"Another Day In Paradise"

The kids screaming, phone ringing
Dog barking at the mailman bringing
That stack of bills - overdue
Good morning...how are you?
Got a half hour, quick shower
Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour...
There goes the washing machine...
Don't kick it...
I'll fix it
Long about a million other things...
Well, it's ok. It's so nice
It's just another day in paradise

Ok, I'll confess there is a lot of sarcasm in this week's title, courtesy of Phil Vassar.  I caught some grief this past week for my nothing-but-negative review of my early days of apartment living in the big city.  I knew there'd be a trade-off, yet I was still a bit surprised.  Things are getting settled and I'm getting my bearings.

There are some positives.  I can go anywhere, anytime, to do anything; it's just a cheap tram or petit taxi ride away.  I have a lot of colleagues who live within walking distance.  My friends who lived in the city last year have been taking me to all kinds of awesome places.  There is a place about 2 blocks away owned by a Moroccan man who had lived in my home area and came back here to open a little joint...that sells Philly cheesesteaks!  I'm one of the very few Delaware Valley natives who doesn't eat them; I eat brochettes (kabobs) instead, and the price is so right!
Went to a Spanish tapas bar downtown called La Bodega; that was great, stood up well to what I've had in Madrid.  Had sushi at the cliché-named Wok-n-Roll.  All you can eat, and really good.  We've been going to brunch on the weekends in the attractive Cil (see-L) district; the "French market" next door is pricey but carries hard-to-find goodies, and the souk hidden behind shops across the street is an excellent place to get quality produce.  Boys Café Wednesday off the bus after work is a tradition I'm really liking.  I'm probably forgetting some places.  I also probably should cook more, though I have been a very good boy and (somehow) have stayed away from the justifiably famous cinnamon rolls at snack time!
There is a nearby gym that was closed for August due to Ramadan that I'm going to check out tomorrow with my friend who joined it last year.  People have been asking for pics, so this is a good time to show some of my place, its views, and the neighborhood.

First, the building, Residence Lalla Meriem:

Turn around, and you get:

Unfortunately, that is more representative of the area, though no different than any large urban area in the U.S.  I am a block away from a big road, Boulevard Ghandi.  It is the heart of this gritty but up-and-coming commercial area.  Here is a quick look:



That shot includes 2 American places, KFC and Radio Shack.  There are many very nice shops, but I am going to give a little free advertising to one maybe 200 feet away:

It's closed today and tomorrow or I'd show you a beautiful chocolate shop.  As you might glean from the sign, it sells imported Lebanese chocolate.  It is managed by a very lovely woman who is the mother of a student I work closely with.
Within 100 feet of my pad are 3 places that resemble this:

A hanoot (ha-NEWT) is a place maybe the size of your kitchen that is like an American convenience store that I is stocked to the gills with foodstuffs and sundries.  There must be thousands of them in Casa.
Wanna come up to my place?
Here is the view from my living room and bedroom, respectively:

The roof affords a 360 degree of the city:  The first one presented shows the Grand Mosque in the distance, the second shows the Twin Center in the fashionable area of downtown:

 

Finally, an artsy shot that shows off this vast city:

 



Alright then, that's it for this week; the first full week with children begins tomorrow.  Til next weekend...
 
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be...
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the Lord every night
For just another day in paradise...
Well, it's the kids screaming. The phone ringing
Just another day
Well, it's Friday. You're late
Oh yeah, it's just another day in paradise...