient Roman ruins (don't worry I took lotsof boring pictures of the rumble) This city was once massive and the rocks contrasted so nicely with the BLUE sky.
Riding the bus for so long we got to see a lot of the countryside. Cacti with prickly pear fruit, olive trees, and agave plants were plentiful. (I later found out in Fes that the agave is used to make silk....what a versatile plant)
We got to Fes around 6 and checked into our hotel. I went with Drew and Grace to search for alcohol....probably one of the sketchier things I've done here but successful nonetheless. We had to take a taxi to a big grocery store where the alcohol was tucked away in a separate room. We were the only girls there and had to pay in that room and leave from a back entrance. Trying to catch a taxi back was a little difficult, nerve racking and frustrating but we made it back to the hotel in time to shower and drink before dinner.
Dinner was quite the experience. We went to a restaurant that was so clearly for tourists, there were constant performances (including musicians, belly dancers, a magician, and more dancers), alcohol, and couscous (for me, meat tagine for everyone else)
Then back to the hotel, drank some more and went to a somewhat seedy hotel bar/club where we drank expensive alcohol and danced.
The next day we took a tour of Fes and its Medina, which is the largest in all of Africa. It made Rabat seem so puny in comparison. Had lunch in the medina and it was absolutely delicious. Appetizers = olives and a bunch of various tapenades. My meal was couscous again, but it had flavor so it was great. After lunch we went to a shop that sold traditional clothing. We all tried various things on and most of the girls eventually bought "modern jellahbas" (we all wore them to dinner that night) They are just one piece of fabric and tie in the back then wrap under the legs to create a jacket like effect, so comfortable and you feel like royalty in it.
Drank again before dinner just because we could, dinner was awful at the hotel, bad food, bad experience but lunch was so great that I didn't care.
Back to Rabat this morning, hammam and homework. School tomorrow morning, Casablanca tomorrow night and Wednesday!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Why I Love Couscous Friday
1. I found a clean shirt in my drawer and I'm wearing it
2. I only had fruit and tea for breakfast
3. My host mom only put 1sugar brick in my tea this morning instead of the 5 that she normally uses
4. Couscous is delicious
5. It doesn't involve bread
6. The vegetables didn't taste like oil
7. I made my own mint tea after lunch
8. The tea I made only had half of a sugar brick instead of the 5 that my mom normally puts in the tea
9. Had more fruit at lunch
10. I got to watch my host sister eat almost half of the tagine/platter plus a lot of fruit and then pass out on the couch
and because I'm in such a great mood:
11. It's friday
12. I'm going to a syrian restaurant for dinner with friends, and tomorrow we are escaping Rabat!
2. I only had fruit and tea for breakfast
3. My host mom only put 1sugar brick in my tea this morning instead of the 5 that she normally uses
4. Couscous is delicious
5. It doesn't involve bread
6. The vegetables didn't taste like oil
7. I made my own mint tea after lunch
8. The tea I made only had half of a sugar brick instead of the 5 that my mom normally puts in the tea
9. Had more fruit at lunch
10. I got to watch my host sister eat almost half of the tagine/platter plus a lot of fruit and then pass out on the couch
and because I'm in such a great mood:
11. It's friday
12. I'm going to a syrian restaurant for dinner with friends, and tomorrow we are escaping Rabat!
The Little Things
Class ended early today
Got raw walnuts and dried apricots for an afternoon snack
Went to Rabat's "park"
Laughed, and complained (of course), with my friends
Went to belly dancing class, and showered (barefoot) at the "gym"
Missed dinner at my house and instead watched Remember Me at a friend's
Did my yoga, nice and sloooww, without worrying about the time
Went on a loooooong walk yesterday
Bought colored pencils
My host mom took my measurements to make me a traditional Moroccan outfit (she is a seamstress)
Elisa got my postcard
Almost made it through my first real week of classes!
I think tomorrow is couscous day, regardless it's Friday which means last day in Rabat until Monday
Got raw walnuts and dried apricots for an afternoon snack
Went to Rabat's "park"
Laughed, and complained (of course), with my friends
Went to belly dancing class, and showered (barefoot) at the "gym"
Missed dinner at my house and instead watched Remember Me at a friend's
Did my yoga, nice and sloooww, without worrying about the time
Went on a loooooong walk yesterday
Bought colored pencils
My host mom took my measurements to make me a traditional Moroccan outfit (she is a seamstress)
Elisa got my postcard
Almost made it through my first real week of classes!
I think tomorrow is couscous day, regardless it's Friday which means last day in Rabat until Monday
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