Monday, January 19, 2009

DIY: An Inauguration Day Playlist.

Wake Up / Arcade Fire
Brand New Day / Van Morrison
Good Morning Boyfriend / Tulip Sweet and Her Trail of Tears
My Favorite Mutiny / The Coup
The Laws Have Changed / New Pornographers
I’m Waiting for the Man / Velvet Underground
You’re the One / Vulgar Boatmen
He’s Misstra know It All / Stevie Wonder
Ready for the Good Times/ Shakira
Everybody’s Everything / Santana
I’m Diggin’ You (Like An Old Soul Record) / Me’Shell Ndegeocello
Killing Me Softly With His Song / the Fugees
You Really Got a Hold On Me / Thao Nguyen OR She&Him
King of the Mountain / Kate Bush
We Want Peace / Lenny Kravitz
Feelin’ Free / Michael Franti
Love & Peace Or Else / U2
Let Me Dream / Ozomatli
Keep Your Eyes Open / Helio Sequence
The New World / X
It’s In Our Hands / Bjork
Waiting to Derail / Whiskeytown
Happy Endings / All American Rejects

Can you imagine how proud the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who would/should be 80 years old today, must be? Although should it really have taken us another 40 years?...


That’s what he said.

Darija has no infinitive form; all conjugations are based on the male singular past tense.

In other words, everything in Morocco is based on what he said.

Yup. That pretty much sums it all up.


Now this was a game of Monopoly.



Check out those hotels. Ayoub knows how to deal. No one wants to play with him anymore.


Favorite things about Morocco, No. 132-136.

132. The Moroccan handshake: After (barely) clasping hands, each greeter presses that hand to his/her heart. Such a lovely gesture.

133. The tobis (autobus): My transportation from Sbt Guerdane to Taroudant every weekend. It’s called the S.T.U.D. bus. It’s yet to live up to its name.


134. Mussissell: The Arabic (usually Turkish) equivalent of the telenovela. Highly addictive even if you can’t comprehend the language (standard Arabic is far different from the Moroccan dialect, and I have enough trouble understanding that). My favorite: “The Tears of a Rose.”

135. Ns-ns: Half instant coffee, half whole milk, half sugar, all good. Ask for “kbir,” or large, and you might get more than a thimbleful’s worth.

136: These (below): Are they not hideous? They’re also fabulously warm and comfy, and typical modern Moroccan bling. I never want to take them off.



Rule No. 1 for living in Morocco:
Never, ever, go anywhere without a stash of toilet paper.

Ever.

Ever.

An unnamed friend tells a great story about a pit stop during a long bus ride, during which she had to choose between a stray sock and a sheet of notebook paper. She went with the notebook, of course … and had the weeklong papercut to prove it.


Rule No. 2 for living in Morocco:

Also never go anywhere without a book. No matter how well you think events are about to play out, there will be a wait.


A (fairly typical) English quote on a Moroccan T-shirt*.
(*This one belonging to my host sister)

Are you ready for this?
Instinct of love
Go around
My soul side
Does it work
For you
-- Rainy


Quote of the Day.

“When inspiration calls, you don’t send it to voicemail.”
– Will.I.Am (courtesy Miz Meleeska)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Becki i love the handshake tradition. Our pastor at church has suggested alternatives to shaking hands so we don't spread so many germs. Maybe i'll suggest this variation. Also those shoes aren't hideous, they are hideous kinky!!!

B said...

hideous kinky -- nicely played!

Who are you, Ms./Mr. Anonymous?

Melissa said...

Terrific to sit in on your Monopoly game, gaze at your lovely footwear, and hear your list of things you love about Morocco! Thanks for this entry, it's like a hand to my heart.

Anonymous said...

"Weeklong papercut" that's hilarious....I learned the hard way that Kleenex doesn't flush in a squat toilet....so toilet paper should be carried in a baggie. And a little LED key chain light comes in handy if there is no light in the toilet.