#100-#96 Things....

So in my last 100 days or so living abroad I wanted to document things that I will miss, not miss, will remember, or simply have become a part of my life here in Morocco that I never thought I would experience. I need a title for these 100 Things....they are all not in the same category. Help! How do I name this post? Suggestions welcome! :) I will post not in any particular order....just as I think of them. 

Anyways, I decided to post in groups of 5. It will keep me blogging and reflecting for the remaining months and keep me in the reality of the life that is ending here, and transitioning back to the US. 

#100 Having a maid

Once Youssef moved in he began writing notes to the maid on a white board with any food requests we had or special things we needed her to do. This will mostly likely never happen again. 

 I have had my maid Naima since the second month I was here. Clearly I wasn’t writing notes in the beginning. I was more gesturing and laughing through frustration when communicating with her. She is a sweet, lovely lady who makes my house sparkle every Thursday for 100 Dirhams which equals $10.37. It is very common to have one when they charge so little. Most of the teachers here have one because of the price, and because we work a longer day, on weekends would rather spend the time exploring and traveling rather than cleaning. She washes our white tile floors, dusts, does laundry, mops the balcony, waters the plants and will cook! When Youssef asked me if we were getting one in the states I started to laugh, then replied sadly….’like never’. It was fun while it lasted. Shukran, Naima! I will never forget you!

#99 Veggies for Sale! 

Produce on every corner literally. The produce here is accessible all over town and all through the alleyways of the souks. The prices are unbelievable! You can buy a bag of potatoes for just 5 Dirhams a kilo (about 5 cents for 2 pounds!). Everything is super fresh and needs to be used within a few days or the mold starts. While they don't have the wide variety as they do in the states, everything is grown locally here is Morocco. Fresh is Best!

Youssef buying some veggies for a tagine he will make.

 In the upper left hand corner is a BBQ made of clay that we use to grill. It was about $2.50 and works like a charm.

 Buying some fresh figs and cherries. They always encourage you to taste before buying.:)

#98 We say pastry, they say ‘patisserie’

Lots of little pastry and sweet shops here. Truth be told I’m not a big sweet eater, especially the Moroccan sweets…I know, I know. L They are just TOO sweet! They are made with loads of honey and almonds.

I did enjoy one of these shops in particular. There is one employee who speaks English and on a lucky day when he is in, I am able to ask for certain things. This morning I decided to buy some of my favorites. I was not deprived of homemade chocolate chip cookies for 2 years. Thankfully!

Some of our favorite homemade snacks from the local patisserie

#97 Residency Card

To live and work in Morocco you do not need a visa as you do in some other countries. Here you need a residency card. We use it as ID, and every time I came and left the country they asked to see it. Since I am married now to a Moroccan I decided to apply for 10-year residency card instead of one, for my last year working. I was granted! It basically means I can come and go, stay more than the 90-day rule without hassle, maintain a bank account, use it to open a business or buy land. I am not planning on doing either of those things right now…but I have it.

#96 Cats, Cats, and more Cats!

When I first arrived I know I wrote about the cats! They are everywhere! We all were kind of creeped out by the amount of them. And as with most things that you are exposed to for long periods of time, you get used to it, unfortunately. Cats hangout by the dumpsters and are seen all over the streets looking like they are on the last of their 9 lives. L Recently I even saw a kitten with a weird looking bandage/cast. Someone tried to help it, poor thing. Ugh…I’m not a cat person, but do feel sorry for all of them. Sammi and Finster had a blast barking at them constantly, and a few times got off the lead and chased them under cars and crates! Finster got scratched twice on the nose. Silly dog…does he think he will win? Youssef ask me if there were lots of cats in the states. Yes, mostly in people’s homes. lol