Got to celebrate the birthday of the one and only ezra and the marriage of the hilarious darren and marsha. And lots of fun family and friend time in between ... And the best snowfall ever!
Also, i ate my first ever salad!!
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Trilingual dinner parties
As we're getting to know more and more people here, a funny thing struck me today as I thought about inviting a few people over for dinner: In a trilingual culture and an even more multilingual expat crowd, I have to make sure that the guest list all has at least one language in common!
If everyone speaks French except one person who 'only' speaks English, Spanish, and German, that's not going to work. If everyone speaks English except the person who 'only' speaks French, Arabic, and Tamazight, that's not going to work. More likely, there will be a few people who all speak one language and a few who speak another, so everyone can find someone to talk to :)
This definitely comes up with just Cory and me too. If we have a guest over who speaks French and Arabic, but not much English, s/he has to have two separate conversations with us (if they want to go into any depth) because my Arabic is beginner and Cory's French is beginner.
We have tons of trilingual conversations in a given day. Often Cory's translating for me if the conversation gets over my head in Arabic, and vice versa in French.
****
Oh, and we were videotaped sharing our thoughts on Valentine's Day this weekend! Cory gave his interview in Arabic, and I gave mine in French. Both of us are sputtering a bit because we didn't have a chance to think about what we were going to say before the camera started rolling, but it was tons of fun! Here's the link on the hespress website: Eid l'Hob.
If everyone speaks French except one person who 'only' speaks English, Spanish, and German, that's not going to work. If everyone speaks English except the person who 'only' speaks French, Arabic, and Tamazight, that's not going to work. More likely, there will be a few people who all speak one language and a few who speak another, so everyone can find someone to talk to :)
This definitely comes up with just Cory and me too. If we have a guest over who speaks French and Arabic, but not much English, s/he has to have two separate conversations with us (if they want to go into any depth) because my Arabic is beginner and Cory's French is beginner.
We have tons of trilingual conversations in a given day. Often Cory's translating for me if the conversation gets over my head in Arabic, and vice versa in French.
****
Oh, and we were videotaped sharing our thoughts on Valentine's Day this weekend! Cory gave his interview in Arabic, and I gave mine in French. Both of us are sputtering a bit because we didn't have a chance to think about what we were going to say before the camera started rolling, but it was tons of fun! Here's the link on the hespress website: Eid l'Hob.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Up North with friends
Above and below are Volubulis, a huge Roman ruin in the northern part of Morocco.
And one of the many delights of Morocco - double chocolate magnum bars! *Note for mom - Sharon helped me cover up in the sun :)
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Our apartment neighbors
We are really happy with our neighborhood where we live: it's easy to walk to everything we need (grocery store, restaurants, green spaces, the tram) since we don't have a car. It's downtown, near tons of great things to see and the old market where we can explore and buy stuff for the house.
And we're also enjoying getting to know our neighbors in the apartment complex. Everyone has been so kind to us in the coming and goings in the stairwell.
And yesterday a couple of neighbors stopped by and chatted with us over tea. One is a nursing student and the other works in the media sector. It is lovely getting to know them and we look forward to much more time spent in each other's homes.
And we're also enjoying getting to know our neighbors in the apartment complex. Everyone has been so kind to us in the coming and goings in the stairwell.
And yesterday a couple of neighbors stopped by and chatted with us over tea. One is a nursing student and the other works in the media sector. It is lovely getting to know them and we look forward to much more time spent in each other's homes.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
When inside is colder than outside
Rabat has a wonderfully mild climate - highs in the 60s in the winter (though this winter has been chillier than usual) and highs in the 80s in the summer. Yesterday was GORGEOUS jeans and tshirt weather with beautiful blue skies.
More than getting really cold in winter, Rabat (and Morocco) gets rainy. Not a huge deal, just need some rain-worthy shoes and a little more time for the clothes to dry out on the line.
The trick is this: we can see our breathe inside our apartment.
It's always colder inside than outside. Yesterday, I wore a jeans and tshirt outside, but inside I needed a fleece. Also, there is no indoor heating mechanisms in homes here. Space heaters are all we got.
For those of us who never used heat at home, it's fine!! I'm used to wearing my coat to bed :)
Cory is not much into wearing his coat to bed and has searched out all the warmest blankets he could find. He found some incredible ones. And we got a space heater.
But it wasn't quite cutting it. Cory was still cold.
UNTIL
A friend gave us an electric blanket.
This magical gift has made our bed a warm place to sleep at night and and we are no longer fighting each other for blankets in our sleep. Hurray! Thank you Shin Hyun!
More than getting really cold in winter, Rabat (and Morocco) gets rainy. Not a huge deal, just need some rain-worthy shoes and a little more time for the clothes to dry out on the line.
The trick is this: we can see our breathe inside our apartment.
It's always colder inside than outside. Yesterday, I wore a jeans and tshirt outside, but inside I needed a fleece. Also, there is no indoor heating mechanisms in homes here. Space heaters are all we got.
For those of us who never used heat at home, it's fine!! I'm used to wearing my coat to bed :)
Cory is not much into wearing his coat to bed and has searched out all the warmest blankets he could find. He found some incredible ones. And we got a space heater.
But it wasn't quite cutting it. Cory was still cold.
UNTIL
A friend gave us an electric blanket.
This magical gift has made our bed a warm place to sleep at night and and we are no longer fighting each other for blankets in our sleep. Hurray! Thank you Shin Hyun!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Getting it Right
I love my dry goods grocer. He has been unfailingly kind to Sarah and me and extremely patient when I'm trying to remember what I need for the house or kitchen and trying to tell him in Tamazight. This story made me love him even more:
I was getting near the end of my long list of groceries for making a meal for guests. If it's just Sarah and me I don't get too fancy. But for guests, we roll out the culinary red carpet. So I was getting to the end of the list, and he suggested that maybe I wanted a couple baguettes too. I said something like, no thanks, those are not the bread of my people. And I could tell from his face that something finally clicked for him. He blurted out, you're from America, not France. You speak Arabic and Tamazight, but not French. You don't eat the French food. It's like, you're a foreigner, but you're not French!!! Exactly.
I was getting near the end of my long list of groceries for making a meal for guests. If it's just Sarah and me I don't get too fancy. But for guests, we roll out the culinary red carpet. So I was getting to the end of the list, and he suggested that maybe I wanted a couple baguettes too. I said something like, no thanks, those are not the bread of my people. And I could tell from his face that something finally clicked for him. He blurted out, you're from America, not France. You speak Arabic and Tamazight, but not French. You don't eat the French food. It's like, you're a foreigner, but you're not French!!! Exactly.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Our first visitors
This cute couple is coming to visit tomorrow!
Makes sense that they're arriving on Three Kings Day ... Coming from afar to bless us with their presence :)
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