My first semester at AUI is almost over.

Finals are done.  The grades are in.  I'm just waiting to do the final "deliberation" where all the faculty gather to determine the fate of border line pass/fail students.  It is a hold over from the old French education system.  I hope it's tomorrow.  I'm ready for a break. I will fly to Germany on Monday and meet Doris in Frankfurt.  She had to leave today so she could take care of some business before Germany shuts down for Christmas.  I won't know until the beginning of next semester whether or not I will have a teaching gig.  They have to see what the enrollment is before they will know if they need me.  I would prefer to teach but I can find ways to amuse myself if it doesn't work out.  I find myself strangely comfortable with the uncertainty of work and life in Morocco.  To quit my job in Tallahassee and move here has been a very, very good experience. To be here with Doris is to live the "dream".  It's almost sinful to be this happy.

SANTA CLAUS, THE NEW WORLD ORDER!

In Rabat, the capital of Morocco, the city is covered in Christmas trees and in a coffee shops full of women wearing hijabs, they are playing Christmas music.  This is a Muslim country with almost zero Christian population.  Welcome to World War Christmas where the commercialization of Christmas has turned it into the international secular holiday. Ho, Ho, Ho! Santa Claus rules the world, at least for all the shopping days before Christmas. Bow down and be afraid! Be very afraid! Santa Claus, the new world order. Pax Kringle.

In Familia with Elfriede!

In Familia with Elfriede - an elegant Lady.

Meandering thoughts from Morocco

I'm on my own this weekend.  Doris is off to Oxford to give a lecture and hang with her buds.  I'm wrapping up the semester.  Next week is the last day of classes and then finals.  It has been an interesting semester.  I have to admit that I'm looking forward to the break.  I won't know whether or not I'll be teaching next semester or not until January.  It will depend on how many students enroll at the Language Center.  If I don't get a teaching gig at AUI, I can either look for a teaching job at the American Language Center in Fes or Meknes or just enjoy being retired for awhile.

Later this month we will be in Germany.  Christmas in Bad Soden with family and a visit with friends in Berlin.  It's always fun spending time with our friends, Norbert and Gertrude, in Berlin.  They have this huge old house and there is always lots of good food, wine and beer with great conversations.   We will then meet with some friends, Howard and Marla, in Frankfurt; they are flying in from the States.  We will spend a few days together in the Black Forest in Bavaria at the "spa" for a little post-holiday indulgence and hanging with friends. It will also be a sad time since this will be our first Christmas without Elfriede. She is greatly missed.

Doris at the riad in the medina at Fes.

 

Photos of the riad (hotel) in the medina at Fes where we spent last Weekend.

Quick trip to the medina at Fes!

Quick trip to Fes Sunday.  Located the medina and did a mini-tour on our own.  It is the oldest and largest medina in existence; it's listed as a world heritage site.  Had coffee and orange juice on the terrace of a hotel next to the medina.  It looked out over the medina, the city of Fes and an Andalusian garden full of palms, orange trees and sculptured shrubs - very beautiful.  The medina is surround by an ancient wall and lies across the slope of the mountain later a faded and tattered cloak of intricate design.  The streets and alleys are twisted, narrow and full of humanity.  The medina has a multitude of small shops, artisans, tanneries, dying vats, hotels, restaurants, street vendors, mosques and homes.  It is ancient and worn but full of life and vitality.  No cars are allowed. We often had to step aside for mules or donkeys or push carts loaded with everything from bags of Chinese rice to crates of CocaColas.  It is a unique blend of antiquity and modernity.

Trip to Ceuta!

Because there was a problem when we "imported" our car into Morocco, we needed to drive back to "Europe" and re-import the car.  The simplest way to do this was to drive to Ceuta which is a Spanish town on the northern coast of Africa, spend the night and then return to Morocco the next day so we could re-import the car and straighten out the paperwork.  It turned out to be pretty straight forward and simple, but you never know what will happen at a border crossing until it happens.

Doris had been in Ceuta before but it had not left a good impression on her.  We were pleasantly surprised once we were there that it was quite lovely.  It is located on the northern coast of the Africa in the Rif Mountains on the Mediterranean coast directly across from Spain and the Strait of Gibraltar.  Since the mountains run right down to the water, the city is sits on the shoulder of the mountain above the Mediterranean.  Ceuta is also built on a peninsula, a finger of the mountain that extends out into the sea.  So, on three sides Ceuta is surrounded by the starkly beautiful Rif Mountains and on the north by the soft, beauty of the Mediterranean sea.  We stayed at the Parador Hotel.  Our room was on the third floor and had a balcony that looked out over the harbor, the Mediterranean and the mountainous coast of southern Spain 9 kilometers across the strait with an incredible view of the surrounding Riff Mountains.  Walk out the front door, turn left and the harbor was a half block away; turn right and the Mediterranean was a half block away.  Right or left, there is a promenade along the Mediterranean with the most incredible panoramic views of mountains and sea.  To the right were also two pristine beaches with a kind of funky brown sand.  You had to walk down a long flight of stairs to get to the beach since the town is essentially built on the side of a mountain.  There are not many "tourist attractions" but it is so relaxing there.  It is great for long walks along the Mediterranean with a shifting panoramic view of water, mountains and the southern coast of Spain.  You stand on one continent and look across a narrow strait at another continent.  It is a very clean city  with a number friendly little Tapas bars - we already have a favorite.  When you cross the border from Morocco to Ceuta, it is like entering a different world. Most importantly for Doris it has really good beer.  It is also a duty free zone and many people come from Morocco to shop.  We got there Saturday so it was busy but Sunday was quiet since most of the shops are closed.  Doris was having some "stomach issues" which she had brought with  her from Morocco so I spent some time after breakfast exploring the city while she slept.  If you want excitement, this is not the place to be.  If you want to relax, walk and enjoy some really incredible beauty in a warm, laid back and friendly environment, then Ceuta is a great place to be.  I wish that we could have stayed longer but we were anxious to get our "car issue" resolved and we had to cross the border to do that and we weren't sure how long that would take so we left about noon on Sunday, breezed through and wished we had stayed longer.

Since we had a 5 day weekend thanks to another great Moroccan holiday, we drove back through the Rif Mountains to Tanger.  We got lost and found in Tanger but did not stay.  Tanger was a bit too big and bustling for me since we had not planned for a trip there.  We had no map.  There were no street signs and we were still not comfortable with big city driving in Morocco so we headed south to Asilah, a small art community on the coast.  We stopped in Asilah for an hour, wandered around the medina, enjoyed the water and left for Larache which is further south on the coast.  Larache is a small, friendly, decaying city with not much to recommend it except a great view of the Atlantic.  We had called ahead and made reservations at the Maison Haute which is a guest house rather than a hotel. We had found it as a recommended place to stay in the Lonely Planet.  Once we arrived into Larache, we had a bit of an adventure finding the Maison Haute.  I had locate it on the map but we just could not find the street so we drove round and round.  We got stuck in a narrow, blind alley leading into the medina and had to back out through cars, vendors, horse drawn wagons, pedestrians and mounds of garbage (Doris did the backing and I did the directing).  After numerous calls to the owner of the guest house, we finally met him in the street near the water and found out that the guest house was exactly where I thought it was but it was in the medina and not accessible by car. The Lonely Planet never mentioned this but there were two guide books at the Maison Haute, one in French and one in German, that did state that it was located in the medina and not accessible by car.   We parked the car along the curb in front of the entrance to the median and slepped our baggage through winding alleys until we reached a green and black door and then climbed a very steep, long flight of stairs up to the top floor of this ancient house.

The Maison Haute is not for the picky traveler.  It's clean, the shower is hot and the sheets are clean but faded.  Our room had a musty smell and it was obviously not professionally decorated with ancient mismatched furniture but well hell...I really enjoyed staying there.  The owner and our host, Hasan, was warm, friendly and engaging.  Although not formally educated, he was multilingual, intelligent and insightful.  He took us up to the roof garden where we had a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean, the estuary and the lower foothills of the Rif Mountains.  We also looked out over the roof tops of a city in decay.  Hasan explained that the government had little interest in preserving the past but was only focused on building the new.  Many people were either being left out or left behind in this brave new world of modern Morocco.  After our chat with Hasan, we walked through the city, walked along the promenade with its view of the Atlantic, stopped at an ATM and got a bite to eat from a small cafe.  We called it an early night and went back to the Maison.  We woke early the next morning.  We climbed up the the rooftop garden. We had been told by Hasan that the estuary would be covered with flamingos in the morning since this is a major fly over between Europe and Africa but the fog was so heavy that we could not even see the water.  We wanted to slip out without waking anyone - this is an intimate place to stay.  It's more like staying with friends at their home than being at a hotel.  However, Hasan came out of his room in his underwear - perhaps on his way to the bathroom.  A bit embarrassing for him but humorous for us.  He popped back in for some pants and then insisted on fixing some coffee and breakfast for us.  Coffee is the magic word in the morning for Doris so we stayed.  Just as we sat down to breakfast, a French couple emerged from their room and joined us for breakfast.  It was a most pleasant and entertaining breakfast - very intimate and almost familial.  It was so unexpectedly delightful.  It really made the whole stay perfect.

After leaving Larache, we again proceeded down the coast to Moulay Bousselham, a beautiful village on the Atlantic with the most incredible beaches and seafood restaurants.  Although I no longer eat seafood, Doris loves seafood but because of her "stomach issues" during the trip, she could not indulge her desire for really good seafood. Doris, Ken and the kids had stayed here when they were in Morocco so there were some funny and sweet memories.  There are no hotels here but three really nice, quaint quest houses on the beach.  We plan to come back for a weekend and some really good sea food for Doris.  I would prefer to go before the beach season when it is swamped by tourists.

From Moulay we headed home to Ifrane.  It was about a 3 hour drive - the drive to Ceuta is 6 hours.  Doris suggested that we take a slightly different route back from Meknes.  It routed us through Azrou rather than directly to Ifrane.  I'm glad we took the detour.  The views of the Middle Atlas Mountains were breathtakingly beautiful.  This is one trip that I really wish that I had not left my camera at home.

It always strikes me when I drive into Ifrane how lucky I am to live here.  The beauty of the country and the warmth and friendliness of the people.  It's good to be home.

Teaching is interactive performance art!

It's 4 am and I'm up again. I like the quiet of the early morning hours. I will prepare for my classes next week for a few hours before we go to Fes later this morning with a friend, Karen Smith. I was discussing teaching with some friends yesterday afternoon at the Forest Restaurant in downtown Ifrane near our apartment. I described teaching as interactive performance art. I really enjoy the dynamic relational aspect of teaching where the interactive relationship between teacher and students is always shifting and changing into something different and new. My days are never boring and always stimulating. It also helps that I really like my students and find their different personalities a constant source of amusement and enlightenment about Moroccan culture, Islam and what it means to be young in today's world; but, what I like best is that I see them each as a person without any cultural or religious label. I find labels impersonal, dehumanizing, dangerous and usually inaccurate. If you drop the labels and take the time to get to know the person, it is a whole different world. I find as I get older that life is more and more about relationships and less and less about abstract intellectualization. My life now is much more up close and personal - it's a better way to live for me and a better life.

Traveling!

Doris and I had dinner Friday night at  the Weimar in Rabat. We had dinner last night with Moni and Hubi at the Posthaus in Kronberg.  Sometimes it just hits me - two countries and two continents within 24 hours, and I feel at home in both places. Who would have ever thought?  This week we are in Germany to help Moni and Hubi pack up Elfriede's apartment.  It will be an emotionally challenging week. I wish I could say something profound but I just feel sad. 

Germany this weekend!

Doris and I will fly to Germany this weekend to dissolve Elfriede's household since we have a week holiday for Aid.  We may buy a car while we are there and drive it back to Morocco via the ferry from either France or Spain.  We are looking at a VW Tiguan.

Doris writing

I want to thank everyone for expressing such heartfelt support to us. It is hard  - impossible still - to imagine that the person who has loved me me before I was born, who knew me best and has been with me my entire life, is gone. Just before my mum died, my sister said to her: "Muddi (that's the Frankfurt version of 'mother'), you will have to watch out for us from heaven" to which she responded: "Of course I will, I have nothing else to do."
Mike has been incredibly supportive and will be once again when we go back to Germany next week to dissolve my mum's household. When love is not a source of joy, it can be the source of unconsolable sadness.

Funeral

Elfriede's funeral was elegant, beautiful and dignified.  The minister's eulogy captured her life and personality perfectly.  There was sadness and grief over the loss but also joy and laughter over the memory of her life so full of love, humor and compassion.  She is well-loved by all who know her and will always be remembered as an example of a life well lived.  Elfriede is that rare human being whose life deeply touched everyone who knew her - friends and family and she will be missed - her love, her wisdom and her joy of life.

Doris and I are in Germany!

Doris and I are in Germany for Elfriede's funeral tomorrow.  Tunuka is also here but the Peace Corps would not let Khadijah take leave to come to the funeral.  Doris and I would like to thank everyone for your support.  Elfriede was an incredible woman who lived a splendid life; she will be missed by her family and friends who love her very much.

Elfriede!

Elfriede, Doris' Mother, died this afternoon while Doris and I were on Skype with her and Moni, Doris' sister.  Doris and Moni were both able to speak with their Mother and told her how much they loved her and that it was alright for her to leave and joined Karl Heinz, her husband and their Father.   She had had a wonderful life and a family who loved her very much. Elfriede's death was a peaceful passing from this life to the next with both of her daughters there with her in her final moments.  Moni waited at the hospital with their Mother until Hubi and Christoph arrived with bouquets of flowers from their gardens.  Moni lighted candles and filled the room with light.  This is a sad day for the Herr family.

Update!

Nothing new on the status of Elfriede's medical condition.  They are still trying to get her back home to the Rosenhof. Doris will fly back to Germany on Thursday. Right now it is one step at a time.

Update on Doris' Mom!

Elfriede has stablized and her vital signs are strong.  She is still paralyzed from the chest down and it is doubtful that this will change or improve.  Doris and Moni are consulting with the Rosenhof, the assisted living facility where Elfriede lives, to see if she can come back there to live.  Moni's children are visting Elfriede now and according to Doris there is a lot of laughter.  Maybe a bad situation might not be an impossible situation and the possiblity of joy and happiness might still exist. Let's hope so.  If you can contact Doris by email or phone to give her emotional and moral support, I know that she would appreciate any support from friends and family. If she does not answer right away, please realize that she is now involved in taking care of her mother and may not have time until later to respond.

Doris is flying to Germany tonight!

I dropped Doris off at the airport in Fes and she caught the 7:35 pm flight to Frankfurt.  She should see her mother tomorrow.

Doris' Mom is in ICU!

Elfriede, Doris' Mom, is in ICU after complications from surgery.  Doris would appreciate any prayers, good thoughts or positive energy directed toward her recovery.  Right now there is no long term prognosis by the doctors so we don't know what the final outcome will be.  If you have a chance send Doris an email, please do - contact with family and friends is always important at a time like this. 

Sick in Ifrane and loving it!

Doris and I were both sick over the weekend. - just a bug.  Doris has already recovered but I am still lingering.  What I would give to be a young 58 again like Doris.  Other than this little bug our health has been incredibly good since we arrived in Morocco.  We take care to wash out fruit and vegetables but no more so than I would in the US.  We occasionally buy Moroccan "fast food" at the Marche without any ill effect. We buy our bread from the local Women's Cooperative which is sold hot and fresh from a cardboard box and wrapped in layers of cloth to keep the bread warm.  My favorite is the flat, round whole wheat bread.  There are no preservative and the bread is baked fresh everyday.  You can buy 2 loaves for 5 dirham which is about 60 cents.  Ifrane itself has an very healthy enviroment.  The air is dry and crisp - a touch of winter is already in the air.  There is no pollution - we sit on top of a  mountain in the middle of nowhere high above the nearest large cities - think Colorado or New Mexico.

Teaching has become less overwhelming - I actually have time to breath.  I enjoy the work but I am looking forward to time off for the holidays and at the end of the semester.  I am also looking forward to having summers off.  Work hard for 8 months and play for 4 - that's my idea of retirement.  I really enjoy the changing dynamic  of my interaction with the students.  After 29 years of handling claims, it is a breath of fresh air - much less stress.  Well, I have papers to grade and tests to prepare.  Hi ho! Hi ho! It's off to work I go!

Yom Kippur a time of reflection!

Yom Kippur is a time of reflection.  We review the past year of our life and try to right the wrongs that we have done.  I've always thought that to wait a year to say I'm sorry or to correct an injustice that I have done is a year too long.  I've always thought it better to spend the day reflecting on the importance of waking up every morning and trying to be a better person. I probably fail more than I succeed but it's a goal worth pursuing.   I want to thank my friends, my family and Doris for being role models on how to be a better person.  The people that touch our lives are the only truly important thing in life.  I like the fact that as a Jew I am judged by my actions and not my beliefs. I find so much of the bad done is life is motived by beliefs.  When beliefs are seen as more important than people, it is a recipe for disaster.  So on this rainy morning in Ifrane, Morocco I wish all my friend and family a thanks for sharing their lives with me.  I am incredibly lucky that y'all are on this journey with me.

Family and friends and Doris too! Oh my!

Not a day passes that I don't think about family and friends.  I check out Facebook every day and I see little snippets of their lives.  A comment on my blog or Facebook page from someone makes my day.  It is the small things each day that makes my life a joy. I must be getting old.  I have lost the anger of my youth, the cynicism and the need to be in someone's face at the drop of the hat.  I have Doris.  I have my friends.  I have my family.  These are "axis mundi" around which my life revolves.  Each day is a new adventure.  Each day is full of small moments of kindness, a momentary connection to another person, a smile, a soft word... I walk to and from work every day with Doris.  We walk and talk.  We enjoy the cool, crisp mountain air, the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the moment.  We enjoy the rhythm of life together.  We walk to the Marche in the evening and buy fresh bread.  We run into friends and chat for a moment. We spend much of our lives together and it is very good. I am lucky to be with Doris. She has made my life an adventure and a joy.

9/11 in Morocco!

Yesterday was the 12th anniversary of 9/11.  Living in a Morocco for a month has strengthened my conviction that 9/11 should not be associated with Islam but with extremism.  Extremism exists in all religions and ideologies.  You can't blame all Muslims for the acts of a few extremists.  Most Muslims are decent, kind people.  They deserve respect as human beings.  Let their actions as individuals determine the nature of their character - not the actions of a few fanatics.  There are extremists Jews and Christians.  There are ideological extremists.  When you demonized all Muslims for the actions of a few extremists, you dehumanize them and justify extremist retaliation against innocent people.  Look at what happened in Iraq.  On 9/11, I was surrounded by the kindness and compassion of the Moroccan people.  It was the perfect place to experience the 12th anniversary of 9/11.  It reminded me that compassion and understanding are the foundation of peace and not irrational hatred and distrust.

A right-wing Catholic priest lectures in Morocco!

I went to a lecture tonight at AUI.  A conservative, right-wing Catholic priest gave a lecture to a Muslim audience on the place of faith in education.  The lecture was professionally presented but it was factually flawed and historically inaccurate.  At one time, I would have started an argument or written a rant about the lecture but I just don't care anymore.  What's the point - it would not be a debate but a clash of ideologies?  I don't care about what people believe anymore; I prefer what they do. If you're a good person what does it matter what you believe.  If you're not a good person, what does it matter what you believe.  Religious or atheist - you can be an moral and ethical person.  It is not dependent on faith, belief or lack of either.  It is dependent on how you act and treat other people.  I will leave the debate of theology, ideology and other such nonsense to the true believers, the extemists and the fanatics.

Home again in Morocco!

After awhile the strange and exotic become familiar.  People are just people.  Strangers become friends and you're home again.

Rainy day in Ifrane!

I was up late last night trying to figure out how to use my google chrome better - I had a little dark chocolate rush going.   I use my computer in my classes and it would be helpful if I could perform more functions with it.  I will probably get a better laptop before the end of the year.  PC or Mac - it's a hard decision.

It's good that we arrived in the middle of the tourist season here in Ifrane.  We had to get used to the noice right away.  Now that the tourists have left the Irish bar just down the street has started to go full blast with the returning students and the noise is worse now than before.  But, since we are already used to the noise, it doesn't affect our sleep...much.   At night, it's like living in little "New York".

It has been raining since 2am.  We went to the souk and it was like walking in red gumbo.   Ifrane is like south Georgia and north Tallahassee.  It has that rich red dirt that sucks the shoes off your feet once you've had a good hard rain. We then caught the grand taxi to Azrou to pick up some bowls, olives and raisins. Now that the tourists have gone, there are no more olives at the souk.  Azrou is about 15 kilometers down the mountain from Ifrane.  There is a place where the taxi exits the forest and the trees disappear and you can see all the way to the High Atlas Mountains - it takes your breath away.  Doris will go back to Azrou in a few weeks with  Angela who is an old friend of Doris and buy some rugs for the terrazzo floors - they will be icy cold once winter really hits.  Even with the rain today the temperature dropped and there was a bit of winter in the air.

Right now it's about 7pm and I'm kicked back on the couch writing my blog.  Doris is upstaits working in her office. I have some tests to grade and some lesson plans to work up for next week but I think I will take a little "power nap" first.  Life is good here and getting better.  I'm starting to get a better feel for this teaching gig.  I found out recently that Morocco has a mandatory retirement age of 65 - three more years of full time employment and then boom! retired again.  I can still work part time (3/4 load) so it won't be too bad.  Maybe by then I will be ready to just kick back and relax...maybe sooner - who knows.  As long as I can hang with Doris I'm happy.  Life is always sooooo interesting when Doris is around.

L'shana tovah y'all from Morocco!

My first Rosh Hashanah in Morocco!  The closest synagogue is in Fes which is about 40 miles from Ifrane.  Since I have no connection to the Jewish community there and no transportation, I am spending the holiday at work and home.  I have not quite figured out how to be Jewish in Morocco yet.  Right now I'm just trying to adjust to a new job and a totally new life as an American ex-pat in Morocco - being able to emerse myself in work has help.  Also, interaction with 60 students makes feeling alone or isolated impossible.  I am amazed everyday how easy it is to connect with people here, especially my students.  Once you cease to see the "other" in people and see the common humanity that we all share, it can be a transformative experience.  Well, I'm tired.  As a Rosh Hashanah treat for myself tonight, I will get 8 hours sleep tonight. L'shana tovah, y'all!!!

Awake at 4 am and no place to go!

I've been up since 4 am preparing for classes.  I keep waiting for teaching to get easier but it just has not happened yet. I'm beginning to see daylight - metaphorically and literally.  I really enjoy teaching but I realize that it will always be a lot of work.  No matter how much I learn there will always be more to learn.  I also want to do right by the students - it is a constant motivation.  I keep thinking that I can always do it better. The hardest thing is to make the best teaching choices with the maximum results for the students.  I'm not very patient with myself - I want it all and I want it now. Ah, retirement!  It's so interesting. I'm working harder now than I did before I retired.

Life's is rolling on in Ifrane!

Life in rolling on in Ifrane.  Both Doris and I are busy and tired.  Lots of adjustments - new continent, new country, new culture, new jobs, new people and new expectations.  It's just a whole new world.  I'm trying to work my way out from under a learning curve.  I just found out that I can only work full-time in Morocco until I am 65 - after that I can only work part-time.  About the time I finally get this teaching gig down, I will have to retire again.  From speaking with other TEFFL teacher, there are many countries that won't employ TEFL teachers after 62 or 65.  It's late and time for bed.  Tomorrow is a new day.

The souk!

We went to the souk today with a friend - local farmer's maket. We bought - 1 medium melon, 1/2 kilo of grapes, 1 kilo of tomatos, 1 kilo of potatos, 1/2 kilo of green beans, 1 large bunch of cilantro, 1 large bunch of parsley, 1/2 dozen eggs, 1 kilo of apples, 1/2 kilo of zuchinni, 1/4 kilo of green peppers, 1 kilo of olives, 3 oz of black pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, 3 large cucumbers and 1/2 kilo of onions - for $10.00. Most evenings we walk to the Marche and buy from the women's baking cooperative two round, flat loaves of whole wheat bread - still warm from the oven - this costs 5 dirham which is about 75 cents. At the Marche we can also buy a large hoe cake fresh off the griddle for 5 dirham - it's large enough for us to split on the way home - Moroccan fast food. Eating out is not as cheap as I thought it would be but eating in has exceeded my wildest expectations. Right now I have a large pot of lentil-barley-vegetable soup on...yummmm. Bon appetit.

Note: I copied and pasted this from my facebook - lazy person that I am - and it cut off the tails of some low hanging letters.  You can see it above in the word "copied" and "lazy" and "person".  Not sure what's up with the computer - must be a bad nano-hair day. 

Some thoughts on teaching and life in Ifrane!

Anyone who says teachers don't work hard is crazy.  I know I have a steep learning curve but it's hard, challenging work and I don't want to short change my students.  I played "Born to be Wild" and "Betty and Al" in one of my listening classes today.  They couldn't understand Paul Simon's New York accent but we had a lively discussion of the imagery in "Born to be Wild".  They told me that the song was about individual freedom without the constraints of law and commitment.  It was about enjoying the moment without goals, possessions and  rules to restrict one's freedom.  They all agreed that it was a "male fantasy" that the guys found attractive but the women found unappealing. It was a fun class - really good students.  It's amazing how quickly you can connect with people here.  Several students asked me the name of some good writers in English.  I told them that I would check with Doris - she would have a better selection for young women than I would.  One student is a big fan of Jane Austen so I advised her to check out Downton Abbey on BBC.  She is also a big fan of BBC News and has a delightful British accent with some words.  Living in Morocco has given me a completely different perspective of the world and especially the Islamic world.  It has given me emotionally what I always believed intellectually that you can find good and decent people everywhere.  Ifrane is an incredible place to live and AUI is an incredible place to work - it's all about the people.

I survived my first day of teaching!

Great day!  Great students - very engaged and intesting.  I have 60 students - will have to work on their names. My attempt a pronouncing them properly was very...very funny.  The door was locked for my last class but it was near my office so we all cramped in for the class - desks make useful chairs.  Later we were offered a class but the students wanted to stay...very cool students. Right now I am wired to the max and I need someone to turn me off...too much adrenlin. I will be glad when I relax and get into routine - better for me and better for my teaching.

Tomorrow is first day of class!

Tomorrow I have my first four classes to teach.  Take a deep breath and relax.  There's lots of work to do but I will do it.  I'm so focused on "work" - sound familiar my sibling - that I hardly notice that I am in Morocco so...no culture shock or fatigue - I hope.  AUI is a separate little academic bubble in the middle of nowhere - located in a beautiful little city in the mountains.  It already seems that I know everyone and it seems that everyone already knows me.  It is a very social, intimate enviroment.  I have an office but no working computer and I can't access the campus database or my campus email.  I'm constantly having to do "work arounds" but I must admit that it's lots of fun.  I hope I can still say that two weeks from now. Got to get some sleep - big day tomorrow.  It's showtime!

This is Doris writing: The semester in Ifrane has started, the campus is buzzing with students, in the summer you see the starkest contrast, miniskirts, tanktop-clad girls holding hands with veiled young women. There is a large number of foreign students this semester as study abroad programs in Egypt had to be cancelled and those students have been diverted to peaceful Morocco. Mike is busy embarking on his new career as a university lecturer, thus far he has been assigned a lot of classes but has yet to see his contract, get a computer and a phone on his spartan desk which is wedged between a young American couple, first time abroad. It is a bit like living on a military base, everyone knows everyone, frequent get-togethers for lunch, coffee, diner with colleagues who converse in all manner of languages aside from Arabic, French or English. So it is a very stimulating environment and Mike, I believe, is a bit overstimulated but thriving.

Rtirement is over - I have a job!

I was hired by the Language Center at Al Akhawayn University as an English instructor in a full time position this week.  Classes start tomorrow.  I will be teaching 2 sections of Academic Grammar II and 2 sections of Academic Listening and Speaking II.  I should have about 60 - 70 students.  It will be a busy semester.  I really like the department and everyone there has been great - very helpful.  I'm looking forward to starting my new career in teaching.

62 and living large in Morocco!

Doris and I went to Rabat last weekend.  We stayed with Souad at her new apartment near the beach.  She has an apartment on the top floor where she has a beautiful balcony.  From the balcony there is a perfect view of roof tops stretching to the Atlantic - satillite dishes grown from the roof tops like mushrooms after a summer rain.  We spent a lot of time on the balcony but I never saw anyone else on a balcony while I was there.  Souda told me that Moroccans are not "balcony people" - everything is directed inward toward the interior of the apartment.  You can see this with the blank walls of the medina where beautiful court yards within blank, ugly walls. I also got to meet Margaret Peron - she has the most fabulous, huge old colonial house near downtown Rabat - it was full of kids, cats and dogs...oh my.  We had a delightful lunch there - good company, good food and good conversation.  A large cat sat at the end of the table during the meal.  The kids at the end of the table spent most of their time building barriers with the dishes to stop the cat from stealing the fish in the center of the table.  It was a really good weekend.  I got to see a completely different Moroccan and Souad is a most delightful, interesting and funny person.  I'm looking forward to our next trip to Rabat.  My only regret is a very sore ass.  Is there any comfortable seat to be found on public transportation in Morocco? The grand taxi from Meknes to Ifrane must have had an iron plate under the seat and the driver must have hit everyone pothole and bump in the road.  Oh vey, what a pain in the ass that ride was!  I looked all over Rabat - millions of people - huge city - for oatmeal and nada.  I come back to Ifrane and walk the the Superette two minutes from the apartment - oatmeal on the shelf.  Oh, the irony!!!!

I enjoyed the train ride back and forth from Meknes to Rabat.  The train was packed because of the long weekend holiday.  Doris has taught me to scramble so I was able to grab a couple of seats in 2nd class before the train filled up. I sat and watched the landscape pass - wheat fields, corn, olive groves, cacti and huge succulents.  I thought, you're not no Kansas anymore Dorothy.  It was beautiful though. The train was airconditioned which surprised me.  I'm not sure why...erroneous expectations.  Nice thing about reality - it screws with erroneous expectations in the most delightful way. I tried not to have "expectations" about Morocco but I did and I do.  I prefer the reality to the fantasy created by the media and our own cutltural bias. This is a complicated country with a rich and varied culture and history - much to experience; much to learn.

This has been a busy week.  We had orientation Thursday and Friday.  We are trying to get all of our paperwork completed - the beauty of beureaucracy.   Doris is getting settled in to her new job - they didn't order any of the books for her classes so life has a new challenge for her right now.  I have any second job interview at the Language Center at AUI today.  Hopefully, I will know if I have a job or not today.  Classes start Wednesday so not much time to prepare if I get hired.  If I don't get hired, then my life will have a new challenge.  Zen mind is good here.  Everyone is friendly, incredibly warm and helpful. Lots of really interesting people at AUI from all over the world - many have worked and lived all over the world.

Morocco is what they call a high context culture - more is implied than what is said.  Life here is all about relationships and connections.  It is very diffferent from the West which is a low context culture. It reminds me of the Old South of my childhood - ask about the family before getting down to business.  When people complain about the heat here, I think...wow, this would be a perfect day in Tallahassee and they think I'm crazy.  I've found that retirement is not the end of an old life but the beginning of a new life.  It's good to be 62 and living large in Morocco.  I feel a tremor in the FORCE - Doris must be waking up!  Got to go.

The le grand taxi to Meknes!

Wednesday we took the le grand taxi to Meknes. We went to the Marché to catch the taxi but the location had _changed.  Doris asked someone where the new location was?  He pointed down the road and told us right at the round about.  We kept walking to each round about and kept asking where the taxi stand was?  Everyone kept point down the road and said right at the round about.  We finally ran out of town and road.  We arrived at the last round about and saw the taxi stand to our right. 

There are two types of cabs in Morocco.  The le grand taxi that travel on a fixed route between towns and the le petit taxi that carry passengers within a particular town – each town has a different color for the le petit taxi. There is set fee for the trip in le grand taxi and the cost is divided up among the passengers while the le petit taxi has a meter.  A single passenger can “rent” the le grand taxi but he or she would pay the full fee.  Tourists will do this but not local Moroccans.  By splitting the fee, it is cheap and affordable transportation.  The taxi can sit 6 people and a driver – 4 passengers in the back and 2 in the front.  If you sit in the back, you are packed in like sardines – you are intimate whether you want to be or not.   The grand taxi only leaves when the taxi is full – 6 passengers.  If you are lucky, it fills up quickly.  If not, you wait.  The taxis have no air conditioning.   Usually the driver’s window is open but Moroccans seem to have an aversion to opening any of the remaining windows not matter how hot it is.  Also many of the windows do not have a window crank so you have to ask the driver for “the crank” to roll down the window. Whoever sits by a window, controls the window.  Even if you can get someone to roll down a window, it mysteriously keeps closing.  Shared taxis are a cultural experience.  We’ve used them in Ghana and in Tunisia.  It’s a simple cheap system that works.

Our taxi filled up quickly for the trip to Meknes.  We sat in the back next to a slender young mother and her baby who was in a car seat.  Yes, the baby had to pay for a seat – a seat is a seat.  No one else in the car is going to pay for more than one seat.  This was incredibly lucky – there is nothing worse than sharing a cab with “large people” – you can’t breathe, you can’t move and the “forced intimacy” is uncomfortable for many westerners.  I actually enjoy using share taxis – it is a cultural experience that most westerners don’t allow themselves to experience.  Also it is an incredibly cheap way to travel.  Doris and I each paid 28 dirham ($3) for a 40 miles trip to Meknes.  The trip took about 45 minutes.  The driver drives like a bat out of hell, weaving in and out of traffic on curves and hills – it is better than the “scary ride” at Disney world.  

The countryside between Ifrane and Meknes reminds me of Colorado or New Mexico.   As you drop in altitude the heat increases dramatically – it was 90 degrees in Ifrane and 104 degrees in Meknes but a dry heat.  Along the way I noticed fields of onions and potatoes, corn, olive groves, apple and peach orchards and huge vineyards – Morocco is a major wine producer.  Once we arrived in Meknes, we caught a petit taxi to the Marché where Doris bought some flowers from a flower vendor – she has been buying flowers from the same vendor for years.  He always remembers her and gives her a few extra flowers from his people to her for her loss.  This always touches Doris deeply that he remembers.  From the Marché we walked to the French cemetery where visited Lancey’s grave. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Medina.  We had lunch at the Restaurant Riad and coffee later on a roof top café overlooking the city near the Mellah, the Jewish Medina that is separate from the regular Muslim Medina.  The original meaning comes from the Arabic world “mel” = salt, it took this name because the Jews were the salt sellers at the time.  High walls surround the Medina – we passed through the Bab Mansour gate and entered the Medina.  We wandered through the streets and alleys of the Medina until we arrived at the Restaurant Riad where we had a lovely lunch in the garden.  We then visited the Mausoleum of Mouley Ismail that was constructed in the 18^th century.  The inner chamber had always been closed to non-Muslims when Doris had been there before but now it is open to tourists.  The inner chamber has fountain and is incredibly cool.  We hung out there for a while to escape the 104-degree heat.  After the Mausoleum we visited the Mellah, the Jewish medina, which lies outside the walled medina.  We stopped for coffee at a roof top café where we had a panoramic view of the Medina, the Mellah and Meknes.  By then we were ready to head home so we caught a petit taxi and then a le grand taxi and headed back to Ifrane.  The heat dropped dramatically as the altitude increased.  It was good to be back home again. 

BUCHENWALD!

We left Weimar, the center of German culture and civilization, and drove through a beautiful forest to Buchenwald.  The roadside was covered with wild flowers.  Before the construction of Buchenwald, the mountain top forest had been a favorite location for the people of Weimar to relax and enjoy the beauties of nature.  Next to Buchenwald was a formal garden attached to an estate - Shoah in paradise.   When we arrived in Buchenwald, I first saw the SS barracks that had been built by the prisoners.  They are now a youth hostel – I found this both practical and a little macabre.  I went to the bookstore and found a section in English.  I spent a few minutes reading exerts from various books - it was engaging and disturbing at the same time.  I left the bookstore and walked back to camp.  I walked through the Iron Gate that reads “JEDEM DAS SEINE” – TO EACH HIS OWN.  The gate, the barbed wire fence, the 4 watchtowers and the crematorium are the only structures still standing within the camp.  I walked to the crematorium and went inside – I saw the autopsy table where the gold teeth were pulled from the mouths of the dead, the cremation urns and a large photo on the wall of naked bodies stacked up against a wall like wood for the winter.  I stood there and looked the photo and then looked out the door at the wall where the bodies had been stacked.  There is a darkness in humanity that all to often demands expression in the most horrific ways.  It feeds on death, destruction and degradation until nothing is left but the ashes of the dead.

The barracks of the prisoners are gone – razed or burned to the ground.  The foundation of each barrack is filled with black cinders.  It is a field of desolation surrounded by barbed wire.  As I wandered among the ruins, I saw a small spray of beautiful, delicate white flowers – life struggling to live among the memories of the dead.  I eventually found the Jewish section.  Next to foundation of one of the barracks were words of remembrance in English and Hebrew etched in the ground.  Someone had left a small Israeli flag draped over the foundation – rocks and candles held it down.  One corner was loose and folded over so I unfolded it and put a black cinder on it to hold it down.  I recited the Shema and Kaddish.  I then left – it was too much.  I read “Jedem Das Sein” again as I exited the gate. 

Buchenwald was not an “extermination” camp but was a “forced labor” camp and was a transition camp for the exterminations camps further east.  There were over a 250,000 prisoners at Buchenwald.  Over 50,000 died of starvation, disease, abuse, neglect and over work.   Many were brutally murdered by the guards.  The prisoners were Jews, Romani, Sinti, communists, political prisoners, the handicapped, criminals and homosexuals.  There were rabbis, priests and ministers. Of the 12,000,000 killed in the Holocaust, half were Jews.  The other half needs to be remembered too.  Lest we forget.

Photos only - Meknes

Photos only - with Teresa in Berlin!

Photos only Weimar

Photos only of visit to Thiel's in Berlin - see the twins!

Photos only - new apartment in Ifrane!

Dinner with Teresa in Berlin!

Dinner with Teresa in Berlin!

We were on out way for a hike when the maintenance man arrived to complete some minor repairs on the apartment.  We had to forgo the hike so we could get the work done – otherwise he would leave and come back later (if ever).  Right now we are the only one here so we need to get all these little issues resolved before everyone is competing for attention. 

The last Monday that we were at Bad Saarow, we went to Berlin to have dinner with Teresa who is Doris’ niece.  Last year she completed her Masters degree with honors and took time off for a world tour.  She is currently working at a youth hostel in Berlin while she tries to get into the German equivalent of the Peace Corps for a tour in South American – preferably in either Argentina or Columbia.  She fell in love with South America when she was there.  She wants to spend a year there with the German “Peace Corps” to work on her Spanish.  She hopes to eventually work and live in South America.  It’s always fun to spend time with Teresa.  She is so funny, intelligent and articulate.  She actually speaks English better than I do with almost no accent.  She is one of the most adventurous people I know. 

When we arrived Teresa was not quite finished work so we sat outside and drank some water while we waited.  I watched people pass which is a favorite pastime for me in Berlin.  You never know who you will see or from where.   Teresa wanted to go to a new museum – when he got there it was closed.  We all forgot that museums are closed on Monday.  We then walked over the king’s palace and walked around the gardens along the river – enchanting.  We then drove to a restaurant on the Spree River where he had dinner – as usual excellent food.  It was a nice afternoon spent with family.  It was an excellent way to end the last day or our vacation in Bad Saarow.  

I'm still working on the photo issue. 

Veronica's twins in Berlin! Catch up blog re German vacation.

This is our 3^rd day in Morocco.  I am sitting downstairs trying to catch up on my blogs re Germany.  I have all the windows open and it is very nippy this morning – the air is cool, crisp and fresh.  Ifrane has not quite woken up yet.  I enjoy the quietness of the early morning.  Once I finish this blog, I will walk to a nearby café to pick up a round loaf for Berber bread.

We took our first trip to Berlin from Bad Saarow on the last Sunday that we were there.  We went to visit some friends, Norbert, Gertrude and Gabriel.  Norbert and Gertrude bought a large two-story house with a full basement a couple of years ago in southeast Berlin that they are in the process of renovating.  Norbert is an art dealer who runs his business from their home on the first floor.  Gertrude is a professor who trains teachers.  Gabriel is retired and rents an apartment in the house.  All three are old, good friends of Doris.  Doris’ children grew up thinking that Norbert and Gertrude’s children were their cousins and still refer to them as their cousins.  It was a 40-minute drive from Bad Saarow to Berlin, although we did get lost and had to call for directions.  When we arrived, Norbert who is an excellent cook was preparing a vegan meal – a nod to my dietary peculiarities.  I hung out in the kitchen with Norbert while he finished lunch.  Doris was upstairs chatting with Gertrude and Gabriel.  When lunch was ready, we all helped to set the table in the garden and bring out the food.   The food was excellent and we all enjoyed a nice lunch while chatting about life, work, retirement, kids, grandkids, the economy and politics – all the usual suspects.  All of Doris’ friends are very intelligent, engaged, articulate and the nicest people.  Often the conversation was in German but I never felt left out.  English was used frequently enough that I could follow what was going on.  Lunch ended with cake and watermelon – a nod to my southern roots.

After lunch Norbert and I went to pick up his daughter, Veronica, and her two twin daughters, Anna and Juana.  I enjoyed the drive through Berlin.  It is such a cosmopolitan city and so ethnically diverse.  It is one of the  “hot spots” in Europe for young men and woman along with Barcelona and Prague.  They come all over the world for school, work, economic opportunity and well the “Berlin ambience”.  Berlin has a certain energy that makes it an exciting place to live.  I can understand why so many young people are drawn to the city – the food, the music, the art scene, and the culture.  It is an exciting place to be young and ambitious.  Also Berlin is one of the cheapest cities in the world to live.  Doris and I have discussed living in Berlin once we “completely” retire but that is still so many years off so who knows – I do enjoy visiting Berlin and hope we can spend more time there. 

Veronica and her partner, Juan, live in a roomy two room flat in an older part of East Berlin.  In Germany, an apartment is described by the number of rooms that it has excluding the bathroom and kitchen.  Juan was funny, warm and welcoming – a truly nice guy.  He is originally from Columbia.  He and Veronica hope to eventually go back to Columbia for a few years for work and to be close to Juan’s family.  Right now Juan is interviewing for a position in Hamburg, Germany.  I understand that he is also an accomplished musician. The twins are adorable – healthy, happy and well loved. 

When we arrive back at the house, the twins who are six months old were the center of adoration.  This is the first time that Doris had seen the twins and it was the highlight of our trip.  Veronica’s brother, Felix, soon arrived on his bike.  Felix also lives in Berlin in a commune style house.  He recently graduated from college and is an automotive design engineer who is currently working on a project to redesign seatbelts.  Both Veronica and Felix grabbed some lunch.  The conversations continued.  The babies were pampered and adored, as they should be. 

Veronica and Doris took the babies for a walk.  They both wrapped about 8 yards of cloth around their bodies to form a kind a sling in the front the carry the babies while they walked.  I later noticed a number of women in Berlin using the same type of sling to carry their babies.  I admire Veronica’s energy – one baby is hard enough,

but twins are A LOT OF WORK!   Veronica is great mom. 

Doris and I had a great time visiting with everyone.  We finally left about 6:30 pm so we could get back to Bad Saarow for dinner with Elfriede.  It was a perfect ending to a perfect day – dinner on the deck with a view of the Scharmützelsee. 

I know y’all want pictures of the babies but our wi-fi situation does not allow me the capacity the upload and attach photos to the blog.  I will try to upload photos as soon as I can.  

Weimar - the center of German culture - dinner...ouch! (catch up blog re Germany)

Weimar – the center of German culture – dinner…ouch!

Last Tuesday we arrived in Weimar in time for lunch.  We checked into the Hotel Elephant that was built in 1696 and has been remodeled and restored since German unification.  It is now a 5 star hotel with a 5 star restaurant, the Anna Amelia.  Since it a historic building, there is no air conditioning but even though the weather was hot for Germany, the rooms were pleasantly cool.  The renovations were influenced by the Bauhaus movement that has a simple and clean style that reminds me of the Shaker movement in its simplicity and clean lines, but with a slight decadent touch with the extensive use of marble in the reception area and the modern bathrooms.  We had a quick lunch after check in.  Elfriede and I ate outside on the piazza at the Black Boar adjacent to the hotel.  Doris brought a bratwurst from a street vendor next to the restaurant and had to walk around the piazza eating it since there was a sign at the restaurant that no one could sit at the tables if they bought food from the street vendors.  Doris joined us later for a beer after she finished her bratwurst  – it was the best bratwurst that she had eaten since arriving in Germany.  After lunch, Elfriede took a nap and we took a walk around town checking out the cultural sites. 

We decided to stop for the night in Weimar because Doris’ mother had stayed at the Elephant 22 years ago with her husband – Doris’ father, Karl Heinz.  When they stayed there, the Elephant had not been restored to its former splendor and was at that time a cheap inn for commercial travelers.  At one time though, many of the great figures of German culture and politics had stayed there or had lived in Weimar – Goethe, Schiller, Bach, etc.  After our walk, we went upstairs for a nap before dinner. 

Right before dinner I went out to the car to get Elfriede’s coat.  I got caught in a rain and hailstorm on the way to the car – the hail was about the size of a peanut.  I grab an umbrella from the car but I was soaked and beaten by the hail on the way back to the hotel.   Tough guy that I am I went to dinner soaked – much to the horror of Doris and Elfriede – just can’t take a southern boy anywhere nice.

Dinner was in the hotel at the Anna Amelia.  It was fine dinner at its best – china, real silverware, linen napkins, candles and an endless supply of waiters catering to your every need – even needs that you never knew you had.  I lost count of the number of times the silverware was changed.  The food was splendid but it was what they call “molecular cuisine” in Germany.  The food was placed on a table size plate with thimbles and eyedroppers and a waiter would explain in great detail the complexity and subtlety of the cuisine before we were allowed to indulge in this exquisite gourmet creation.  Six times we received a delight to our palate and eye from the kitchen – not only was the food exquisite in its preparation but also in its presentation on the plate – it was a work of art.  I wasn’t sure if I should eat it or hang it on a wall.  We all had a marvelous time – we made fun of the food, the waiters and the other patrons who ate as if at worship.  Elfriede said that one should never come hungry to a “fine dining experience” but should come simply to enjoy the total experience and ambience.  We were fed on delightful tidbits and pampered like kings and queens, but when I saw the bill, I had to think…ouch.  Never has so few been feed so little for so much.