Sick in Morocco

Yep, I caught a cold and that calls for soup. Now, to read the directions on the box, you must read right to left. (You try it!) My brother, Marc, probably would love that. Being left-handed, he might like all the right to left writing and reading. However, the left hand is unclean. Left handed folks are just asked to do everything with their right hand while in Morocco. Greet to the right, shake to the right, eat with the right hand only. Sorry, Marc!

Since I was feeling poorly, I rested in bed this morning. Jill and I then trudged into work to spend more time in preparation. The learning curve is huge. We did bump into some sheep at the gate to our school....here are a couple of shots of the local herd.

While I was typing up the course description for middle school art and filling in my plan book, I listened to a variety of speakers online as well as music. Because the signal comes and goes, so does everything I listen to online. One might get excited about a building key point, then the speaker goes away in cyberspace! Life is different here.


After logging 5 hours at work, for which only teachers understand why, Jill and I drove home and greeted our three beggar ladies we enjoy each evening. They are always happy to see us. We drop a dirham in their tired, wrinkled palms, and we say, "Salaam al lay koom!" They greet us cheerfully in return. A dirham is about 1.2 cents. We try to do it about every day. 

We are also usually hit up by the crazy beggar who urinates in public, but I am just saying, "La, La!" to him at the moment. (La means "No".) We retreat to our favorite spot in the square - the bakery. After we leave the bakery, you know we had to go, I snapped a pretty picture of an archway with flowering hibiscus peeking through. If only I could sit and paint. It will be easier after Ramadan because more women will be out.


I love thinking about art curriculum. It is so nice that curriculum development is part of my job. I would also love to sit in Italy and paint as part of my job description. Hmmm. I'll have to work on that.

I had the BBC on TV for a few minutes with an excellent interview going with General Pretraus or Petraius, but of course I lost the signal. He's not coming back anytime soon. 


Two of our beggar lady friends are heading for home, wherever that is.......so I catch them out of the corner of my eye and pray for them.

Another day has come and gone in Morocco, but the night is young, and "Ramadan Nights" is about to begin. Well, after the dinner to break the fast. And remember, they begin with Harira, the very soup I ate today!