Driftwood Rabat

... same flight to Paris that I am. If I understand the internet correctly, if we check in online at practically the same time, we will sit next to each other. It would be nice to have company on the flight.

Stewart did not come again. It is really nice to have one-on-one time with Hafeetha even if it gets frustrating occasionally because he is not there to save me by answering when I do not know. It was a good day though. She and I talked about religion and ...

... I just figured that she would be coming later. I took a little quasi-nap, that kind where you get to stop thinking but your eyes are open. Eventually, after the sun had come out and banished my SAD brought on by days of grey and then rain, I decided to review my homework and try the listening again. I listened to the story at least ten times. It was amazing. It started to sink in. In doing this, I had lost track of the two hours passing, until it was tea time. I ...

... very funny, just the commonplace stuff. Maybe my dignity was my funny and its lying in the morgue awaiting my scarf to be mummified. It wants to look good for the family.

Shout-outs:

Hey, turtle kid, thanks for being nice. I needed nice after my horrible shopping day.

Kelsey, thanks for coming again.

Guards, as I’m sure you know Kelsey was staying the night here, thanks for not getting me kicked out.

GRRRRS:

Scary taxi driver.

Tour guide.

... br>
4) What Exactly IS the Definition of a One Lane Road?

There are quite a few one lane roads. But as one could surmise from past entries, one lane is a vague term applied only when there is construction. (P.S. There is a true one lane road in front of the Bayt.) You would be amazed at the things that Moroccans do. I consider driving an art form and I recognize that it is not a pandemoniac free-for-all. I stand at intersections looking ...

... is worse. He can always think, “Thanks for making me look good.” Then mutters something like, “Idiot.” Of course this is done with the best intentions and done in an attempt to comfort yourself and make you feel a tad less lame. YOU ARE BETTER THAN SOMEONE. Of course it comes and bites you in the ass later.


I remember being in class and we were talking about race. My teacher said something along the lines of, “ ...

... tell him where to go. This leaves time for him and the woman to gossip about me. I know enough darija to understand that the laughter is aimed at me. In essence, they think I’m an idiot.


“Ana waslitu ala al Maghrib eowma ahid faqat.” (I only arrived in Morocco on Sunday only.)

Apparently this is no excuse for idiocy. They continue laughing.

Side-note: there was a motorcyclist who didn’t want to wait for us so he ...

... give instructions in Arabic and French, and well over half the class didn't speak French, so we would just be lost. The classes were just below my level, and it was frustrating. Every day, at 1030, we have a tea break, for the traditional Moroccan mint tea with LOTS of sugar. Class ends between 1245 and 1:00, and that's when we have lunch. Lunch is good. It is always traditional Moroccan food, like ...

... the train ride was good. The scenery was gorgeous and I tried to take it all in. If I didn't have to blink, I wouldn't have. We passed by the first shanty town about 20 minutes outside Rabat, and saw several more along the way. There are communities of them - I couldn't tell what the homes were built out of, but there was sheet metal on the roofs with bricks or tires on top to hold the roofs on. Kids would run alongside ...

... spent a lot of time helping kids up the slide and down the slide, up the slide and down the slide - you get the idea. I don't think they're used to being so silly or seeing adults be silly, and it was nice to see them smile. One little man came in, promptly introduced himself, shook our hands, and pulled out paperwork to show us that he had just received shots - not one, but two - in his left arm! He also showed us his name. I think he's been around ...

... thinks it’s cool to live in an English-speaking country, so that they don’t have to learn any second languages, is… obviously not a person who loves language nor linguistics. I persevere, though it can be frustrating… more on that subject in the Canarias, psycholinguistics…

But the good news so far is… NO SELF-APPOINTED GUIDES (read: Morocco can be nice)!!!