Moroccan meetings...lots of food

Today Maryk, Latifa, Anny (the current volunteer in Asni) and I went to a meeting in Asni with a variety of organizations dealing with the education system for boys and girls in the Asni and Imlil area.  The whole meeting was conducted in French and I am proud to report that I could hold my own.  Followed the whole conversation (Moroccans speaking French are much easier to understand than Parisians!) and I even got to contribute something.  I was so impressed with the dedication that everyone displayed, particularly, once again, the women.  I have met such incredible and inspiring women here.....well educated, committed to increasing opportunities for girls and women AND religious.  Seems a bit like a contradiction considering the stereotypes we have of women in Muslim societies but it is absolutely true. And the men (well most of them...the man who is the houseparent for the boys house is a very dour, very religious, young man who refused to speak in French during the meeting although he could understand everything and therefore forced the others to translate for him....didn't like him when I was here before and still don't)were very respectful and complimentary of their female coworkers.

So we all sat in a little room around a table (about 15 of us) and they brought out many, many pastries and a variety of food  and lots of tea that we were stuffed.

Then Anny, Maryk and I went to Ourigane, the home that I stayed at for a while in the spring and we met with Mina the housemother. And we had more food...tagine, pasta, cake and lots more tea.  It was wonderful to see those girls again also and I am so glad that I got the opportunity to work with them....they are so lovely and enthusiastic.  I am going to be doing some work with them when I return and Mina and I are just trying to figure it out.  When we got to Ourigane I thought....finally someone will carry on a conversation in English since Mina was an English major (like Aziz) at the University...but noooooooo we had to continue to speak French.  And the girls don't speak much English either.  

Then after many, many hours, Maryk and I drove back to Marrakech and I took the opportunity to walk back to my apartment from the famous Mamounia hotel where she dropped me off.  If you really want to be impressed with a hotel, check out the website at http://www.mamounia.com/uk/index.php .  Haven't been in there yet but I will definitely check it out before I leave.....just have to have the right clothes. Anyway it is a lovely 30-40 minute walk which takes me past the Andalous hotel in which I have stayed many times and through the most beautiful residential area of Marrakech.  And I get some exercise too.  And don't need to continue to haggle with cab drivers about how much the taxi is.......

Think I am going back up the mountain tomorrow or Wednesday and then to a meeting at the American School of Marrakech on Thursday.  Getting a bit fed up with my apartment and may move to the Andalous hotel in the middle of the week (if they will give me a good rate).