Today some colleagues made their way to town and we had an official meeting with the Dean of the University. It was very nice with velvet curtains, leather couches, coffee service, photos, and lots of great talk about collaboration, cultural exchange, and synergy. The meeting took place in French, so there were spots where I just nodded earnestly, and others where I could totally understand everything they said and could reply 'Absolument' and it was actually appropriate. I even understood when the Dean said Morocco and the US have a strong relationship stretching back to when Morocco was the first country to acknowledge United States independence from Britain!
I had my English speaking colleagues translate how thankful I am for this opportunity, how welcome I have felt, and stressed how much my contacts have gone above-and-beyond in all ways to help us and that I look forward to our collaboration here in Morocco and in the future....etc....Then watched hushed translations of what I said. More photos and it was off to the police station to get a long list of requirements for our resident cards.
Today is our first day of RAIN! We had a brief storm a week ago that had turned back to sunny blue skies by morning, but this is a real drencher. I realize this city functions under the assumption the weather will be nice. Most of the cafes are open-air with a sun cover and are pretty empty as it is a national sport to sip coffee and chat for long stretches at a time...but not in the rain. The guys who drive donkey carts and find reusables in the garbage are nowhere to be found, and the buzzing of motorcycles and mopeds has been reduced to an occasional brave soul with a passenger holding a plastic bag over their heads.
I'm off to dinner and might just have to take a taxi...I don't have an umbrella in this town!
I've been meaning to post the Agadir equivalent of all those golden and fiery autumn leaves I've been seeing from friends' pictures. Happy last stretch of autumn!
I had my English speaking colleagues translate how thankful I am for this opportunity, how welcome I have felt, and stressed how much my contacts have gone above-and-beyond in all ways to help us and that I look forward to our collaboration here in Morocco and in the future....etc....Then watched hushed translations of what I said. More photos and it was off to the police station to get a long list of requirements for our resident cards.
Today is our first day of RAIN! We had a brief storm a week ago that had turned back to sunny blue skies by morning, but this is a real drencher. I realize this city functions under the assumption the weather will be nice. Most of the cafes are open-air with a sun cover and are pretty empty as it is a national sport to sip coffee and chat for long stretches at a time...but not in the rain. The guys who drive donkey carts and find reusables in the garbage are nowhere to be found, and the buzzing of motorcycles and mopeds has been reduced to an occasional brave soul with a passenger holding a plastic bag over their heads.
I'm off to dinner and might just have to take a taxi...I don't have an umbrella in this town!
I've been meaning to post the Agadir equivalent of all those golden and fiery autumn leaves I've been seeing from friends' pictures. Happy last stretch of autumn!
