Mubarak

I helped Mubarak round up our four camels under the light of a full orange moon. I found camels to be easy-going companions who kept a cool head at all times.

Me and the Sky

Ibrihim

Footprints

What trails of laughter or cruel human deeds do we leave behind?

Walking in the sand improved my thigh muscles more than any Western-manufactured exercise machine could.

Tea in the Sahara with Ana, Ibrihim and Mubarak

Ana at dusk on the dunes
After a one-week trek in the desert and through the mountains, I still have sand in my sleeping bag.

Love

It is difficult not to think about marriage in Rabat when so many people are trying to assist me in finding my future husband.

Tonight, I went to a marriage party, and I was asked what I was looking for in the man of my dreams. After giving everyone in the room the gory details, an attractive fellow appeared who had many of the hoped for qualities on my list.

In fact, I am going out for coffee with him tomorrow but- and this is an important but- I do not want to marry him!

I have heard many men in the country say this about their wives; I CHOSE HER. For men, it is important to know that they have taken the active role and selected their mate, but- the second important but- I feel the same way.

The thought of giving up my freedom has never been an easy one to contain inside my head, and I still am not certain if marriage is the path I want to walk.

I do know with certainty; however, that I want to say;

I CHOSE HIM!

Alone Time: privacy is culturally defined

Wow! I have the house to myself for a few sacred hours; the first time this has happened since I arrived in Maroc. I miss Taha, the 4 year-old bundle of energy, just a little bit. That kid mocks my pronunciation of Arabic and makes crazy faces while he does it. When he makes fun of me, I can hear where I went wrong, and I have to laugh at myself too.

Taha is also the light policeman. Electricity here is expensive, and I freely admit that I sometimes forget to shut off the lights. With Taha around, I always have a mini patrolman who helps me see the error of my ways.

Taha in the Potty

The Perfect Photo of the Perfect Boy on the Pot

We spent one week in Meknes, and as we were preparing to leave by train for Fes, I caught site of Taha on the potty clutching his blue car tightly in his hand. I snapped a photo of him and told him that I would delete it if he wanted me to do that. Taha told me to take another and made this spectacular face for me. Only kids!


Photo to follow soon: I had a problem with the upload

Taha

My Favorite Superhero

Taha learns many of his punches and jumps from Cartoon Network fighters for justice, and he tries these moves out on me at his house in Rabat. Some of the chops are painful. Taha is 4 years old and the youngest member of the Rachad family.

on the road in North Africa

Moulay Idriss, Maroc

Olives

Olives in the hand of Zahra

Olives are good for the health, and I am surrounded by olive groves here in Maroc.

YUM.

Volubilis, Maroc

That is me showing my Roman ego in the ruins of Volubilis.

The Berber Wedding in Imlil, Maroc

The Bride

After a trek up the mountain, at last; she arrived at four in the morning. It was a long night of eating, drumming, singing, and wondering when she would finally appear.

Help: Everything is in French

Travels in North Africa upside down

Salut

I am living in Rabat speaking French, trying to learn Arabic and hanging out with a Mexican, German, Greek and the family Rachad. I am having a ball.

Glinda and Elphaba met in college!

Did you know that Glinda, the good witch of the north, and Elphaba, the wicked witch of the west, met in college? They were roommates.



I am reading "Wicked" and searching for the land of OZ. A serious note: "Wicked" is one of the best books that I have read this summer.

The Journey Begins Again

I have this feeling stroking the soles of my feet that a new journey is beginning.

As always, photos will be a visual testament to my personal growth, so let the games begin. I have no intention of standing on the sidelines.

Liberace's words kickstart the ride:

I had to dare a little bit. Who am I kidding—I had to dare a lot. Don’t wear one ring, wear five or six. People ask how I can play with all those rings, and I reply, "Very well, thank you."

Harkin Steak Fry 2007: Such Is Life

Oh politics; My friends won't let me swim in apathy, and to be true to self, I realize I need to get involved. There is just so much about politics in America that I don't like.

Such is life!

Sept. 16, 2007

Simple Attention is not so simple

The Tricycle Daily Dharma for Sept. 18, 2007 is something I work on each day. The joy of being completely present and involved in every moment of our own lives is simple and rewarding. This dharma reminds me not to overlook the simple truths of living.

Growth

The secret of beginning a life of deep awareness and sensitivity lies in our willingness to pay attention. Our growth as conscious, awake human beings is marked not so much by grand gestures and visible renunciations as by extending loving attention to the minutest particulars of our lives. Every relationship, every thought, every gesture is blessed with meaning through the wholehearted attention we bring to it. In the complexities of our minds and lives we easily forget the power of attention, yet without attention we live only on the surface of existence. It is just simple attention that allows us truly to listen to the song of a bird, to see deeply the glory of an autumn leaf, to touch the heart of another and be touched. We need to be fully present in order to love a single thing wholeheartedly. We need to be fully awake in this moment if we are to receive and respond to the learning inherent in it.

- Christina Feldman and Jack Kornfield, Stories of the Spirit, Stories of the Heart from Everyday Mind, a Tricycle book edited by Jean Smith