Tourist stuff

I'm currently sitting in one of the most beautiful places in Rabat, as I write this blog in my little book. I hid myself in a corner in the shade, while the wind blows the ash of my cigarette in the way too sweet mint tea. Yes I'm in the shade, because it is mid-November, almost winter and still 23 degrees. I listen to some music, while a sailboat passes me by at the Bouregreg River, heading for the open water just past the Kashbah des Oudaya where I am now. A man is trying to swim from Sale to Rabat and in the distance floats a small blue fishing boat where one man is enjoying the sun and the other remains standing with his fishing rod in his hands, as he endlessly stares into the water. On the small terrace where I’m writing lays a black cat with his eyes squeezed, thinking about his nine lives. He is accompanied by three Moroccan couples who have withdrawn from the busy city life.
Love and affection are not exactly socially acceptable on the street, so the locals have their places where they can retreat and just be alone in places like these.

Living the Ouadaya Life

A lot has happened since my arrival in Rabat. I stayed with a wonderful Moroccan host family for 1,5 month. My stay with my Moroccan family was one of the best experiences so far. The people are so kind and hospitable. They really treat you like you belong to their family and help you understand the Moroccan culture and language. I just moved into a private apartment with my buddy Jurjen. We live in a big apartment in the Ocean neighborhood, next to the old medina. It’s some sort of a penthouse in a building full of doctors, lawyers and dentists. We have made good use of that during our housewarming. Our mini-villa was filled with students, Moroccan surfers, Frenchmen and a small amount of alcoholic beverages. You have to take a good look if you fancy a beer in Morocco and the prices are a bit high compared to other products you can buy over here, but it’s nice to de-stress after a long week of hard studying at the NIMAR.

Cooking skills

No I’m living on my own again, I also have to cook. It’s nice to be able to cook yourself and to choose for yourself what to cook, but I also start missing the wonderful Moroccan cuisine. Fortunately, I have Anas, my Moroccan friend, a lot around me and he teaches me a lot about Moroccan life. Last weekend for example he has taught me to prepare a Kefta Tagine and now I know how to make Moroccan tea (while I write this down the waiter serves me a new sugarbomb).

Feeling like a tourist

Since today I’m acting like a little tourist. The place where I am right now for example, is one of the most touristic places of Rabat. I've never seen it so calm over here though. The holidays are over, so the tourists have stowed their sunglasses and the tour guides have stored their flags. Fortunately, from this day I will support the tourism sector a little. This morning I finished my oral exam Darija and last week I had to give two presentations. This means I have a lot of time on my hand to start traveling the country, but it also means I’m really going to start with my qualitative research on Moroccan (street) musicians in Rabat. I’m looking forward to it and hope it goes well inshallah!

My music has ended. The sailboat already disappeared on the horizon and the fishermen are slowly returning to the harbor behind me. My tea is almost finished and slowly more people are filling the terrace. Damn.. a group of English tourists .. I'm currently surrounded by retired ladies who try to take pictures of the view. A man shouts that everyone can take two cookies by choice! In unison sounds a satisfied 'oooh' from about 20 oldies. My idyllic spot is suddenly not so quiet anymore.

I think I'm going surfing.