1 picture tells 1000 words

so here's 10,000 4u :)

Family dinners & home life, sardine-can taxis, market mania, "hotdog" sellers & nut stands, street prayers, mosques sprinkled with satellite dishes, mountain-goat men, Old Town Morocco Fes, Meknes, 'n more ... Videos to come during November each weekend :)
"A Video tells 1000 pictures !"... JD

Love Life

I guess this conversation sums it up:

JD: "Can I ask you about Moroccan love life?"
Moroccan: "Love life, what is that?"


The son of one of the families I stayed with has a girlfriend for over a year, yet only once was she allowed in his/parents house, and they meet secretly, or he calls her while "going out to buy cola". He wants to marry her, but cant until he buys a house for them. Only then can they get engaged, eventually married, then "eventually" have sex! Yep, only AFTER marriage. There's no "try-then-buy" policy in Morocco, or for strong Muslim believers.

Yet, having said this, there are some rare folk who deep down (way down) in their souls hold
a secret of making out with someone, but not a potential wife.

Soon I'll upload a private and VERY candid interview I had with a young Moroccan, who only opened up after his mum & sisters left the room.

Night Life

Nightlife = Coffee shop life for Moroccans!

Well what did you expect when you're forbidden to drink any alcohol, public dating is rare, and no sex until marriage, and then you're locked inside anyway. So you "hangout" with your male friends in coffee shops drinking coffee (usually cafe latte) or tea, and a free plastic bottle of water is given at some coffee shops too. You chat, play chess, or cards. NO WOMEN allowed !
Women are hidden at home (not only behind their veil, but behind bars...oops, doors) :)

Travel Life - Donkeys

Well aside from the "city" modes of travel by bus, taxi, train, there are the donkeys of course!

BTW, never, and I mean never, call anyone a "donkey" in Morocco! Its the lowest form of humiliation! Slave labor. Poor animals, they're so cute :)

Travel Life

So how do Moroccans get around?
Living as a local, aside from donkeys and sqishy buses, mostly by foot throughout mazes of alleyways in the Old Town of Fes, but for distant places you have a choice of taxis - the cute tiny "Petit Taxi" (cca. 10 Dhm for a 10min ride), or the "Grand Taxi" - now that was an experience & a half !
The so-called "Grand taxis" dont go until they squeeze in 6 people, and that means "4" squeezed in the back, and "2" in the passenger seat next to the driver !? Yes, you've virtually got someone sitting on your lap the whole journey, and that can be up to an hour !! :(

... So why do Moroccans prefer the sardine-can "Grand Taxi" ? Its a cheap fixed price. Usually half or 1/3 the price of the red "Petit Taxi". Or on a long journey say from Fes to Meknes (45min) its the same price as the train. Still, so why would you want to be squeezed in a sardine can 45min when you can take the train ? Coz even the trains get so full they have armed guards blocking angry passengers getting through the gates. Checkout the video to come!

Cost of Life

What's it cost in Morocco ?

Well it only varies a bit depending if you're in the Old Town of Fes or Meknes vs. the New Town.
This will give you an idea:

(10 Dirhams = 1 Euro)

Lunch (standard) = 10 Dhm
Coffeeshop coffee/tea = 5 Dhm
Fruits, Biscuits (1 p) = 1 Dhm
1 litre OJ (imported) = 10 Dhm

DVD = 10 Dhm
Jaleba (common dress) = 200 Dhm
Apt rent (old 2room) = 1000-2000 Dhm
Apt rent (modern 2room) = 3000 Dhm
Home Mortgage = no idea ! :)

My trip to Morocco = cca. $1000 (half was plane fare)
This BLOG = FREE 4U ! :)

Language for Life - Moroccan

Wanna learn survival Moroccan ? Here are some of my EZ favorites :)

Lesson 1:
7 words for this week

Day 1) Thanks = Shukran
Day 2) Great ! Fantastic ! = Zwein !
Day 3) What ? Pardon ? = Shnu ?
Day 4) Nice to meet you = Mucha Rafin
Day 5) No = Oho
Day 6) Oh, I see... = Iiiii.....
Day 7) Welcome ! = Marhaba !

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Work Life - The Fruit-man

No market can go without their fruit-man right. So you see not everything is different about Morocco :) Just the price perhaps at about 1 Dhm per piece (10 cents). The "modern" fruit-man handing over the change.

But what's UNIQUE about this 2nd fruit-man is that he has made zero changes to his storefront from the old days. He's in his 60's now and has been working hard in his fruit shop since he was a kid ! ... No kidding ! excuse the pun

Work Life - The Olive-man

"Location Location Location" takes on a new meaning here with the Olive men.
Its "Perfection & Placement" ! Lovely work.

You wont find a hole in his perfect Olive layout. So many varieties and tastes. I almost felt sorry buying some as it would ruin his artistic layout.

I'll own up, it was the first time in my life I saw where olives are grown ... nope not from the ground but on trees ! :) They actually almost glow with their half white leaves. Morocco is definitely not short on olive trees, as looking out from the train they line the farm fields most of the way, a lovely sight.

Work Life - The Water-man

All that walking around the markets makes you (VERY) thirsty ... welcome to The Water-man !

Dressed in his vibrant red costume, ringing his bell and offering cold water from his goatskin bag for a tip. Usually 1 Dhm. These Water-men are all around town but usually in busy markets adding a bit more color not just water :)

Check out the 1min video.

Work Life - The Chicken-man 2

WALLA ! Chicken ready to take home ... just it's not breathe anymore ... still twitching maybe but definately not breathing ! Sorry...

Still wanna checkout the video ? coming 1.11

Work Life - The Chicken-man 1

Ooh nooo, my last breathe...the chicken's last breathe that is...
So sad but reality...yep this is how we ALL get our chickens, just we in the western world dont SEE behind the scenes (thank god or I'd be living on a fish diet).

Step 1) YOU choose your cute chicken
Step 2) THEY cut its neck (aaarg...)
Step 3) THEY squeeze it thru their cutting & peeling machines ...yep grinders !
Step 4) THEY clean up the blood 'n stuff (still hungry ?)
Step 5) YOU take it home for dinner ! YUM !?

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Home Life - makin' the dough $$

We all make our dough ($$) various ways. But Moroccans make their own dough!

Most Moroccans need their own bread...oops, I mean knead their own bread :)

Then they take it to a community bakery to "borrow" their huge oven at a small price (1 Dirham, so 10cents) and pick up their freshly baked bread later ... carrying the tray on their head. Smart ey ! Now that's using your head :)

Home Life - Zzzzz

Noone has any bed or bedroom !
You sleep (or nap) Anywhere, Anytime you like!

Most nap immediately after lunch and dinner...and since they dont have a bed they just drop whereever their eyes were last open :)

Most houses have courtyard style rooms, with a huge space in the centre and sofa-like places to sit 'n snooze around.

Getting tired ? Yaaaawn...zzzzz

Ritual Life - Ramadan-Fast>>Feast

Ramadan is the fasting period for all Muslims lasting 1 month where you cannot eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset (except your own saliva if you get desperate). NOTHING ! The toughest part is not drinking all day, not even chewing gum is allowed! Once the sun sets there are calls to prayer slowly chanted from the mosque sirens around the entire city like a humming cloud blanket to signal that the sun has officially set and all can 'break' their 'fast' and enjoy their feast - "break-fast". Yep, "breakfast" at 6pm! Most families gather at home from 5pm (I guess mouths drouling over the thought of FINALLY being able to eat or drink something, especially DRINK), but also to chat with the family around the table in preparation for the "breakfast", also to at least get home, as there is no way you will find a taxi or bus from 30min before this feast time - it's a deserted city for a short whil, everyone scattering home to their caves :)

With my sister, who is working there for 6 months, I visited the lovely "Mustafa" family who lived in the centre of the old town of Meknes and a very typical and traditional family of 7. The husband arrived after the "breakfast" at 8pm as he celebrated with his 2nd wife where he lives Monday to Friday and lives with his first wife on the weekend. Men are allowed up to 4 wives (if they can afford to support them all equally with their own house, food, and living expenses). Not a bad concept for men ey ! :)

So what happens during Ramadan dinner ...oops, "break-fast" ?
Come visit the Mustafa family for the Ramadan feast on the 4min video !

As Ramadan is a festive celebration with friends & family, I was also invited to my sister's friend's family - Samira & Rashid (a Peter Sellers from Pink Panther look alike!)
From their rooftop view of the entire old town of Fes came the humming sound of prayers from the Mosque sirens while we watched the Sun set, then came down to break the fast & "feast"... DIG IN !

Oh, forgot to tell you, you eat from the same big plate in the centre & ONLY with your hands (right hand only, as your left hand is for toilet bum washing. Nope, noone uses toilet paper, only tap water in buckets). Oh sorry, good appetite ! :)

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Welcome to MOROCCO !

JD in "aMAZEing" MOROCCO !

"aMAZE-ing" Morocco ! - one hellova timeslip experience back to the 8th century, with its amazing maze of market alleyways even locals get lost in; a land with more satellite dishes than kitchen dishes; and amazing hygiene habits where you wash your aaah...backside with your lefthand & eat with your righthand. A highly Muslim religious culture where pre-marriage sex & lifetime alcohol are taboo & poison, where men & women mix like oil and water; yet an amazing culture with a deep sense of community where nearly everything is shared among family... even marriage !? ... it's prefered to marry-in to your cousins ... as one big happy family.

Marhaba Morocco ! ... Welcome to Morocco ! (2min)