These are the pictures that I took on one Tuesday in November. I wanted to document a day in my life here in Tetouan, but I didn't make it past 3 p.m., so I guess it's really just a morning in my life. At any rate, it gives you a good idea of the non-job aspect of my life here. My hope is that you will have a better idea what I am doing here in Morocco, what my surroundings and my routine look like. Enjoy!
My laundry blowing in the morning breeze and the mountain that greets me every morning. I always take a minute and look out the window when I wake up. I can't help it. The view never ceases to take my breath away!
After breakfast, Mary and I head out to our mosaic tiling class. It's on the other side of town and through the old medina, so it can be a real adventure.
We usually pass through the main circle in town. The flags are up to celebrate Independence Day, which was to be celebrated the week I took the picture (in November). The building with the blue sign straight ahead is where I have my Arabic lessons, too! On the other side you can see the post office and the Spanish consulate. The cafe with the green canopy is one of Mary's favorites, and next to that you have the old yellow church (not picture).
A little bit further and you come to the entry into the old medina. Go straight and you come to a lot of jewelery shops, go to the right and you will find nuts, live birds, delicious smoothies (including za3za3, which Mary and I call the Tetouani cocktail!), go to the left and find yourself in the King's palace (that is, if you could get past the guards!). Mary and I went straight to make it to Bab Al Okla, the nearest exit to our school.
Inside the medina, we walk by little shops, produce and nut vendors, book stalls, fish mongers, hungry cats, butchers and bakers. Mary stops to buy some delicious flat bread. The baker was super creepy. I took his picture, but he's too creepy and I don't want him on my blog!
Welcome to Dar Sana3, paradise in Morocco. This is the building where mosaics is held, but the school is quite large, and has young apprentices studying all kinds of traditional Moroccan crafts, such as carpentry, metal (copper) work, embroidery and textiles, pottery, painting and more. The interior courtyard, as you can see, is beautiful! It's a beautiful garden with lovely mosaic work, a fountain, citrus trees and a vine-covered trestle.
Me with my teacher, Ali, one of the nicest people I've met in Morocco. We are in the tiling studio at Dar Sana3, where Ali teaches us new designs which we recreate using a protractor, ruler, pencil, pen and colored pencils. It's interesting; the ruler is used mostly for drawing straight lines. Most measuring is done with the protractor. I have just about filled up my first notebook with designs!
After class, Mary and I stop at our favorite bakery for a quick bite to eat. I have a coffee and a small tuna sandwich. Mary has a chicken pastry with her coffee. The workers here are so nice and we know each other by name. They always talk to us in Arabic about our day and and ask about our friends who also shop at the bakery.
I can't talk long though, because I have to meet my teacher for my derija lesson. We meet twice a week and I think I am making a lot of improvement. My teacher is really smart, very patient, and he speaks Spanish which is a bonus. Actually he is in Spain right now, so I have been meeting with another teacher at the school the past few weeks.
After class, I head home, grab some lunch and relax a little. Then I do some lesson planning before going to work!
After class, I head home, grab some lunch and relax a little. Then I do some lesson planning before going to work!
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