I’ve decided this week that city living suits me. It was one
crazy work week with lots and lots of good things happening, yet, even after a
ten-hour day, I could just walk around the corner for calamari, venture out to
immerse myself in the madness of Djemaa el Fna, or stroll to the theater for an
international film festival feature flick. If I pretend that sleep is the enemy,
there really is enough time in the day to do it all.
My work week included interacting with amazing Access
students at a workshop in Marrakech, fabulous slam poetry from my graduate
students, and storytelling by a local story teller in my Spoken English classes.
I got lots of pedaling time on my bike running around to various locations and
made many new Moroccan friends. The highlight of my week was definitely Brianna’s
effort at teaching the Macarena to 60 students and a collection of teachers at
the Access workshop as part of a presentation on American culture. She was a
star, and the students couldn’t take enough selfies with her before her time
was up. When I returned to the workshop later that night for the students’ graduation
ceremony, no one could hide their disappointment that it was “just” me in attendance.
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| Brianna teaches the Macarena. |
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| The Macarena in Motion |
As my work week chugged along, the Marrakech International
Film Festival kicked off in our front yard. After all of last week’s whining
about my inability to get passes to attend, I had a meeting Monday night with a
professor from New York to talk about a project for next semester, and she magically
produced two free passes. Score! My work schedule absorbed me for a couple of
days, but when Thursday rolled around, I got busy trying to catch up. We binge-watched movies from around the world over the final two days of the festival,
and I couldn’t have been happier.
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| Djemaa el Fna Square on Movie Festival Night |
In other news, Christmas shopping is happening here in 70-degree
sunshine. I have absolutely no complaints, and Brianna does a nice job of
singing me Christmas tunes, whenever necessary, to remind me ‘tis the season. Gingerbread
house experimentation and Christmas cookie baking are on the list for the next
week to keep things festive. We don’t have a tree to speak of, but I did
collect some discarded palm fronds on the street last night, so that we can
decorate with palm boughs instead of pine boughs this year. If ever you are
tempted to do the same, please note that palm fronds have lots of nasty spikes on them which will mutilate your hands if not carried correctly. I am
nursing a few palm puncture wounds today.
Brianna’s independent world continues to evolve. I can’t
write her stories here, because they are hers to tell. But, she has been busy
cultivating her own friendships and having her own adventures here in Marrakech.
I love that we can be walking somewhere in this city so far away from home, and
I will hear someone squeal, “Brianna!” Girls run over. Kisses are exchanged.
Plans are made. My heart is happy because my girl is happy wherever she lands.
And, at the end of the day, she teaches me a new phrase in Darija that she
learned from her friends. “TwaHHshtk”
or “I miss you.” If you’re missed, you are loved. What could be better?
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