leathery faces

rural souk

washing clothes in village

sidi ifni

fatima

rural souk

i couldn't get over how wonderful moroccan faces were. old faces with a network of lines, all that had a story to tell--leathery and worn (in a good way). the children had beautiful, smooth, mocha skin and starbright smiles. the melhefa's women wore were so gorgeous and mysterious, flowing and ebbing on their curves as they walked. women there have "camel eyes"--these big, bright, sexy brown eyes. i had the most fun doing one of my favorite activities, people-watching.

i tried not to take too many pictures of women, or at least not without their permission, as they prefer not to be photographed--though some don't mind.

i'm baaaaccckkkkk

many apologies for not keeping up. computer access in morocco was very limited. nonetheless, i would love to share some reflections on my trip. we visited a few different souks (markets) in morocco and they were wonderful. i have been thinking about how moroccans have it right when it comes to food, in that they are so much 'closer' to their food than say, in america. when you go to the souk, you can buy your produce, meat, poultry from the person who grew it or prepared it. this, in america, would be a novel experience. the leather goods and textiles are beautiful; i wanted to buy them all. the earthenware and decorated plates are also stunning. sometimes, the souk is a little overwhelming in that bargaining for your goods is part of the culture and this, obviously, i am not used to; i felt tense sometimes when i was bargaining, but it was fun to participate in such an event.

48 hours 'til departure

taroudant street

taroudant medina

oh, that blue (sigh)

leather souk, taroudant

in approximately 48 hours, i will be en route to jfk to board my royal air maroc flight to casablanca, with connection to agadir, and then driving to taroudant in southern morocco. the only appropriate word for what i feel is: eeeek!

i have more information/know more about my itinerary for the first half of the trip than the second, so here is the link to the accommodations in taroudant. it looks lovely.

http://www.naturallymorocco.co.uk/destinations/taroudant/naturally-morocco-guest-house.html

and here is the link to the activities i will partake in on this portion of the trip.

http://www.naturallymorocco.co.uk/suggested-itineraries/01-the-real-morocco-holiday.html

for the second half of the trip, i will be in sidi ifni, a coastal town also in southern morocco. there, we will be working with dr. jamila bargach, auther of orphans of islam, a scholarly work on adoption practices in morocco. the group i'll be traveling with is really fun, laid back, bright, and a together, we are a good mix of different personality types.


i'm anxious because i don't really know what to picture or what to expect in terms of what it will look like, sound like, smell like, taste like. this is definitely the most adventurous thing i have done thus far, which is exciting in itself. i will have some computer access and will try my best to write while i am there. i probably will not get to post pictures until after, but above are shots of taroudant, the first town i'll be putzin' around in. i believe in the importance of a healthy dose of the unknown.

daydreaming of all rooms beautiful

i feel a little embarrassed admitting this but its become something of a pasttime of mine and its very fun. when i get pottery barn, country living, or house beautiful magazine, i curl up on the couch and slowly, meticulously, page through the issue daydreaming about the whitewashed rooms that look so antiquey, or the cozy sofas in decadent (yet tasteful) toile, or the old farmhouses with creaky oak floors and cedar closets. i design my dreamspace over and over again, with each new magazine of beautiful things that i clutch in my little hands. or, when i drive by all of the beautiful new england homes, i picture what they look like inside and what i would do to change them.

i picture a saltbox colonial or a cape, or i could live with a sweeping old farmhouse, sitting in a green field with lots of history. with nooks and crannies and all wood floors. an entryway is a definite must--and no creepy basement. i picture small doorways but an updated kitchen with jars labeled flour, sugar, and so forth. i'd love warm walls-of chocolate and sunflowers and peach and vanilla. i want fireplaces for certain and old furniture and original art. i just want to live somewhere pretty-quaint-humble-tasteful-with a lot of character.

i'm sitting here with an old issue of 'house beautiful' and 'traditional home' and i must sign off now to flip through.

reasoning for my mini-journey

i leave for morocco on sunday. eek! (more to come on this trip-i'll keep you posted)

in the meantime, i think it's important to have a reason for going on this trip: my primary reasoning behind wanting to go to an african country is to experience absolute culture shock. as a future educator in the public school system, i will (most likely) get students in my class who do not speak english, are not familiar with its customs, and have a very different lifestyle. i want to feel what it feels like to be totally unfamiliar. i want to know what its like to be the only one in the room who doesn't speak the language, but desperately wants to understand.

this is something that i feel i need to do; it was such a unique opportunity, staring me blankly in the face, daring me to embark on a 12-day, exotic journey to a beautiful, majestic, foreign land.

lucky dog

my dog, kenzie, is probably the most happy-go-lucky creature on this earth, humans included. she is the silliest. she most definitely has some pep in her step. when she walks, it looks like she's floating, or dancing, or doing both at the same time. and she wiggles her hips. when someone walks by and she's lying down, she spreads her legs (get your minds out of the gutter!), as if to say "okay, scratch my belly now." in the morning, she greets me like she hasn't seen me in a year. and at night, she ever-so-slowly, as if she thinks she's somehow pulling a fast one on you, maneuvers herself onto the couch and plops on your lap. mind you, she's probably pushin' 75 lbs. she also intently watches the tellie. if a dog is on television, she will stand up so that she is face to face with the tv and watches it. kenzie makes me giggle every day.

i think she's quite a lucky dog. and i think many people could learn a thing or two from her, that little happy, prancing, fluffball, wiggle worm.

bonjour, morning

somewhere along the way in my college career, i turned into a caffeine junkie. it happens to the best of us, i suppose. it just makes morning so much better. in the winter, i feel cozy; in the summer, i sit outside and bask in the glory of morning sun and the small amount of addictive liquid flowing throughout my body. it is my go-to, number one vice. i started with dunkin donuts, graduated to starbucks, and have ended my coffee-seeking journey at independently owned, neighborhood coffeehouses. but when i think about it, i've spent an inordinate amount of money on lattes and coffee and loose leaf tea. i've wanted a french press for a long time, and one day i was foraging my cabinets for something else...and ran across just that. a small little metal/glass wonder. as i prepared my coffee this morning, i was inspired to share that i do not believe there is anything better than french press coffee. coffee snobs all over swear by it, and i have jumped on the bandwagon. it is easier than it looks, and it makes me feel elegant. who doesn't want to feel elegant?

cheers!