TWO DAYS!

ind myself sitting in bed giddy with excitement for the arrival of my family in a matter of days.  At 7:09am Pacific Time; 3:09 Rabat time, my family is boarding a plane and joining me in building memories here in Morocco.  Those of you who know me well enough, I have spent a lot of the last week (okay maybe twoJ) getting the apartment, the pantry, the toys, etc… ready so when Joe and Claire arrive, the feel at least slightly at home.  This past weekend, Chad and I made a trip with my friend Romy to Marjane, Kitea, and Mr. Briccolage in search of patio chairs for the balcony.  We love spending time outside barbequing, playing games, and relaxing, so one of the most important purchases to us is to create that space.  After looking at two stores, I dragged Romy to Kitea (AKA Ikea).  Romy and I walked around Kitea and we finally landed in the outdoor furniture.  We spotted a group of tables for rather inexpensive considering it came with two chairs and a table.  Chad decided on blue instead of green, white, or orange.  So, we ordered the table, paid and the men from the back delivered the items to us out front.  I am sure you can picture tiny little me and tiny little Romy walking out of Kitea up a couple of sets of stairs to the main road trying to flag a taxi.  Chad of course, was grabbing the corner of my box trying to help and practicing his grunting.  Here is our new addition to the patio.

Now, the next purchase this month is a BBQ.  We are in dire need of a BBQ so Joe can continue to impress me with his grilling skills.  I wish I could express how excited I am to be able to wrap my arms around my Happy girl and kiss her adorable face. 

 

Today, we jumped on the school bus at our normal 6:55am time and did our normal drive to school.  Through the hustle and bustle of Gueliz past the Medina and out of town quite a few miles.  Upon arriving, my list of to do’s was 15 items long and my brain was determined to get the majority of them done because I don’t want to be overwhelmed with things to do when my entire family is here.  It is time for continued fun and adventures.  I got straight to work, multitasked like no one’s business and completed at least ¾ of my tasks before lunch.  Unfortunately, Monday’s bring lunch duty for me.  Ugh.  No one likes lunch duty—ever!  To top it off, I have duty at the basketball courts, which is one of the most dreaded areas because it is directly in the sun with limited shade = sweaty teacher and the soccer games on the basketball court get a little heated because the kids are incredibly competitive.  However, today, I decided to soak it all in.  While I was standing in my 6 inches of shade next to the basketball pole I saw a lot of laughing, playing, smiling, and kindness mixed in with a (very) limited amount of sportsmanship.  Most of the soccer players are 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th graders.  However the 1st graders often like to actually play basketball on the basketball court (imagine that!).  So, you have a soccer game of big kids happening half court to goal and a basketball game perpendicular to that.  Every time, I cringe knowing someone is going to get nailed.  However, school policy seems to be “eh whatever.’ So I roll with it.  Not only did I see a first grader get nailed in the shoulder and head with a kicked soccer ball I also noticed that the first grader 1) Never complained to me.  (That is just awesome.) 2) Didn’t cry. 3) Just moved on with life.  So, I think that many, if not all children could learn a lesson from him today.  “Expect things to happen when you are playing but just keep on playing.”  Another kiddo today was playing basketball when he tripped and fell.  I am certainly sure it hurt.  I just watched him to see if he was going to react or need assistance, but what I saw was even more amazing and further agrees with the reason to just sit back and let kids figure it out.  Two big kids stopped their soccer game mid-stride.  They walked over to the 1^st grader, helped him and patted him on the back and said ‘It is just fine.  You are okay.’ And then ran back to join their game.  Kindness, culture, strength.  I was a little blown away by this, but apparently it is normal here.  They care for each other.  I hope that my children learn to be a lot like these children in many ways. 

Sometimes my students crack me up. First, their accents in the English Language make most of what they are saying incredibly cute- when I can understand them. 

Hassan to Ryan: Ryan, you always sit next to me.

Ryan: smiles.

Hassan: You- you are like a cat.

I found Hassan’s reasoning rather interesting.  He is right, Ryan just always makes his way over to Hassan, just like a cat. 

Chad has been working on building a lot of forts still.  He is ready to have Joe here so Joe can help him build a Moroccan fort—neither Chad nor I know what that is but we are betting Joe certainly does.  Chad has also been practicing the skill of the Armpit Fart and the Knee Crevice Fart—A LOT.  I mean A LOT.  I hear random squeeks and squeals often.  It is similar to a cat with a bell on its collar, I always know where Chad is and where he is going.  He is the opposite of stealth these days.  He has been incredibly patient and awesome in all of the moments of crazy.  One morning, my friend Jill woke me up when she text me to see if I was coming to school that day.  My initial thought was, well of course, until I looked at the time. 7:09am. The LAST bus, a couple blocks away comes at 7:15am.  We made it, without water, but dressed and with food.  We made it through the day somehow.  Friday of last week, we had a professional development day that was filled with meetings and strategy review/teaching.  Chad decided to stay at the apartment complex with a friend and his dad.  When I picked him up, he was really disappointed to go home. They apparently played tennis on the roof, watched movies, played with legos, etc.  Now anytime I see if he is ready to go, he asks to go to Laiad’s and Diego’s to play. 

That was the first time we were away from each other in 6 weeks.  On the way home from school that day, I had a panic moment thinking I forgot Chad.  Each person on the bus asked where he was… we are like Thelma and Louise without the car driving off the cliff. 

I am thinking this weekend that a trip to Oasiria with the kids may be in order so Claire and Joe can just have some relaxation time and play time.  I am sure Chad will want to go back especially with his sister!  I am sorry for the lack of blog posting this week and a half.  I am sure I will be posting gobs of pictures and stories again once Joe and Claire arrive as Chad and I will be back out and about seeking fun and adventure with Joe and Claire in tow.  You guys will be awfully sick of my stories by then I am sure!:)

 

We hope all is well at home.  There are times I wish I could drag all of you wonderful people here to experience and see what we have the opportunity to see.  Keep in mind, you are always welcome.

 

Xo

 

Lexie

I have an 'in"

It is official; I officially feel like I have an “in” with the Veggie guy.  Saturday proved to be a successful trip to the veggie market.  I bought a heavy load of veggies for 50 dhs (5.00 USD) and after I paid, he threw in free cilantro.  I am pretty sure that this means we officially have a status of partners in veggies. 

My Free Cilantro from my Veggie Guy

 

After the veggie market, we got our other errands completed and I ended up getting my veggie chopping done for the week and freezing a lot of items into the freezer, creating my own little Costco in my pantry and freezer.  Unfortunately, I keep referencing Costco on a frequent basis when buying groceries and Danielle nicely told me I just have to get over Costco… perhaps she is right.  Oh but how I would love a Moroccan Costco! 

I may have also decided that I needed to iron.  Having no dryer means that a few of my shirts must suffer the wrath of wrinkles.  So, after they sit aside for a week or two because I am just waiting for the wrinkles to fall out, I decided I just better iron before I don’t have any clothes to wear.  For the first time since I was practically 12 years old, I put out my ironing board, plugged in my iron and ironed three shirts.  I may never wash them again.  After all the veggie chopping and ironing, I was toast, so we decided to head to dinner with the Gaunt Family.  We walked to the Center and found a nice restaurant.  We ordered a lovely meal that tasted wonderful. During dinner, Chad decided to touch a light because it was pretty, which resulted in the ‘natural consequence’ of a burnt finger?  It was his first experience with the burning sensation.  We dipped his finger tips in cold water and iced them.  Upon arrival back at home, we could see that he has a decent size blister, but luckily, that was all.  Lesson learned I suppose.  The whole dinner, Amelie slept buried into my chest sometimes tucked into the crevices of my bicep. 

Before I climbed into bed, I was able to FaceTime with this lovely gal.  Never a dull moment with my Happy girl.

Silly Faces!

Today, we merely relaxed.  Chad built a fort in the living room while I decided to just be lazy and fall in and out of sleep.  Once I decided to no longer fight daylight, Chad and I walked and explored to find a few stores we had heard about.  We ventured a general direction and did end up finding the stores as well as purchasing a few items we have needed for the apartment.  He is always such a trooper.  I have to give him kudos for being who he is… We returned back to the apartment and Chad has two friends from upstairs come knocking for him to go ride his scooter.  While Chad went and played, I made two batches of hummus from scratch!  One with garlic and cilantro and then other with harrisse sauce.  They both taste wonderful. 

Fort in the Living Room!

Tonight we walked to dinner with Danielle and Romy to “the best tajine” place not too far from the apartment.  It really was tasty!  I had tajine poulet au citon (chicken tajine with lemon).  My mistake while eating that the yellow strips were NOT bell pepper- they definitely were lemon skin.  Nevertheless, the chicken was incredibly tasty. 

Now I find myself sitting here ready to call it a night before another week at work begins- a week full of observations, meetings, back to school night, and a classroom of smiling first graders.  This has already been a busy yet fun filled year.  It is always amazing to work with a great bunch of people like those at Tuck.  You have your co-workers that basically become family. 

We do miss you all at home like crazy.  Have a wonderful week!

 

XO

Lex

Top Ten Things: Marrakech

Ten Things I Love About Marrakech

1.      The Doors and Details in Architecture

Morocco is filled with beautiful doors.  From painted to tile to iron work, etc… each door has its own captured beauty and is unique.  My favorite wall and door is at the Veggie market- bright pink wall and a bright blue door.  Absolutely breath taking.

2.    The Pace of Life

Life here is slow.  Everyone moves slow (except driving) and you never feel rushed- anywhere. 

3.    The Freshness of Food (an dinexpensive too!)

Little to no pesticides our veggies and fruits are farm fresh.  In fact, at the veggie market, we can also pick out our live chicken if so desired.  All for less than 50 dhs. Keep in mind, processed food is expensive.  I found Oreos for 65dhs (8 dollars) at our local store. 

4.    The Ease of Finding Things (pharmacies, cliniques, cafes)

Nearly every street corner has one of the above.  Cafes line every street, pharmacies located on every other corner and clinques on nearly every block.  Easy to find!

5.  The Diversity (Spain, France, Africa)

Morocco reminds me of what I imagine to be the 60s and 70s but also what I view as if Spain, France and Africa had a child. 

6.   The Souks

The souks are simply amazing.  Craftsman ship, pricing, haggling, beauty, salesman, hollering, mopeds- always busy.  Not the place to go when you aren’t prepared to fight through crowds or want the ease of a store with set prices.  To me, that is all more the wonder.

7.   The History and Cultural Importance

The history and culture in Morocco is inspiring.  The stories and meaning behind the architecture is filled with richness, faith, and heart.

8.   The Tea

Although Morocco is one of the countries with the highest number of people diagnosed with diabetes, probably due to the tea consumption- it is amazing.  Until you know how much sugar goes in to the recipeJ

9.    The Welcoming

I have been greeted by numerous people just verbally welcoming us to Morocco.  They often just say ‘You are welcome in Morocco.’

10.   The Community of Expats

Always amazing to have a group of people who support one another is such a life changing transition.

Ten Things I Cope with in Marrakech

1.      The litter (garbage everywhere)

Garbage litters the streets, the corners, the curbs, the fields.  However, it seems to be getting better even since we have been here.  The mayor is finally speaking out and so are the businesses.

2.    Stray Cats and Dogs

Seeing all of the stray cats and dogs breaks your heart.  They are everywhere.  Sleeping, hiding, seeking food. Today, we saw nine stray cats in just one area walking home from Carrefour.

3.    The Driving

Two words- crazy, scary.

4.    The Taxis

It is illegal to not run your meter in Morocco, yet, it is normal.  Always haggling on prices.  I find that I avoid taxis as much as possible because of this reason.

5.  Planning my Laundry

No dryer means that I need to plan my laundry well in advance.  I work in a couple hours for the clothes to line dry either inside or outside.

6.   The Streets

We walk a lot.  The streets are not clean.  Therefore, Chad and I do not wear our shoes in the house and often wash our feet when we come home.

7.   Being the Minority

People do not hassle me, but you do get started at or even just glanced at- by the locals and the other minorities.  Now I understand how it feels to be the odd man out. 

8.   The Smoking

Unlike The States, there is smoking allowed nearly everywhere… including cafes.  Unfortunately, Marrakech is well endowed with cafes.  This means people are smoking inside, outside and everywhere in between. 

9.    The Sand

Living in the desert means that there is always sand everywhere.  The bottoms of your shoes, sneaking in the crevices of the windows, etc… Needless to say, I should sweep daily.

10.   The Stores

Going to the big box stores is interesting.  I need to pay more attention.  Often, items are missing from boxes, tags and not on the item (they don’t go look for them either), things are half eaten and you get cut in line often.  I am learning to ensure that my items have tags (after about 5 times of not learning my lesson), opening packages to ensure they are in good condition and not leaving space for people to cut.  Oh the Moroccan ways of some places!

The Flood

The past couple of nights Marrakech has had rain.  A rarity, but honestly, it has been rather lovely.  Marrakech tends to be hot and standing can make you break out in a sweat.  In the mornings, I have been wearing a cardigan to work, opening my windows to allow the fresh air to pass through and my students have been complaining it is cold.  Cold for Marrakech? Absolutely, but they need to acclimate right?!  Well, tonight was a different story.  I noticed that the rain started coming down pretty hard and I became fascinated showing Joe the rain as if he has never seen rain and lightning.  I just kept repeating-it doesn’t rain here often.  This is amazing.  I decided to relax on the couch and listen to the rain fall against our windows.  Soon, after, I heard a river.  This was cause for concern.  I walked my way through our apartment hoping not to find a huge leak somewhere.  Our apartment was clear.  As I neared the front door, the river became louder like rapids.  I opened the door and water was streaming down the stairs.  Now, my first thought was not ‘oh no.’ Rather, it was genuinely confused… I asked myself ‘Is this normal’ because I have quickly discovered here that weird things are normal.  I decided to knock on Romy’s door and when she answered, her face said it all.  I barely got the words ‘Is this normal’ out of my mouth before Romy headed for her squeegee.  Apparently, this was not the cleaners nor was this normal.  Romy and I began shoving water down the stairs to the next floor.  We could hear other expats upstairs completing the same task and expats downstairs like an assembly line.  As soon as Romy and I caught up to the water, more would come rushing down. 

Penny and I are working feverishly to try to beat the water!

 

 

 Our floor has four apartments, which three of them are occupied.  Initially, it was just Romy and I with our squeegees, but in no time, the Moroccan couple next to me peeked through the door and were appalled by what they saw as well.  I used my sign/body language to convey that they water from the door was flooding in.  She grabbed her squeegee and joined.  Her husband (in very sophisticated paisley printed pajamas) navigated up and down the stairs trying to do something I have yet to determine.  For an hour, Hawaii, Moroccan and Oregon all came together to squeegee the water from the tile floor.  Cultures coming together!  People were taking towels up to the top floor trying to barricade the source of the water entry.  Apparently, in a city that does not receive a lot of rain, buildings are not constructed to be prepared for that heavy of a rainstorm.  Unfortunately, I am assuming that our elevators will be out of service for a while as buckets of rain were running down the shafts.  If they are in service, I think I will steer clear for a while.  I don’t want to be the resident that discovers that they are not really working.  We have two drains on the rooftop, but they could not handle the load.  Therefore, the water entered the building via the three inch gap at the bottom.  I am one towel shorter, but now I am peacefully lying in bed.  I am sure that I will sleep with one eye open listening for more water as more rain is expected.  We all agreed to wake one another up if more flooding began.   

Hopefully this will be the last of the floods!  Marrakech suffered some damage to homes, personal belongings and our elevators are dead for the time being. 

 

Hope all is well at home!

 

xo

 

Lexie

The 'Kech

Weekends are rejuvenating here in Marrakech, just like they are in The States.  I enjoy my job here; in fact, I have learned to love teaching all over again.  But it seems that no matter if you love your job and students, you still just need time to relax and enjoy the time to not be tied to a schedule. 

Chad, Danielle and I returned to the vegetable market on Saturday morning and I am working hard to create a relationship with the Veggie Guy, I will eventually work myself into the ‘local’ pricing instead of the ‘expat’ pricing!  The Veggie Guy and I are able to have extremely minimal conversation in French.

Veggie Guy: Bonjour!

Lexie: Bonjour! (We shake hands)

Veggie Guy: Ca va?

Lexie: Bien. Ca va?

Veggie Guy: Bien.  Merci.

Yep.  Lexie is making her way into the community.  Watch out.  We collected our veggies, went and had bread and tea at the crate place and headed back to the apartment.  Danielle and I got to chat a lot since it was just the three of us.  It was nice to be able to converse outside of school and without other expats around; just time with my teaching partner.  She cracks me up and I am learning a lot from her.  She is a world traveler and has done most of her traveling solo.  She has taught me that being aggressive but in a friendly way can get you far here-especially via taxi when the guy tries to rip you off.  She has given me inside information for Souk purchases, kept me company on shopping trips she didn’t need to take and overall just makes me laugh. 

This weekend, I successfully completed some birthday shopping and navigated some friends from our apartment through the souks and into Djemma el fna in the Medina (huge success for me!).  I feel like I am finally gaining my bearings navigating through town.  I can walk to places without feeling lost and turned around in the “Red City” where all the buildings look the sameJ In the Souks, a guy decided to convince me we were headed the wrong way, walked us 50 yards to realize we weren’t technically going the wrong way and we watched the grown Moroccan man pout for 4 dhs for “showing us the way.”  Whatever, 50 cents to leave us alone.  We arrived to Djemma el Fna 4 dhs poorer, and decided to land at an ice cream parlor.  Anna, Nick, Maia, Amelie, Chad and I ordered ice cream and rested for a bit before we went back at exploring.  The ice cream parlor ended up in Maia needing an urgent new outfit from the souks, a broken ice cream glass and myself getting to hold Amelie for a while!  Amelie is 6 weeks old and Chad has taken quite a liking for her.  He is so gentle and loving with the little ones.  Maia ended up with a beautiful purple Moroccan outfit and we kept calling her Princess Maia and she was twirling about the aisles.  Once we settled from the craziness, we went back into the souks. I was able to haggle my way down from 750 dhs to 320 dhs for some presents and left the shop feeling rather accomplished.  I may decide to become a professional souk shopper.  All in all, I was proud of my souk haggling and being able to lead a family through the city of Marrakech to the intended destination!  Whew!

We attended a birthday party for one of my students today at a local ice cream parlor called Panna Gusto Italiano.  Hanan, my assistant at school, was kind enough to pick Chad and I up at the apartment and of course, I was greeted with the traditional Moroccan kisses.  She laughed at me and told me ‘anytime you meet a Moroccan friend, you always greet with the kisses.’ I admitted to her that I am still getting used to the greeting!  The three of us drove to the parlor and upon arrival were showered in greetings and kindness.  We ordered ice cream and joined the party.  The party was rather elaborate with a staff hired to DJ the party and led the children in dances.  At one point, they set up an orange carpet runway and taught the children how to ‘walk’ the runway.  Near the end of this activity, I was suckered into strutting my stuff when my student conned them into pulling me out of the audience.  Those of you who know me, can imagine how red cheeked I became and the Moroccan’s loved that I was embarrassed, but seemed to love that I was from The States even more (apparently I am a fascinating American). 

Two clowns put on a rather entertaining show and Chad was practically rolling in laughter.  They were definitely silly, but my cheeks hurt from just listening to how hard Chad was laughing.  At one point, Chad told me his side hurt from laughing so hard.  How I love that kid.  Once the cake came out, the audience started singing ‘Happy birthday’ in French, proceeded by English, proceeded by Arabic, proceeded by Berber which was then proceeded by German.  Yes, ‘Happy Birthday’ was sang in five different languages.  I realized at this point, how lucky my family is to have these experiences.  Many of these children grow up traveling the world, many with parents from two different countries, so they grow up learning several different languages.

They had a piñata and Chad’s eyes lit up with excitement when it busted open.  He looked at me and said ‘Mom! I want some!’  Once I told him to go get it, he ran over and started gathering handfuls of candy.  After the piñata, I decided to call it a night.  We said our goodbyes (imagine lots of kisses here) and headed home. 

Upon coming home, Chad and I settled in and started preparing ourselves for tomorrow.  I was able to visit with my Happy girl who happened to be all bundled up in a winter coat.  Too small, but she was happy anyway. 

I found this artistic carrot at Acima.  Who could not purchase such a unique carrot?

 

All in all, we had a great weekend including all of the learning experiences that come from living in another country. 

Xo

Lexie

The Bizarre, the Quirky and the Unexpected

Life here in Marrakech continues to be more than I could have ever fathomed it would become.  From teaching to life in general, I could only urge those people who have ever thought of taking such an adventure to dive in head first and go!  There will never be a perfect time.  But experiencing life here in Morocco has been simply inspiring.  The drastic differences in the people, the music, the food, the landscapes, the sights and sounds and the lifestyle has helped me scratch the surface of becoming a better teacher, a better mom, and has began to create a wanderlust soul.  We have started to develop a life over here that continuously surprises me; from bizarre to quirky to the unexpected life here in Morocco has already been a wonderful journey.

Yesterday, after a busy day of work, Chad and I headed home on the van.  Watching out the window, I saw the sheep herder, herding his sheep in the field.  I heard myself sigh.  The beauty of the desert, palm trees, the people and the architecture has captivated me; I may come back with only photos of doors and windows.  We arrived home and met a couple of ladies on the rooftop for a rooftop workout.  We worked out in the heat, sweating together, all at different fitness levels but encouraging one another to keep on going.  Yes, this did make me miss home.  The Triumph Family is an irreplaceable family, but I am accepting this as 'growing' the Triumph Family. 

After workout, we walked with Lexi to Paul's.  Which living near a bakery that sells amazing bread is a terrible idea.  Chad always lights up when we enter the bakery because the smell overwhelms his senses but then he begins to pick out what special spread of breads he wants to take home.  We bought a loaf of bread and a khobz.  The Khobz was delicious.  We tore pieces apart and then spread vache qui rit formage  (laughing cow cheese) on it.  We were nearly still shoving our bread in our mouths when we knocked on Aisha's door. 

Aisha has become a wonderful friend.  She is from Missouri, but her family moved to The States from Pakistan. Her and her husband lived in Libya for years, but she moved her children when the war began.  Her husband still works in Libya and Aisha plans to return to Libya sooner rather than later.   She has opened up her home and given to my family in anyway she can.  She is kind hearted and her children are sweet.  Chad really enjoys playing with her daughter Maya.  Chad ran off to play and Aisha taught Danielle and I how to make the traditional Moroccan mint tea!  I am excited to have been taught this tradition by Aisha and I plan to make the tea for those of you who plan to visit me.  Needless to say, a Moroccan tea pot is on my list for the souks.  We sat for about an hour talking and  sharing stories of travel. Okay, I just listened to the stories of travel, but listening to Danielle's travel knowledge, where to go, how to get there, what to see-- just added into the confirmation that coming to Marrakech is the best thing for myself and my family.  To see the world.  Open our eyes.  Listen. Learn. Love. The world is so big and being granted the ability to see, touch, smell the world-- Oh the Places We Will Go!!

This weekend holds minimal plans, which will be incredibly nice-- I hope to tackle some birthday shopping for two people who will be arriving to Marrakech soon; only Moroccan presents from the souks!  Sunday, Chad and I were invited to two birthday parties.  One in his class (from 2pm-7pm!! Whaaaaat?!) and another for a student in my class at an ice cream parlour not too far from our apartment.  I believe we will head to the ice cream parlour instead of navigating taxis to who-knows-where.  Also, because our conversation went a little something like this:

Me: 'Chad, you got invited to Rania's birthday party.'
Chad: 'Who is she?'
Me: 'I don't know, she is in your class. Who is she?'
Chad: 'Um, can you explain her to me?  How tall is she? What color is her hair?'
Me: 'Right.  I don't know her either.'

As kind as the invite was for Chad and if navigating to the far parts of Marrakech was easy, I may have decided to attempt it.  Considering all factors, I think it is best if we go to birthday parties for children we know at this point.  Kayan's party is supposed to have a magician, a clown, etc... so Chad should still enjoy himself quite well.

In addition, my third neice was born! Isla arrived early this morning (Moroccan time:)).  She is beautiful and healthy.  I can't wait to see pictures of Finley with Isla.  I remember when Chad held Claire for the first time.  I swear his eyes glittered-- he was so proud.  Congrats to my brother and my sister-in-law.  Love them so much.

Tonight, Chad and I are still at school until about 7:30pm because we have a reception for new student's and I do have one family who is planning to attend.  While we wait, Chad is organizing my classroom, playing on the playground and then we will enjoy eating pizza with the other expats who stayed at school.  I will have a couple hours to play in my classroom and plan some upcoming adventures for my family.

Much love to all of you at home.

xo

Lexie

Majorelle Gardin

Today was another very busy but incredibly fun day.  I started out with a great workout this morning then Romy, Chad and I walked to a bakery around the corner of the apartment complex called Paul's.  I do believe they have them around the world, but I bought an olive baguette loaf of bread as well as a multi-grain loaf of freshly baked bread for a mere 1.50!!  The olive baguette bread is amazing.  As soon as we were close to Paul's Chad shouted 'oooo! Yummy!' and started eating bread as soon as we walked in the door at home. Then we rearranged some furniture since Romy and I dragged over some cushions to our apartment.  We then headed to the Majorelle Garden which was full of botanical plants.  The beauty was more than I would have fathomed.  When paired with the Moroccan bright colors, it captivated me.  Chad enjoyed looking at the turtles and coy fish in the ponds.  There was a museum, but we chose to skip it this round but did get to see the Museum of Love.  Once we made our rounds around the garden, we headed to a cafe just outside the exit.  It was an expensive cafe compared to those around Marrakech, but I was able to eat quinoa for the first time in weeks.  It tasted amazing.  Needless to say, I ended up eating Chad’s gazpacho soup because he just wanted ice cream. 

 

 

Beautiful Morocaan Door

Maya and Chad

 

Photo Courtesy of Chad

We walked home and Chad rested for about an hour and a half while I chopped all of our veggies for the entire week.  My friend Aisha invited us out to ice cream, so we drove in her car to Dino’s once again.  Their gelato is wonderful!  Once we arrived home, we met Lexi to go grocery shopping and loaded up on a few necessities and a few ‘stock pile’ items.  Chad rode his scooter for a short bit in the courtyard, then we came back upstairs and Chad helped me create a pantry in our hallway.  We felt like it was the most efficient use of our space and so we might not have to grocery shop as much as I have had to… just get fruits and veggies weekly.

We have finally ‘decorated’ Chad and Claire’s rooms as much as we plan to- colorful blankets and they will have toys of course.  Yesterday at the Souk, I bought Claire slippers and balloon pants as well as her purple blanket.  We are trying to make her feel like she has a special place here in the apartment when she arrives.  Thank you to Aisha, we will even be a little more prepared in the coming weeks!





Claire's Room

Chad is now crashed in bed, and I will be on my way soon- just waiting to be able to talk to my family before I call it a night!

Xo

Lexie

The Red City

Each and every day, I wake up in what is known as “The Red City.”  As you can see, all of the buildings are nearly the same color.  It is rare to see buildings that are not painted beige.  I have learned that this is because the colors of the buildings actually absorb the heat and do not allow it to reflect onto the streets nor make its way into the homes.  The inside of our home is white.  White reflects heat, so our apartment is not conducive to holding the heat in.  However, a 3 bedroom apartment with white tile is not conducive to cleaning.  However, I am learning the Moroccan ways of cleaning, where they dump water onto the floors and sidewalks and ‘sweep’ it clean.  I will often walk into my classroom and there will be puddles drying on the floor.  When you walk down the streets, store owners will be sweeping their sidewalks with puddles of water into the street.  So, I suppose it is about time I actually try this method in the house…

View from the Rooftop

Yesterday, school turned out to be another great day.  I was greeted by one of my students who presented me with a braided necklace she made out of craft materials, and I was able to thank her with the traditional ‘French Cheek Kiss.’  (I need to learn how to not be awkward during these exchanges.  They always catch me by surprise!) I feel spoiled and was describing the functionality of my day to Joe.  Today, during kid contact hours, I received at least two hours of prep today.  That does not count my 45 minutes before school and 30 minutes after release.  I feel like a much more creative and effective teacher because I have time to create, search, think and revise plans.  Purposefully teaching.  My students stay on task because they leave the classroom for PE, recess, Arabic, lunch, and a rotation of art, music, library and computers on different days of the week.  They get to play and learn outside of the classroom and away from me.  I must admit, I am also able to be a creative & happy teacher because I have 12 students and a full time assistant.  I am able to teach without much interruption, check work, help students in a timely, and intervene quickly when needed. 

Chad has still been enjoying school.  His music teacher gave me a huge compliment regarding his participation and listening skills today.  When I pick him up from class he is all smiles.  I have never seen him happier and not so apprehensive.  Today, we were walking through the garden at school and Chad and I were looking at the Olive Trees.  We were talking about how they aren’t really digestible at this point, but he was incredibly interested in them.  Apparently, when the Olive Trees ripen, all you have to do is shake the trees and the olives all fall off the branches.  Last year, ASM made olive oil and passed it out to all of the staff members.  I can only wish they do something of the sort again this year.

My Beautiful Friend Jill

When Chad and I arrived home, we met up with Jill and Mike and walked to a local store.  Walking back home, Chad started singing 1, 2 Buckle My Shoe to me.  He was smiling and teaching me all of the phrases.  We then met several friends up on the rooftop but it started sprinkling a bit, so we relocated to Bridgette’s apartment.  Chad ran around and played with Kat and a few other children while I got to know a few more expats.  When we came back home, Chad showered, dried dishes (on his own), and then I tucked him in bed.  After Chad was fast asleep, I kept discovering areas that were freshly organized.  It started in the living room with the coffee table.  He cleared his toys and carefully spaced coasters across the width of the table.  His dish drying escapade ended up with a lot of refrigerator organization; which is an order that we are unable to agree upon.  We seem to be in an endless war of refrigerator organization.  I noticed that during his shower, Chad organized all my shower supplies into a neat line in the back of the tub. Lastly, I opened my closet to put my jewelry away and he had neatly organized my jewelry, and other bathroom supplies upon the shelf.  I have a feeling that tomorrow I will be finding a few more reorganized things.  Seeing all of these small things brought a huge smile to my face and warmed my heart.  He has developed into such a caring boy.

 

This morning, Chad and I tagged along with a few people from our apartment complex and ASM to the fruit and vegetable market.  We walked past our normal grocery story and turned down a random street.  Upon arrival, a ton of fruit carts littered the streets and as we walked through the pathways, we ended at Danielle’s ‘veggie guy.’  Danielle was greeted with the traditional kisses, which made me want to have a ‘veggie guy’ who greets me every week as well=  After purchasing a large and beautiful variety of vegetables for a mere 20 dirham (2 dollars), Danielle dragged us to a tea and bread stand.  We were greeted and told to sit on crates around a small wooden table built from crates.  Upon arrival, they poured us tea, loaded us up with fresh steaming grilled bread, and bowls to fill with either oil, honey or laughing cow cheese to spread on top.  Patrick recommended we spread cheese on top, and then dip the bread into honey.  Needless to say, all of us devoured our Moroccan bread and sipped our tea while we enjoyed chatting.  Chad even got a piece to take home with us, all for a mere 5 dirhams a piece (.75 cents).  We then headed out to stop at the fruit carts and purchase any wants and needs.  The fruit and veggie carts were amazing.  The quality of the produce is something that I have been unable to find at the local supermarkets.  I do believe that we will have to make this a tradition every weekend.

Our 'Veggie Guy's' Stand

View from the Back of the Market

Chaddy and I at the Bread and Tea Stand

On the way home, I was finally able to exchange some US dollars I have had sitting in my wallet for some time.  It was nice to be able to finally tackle that task.  One bank is open until 12:15 on Saturdays.  Yeah!!! 

A Spice and Homeopathic Souk Shop

Chad and I rested for about two hours at home then met with Romy, Danielle, Mike and Jill and walked to the Medina.  I was on a mission: two blankets, hammer pants, slippers, wooden snake… not only did I actually buy all of those things, but Romy and Danielle showed us they way of bartering.  Really, just know your price and if they won’t agree, just walk away.  Every time, I paid the price I thought was fair.  I was asked to buy Chad’s wooden snake for 150 dirhams, but knew 10 or 20 was reasonable.  I was asked to buy two pairs of slippers for 180 dirhams, ended up paying 60 dirhams.  They definitely try to work you, and some places, you just don’t buy from if you don’t agree because two or three shops down, they sell the same items!

Daniell, Chad and Romy

Chaddy with his Wooden Cobra

 

 

During my blanket purchasing for Chad and Claire, the blanket guy was very kind and helped us pick out ones we liked.  He wrapped Chad up in a scarf so he could pretend he was going camel riding!

My Camel Riding Child

On the way home, we stopped at a supermarket to grab a few essentials, then headed to Dino’s Gelato and had a bit of ice cream.  Overall, we walked about 5 miles today and Chad was a trooper! My feet hurt, needless to say, I realized that in the weeks we have been here and left our home, and I have only walked and stood on concrete or tile. However, I did get a treat at Aisha’s apartment and she has let me borrow a plush carpet until I find one I want to purchase.  I think I have caught both Chad and I standing in the middle of our entry way, just enjoying the relaxation. 

Tomorrow, we are going to have a ‘quiet’ but productive day to ready ourselves for the week.  Workout with some friends at 9am, drag over furniture from Romy’s and then hopefully just settling in for the rest of the day.

We love and miss you all. 

 

Xo

Lex