After getting back so late last night, I decided today would be veg day ^o^
Somehow I got to reading a Morocco travel journal of RS's daughter Jackie today. She spent a month in Morocco in '07, staying with a local Muslim family for most of it. The family was well-to-do by Moroccan standards but impoverished by U.S. standards. My heart really went out to her as she reflected on her daily experiences and culture shock.
Despite being really touched by her stories, I was put off a little by her end to her experience. She starts with: "But with my decision to go on this trip I am hoping to free myself from at least some of the bonds of materialism. I don't want to be dependent on a Starbucks latte, a nice car, and oversized food portions for comfort. I want to immerse myself in poverty in such a way that I can't come home and bring myself to spend $200 on designer jeans like I have before." The fact of someone spending $200 on a pair of jeans as a teenager (or even an adult) makes me sad. But I know people do. Why all this materialism?? She ends with: "This trip has made me slightly less materialistic. I would feel disgust if I followed such a month long trip with a shopping spree. I just don't need that. I've also grown to appreciate being in a more natural state (i.e. no makeup, less time spent grooming and natural unprocessed foods)." I guess with all the insights she realized during her stay, her end left me thinking "surely you take away more than that!". But that's the trouble with words; after such an experience as hers, I'm sure she *did* take away more. I hope so.
The cleaning lady must have been surprised to see me again. She comes twice a week and we saw her when we got in last Thursday. She's really nice. Cleaning up a house for six people is a lot of work! She looked pooped when she left.
There's a rooster somewhere in the neighborhood that seems a bit confused. It was cock-a-doodle-doo-ing at three in the afternoon!
Even though this apartment is quite out of center (~40 minutes to get to the city-center train station), there are some advantages. There's a really nice park right nearby and when I get off the tram, I pass by the fresh floral scents of the local florist shop ^-^
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