Down Under Diary - Pt 5

When you think of sports in Australia, what do you think of, if anything?  (Yes, snarky Jack is in the house!)  Now, I conferred with my authoritative (?) source "Bitter" Shawn for background information.  According to him, the NRL (like the rugby version of NFL) is the most popular sport in the country.  There is also Australian Rules Football, popular mainly in the Victoria region of the country.  Then, there is rugby union, often referred to as "ping pong".  Whatever.

Cricket.  The country is crazy for it.  Use the word "crazy" in whatever context you wish.  There are 3 versions of the game.  There is the traditional 5-day "Test" version, a much more popular 1-day version, and now, 20/20!!  20/20 is a made-for-the-MTV-generation.  In short, in baseball terms, each team gets 120 pitches to score as many runs as possible.  Shawn and I went the historic Sydney Cricket Grounds.  Cricket has been played at the site since 1848.  The oldest still-standing structure dates to 1886 (at first the members' pavilion, now for the ladies).  The current members' pavilion dates to 1883.  The two stands combined might hold a couple thousand people, at the very most.  The modified stadium holds about 44,000.  It is really cool (if you're a sports/history geek like me) to see the old kept within the new.

I bought a general admission ticket to see the undefeated Sydney Sixers host the defending champion Perth Scorchers.  Given my fashion sense, it is a bit surprising to some that I did not buy Sixers gear, predominantly fluorescent pink (they say magenta - I disagree).  I did, though, place a legal sports bet on-site.  YES!  5 Australian dollars straight up on the home team!  After the opposition did their thing and put up a very unimpressive score, Shawn informed me that my bet was a cinch.  The Sixers did their very best to imitate their Philadelphia NBA brethren.  Seriously.  They put up a score that had Shawn earnestly looking up historic low totals for 20/20 matches.  If you know anything about this version, Sydney was bowled out in 17 overs, scoring 99 runs.  Really?!

I had the opportunity to teach some American football to my Aussie "nephew" Kaylan and his younger cousin Layla.  This was a much more satisfying sports experience.  We also enjoyed some quality time outdoors, including to the Royal Botanic Gardens down by the harbour (there's that pesky "u" again!)

My trek home begins later this afternoon.  An all-photos, all-the-time diary entry will be coming in the near future.  Hoops snakes, drop-bears and kangawallafoxes, oh my!  G'day!!!

Down Under Diary - Pt 4

At long last, it was time to go into the city for the day - Shawn and Jack took the train into the Sydney Harbour area (note the pretentious use of the "u" in harbor!  I thought it fit the occasion, being in Australia and all that!)  The harbor (forget the "u"!) is an active, important part of life in Sydney.  The historic area surrounding it is very well-preserved, and the bars and restaurants are awfully cool.  It is very touristy, but not cheesy, and not as expensive as would be expected for such an otherwise very expensive city.  Lots of fun to wander around.
I did not pay to have my photo taken of an Aboriginal fellow playing and dancing to a didgeridoo.  I did pay to climb a pylon at the famed Harbour Bridge.  It of course was across from the iconic Opera House.  If you're an Aussie, wait till I complete this thought!  I was pretty thoroughly unimpressed with the two sites during the day.  At night, when I cruised the harbor (a must-do) they looked amazing.
If you like Baltimore's Inner Harbor (wish Philly would take notes!), you'll love Sydney Harbor...

Down Under Diary - Pt 3

2014 is the third year in a row that I spent Christmas outside of the U.S. (in different countries, even: Italy, Austria/Czech Republic, Australia).  I met up with some colleagues on Christmas night in Rome 2 years ago, but this year was very special as I was in Oz with close friends.  Mom surprised me with a gift sent to (Bitter) Shawn's home, where I enjoyed the company of his (better) half, Arwen, and their their 2 lovely children.  The Alabama swag from Stateside was delivered with absolutely no time to spare.  We all spent the day at Arwen's sister's nearby home with a bunch of her relatives in town for the occasion.  We played French cricket (think "pepper" in baseball) and I (barely) defeated a (very cool) 89 year-old in ping-pong.  Adult beverages may have been consumed.

Now, when you think of Australia, what do you think of, in terms of climate and geography?  Sun - that would be my first thought, whether it be tempered by cool breezes at the ocean, or blazing in the Outback.  What would not have crossed my mind was rainforest.  The land of Oz actually has a good bit of it.  Shawn and I drove (on what I would call the wrong side of the road) to the Illawarra escarpment subtropical rainforest, where we bought tix to the Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk.  It was as cool as it sounds.  At one point as I walked across the sky, I was 710 meters above sea level, looking at cliffs that eventually rolled down to the ocean in the distance.

The day after Christmas is called Boxing Day.  So, of course, we went to a baseball game!  What else do you do in December?  The Sydney Blue Sox play in the fledgling Australian Baseball League, and on Boxing Day they hosted the Brisbane Bandits at what was the baseball venue for the 2000 Olympic games.  We root, root, rooted for the home team, but they didn't win, and it was a shame.  I got to take some swings in the batting cage (I fared better than in cricket).  Syd, the mascot, may have regretted being friendly to me...

Down Under Diary - Pt 2

For better or worse, I'll try almost anything.  I needed absolutely no encouragement whatsoever to drive go-carts!  Someone who shall remain nameless (ok, me) easily won all 3 heats against someone who shall also remain nameless (one Shawn Edward O'Keefe, who had zero chance at remaining anonymous in this space).  I only wrecked once (the left side of my rib cage thanks me).  Ton of fun.

The second activity on the day before Christmas was cricket.  Yes, cricket.  I thought I escaped sports, in foreign countries, that I have no knowledge of (soccer, in Morocco).  Alas, I traveled halfway around the globe to put on cricket gear, pick up a bat, and face my (now, former) friend.  I fared about as well as expected (poorly) before he gained a (small) measure of revenge and bowled me out.  I somehow (when I wasn't inexplicably throwing the ball over the cage) managed to do the same to Shawn's game nephew.  Due to technical difficulties (or human stupidity) pictures will not be posted now, but (unfortunately) photos will eventually be uploaded for the entertainment of all.

Down Under Diary - Pt 1

After a 24 hour period that included about 22 hours of flight, I finally made it from London through Beijing to Sydney about 6:30 a.m. local time Tuesday.  Almost 16 hours later I am remarkably still awake, and it was quite a day!  The highlight was a trip to the Symbio Zoo.  I saw up close and personal uniquely Aussie animals such as koalas, wombats, echidnas, Tasmanian devils (real ones, not the cartoon variety) and kangaroos.  I fed the latter and stood among them in a field while they bounded about - a magical time - then I ate one for dinner.  Yup, kangaroo burgers - and they were delicious!


That's all folks!

"Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone?"

Rain dripping off the brim of my hat
It sure is cold today...

Scotland

November began with a brief trip to the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.  Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, and the 3rd largest in the United Kingdom.  It was founded in the 6th century by a Christian missionary named Saint Mungo.  He built a church at the site on which the Glasgow Cathedral today stands.  The University of Glasgow was established in 1451, and is the 4th oldest in the U.K.  That lofty history contrasts greatly with the industrial powerhouse hard by the river Clyde that Glasgow later became.  The city hit the skids earlier in the 20th century but has rebounded quite well in the past generation, having been named variously a European capital of culture, architecture & design, and sport.  It hosted the Commonwealth Games this year, and the MTV EMAs just after I left.

 
Glasgow Cathedral
Atop a steep hill behind the cathedral is a cemetery called the Necropolis - insanely spooky!





The University of Glasgow


The People's Palace & Winter Gardens

Glasgow was a cool city; you can easily see how it has redefined itself through the centuries, and is today a great place to have a rockin' time.

A hour's train ride away from Glasgow is Edinburgh, the royal capital of Scotland since 1437.  


Edinburgh Castle - in great shape for a 1000 year-old fortress


Palace of Holyroodhouse


Scottish Parliament building

Known as a literary capital, Edinburgh is the more touristy of Scotland's 2 major cities, but also a place for more refined fun.  Both Glasgow and Edinburgh were very pleasant places to visit!

Random hamburger note: I ate a burger with a pomegranate yogurt spread.  Yeah, that's right.

Wind whipping down the neck of my shirt
Like I ain't got nothing on...


Denmark

November ended with a Thanksgiving weekend spent in Copenhagen, capital of Denmark, neighbor to Sweden, home to a million Danes, and named "The Happiest City in the World".  Copenhagen's roots trace to the 12th century, when  the archbishop Absalon, a real character who was not only a man of God and a statesman and a fighter.  It is today a small big city with a very down-to-earth populace.  If you like Amsterdam, you'll love Copenhagen.  It's a little more difficult to get marijuana and prostitutes (but very possible), and has more charm, in the (not-so) humble opinion of this writer.


Amalienborg - the royal palace (courtesy of [duh] Google)
Was standing in the courtyard with my tour group when
Mary, the Crown Princess drove right by!  Cool...


City Hall - inside is an extraordinary astronomical clock,
plus, a garden (that cannot be seen from outside...unless
you sneak in ;)


The Marble Church


Tivoli Gardens - est. 1843. (courtesy Google) The world's 2nd oldest functioning
amusement park.  (The oldest is also in Copenhagen!)  I did not go in, but even from
the outside you could see amazing gardens around a lake.

There is an artifical island called Christianshavn that today is part of Copenhagen, but they march to the beat of their own (stoned) drummer!  Modeled on Amsterdam, it succeeded - I couldn't tell the difference...


entrance to old Carlsberg brewery


The famed (and underwhelming) Little Mermaid statue
of Hans Christians Andersen literary fame
Think Manneken Pis in Brussels...

Random hamburger note: I ate a $21 bacon burger.  Yes, it was large and delicious.  It was at a place called Hot Buns, because of the waitresses, and how they were dressed.  No, it still wasn't worth the price.

Absolutely loved Copenhagen (except for the prices)  Hygge!

"That's How (Foreign) Country Boys Roll"

They wake up in the morning and they drink their coffee black
They love their woman one beat shy of a heart attack
On the way to work they might stop by a fishin’ hole
That’s how country boys roll
Yeah, they work, work, work, all week til the job gets done
Weekends they bar-b-que and have a cold one
They run on a big ol’ heart and a pinch of Skoal
That’s how country boys roll

So, a hooker wants me to take her back to my room.  This raises several issues, and you won't guess the most interesting one!  But, I'm getting a little ahead of myself...

In the 1st weekend of October the important Muslim holiday Eid Al Adha, known in this region as Eid El Kebir, took place.  Discussed in detail in this blog 2 years ago, it involves the ritual sacrifice of animals such as sheep, etc.  My school did not have classes the following week, so off to Romania and Poland I went!

My first stop was in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.  I had previously reserved a room in a hostel for 3 nights through Hosteling International, an outfit that had served me well for 15 years.  My first ever flights on Alitalia from Casa thru Rome to Bucharest (not Budapest!) went very well.  When I arrived at Henri Coanda Int'l Airport (still popularly known by it's prev. name Otopeni), I stepped out of the arrival area to get transportation to my hostel.  Very surprised at the lack of info for travelers.  I was finally able to get on the right bus to take me into the city center.

When I walked up to the address for the hostel, I pressed the buzzer which allowed me to open the gate to enter the property which listed 3 sites at that address.  No one was to be found at the hostel location!  A man from one of the other addresses comes out and explains that the hostel closed 2 weeks ago!!  Needless to say, I had not been notified!!!  He suggested I try another hostel on that street.  They were booked and suggested I try another one a couple of blocks over.  I was in luck there.  It turned out to be not nearly as bad as may sound in writing.  Nonetheless, it was not cool.

That evening, I am taking a stroll down a big street and happen to make eye contact with a very attractive woman.  She approaches me, and I think you can guess where this is going.  Yes, she is a lady of the evening.  Well, it was evening - not so sure about the lady part.  Anyway, during our intellectual discussion of world events she suggests we go back to my room.  I'm sure the 6 other people I shared it with would have found that very interesting...

I decided to do one of the "Hop On, Hop Off" bus tours.  The price was right.  Unfortunately, the English-language headset did not work, but it didn't much matter because the tour was nothing special.  It was a disappointing surprise.
I also took one of those free walking tours you see advertised at places like hostels, etc.  I've done a handful of them now and have always been very pleased.  I most highly recommend, can't say enough about them.  The mid-30s woman who led us was a young child when Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was deposed in 1989.  She shared a fascinating perspective while describing places and events during the tour.  A couple of times she matter-of-factly told us stories that made our jaws drop in shock and horror; she saw our reactions, shrugged her shoulders and said (I'm paraphrasing) that's life -  you take it and move on.  Life under Communism and during the transition to democracy hasn't been so neat and easy.

Some pictures:

(courtesy of Google)

I went for an aerial shot to show the Parliament Palace, the largest administrative building in the world, still under construction (~ 95% complete) after several decades.  In a design competition, it was chosen the winner by Ceausescu simply because it was the largest.

Formerly called Palace Square (the [not pictured] former Royal Palace-now National Art Museum is there) Revolution Square.  Ceausescu gave a pair of speeches there in 1968 and 1989.  The first was a high point for him; the second lead would quickly take a dramatic downturn for him and lead to his execution.  Notice the Memorial of Rebirth, upon which the 'potato' representing Communism is impaled on the spire representing democracy.  The (look carefully) 'blood' was not the artist's creation, but an act of vandalism.

The original statue of Romania's beloved King Carol was taken down and melted to be used for other purposes by the Communist regime.  The officials who wanted to replace it did not own the artistic rights to be able to put up a replica, so they changed but a few small details like the stance of the legs and the length of the jacket ;)  Everyone seems to agree it works!

The Romanian Athenium is a particularly gorgeous building that hosts the George Enescu Philharmonic, and has inside (I did not go) what is supposed to be an extraordinary fresco depicting Romania's history.  Notice the 5 small circular pictures above the entrance.  They honor a quintet of patrons of the arts.  The 2 men farthest to the right held a mutual hatred, so their profiles face away from one another :)

My (smoking hot) tour guide speaks to us at the national history museum in front of a statue of a nude Roman emperor Trajan holding a she-wolf evocative of the founding of Rome that has the tail of a dragon protruding from its neck.  It is universally mocked, and people constantly take parodying photos in front of it.  Do a Google search - it's worth the few minutes of your time :)  I am sure there is other info she gave, but I barely heard a word of what my future wife tour guide said because I was constantly fantasizing about her ;)

I would place Bucharest below some of the other Old World cities I visited (and not just because I had to actually threaten another overly persistent street whore to leave me alone).  Still, it was very nice and worth the visit!

Next on the itinerary was a flight to Poland.  I flew into Warsaw's Chopin Airport via Romanian carrier TAROM.  Get a map of Poland in your head, see where it is situated in relation to Germany and Russia, and think of how the capital city of Warsaw fared during WWII.  Not well.  But, they sure have recovered in the decades since - what a wonderful city!

This time I had an easier go of getting into the city center, and when I arrived at my hostel, and it was actually open for business - WOOHOO!  Pierogies and kielbasa in a hip area within walking distance of my room - double WOOHOO!!  24-hour liquor stores - triple WOOHOO!!!

I took a walking tour through an outfit called Orange Umbrella.  My tour guide Gawel was not as gorgeous as his Romanian predecessor, but did a fine job still.  We were challenged on our recall of what we'd seen and heard, and the free shot of ice-cold vodka and greasy treat at a local establishment at the end of the tour was a pleasant surprise :)

Old Town was completely rebuilt after the war; I'm going to go with another pic from above:

(courtesy of Google)

The principal sight is the Royal Castle:

On the Castle Square rises a very tall column with a statue of King Sigismund III:

and nearby is a small statue of a boy-soldier to remind of the youth who participated in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising:

I just uploaded the highlights of what I saw over a couple of days; Warsaw is an awesome place to visit!  While there, I called an audible and took a train 3 hours to the southwest to the former capital city of Krakow.  This time, I arrived at the city without a place to stay that night, but it was of my own doing.  I researched quickly beforehand and found several cheap, well-reviewed hostels very close to the main train station; I found success with the first place I tried.

Krakow was even more amazing than Warsaw!!  I didn't know that it is very highly rated among all major cities by travel people.  I cannot describe how beautiful it was!!!  The Old Town area was marvelous; its central feature is the Market Square - I go one last time to the fine folks from Silicon Valley for some assistance:

   

(courtesy of Google)

It was even more charming in the evening; I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner of wild boar tenderloin wrapped in bacon with potatoes at a restaurant on the square.  Mmm, bacon...

The original reason I was going to to that corner of the country was to take a tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp Memorial and State Museum.  I had camera issues from shortly after I got to Krakow, but it's just as well, because I wasn't much in the mood to take photographs.  The camp rose from an abandoned Polish military barracks.  Visitors may take pictures almost everywhere; here are simply a pair: the first is of the wrought-iron gate with the infamous inscription Arbeit Macht Frei, or "Work Makes (You) Free".  The inscription was but one part of the ruse the Germans used to make the inmates think they would leave some day, The second is of the railroad line into A-B II that runs all the way to the furnaces in the rear of the property so as to be more "efficient".  I'm glad I went, and saw with my own eyes what, remarkably, human beings are capable of doing to one another.  Part of me wishes I had never seen it.

On that note we will end this post...

Well if you don’t know your way around
They’ll draw you a map
And if you’re broke and you ask
They’ll give you the shirt off their back
All they need is a little gas
A few dollars to fold
That’s how country boys roll

"Out Last Night"

We went out last night 
Like we swore we wouldn't do 
Drank too much beer last night 
A lot more than we wanted to 

There were girls from Argentina and Arkansas 
Maine, Alabama and Panama 
All mixed together and having a ball...

Who am I kidding?  I've gone absolutely nowhere since Wednesday.  I can't remember the last time I got sick, but some virus has kicked my butt; though, I'm finally getting better.

However, we did have a ball - basketball, that is!  Still had to coach my middle school girls basketball team in a scrimmage game on Thursday.  The George Washington Academy Lady Mustangs visited the crosstown rival Casablanca American School Cobras.  Yes, you read that correctly - basketball in September.  Don't even get me started on how the sports seasons are scheduled here!
I've got a young squad - 9 of 15 girls are 6th graders.  It is as multicultural a team as Kenny Chesney describes in the above lyrics - we've got Americans from all over in addition to the Moroccans.  One lass is half of each nationality.  I feel bad for the one hoopster who wears a hijab - how hot must playing in that be?!
When CAS took the floor, I thought we were going to be slaughtered - those gals obviously had more 8th graders, plus they had a lot more height.  The way I was feeling, I turned over the reins to my assistant and had her work the floor action from the sideline, while I tried to instruct the bench players as we watched what was happening on the court.  I was extremely proud of my girls in a 13-9 defeat that was nip-n-tuck til the end, especially since I was coaching to get everyone a good amount of playing time as opposed to coaching to win.  Still not sure how we did it, but I'm feeling better about our chances in Rabat next month!  Oops, I should mention my roommate led the boys to a victory after we left the floor - they looked real good...

Yeah, we went went out last night 
One thing started leading to another 
Out last night 
Hittin' on everybody and their mother 

There were two karaoke girls drunk on a dare 
Singing "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher 
Yeah, life was good everywhere 
We went out last night...

That isn't quite accurate - "we" went nowhere, but colleagues of mine, "they" took an hour-long train ride north to the capital city of Rabat for Jazz au Chellah, an annual festival held at ancient Roman ruins in the area.  I dearly wanted to go and meet the gang (they were already there because they had attended our high school volleyball scrimmage vs Rabat American School earlier in the day), but before I could even get to the train station, my body let me know in no uncertain terms that it would be a huge mistake to try.
Had I gone, though, this is what I would've seen (courtesy of good ol' Google):


(This is an older photo)


(This is from last night)

How awesome would it be to see an event at that venue?!

Oh, well - maybe another time.  I also passed on going all the way to Tangier for "Tanjazz" last week; I'll have to wait for Jazzablanca in the spring, I suppose...

Well the fact that I'm still breathing 
Means that I must have survived 
And that I lived to go out with my friends again tonight...

"Here For A Good Time"

I'm not gonna lay around and whine and moan
Cause somebody done done me wrong
Don’t think for a minute that I am gonna sit around 
and sing some old sad song
I believe it’s half full not a…half empty glass
Every day I wake up…knowing it could be my last

I ain't here for a long time…I'm here for a good time
So bring on the sunshine to hell with the red wine
Pour me some moonshine
When I am gone put it in stone he left nothing behind
I ain't here for a long time…I'm here for a good time

George Strait leads us into a recap of an activity-packed weekend that is quickly winding down (as I write this it is 8 pm local time, +5 hours from the East Coast), so as I listen to the early NFL games through my computer, it's time to blog!

Gonna backtrack a lil' bit to Thursday evening - a spectacular building that once served as a Catholic church hosted a modern art exhibit.  The architects of Sacre Coeur (Fr. Sacred Heart) did a wonderful job of using cast concrete in melding Catholic and Muslim elements.  It's not been in use as a church for over a half-century - today the empty interior hosts intimate art & music exhibitions.  These are a couple of nice pics from a spring trip downtown:

Apparently, Casablanca has a growing artsy community.  It's always a very pleasant surprise when you somehow stumble upon information about an event in the community.  Getting good intel is an art unto itself.

Fast forward to Saturday morning...the day began with a trip to the local orphanage.  Played around with the toddlers on the playground, then held some of the infants on the upper floors (at least the ones who saw me and didn't scream in mortal fear).  Sorry I can't provide pics of the wee ones - privacy concerns.  But here are some photos of the exterior and the playground:

Inside is a pretty sterile-looking institution; the ladies do the very best they can with a ridiculous workload.  Scary thing is, I'm told that this place is easily the best of the bunch in the region.

Came back to my apartment and hooked up with a couple of the guys for lunch.  They had recently stumbled upon a hole-in-the-wall joint serving up Pakistani food.  It was cheap and delicious!  Then, off to a local watering hole for a night daycap of Leffe (Belgian) blonde beer while watching FC Barcelona and Athletico compete in La Liga action.  Finally, a birthday party at a gorgeous villa in the bustling beach town of Dar Bouazza to the south of Casa.  The potluck dishes were dee-lish and the Spanish beer tasty.

Sunday morning usually means the brunch thing at a nearby cafe, then basketball games with students and staff at the school.  Believe it or not, I fit in a lot of schoolwork this weekend, too.

Wait til you see where I am going next weekend for a concert...

Folks are always dreaming about what they like to do
But I like to do…just what I like
I'll take the chance…dance the dance
It might be wrong but then again it might be right
There’s no way of knowing…what tomorrow brings
Life’s too short to waste it I say bring on anything

I ain't here for a long time…I'm here for a good time
So bring on the sunshine to hell with the red wine
Pour me some moonshine
When I am gone put it in stone he left nothing behind
I ain't here for a long time…I'm here for a good time

"I'm Back In The Saddle Again"

Courtesy: Gene Autry - "America's Favorite Signing Cowboy"

I'm back in the saddle again (for year 3)
Out where a friend is a friend (though, you never know where a helping hand will/not come from)
Where the longhorn cattle (sheep) feed (til next month, anyway)
On the lowly Jimson weed (is that a nickname for hashish or shisha?)
Back in the saddle (yet) again

Ridin' the range once more
Totin' my old 44 (lmfao - no 2nd Amendment rights in this country)
Where you (can't get a good night's) sleep...every night
And the only law is right (actually, the cops are crooked, and are rightfully disrespected at every turn)
Back in the saddle again

The first full week of the school year is in the books.  I've only been back for a few weeks, yet in seems like a few months.  Not a complaint, just seems like it's been forever since I was kickin' it Stateside.  The joint is jumping - the school is bursting at the seams, and there is lots going on.  A whole of new colleagues.  I'll be darned - there are a pair of guys in my age range!  Couple of real characters.  Nice to have some people I can better relate to.
I am doing my same ol' thing again, working with 6th-12th graders.  Also, I just started coaching the middle school girls' basketball team (the sports seasons here are wacky).  In mid-October is the tournament in the capital city of Rabat.  I am also going to try to revive the school's National Honor Society chapter.  They say a rolling stone gathers no moss, right?  Well, there is no grass growing under these feet.  Besides, it's harder to hit a moving target ;)

I moved to a new apartment, same neighborhood, just a few blocks away.  The decor is, well, um...you decide for yourself:

I would NOT want to have a few cold ones and then stare at the 3D ceiling.  Not so sure about the entrance-way, either.  If this isn't the highlight, the this is...

This is called a frash (pron. 'frosh'), a Moroccan divan, if you will.  No arms or backs, just cushions on a low-slung base, sections next to one another, and up against the wall.  A very traditional piece of furniture.  This particular pattern is even more garish in person, the camera didn't capture the sheen of the shiny fabric.

The thin balcony runs behind the bedrooms, along the street.  You can see the product of the roommate's green thumb, and one of the drying racks (dryers are virtually non-existent in city life, and the washers minuscule).  Noisy street, the highlight of which is the guy pushing a cart, repeatedly making a sound like "meep".  Apparently, this guy will make a trade or give cash for an item you're looking to get rid of - he's a rolling one-man flea market!

No matter where you are in the kingdom of Morocco, you can hear the call to prayer (adhan) blared from mosque loudspeakers 5 times, day (and night).  I can hear the one at the end of the street pictured above.  It is a tiny corner building you would have trouble noticing, if not for the reserved area cordoned on the street.

Around the corner is the same grocery store I used last year; it has a liquor store attached (for the tourists, is the party line).  Corner cafes abound; probably 3-4 days per week I find my way to one.  I usually go for a cafe au lait (coffee cut with steamed milk).  Other colleagues favor cafe noir (espresso).  Mint tea is the national drink.  I'll pass.

Wild day yesterday.  Went downtown to the regional transfusion center to get a pint of red drawn in the early a.m. then went straight to the orphanage to play with the kids under the sun.  Should've had a little more to eat for breakfast.  Then again, maybe it was good that I didn't - I might've lost it when a donated sheep was slaughtered, right in front of the toddlers.
In second place for craziest story of the day, I'm on the turnpike, in the backseat of a colleagues car; she is in the passenger seat, and a Moroccan staff is at the wheel.  We get pulled over as we approach the tollbooth (like the time we had to pay a 100 dirham bribe).  Our man gets out of the car with the vehicle's documents to speak with the officer, who apparently wanted to give a 400 dirham ticket for me not having a seatbelt in the back while outside the city on the highway (since when?!?!).  Mustafa is a genius - he tells the guy that he is a hired driver for the Anglo woman passenger who owns the car, and the American guy in the back is related to the ambassador.  It worked!!  BAHAHAHA!!!

Never a dull day here - time for a late lunch before playing hoops and watching NFL openers thru an illicit website :)

Whoopi-ty-aye-oh
Rockin' to and fro
Back in the saddle again
Whoopi-ty-aye-yay
I go my way
Back in the saddle again

"Two More Bottles Of Wine"

But it's all right 'cause it's midnight and I got two more bottles of wine...

With all due respect to Martina McBride, she must have been a little loaded, because I am certain the time was 6 a.m., and it was two bottles of beer, but more on that later...

Spring break meant a breakout from North Africa to a pair of European countries I've not been to previously, Belgium and Switzerland.  First on the docket was Belgium; I flew out of Mohammed V Airport direct to Brussels, the capital of Belgium, and the unofficial capital of Europe - it's the host of many European Union institutions.

I booked my Brussels accommodations through Airbnb.com and wound up staying in a spare bedroom at an apartment in the Molenbeek neighborhood.  I found my way there okay from the airport and met A., who I'd been in touch with during the process.  It was a nice enough pad; the bedroom was a room with a bed - worked for me.  His 6-month old baby was absolutely adorable.  Apparently, he shared custody of the little guy with the mother, who lived elsewhere.  I hit the town for a little while, came back, opened the door, and A. wasn't there, but D. was.  This was a bit of a surprise; I hadn't expected anyone else to be there, but he knew who I was; he lived there with A.  80's Flashback!  It looked like it was going to be 3 men and a baby this week.

Armed with some local info from D., I went out again a little later to explore the neighborhood.  Molenbeek has, of all things, a huge Moroccan population!  Everywhere I looked was a reminder of Casa - why the heck did I bother flying here?  I walked into a patisserie named Marhaba (hello, in Arabic) and think I surprised the man behind the counter a bit when I greeted him and placed my order (passably, at least) in his mother tongue.  I'm extremely limited in that language, but at least know enough that I won't go hungry :)

At the nearby canal there was a cultural festival a-happenin'.  I enjoyed a glass of horchata while sampling some Latvian delicacies as performers walked tightropes across the canal.  Our first pic comes from a piece of public art in the area that I particularly liked:

An interesting building there is Le Petit Chateau, which was once an army barracks, but today is the refugee center for persons seeking asylum in Belgium:

I was told that the Atomium was a can't-miss attraction.  I took the Metro there and found this remarkable structure next to Mini-Europe.  I wasn't paying to get in, but was determined to get a quality pic.  I slipped into a little area, held my camera through a netting, praying I didn't drop it, and got this:

It was built for the 1958 World Fair, a symbol of an era when atomic energy was thought to be the future solution for world energy needs and represents an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.  Moving walkways connect exhibits in the molecules.  Ironically, across the city named is a 10-floor parking garage named Parking 58 that I learned offers some of the best views in the city.  Here is a shot of the landmark in the distance:

  

Oh, wait, that pic is from online; the overcast weather ruined my shot below :(

Well, how about this evening shot of the Grand Place/Grote Markt (Belgium is officially bilingual and all street signs are in French and Dutch, which is sometimes confusing) with its 300 yr-old buildings:

Or, the Royal Palace:

Or, the massive Palace of Justice:

Or, the Sacred Heart Basilica:

Next, we move onto a tiny but very famous icon - the Manneken Pis!  The origins of this lil' feller depend on who you ask.  Did he wee-wee and extinguish the wick of an invader's bomb?  Did he get lost and his father declare if he found him he would build a statue of him doing whatever he happened to be doing at the moment?  Whatever, he's a rock star!  People adorn him in hundreds of different costumes at various times:

Since we've moved into the realm of bodily functions, I'm happy to declare that I resisted the overtures of some nearby prostitutes!  WOOT, WOOT!!

In other entertainment, I enjoyed some incredible Belgian chocolate from Leonidas, Godiva and Mary (I had to be thorough).  I ate some famous frites (overrated, in my opinion).  Finally, I had (more than a few) fine Belgian beers.  On tap (pun intended) were some Trappist brews (crafted by monks).  Then, I got gueuze, a sour, naturally fermented beer that is unique to Belgium that to date has not been to be reproduced anywhere else.

During my time in Belgium, I also spent an afternoon in Bruges, about a hour-long train ride away from Brussels.  The entirety of the historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and as it is fairly small, you can in a day walk all over this remarkably preserved centuries-old city.  I can think of no other description than to say I felt I was in Disneyland - and in this case I mean it as a compliment (while the same is a complaint of locals).  Though, while it is well-scrubbed, it is real, and real old.  Once you are over the canal and within the walls, you are transported to one of the very best-preserved medieval cities that exists.  I was told by a Belgian that city hall has a key to every residence and can enter any one at any time of the day or night to ensure that no unauthorized changes are being made to structures.  The historian in me approves; the civil libertarian in me, not so much.  Let's just go to the pictures...

The Basilica of the Holy Blood has what would be called a relic - a vial of blood said to be that of Jesus

The Grote Markt (Great Square in Dutch) includes the Belfry.  It is about 275 feet high.  Ugh.  Here is a pic from outside:

and from above, 366 steps later:

The surrounding area is ridiculously beautiful - I don't even know what words to use, so here are a few thousand words worth:

There wasn't a whole heckuva lot to do, but I didn't want to leave.

Back to Brussels I went, then my next stop was Geneva, Switzerland.
When I got to the Brussels airport, I attempted to take a couple of beers through security - wasn't gonna happen.  I sure wasn't going to waste them!  So, I shotgunned a couple of cervezas at 6 in the a.m.  Made for a nice flight.  Had to be woken up after landing...

I think Geneva has a lot in common with Brussels in terms of general look and feel.  It, too, is a host to important world institutions, like the U.N. HQ in Europe among several others.

There was a big vote by the people of Switzerland the other day, to establish a minimum wage of 4000 Swiss francs per month (even in pricey Switzerland, that is nothing to sneeze at).  I was surprised when it was voted down by a huge margin.  It was not for lack of effort by supporters.  I saw many while I was there.  That such a proposal was put to the people isn't a shock - it fits right in with the mindset of the country, and the history of this city.  (I must admit, I enjoyed the free transit from the airport to the city centre, and the new law that gave me as a hostel dweller free public transport the entire time I was there!)

Geneva has ties to John Calvin - yeah, the same one you studied in your high school world history class.  For my money, the Reformation is the greatest movement the world has ever known (and if you disagree, write your own bleeping blog).  Here is a pic of the Reformation Wall, with a sign from demonstrators, who were having a gathering nearby:

Saint Pierre (Peter) Cathedral is adjacent to the International Museum of the Reformation; from the cathedral, which is the high point of the old town, one can see the Jet d'Eau, a landmark feature in Lake Geneva that shoots 140 meters into the air:

 

We finish with a work of public art across the street from one of the entrances of the U.N.; it is called Broken Chair, and ties into the anti-landmines initiative.  I thought it was a perfect piece.  Special thanks go to Eric Coker, and his wife Kathleen, of Oklahoma City.  My camera died near the very end of my trip, and this gentlemen bailed me out and sent this snapshot:

Ain't gonna let it bother me today
'Cause I've been workin' and I'm too tired anyway
and it's all right 'cause it's midnight and I got two more bottles of wine

Well, I'm sixteen hundred miles from the people I know
I've been doin' all I can but opportunity sure comes slow
Thought I'd be a big star by today
But I've been sleepin' in a warehouse in West L.A.
and it's all right 'cause it's midnight and I got two more bottles of wine