2 Dog Attacks- 1 Dead Body- Caftan Shopping- Other Random Stuff

Dog Attack-#1

While taking a weekend get away in May, I had a house sitter come to watch Sammi and Finster. I joined a website called Trustedhousesitters.com. What a great thing! Go feed Fido in Greece and stay in their house for free! So many people want to come and see Morocco, but I needed to be very selective. I found an older woman from New Zealand come to watch my dogs for 4 days. As you can imagine I was nervous as all hell. Having my ex-husband crap out on helping me take care of our dogs has left me in a tough predicament. Anyhow…she contacted me everyday and told me things were going ok. I felt relieved and tried to enjoy my time.

I came home and saw 2 scabs on Sammi. What happened I asked?

She told me just yesterday a stray black dog came out of no where and attacked him!

WTF??? Are you serious? She said she was completely startled, naturally, and picked him up by his collar in an effort to save him. Holy Crap!

So off to the vet for an emergency vet visit we go! Not a fun way to come back from a vaca but glad he was ok. Two shots, 10 days of antibiotics and 1,000 Dirhams later…I know it wasn’t her fault but Sammi recovered just fine.

one of his puncture wounds...

It sorta looks like the doc is giving Youssef a shot in the butt! Ha! 

Blue antibiotic spray…
the font and back teeth both punctured poor lil Sammi! 

Dog Attack-#2

This time I was with the dogs! Youssef, another friend, and I were walking the dogs near the apartment as we normally do. In the distance I see a dog chained to a big boulder. I immediately said to Youssef (who was walking Finster) 'pick up the dog.'

Next thing you know the dog comes charging towards us! “Youssef pick up the dog”…3x now… ”YOUSSEF PICK UP THE FREAKING DOG!!!!”….Good Lord, for some reason he never did. As we have discussed many times after the incident, he claims that he was trying to talk to the owner (and all I see is the dog running towards us, boulder, chain, and all!). And to no fault of his….everything really happened SO fast. Obviously, I have encountered similar situations over the years, and my first instinct is to scoop them both up as they weigh 25 pounds in total. 

Anyway what happened next was really quite a scene. The dog came CHARGING at Finster and at the last minute Youssef did pick up the dog, but by his collar around his neck in an effort to save him. Next thing you know, the leash snapped!
Now leaving Finster on the ground with this massive dog on top of him. Holy freaking crap!!!…I was screaming! “Get my dog!!!””…GET MY DOG!!!!...and because I became mother bear, I got tangled into the mess, not caring about my body and what was happening.
Youssef also went into crazy mode and was kicking the dog and trying to pull the dog off Finster.

As this was happening, I suddenly realized the dog had a muzzle on!!!! And although his body and mouth were on top of Finster he wasn’t actually biting him! The sounds were terrifying enough though! After what seemed liked an eternity, Finster was free! My God!!!!

I began walking away (btw, I was holding Sammi in my arms this entire time) don't ask how.
And then felt pain set in, in different places all over my body.

PS- I looked down to see what it was, and low and behold, I was a mess. After analyzing all the wounds, and speaking to Youssef about what the hell just happened we think some of the wounds were caused by him (not on purpose of course)! OMG…I was standing behind him and may have sustained some of his back jabs!
I think the blood was from scrapping my knees in the street…who knows!
We sorta chuckled at the whole thing as he kept asking 'what the heck was I doing Behind him?'
He kept saying, you didn't let "me" handle it. I kept insisting, that instinct took over, and then needed to explain to him the term "mother bear"….omg.
Only me. lol

This was def from Youssef…poor guy felt TERRIBLE about it.

I didn't even feel it as it was happening! 

Care Packages are the best!
I know its all American crap….but when you can't get it….something makes you want it.
I actually have NEVER had Ramen noodles…hmmmmm….lol

Spirit Week!
Friday was 'dress in traditional clothing'….they are so cute!

Me in my gandora. 

The gandora was given to me as a gift from Youssef's father upon meeting him. Shocked, surprised, and grateful to have received it. :)

The gandora like the Djellaba is a traditional Moroccan robe.The differance being the Gandora has no hood and short sleeves.

Youssef is wearing a robe you usually see men in the Sahara wear, head scarf included to protect from the sun. 

Getting artsy on the terrace…

What I love about the city is all the fresh fruit you find in the streets! Taste before you buy, is no problem, and mostly encouraged! The green things are figs. I have never had them fresh like that. Usually they were dried. Actually….now that I think of it…I never even seen a fresh fig before. :) For a whole bag it cost like 50 cents!

No 7-Elevens…
Fresh fruit stop on the way to work.

Is he really getting an apple for the teacher? Awww….

Yeah!!! My hammock arrived! Holy Smokes! This thing is SO comfortable! Its a double….and someone is inside already.

 Good times at the end of the year. I became very good friends with the French teacher…and look forward to more trips to Paris to see her. Sometimes its hard to connect with people…but when you do…..you know the friendship will be forever lasting!

Did I mention he's a great dancer? :)

Ok, the dead body story….

For as long as I can remember, whenever I see a bag in the road I think of a dead body. Don't know why…I just do.

Soooo…One day while driving in the car with Youssef on the way to work, I see a bag.
Ummm…"Youssef what's coming up in the road?"
He barely replies as he is driving.
Of course he is also unaware of my 'dead body in the bag' fear.

As we get closer and closer and closer….I see a foot hanging out and start to scream.
"PULL OVER AND CALL THE COPS!!!"
He is like, what are you talking about????
I rambled quickly, that my whole life I have thought, that one day I would see a body in the bag and here it IS!!!
Again, he has no idea what I am saying as I am talking a mile a minute.
I asked him to turn around and go peek at the bag. 
Hellzzz no…I wasn't getting out!

After we laughed and confirmed that I am making HIM go look at the body….
He reported back that it was some kind of animal.
What?
Who would do such a thing? Are you sure?
"Tell me what you saw"….Give me details….lol
This picture was taken months later as I could barely go near it. 
I still don't know what it is….and grateful its not human. 
I always knew that I was not cut out to be a CSI agent. This confirmed it. 


Time for a wedding! (Not mine) lol

Youssef has an identical twin brother who is getting married in the beginning of August. I feel honored to have been invited to this special event. A real Moroccan wedding! Wow! 

"You have to get a special dress" he says.

Ummm…..like what?

A caftan of course. 

What's a caftan?

It's fancier than a gandora. 

We went shopping and truth be told I sorta felt silly in these dresses.

While they are beautiful in style and color….it made me feel like I was in a costume for Halloween.

Oh man….do I have to wear one?

Muslim woman do NOT show their bodies off as American women do.

Lots of thoughts were going through my mind just in the thoughts alone, as to why American women dress, and show off so much.

Youssef and I have had numerous conversations on this and will take about another time. But in the end, I feel he is right. It was really quite startling to me as I have never seen it from his point of view. Naturally living my whole life in the US, why would I. 

Anyway…I got the dress!

This is just the sleeve of it. It is really quite beautiful and enjoyed the hunt trying to find one that I felt happy and comfortable in.

I'm suppose to get henna done on my hands a day or two before the wedding.

Stay tuned….next I have to learn to dance like a Moroccan woman. :)