Today, I fell in love with Morocco. I knew it would happen sooner or later, at some moment in one of my days, whether profound or ordinary. It happened when I was walking down one of the streets in the new city, sucking away at a kumquat (for some reason I am always surprised by the size of these fruits. I feel like the name connotes something much larger), almost shivering at its sourness. It wasn't a stunning sunset, a gorgeous building, a kind person. It was just a feeling. Very sudden and definitive. So I did what any normal person would do. I turned to Will, who was walking next to me, and I said "I love Morocco". And then I bought two of the best macaroons I've ever had. 1 dirham.
One of the many sounds that have become part of the ambient noise of this house is the crowing of a rooster. Just one rooster. I know roosters. I've worked on a farm. They are mean and annoying and, contrary to popular belief, they do not actually crow at dawn. In fact, they crow at every other hour of the day BUT dawn. But this is no ordinary rooster. It yells. Literally screams. When I first heard it, I thought a small child was being tortured. It turns out that this rooster is living downstairs, in the basement. He has been there for a couple weeks. The others in the house tell me that he is going to be killed at some point. I think he knows. Thus, I have deemed him The Sacrificial Rooster.
Among the several things I did not bring to Morocco, the thing I am regretting the most is a towel. For some reason I just assumed I would be given one here. A symptom, I'm sure, of a hotel lifestyle. Last night, after my shower, I spent much longer than I wanted to drying myself with a 1.5 by 3 ft hand towel. Mush muskila. It was also damp. The thing about Rabat during January is that the air is so heavy with moisture that nothing ever truly dries. Socks, shoes, towels. Hanane is taking me to the souk (open air marketplace) tomorrow to help me buy a larger towel. Moroccans get much better prices on items than foreigners do. This is annoying, but I always find myself admiring natives who take advantage of tourists. Why not? We are fairly obnoxious.
Things I Bought Today:
-1 scarf. The first of many. I love scarves.
-1 pair converse sneakers. My poor moccasins are very wet and very dirty and not going to hold up for much longer.
-1 sharon fruit. Kind of like a small, incredibly sweet pumpkin. Delicious.
-5 kumquats.
-2 macaroons. And what macaroons!
Until next time, inchallah. Bisoux.
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