Merry Christmas, Moroccan Style!

There is definitely something completely foreign about living in a country where Christmas is not celebrated.  There was no hoopla leading up to the holidays, so it all quickly snuck up on me.  I secretly miss all the to do, such as Christmas decor out before Halloween is even over!  Before we moved, I separated my must have Christmas items to be sent to Morocco, as I was not sure how much storage space we would have in our apartment.  Well, even those few containers were left behind!  The movers drove off and left them on our driveway, so off they went to storage.  At the time, my mind was running in a million different directions, and it didn't seem like such a huge loss.  Finding a tree and some ornaments wouldn't be that difficult... wrong!  I was super proud of myself when I was able to have the local florist (the man who sets up flowers on a busy corner intersection every day) find me a REAL Christmas tree and even make some wreaths and garland!  I explained that I wanted to pick up my order on December 1st, and it actually arrived on time.  Jamil received some strange looks as he carried our special order to the apartment.  Ironically, he passed and greeted the new Islamist Prime Minister, Abdelilah Benkirane, while carrying our Christmas tree home.

I honestly had no idea what to expect, but was preparing myself for the worst.  It took me about 2 seconds to let go of the fact that Jamil was walking through the door with the most Charlie Brown looking tree that has ever entered my home.  This year, we were truly just happy to have a tree at all.  However, I can't believe this thing is even holding up the few ornaments I found at a French grocery store.  Thank God they're plastic and light.  My choices were limited to a package of all red, all blue, all gold, or all silver plastic ornaments.  I went with all silver and was somewhat okay with the idea of having a completely tacky, blinged-out, gangsta tree as opposed to no tree at all.  As we opened the ornaments, we were shocked to find a package of strings.  What do you mean the hanging strings are not already attached to the ornaments?  You've got to be kidding.  We quickly gave up on the task of threading and knotting and stuck our ornament hooks (otherwise known as paper clips) through the loops without the strings.  I bought 6 strands of lights, only to find out that they don't connect to one another at the ends.  We had to buy a power-strip and extension cords just for the tree.  I asked the florist where I could find a tree stand, and he explained that they would just stick the tree in a plastic bucket and fill it with rocks... really!?!  Well, the trunk of the tree is so tiny, and the tree is so light, that it actually works.  It just looks ridiculous.  I had no luck finding a tree skirt to cover up that mess or stockings for the first fireplace we've ever had, but I was able to order some and have them quickly shipped from Etsy (aren't the white ruffles adorable?).

As for Christmas cards, I missed my deadline to have them printed and mailed to me with enough time to address them and mail them back to the States.  I'm now trying to figure out if I can find a printer here and explain how to print a front and back, 5x7, card-stock card and find envelopes to match.  It will be a miracle if I can make it happen.  If not, see Christmas card above.  I hope it graces your mail boxes soon.

Everything has come together quite nicely, all things considered.  I missed seeing the decorations that I pull out every year, but it's also refreshing seeing something new.  As with every other adventure, I feel proud of myself for tackling this small obstacle.  As my dear friend (and fellow Olmsted wife) reminded me, I get to celebrate Christmas without commercialism.  That is truly a rare gift. 

The Musas got to see Santa at a couple of Embassy events, and there was even a small party at the boy's school.  Gabriel's a kid who needs a little warming up.  When he's ready, he'll embrace most things with open arms (see sweet boy below).  As for Abraham, I don't think this is a good Santa age.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Aunt Leila (Jamil's sister) and Uncle Claude were our very first visitors!  We were exited to see family and play host in our new home.  Their travels led them to Rabat during Thanksgiving.  This was the perfect time, as we were beginning to realize what it is like to live in a place where traditional American holidays are not celebrated.  With them they brought a bit of the season's joys.  The children were lavished with Christmas and birthday gifts, and we all enjoyed seeing sights around Rabat and Fes.  Unfortunately, November is the rainiest month of the year, and many of the sights are outdoors.  Also, Jamil happened to start school this week.  After waiting for months, we found out Monday evening that school had finally started that day!  The Daniels were good sports, and we are thankful that they made the trip.

For Thanksgiving day, we decided to team up with the Saunders to host a typical Thanksgiving feast at our home.  Becky Saunders, who has a knack for Thanksgiving cuisine, did most of the heavy lifting in the kitchen, although Leila, Fatima and I contributed as well.  Because we have been fortunate enough to make friends with people across the social spectrum, Jamil was a little nervous about the invitation list and how the guests would interact.  Moreover, a lot of responses were "insha'allah," which left us weary as to who would show up.  In the end, our neighbors across the hall attended with one of their extended family members in addition to our upstairs neighbor, and another Moroccan friend and her daughter.  Our family, the Saunders,  Leila and Claude, and the Saunders's Marine friend were in attendance as well.  We shared our tradition of giving thanks individually around the table.  It turned out to be an enriching evening, and it was great to say thanks to some of the folks who have made us feel so welcome.

This is the butcher where I was able to use my French to special order a grande dinde complete!  Thankfully, my order did in fact turn out to be a large turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Eid-Mubarak

Eid Al-Adha is an Islamic holiday in honor of Abraham's obedience to God when he was willing to sacrifice his own son.  God intervened and provided a sheep to be sacrificed instead.  The day prior to Eid Al-Adha we discovered six sheep living in our garage.  The boys were mesmerized, and Abraham repeatedly said "Baaahh" for weeks afterwards.  Our upstairs neighbor Khalid invited Jamil to partake in the sacrifice of his sheep.  They sacrificed the sheep on the roof with the help of two butchers who had been hired by some of the neighbors as well as Ahmed, our concierge.  Khalid kindly offered us the leg that Jamil had removed.  It was a really interesting experience to peak out from our fourth floor apartment windows to see families sacrificing sheep all over the neighborhood.  Men with wagons marched up and down the streets collecting the skins and leftover parts.  On all the corners there were makeshift charcoal grills where young men cooked sheep heads.  The atmosphere was electric, similar to what we experience during Thanksgiving or Christmas in the US.

Jamil sent out a curtsey "Eid-Mubarak" (blessed festival) text message to all of our Moroccan friends, and within minutes his phone started ringing with greetings and invitations.  Our friend Rihal showed up at our apartment and drove us to his place in the "popular" quarter of Kebibat where we enjoyed a feast with his extended family.  It was a great cultural experience, and the cumin-seasoned boulfaf (grilled liver wrapped in caul fat) was tasty.  Rihal explained to us that many Moroccans, including his family, eat this delicacy once a year.

Interestingly, Rihal said he was surprised to see the broiling sheep heads on the corners in Agdal (our neighborhood) and to hear that folks had been slaughtering sheep all morning.  He thought this only occurred in "popular" quarters.  To his credit, our European-minded Moroccan friends informed us that they had not slaughtered a sheep in 20+ years.  However, they do get together for a large family dinner.  Like in the US, families celebrate holidays in different manners.  Ironically, the lower classes save money, sell off items, and take on loans to purchase a sheep (about 2050 MAD) for the family to sacrifice while many of the European-minded upper class consider such practices dated and choose to make financial donations.  It is perhaps more ironic that some people take on interest-laden loans (against Islam) in order to perform such religious obligations.  This irony seems quite similar to commercialism surrounding the Christmas holidays.  Nonetheless, we happily gave substantial bonuses to the individuals who help our family.  These celebrations may seem quite foreign, but the joy in the people around us was very familiar.  We are so thankful that we stayed in town to experience the Eid holiday!

Desert Adventure

After hearing another inshallah regarding the start of Jamil's university, we quickly began planning another adventure!  The weather had begun to cool off, and it was a great time of the year to head down to the desert.  Jamil received a pricy quote for a 4x4 trip departing from Marrakech.  We figured that these trips catered to tourists who had flown into Morocco or individuals who did not own their own 4x4.  We both live in Morocco and own a 4x4, so Jamil planned our own 6 day 5 night excursion and saved a significant amount of money.  We are so fortunate to have seen many beautiful sights over the past 6 months.  I was anxious to see the desert for the first time but had no idea how much I would fall in love!  Peace and tranquility abound here, and this girly-girl connected to her rugged outdoor side.  Good thing I can embrace that too, being surrounded by boys these days!  We truly had an amazing adventure, and the boys loved every moment (besides the windy mountain roads).  Below are the highlights from the magnificent cities we stayed in along the way.

Ouarzazate

This historical business town is surrounded by some beautiful geography and typically serves as the first stop for desert tours.  To get there from Marrakech, one must drive through the Tizi n Tichka in the High Atlas Mountains.  Gabriel vomited twice and Abraham once from motion sickness; prepare for the constant turns!  Due to the delays concerning our children, we arrived at night and the lights of Ouarzazate were welcoming after driving in the pitch-black desert.

Boumalne Dades

We had a memorable stay at the Perle du Dades Kasbah, which is owned by a French couple who did humanitarian work in Sub-Saharan African for many years.  The kasbah is a great place to stay with children, as it is spacious and supplied with a movie theater, gym, billiards table, art room, ping pong table, swimming pool, and much more at a very affordable price.  It more or less had a very “summer camp-like” feel.  We enjoyed hiking the surrounding landscape, chatting with locals, and watching a team of motocross adventurists prepare for their next outing.

Merzouga and Erg Chebbi

This was the highlight of our first desert adventure.  After being held up along the way by a protest (people laying down in front of our car) in a small town and a road closure due to a visit from the king, it was especially rewarding to be greeted by the red dunes.  We took a two-hour camel trek at sunset and under the moonlight to reach our desert camp.  We spent the evening eating, playing music, and singing by the campfire with our fellow campers and guides.

I had my doubts about surviving a 2+ hour camel ride in the middle of nowhere.  Thankfully, Abraham slept most of the way, and Gabriel loved every minute!  Just let me tell you, a long camel ride with a baby on your back is a lot of work.  However, when surrounded with such beautiful scenery, a little discomfort is easy to overlook and well worth it.

Despite a night of little sleep, this one looks quite refreshed!

These friendly travelers from the Netherlands were our camping neighbors.  We all sang songs and passed the guitar and drums around the campfire that night.

Gabriel and I rode the camel he named, Tokyo, while Jamil carried Abey on the way back.

These guides camped with us in the desert the night before.  They prepared a nice dinner and led us in some great songs!

Zagora

We enjoyed our time relaxing at a kasbah hotel in the lush oasis, which is quite the contrast to the surrounding desert.  We hiked to the summit of Jebel Zagora and met a few interesting characters along the way.  The trail was especially rugged and difficult to make out from where we departed.  Thus, one of the village men hurried up the mountain (in flip flops) at an impressively brisk pace to show us the way.  Some nice young men hanging out at the construction site for a new hotel on the mountain invited us for tea, but we unfortunately had to decline due to our pressed schedule.  At the summit, we chatted a bit with a few of the employees at the military installation.  The view of the Draa Valley is definitely worth the hike.

Abraham has taken up a love for books like his brother.  He just needs to learn how to read them right-side up...

Don't trust the street signs on the way to Zagora.  We followed this one and went an hour out of our way before turning around. 

This extremely narrow road that led to our riad seemed to go on forever!

At the summit of Jebel Zagora.  You can see the lush oasis below.

What?  All I can say is that this captures what the cold season looks like at the Musa household this year!

Jamil had to get out of the car to remove these huge rocks just so we could leave our riad.  A construction or detour sign wouldn't have made a difference.  There was no other way out.  Don't worry, he only had to move about 4 or 5, not that whole pile! :)

Ait Benhaddou

Aside from the landscape, the famous kasbah used in movies such as Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator is the highlight of the town.  We had a blast hiking in and around the kasbah.  Even better, we took the advice of one of the locals and drove the alternate route from Ait Benhaddou up through Telouet to join up with the Tizi n Tichka.  After a spell of off-roading we met a roadblock of passing goats and spoke to the sheppard who was carrying a newborn goat in his arms.  He was especially proud of the new member to his herd, and the baby goat intrigued the boys.  The scenic drive was breathtaking.  Although it is not marked as a piste, there is a fair amount of off-roading and poor road conditions. 

One of Gabriel's potty/possible throwing up stops along the windy mountain roads.  Do you see that little black creature to the left?  He was the first of a whole heard of goats that appeared out of nowhere to sneak a peek.  Both Jamil and Gabriel got a kick out of it.

Tizi n Tichka

As we passed back through the high mountain pass Tizi n Tichka, we stopped for a photo op.  It was extremely windy and I found myself taking shelter in this little shop.  We purchased this beautiful geode with white crystals that was formed in the Altas Mountains.

This trip was action packed, a lot of work, and very exhausting.  However, it was the best trip we've done so far.  Thanks again, Olmsted.  We are truly fortunate!