Today is my third day in Marrakech and it has been an adjustment being back. As promised, Khalid (the manager of the apartment that I think I am renting) picked me up at the airport. My bags arrived with no problem. I even made it through Customs with Aziz' PS3 (I was dreading the questions about it for my personal use...so I didn't have to pay tax on it...thought it was going to be hard to convince them that I had the interests of teenage boys!) But anyway, got it through and now once I drop it off with Aziz for his sons, I will be done with the heavy thing.
So the first apartment that Khalid showed me was the one at the price we had agreed to.....but in true Moroccan fashion, there is more to the story. The first one was about 50 a night and was not very nice...very, very basic. The second was about 62 a night and much nicer so of course, being the rich American :-) I took the second. It is still sort of basic by American standards ....kitchen with minimal dishes, stove that works but oven that doesn't, fridge and washing machine in kitchen. Has two bedrooms, one with a big bed (a bit more on that later) and a large Moroccan salon which is sofas up against the wall around the room and a satellite TV that I can't figure out how to work but only gets Arabic stations only. The bathroom consists of a western toilet (a pleasant surprise) and a bidet and an open shower that has no water pressure but at least hot water. Oh, and NO HEAT but lots of very warm Moroccan blankets. Apparently apartments in Marrakech don't need heat (it does have airconditioning though) since supposedly it doesn't get that cold. But like Norther California...it of course DOES get cold, they just deny it). So far the overhead light in the bedroom has gone out (Khalid will fix tomorrow), the toilet has stopped working (he showed me how to fix it) and the stove needed to be lit but the matches had disappeared......hmm. Well at least I have electricity.
The neighborhood is great and convenient to everything as I knew it would be. I have to decide whether I remain here in the New City..Gueliz (with cafes, bars, lots of restaurants and lots, and lots of people speaking French but also lots of Moroccan men hanging out as there are everywhere) or go to the riad that my friends Maryk and Cees told me about which is right near their hotel riad in the medina (old cool city). Choice between atmosphere and isolation (medina) and lots to do. In Gueliz (New City) I can go out at night but in the medina it is a bit less active at night. The riad (fancy house) in the medina is owned by an American with whom I have been corresponding so I am looking at that one tomorrow. Also, for my Moroccan friends (both male and female) the New City is a more comfortable place to visit....no nosy neighbors wanting to know what is going on and a more Western approach to men and women fraternizing.
On that......the apartment that I am currently renting is so much money (by Moroccan standards) because it is an apartment that usually caters to single Moroccan couples who want some privacy (hence the big bed and not much in the way of kitchen supplies). In Morocco you cannot check into a hotel unless you show a marriage license and if you try, you will be arrested!! So much for the fact that Morocco is considered a "liberal" Islamic government. Don't know how many people they actually throw in jail, but the threat is there. That being said (and I may have said this the last time too), prostitution is rampant. But friends, there are no hookers standing outside the door of my building, just private security guards which is fine with me. It is a nice quiet building.
My activities since I got here:
So the first apartment that Khalid showed me was the one at the price we had agreed to.....but in true Moroccan fashion, there is more to the story. The first one was about 50 a night and was not very nice...very, very basic. The second was about 62 a night and much nicer so of course, being the rich American :-) I took the second. It is still sort of basic by American standards ....kitchen with minimal dishes, stove that works but oven that doesn't, fridge and washing machine in kitchen. Has two bedrooms, one with a big bed (a bit more on that later) and a large Moroccan salon which is sofas up against the wall around the room and a satellite TV that I can't figure out how to work but only gets Arabic stations only. The bathroom consists of a western toilet (a pleasant surprise) and a bidet and an open shower that has no water pressure but at least hot water. Oh, and NO HEAT but lots of very warm Moroccan blankets. Apparently apartments in Marrakech don't need heat (it does have airconditioning though) since supposedly it doesn't get that cold. But like Norther California...it of course DOES get cold, they just deny it). So far the overhead light in the bedroom has gone out (Khalid will fix tomorrow), the toilet has stopped working (he showed me how to fix it) and the stove needed to be lit but the matches had disappeared......hmm. Well at least I have electricity.
The neighborhood is great and convenient to everything as I knew it would be. I have to decide whether I remain here in the New City..Gueliz (with cafes, bars, lots of restaurants and lots, and lots of people speaking French but also lots of Moroccan men hanging out as there are everywhere) or go to the riad that my friends Maryk and Cees told me about which is right near their hotel riad in the medina (old cool city). Choice between atmosphere and isolation (medina) and lots to do. In Gueliz (New City) I can go out at night but in the medina it is a bit less active at night. The riad (fancy house) in the medina is owned by an American with whom I have been corresponding so I am looking at that one tomorrow. Also, for my Moroccan friends (both male and female) the New City is a more comfortable place to visit....no nosy neighbors wanting to know what is going on and a more Western approach to men and women fraternizing.
On that......the apartment that I am currently renting is so much money (by Moroccan standards) because it is an apartment that usually caters to single Moroccan couples who want some privacy (hence the big bed and not much in the way of kitchen supplies). In Morocco you cannot check into a hotel unless you show a marriage license and if you try, you will be arrested!! So much for the fact that Morocco is considered a "liberal" Islamic government. Don't know how many people they actually throw in jail, but the threat is there. That being said (and I may have said this the last time too), prostitution is rampant. But friends, there are no hookers standing outside the door of my building, just private security guards which is fine with me. It is a nice quiet building.
My activities since I got here:
- took the communal taxi to Asni yesterday and had couscous with the two Latifas, Mina and the girls. It was so wonderful to see everyone again. The girls didn't know that I was coming so it was a great surprise for them.
- And I brought them candy canes which, because they are Moroccan and love sweets....they gobbled up.
- in the afternoon I returned to Marrakech and did a big food shopping at the local supermarket and then walked back to my apartment
- today I met with Maryk (on the Board of the NGO...Education for all Morocco). We also met with Melina who is EFA's contact at the American School of Marrakech. I will be working with Melina to coordinate activities between the two schools and I have a list of things that I need to accomplish before I leave for India
- Guess I am going to be coming back at the end of January. It looks like there will be several things for me to do involving the American School coordination (which I will continue once I go back to the US) and also helping the housemothers with activities with the girls once or twice a week. The logistics still to be worked out.
- tomorrow I am going with Maryk to two of the other EFA houses to see what help they need and what they need from the American School to aid them. Not sure how much individual work I will do with the girls but since I already know the girls at both Asni and Ourigane (from my last visit), I should have some credibility.
- Looks like the activities will take me through the first week of March which should be perfect.
And it is going to be wonderful to spend some time with Latifa again, both in Marrakech on the weekends (hopefully) and in Asni at least part of the time during the week. Still have some personal kinks to work out but it looks good going forward...I'm psyched to be able to be of some use.
More to come........bslamma.....goodbye..my Darija has gone totally out of my head. The girls also need to teach me Tashelhit again.....
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