Fall 2011 Recap

Okay so Ive decided to have occasional posts in this about where I'm going and what I'm doing. For some reason its easier to keep this online than in an actual diary.

Since Morocco:
- Went to London for a night on my way back, went to the Doctor Who museum, missed the riots him summer by 48 hours (I'm a little sad. How many times can you say you've been in a city WHILE a riot is going on?)
- Traveled to Occupy Bloomington for a night in October. Interesting/fun/useful for a night, but I'm was done with the movement after that. NO long term plan, NO solutions.
- Thanksgiving in Chicago. Nothing new except the trinket town we pass through has a lot more vacant shop windows than in past years.

Other than that, been in school. Just started training for a challenge in March called the Tough Mudder. Its a 12 mile obstacle course. As part of my training, I'm trying to completely cut off carbonated beverages. Not going well. Its 10:40 and I really want to go get a Diet Crush from the vending machine. (its hard to eat healthy from college food!)

Six Weeks in Fes: Week 6 - Tuesday

I never realized until today McDonald's restaurants appear to be designed to be universal. All three times Ive gone to the McDonald's in Fes three times, and other than reading the food off the menu, there was no necessary communication. The receipt had what I ordered on it, and the total was listed on both the receipt and the cash register. I guess this makes all McDonald's international?

I'm sooooo ready to be out of here. The same routine every day is driving me a little crazy.

Six Weeks in Fes: Week 6 - Sunday

5 days left. Thats nothing right?

Its hard to tell. The past few weeks have both flown by and taken forever. A lot of people have asked me this, so I'm gonnna pu it on here. I'm going to be sad to leave Fes, but its going to be real nice to go back to Western culture where I'm used to the way things work.

Example: Theres no lines at the McDonalds here. People stand in a crowds behind the cash registers and try and be the first one there when one opens up. It gets a bit exhausting to live in a place where day in and day out, EVERYTHING (my home, school, food, transportation, social ettequitte, etc.) is different than I'm used to. Even the menu at McDonalds is different. (Here, they've got Toblerone McFlurries.) On a dumb side note, I've had to resist doing a Samuel L. Jackson impression both times I ordered a "Royale with Cheese" (Thats a Pulp Fiction reference, Mom)

Also exhausting, the call to prayer wakes me up at 5 am every morning. I haven't gotten an uninterrupted nights sleep in going on 5 weeks. Its pretty cool to hear the same sound come from minarets all over the city at almost the same time, but the things sound like a bit like tornado sirens for the first few seconds. Still haven't gotten used to it.

Lastly, all the "Na-am" propaganda put up by the government last month is still up. Even the ratty paper fliers and posters have been left up.

Six Weeks in Fes: Week 5 - Monday

Hard to believe I'll be home two weeks from today. At the same time, it definitely feels like I've been here way more than a month.

Asilah was beautiful this weekend. Looked a lot like towns in Bermuda but still felt 'Moroccan' and the beahces were beautiful. Even the second day when we went to the crowded public beach it still felt relaxing and peaceful. Ameena said going to London this weekend and being in a Western society made her feel homesick. Asilah is a bit more European (I had a Heineken with dinner) but it didn't make me feel that way at all.

Speaking of dinner, I tried octopus for the first time. I didn't know I had ordered it. It came on my paella. It was delicious.

Lastly, and sadly, Fes has gotten a LOT more hostile for the female students at ALIF. I'm not sure why, but    starting last week, complaints of verbal and physical harassment have gone way up. I've noticed a small difference my self. It certainly doesn't compare to what happened to some of my female friends, but I have had a lot more difficulty getting a taxi since last weekend. All this started right after the weekend where the U.S. and French embassies in Syria were stormed after 'inflamitory' comments by Hillary Clinton and the U.S. halted hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to Pakistan. (I don't know what she said exactly. CNN.com is REALLY slow here) I'm wondering if the two events are at all connected to what were seeing now.

Six Weeks in Fes: Week 4-Wednesday

So I've come to two conclusions. 1: I will be ready to be back in the US by August 1st (and get a Lou Malnotti's pizza as soon as I leave O'Hare.) and 2: I'm going to be a little sorry to leave Fes. Its not the cleanest or most friendly city Ive ever been to, but it has a lot of character. On the way back from the Sahara last week, we stopped in a mountain town called Ifrain. It was a very nice clean quiet town. In fact, it would have looked a bit like Steamboat Springs, Colorado if there had been Nissan Xterra's everywhere. Our first reaction was a collective relief to be in a more Western looking town, but after a half hour I realized its really boring compare to Fez. Fez is NEVER boring.

While we were in Ifrain, some girls in the group wanted to find ice cream. Eventually they discovered a place that sold European chocolate ice cream bars that they thought were delicious. Heres the thing: the bars were called Magnums, so there were three or four girls talking about how much they loved the taste of Magnums. I had a pretty good laugh at that.

Taking a train to a town on the cost this weekend called Asilah. Found a very nice cheap hostel. Beaches and restaurants!

Six Weeks in Fes: Week 3-Thursday

So apparently the trash WAS picked up by the workers, which means the strike is over. I hope they finally got paid their wages. Medina was fully open again today. Still cant believe its the same empty place I saw two days ago.

Dinner was mint tea and corn flatbread with amazing hazelnut spread from Belgium (so does that make it Belgic? Belge?) Tonight I realized that Jad (the two year old in our house) has, between his mother, grandmother, and aunts, 4-6 women who dote/mother on him when he is in the house. Poor little guy. I don't think he notices it much now (or he loves the attention), but in a few years I'm sure he will.

They aren't tough on him or anything. In fact, he is allowed to make as much noise as he wants, but theres always someone there to make sure he isn't stealing cell phones out of purses or off counters, or climbing furniture, or making sure he is eating and drinking what he's supposed to. Poor guy cant get away with anything. Well, he did draw on my homework two days ago while I was in the bathroom, so ALMOST anything, I guess.

The Belgic(?) hazelnut spread is ten times better than Nutella. I may risk the jar breaking in my suitcase just so I can bring some home.

Finally did laundry tonight!!!

*It would be BELGIAN* I'm an idiot.

Six Weeks in Fes: Week 3-Wednesday

The three day trash 'emergency' appears to be over, but I'm not sure about the strike. The trash is gone, but my brief internet research doesn't show if the workers problems have been resolved. The trash might simply pile up again in a few days.

Google "Fez Garbage Strike" and you will get only one result having to do with whats happening right now. And NO results in google news.