Tuesday, December 28, 2010

The Fog


It always strikes me. When I walk around the city of Rabat I see common sights and hear sounds of any other city. The differences though in my point of view are profound. People don't freak out when I start speaking Darjia. This is normal in the capital city (foreign people speaking their language). No shocking looks. No laughing. When I walk around the streets and look around no one is trying to get me to buy anything. No yelling. No bon jour's. No questions about why I am here and what I am doing. The people here they just live their life with this idea that foreigners are amongst them and they are okay with that. Something about this city brings out another side of myself that I have lost (or presumably so) a year ago. I forgot what it was like to be able to walk down the street and be able to smile at strangers. To look them in the eye and just smile. In a round about way I believe this to be normal. But as I ponder my transformation into the person that I have become I realize that normal is a perspective. One which has now changed because of constant struggle, misunderstanding and successes.

I wonder about change. I have come to the realization that change is inevitable. It's something which I need in my life in order to feel at rest, to feel at home. I think this is why it is hard to be comfortable in our own skin: we aren't comfortable with change. Though the irony is that change is the definition of life. Evolution. Constant change which we fight and fight until we give in or break down. I think better when everything is changing. I have learned to embrace change with a free spirit. It has taken me longer than most to understand that if I would have done this sooner then this experience would have been easier. Clarity is what I think that most of us are looking for. But my clarity is understanding that there is really no such thing. We all live life differently. Most of us have no idea to what is next in life. I call this the fog. Maybe to have life, to truly live, is to be okay with the fog of life.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Returning from London

Well Tanie and I went to London for 7 days. We didn't really have any plan because we just wanted to be able to explore and experience somewhere sort of new to us. Well at least somewhere that is different then our normal everyday life now. It turned out really well and always had something to do and the trip was a great time. Highlights were the British Museum, Ice-Skating in Hyde Park, Westminster, Tower Bridge Area, eating great food, watching Harry Potter 7: Part 1, Christmas lights and music all around, and understanding the language. Here are some pictures of the trip:

Big Ben at Night

Tanie and I Ice-Skating In Hyde Park

Me at One of My Favorite Areas In London

In The Tower Bridge Area

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

London Part 2

I am going to London again with my beautiful wife. We head out tomorrow and we will be there till next Wednesday. This is going to be a proper holiday and I am so excited to feel some cold in my bones. I heard that recently they have also had some snow so we will be able to get some of that as well. This is mostly a Christmas gift to ourselves. We both missed the holidays last year and just kind of skimmed over them like they were another day. I felt like it took a toll on our psyche and we needed to get out of Morocco for our Christmas. This really isn't on Christmas really but it doesn't matter to us. It's close enough.

Last time we saw all the touristy things in London. This time we are going to try and experience the city a little more and see things that I always wanted to see but never got around to seeing. Oh not to mention that we are going to a Christmasy thing at Hyde park called "Winter Wonderland 2010"! There will be ice skating and Christmas foods! There are also Christmas lights in places around the city. It will be a great site to see. Now to think of it, completely opposite of sites here in Morocco. I will let you know how it turns out.