The Three Musketeers au Maroc

Who ever thought we three would be traveling together for a week in the crazy souqs and epic wilderness that is Morocco! We can barely manage to see each other for a week over Christmas, let alone for a week long vacation together. I guess the lesson to be learned here is that it's up to me to live in stellar locations around the world so that my brothers simply must come visit me, hence reuniting the three musketeers more that once every year.

It really was wonderful to have them both here at the same time and to show them a bit around this country that is feeling more and more like home. Plus, I loved playing translator in French and Arabic be it bargaining for prices, asking for directions or organizing our adventures. I think we even got some pretty good deals on the fun stuff we bought. Meezien!

Essaouira

we learn by watching...

Children may not always listen, but they are always watching.

During a recent trip to Agadir, during which we stayed with Omar and his family, I had the opportunity to observe just how observant kids can be and how repetition breeds habit.

The entire family came together before dinner for tea and catching up on the day, including the two little cousins, Malek and Soukaina. In the United States, a toddler might rock her baby doll in a cradle or dress up as Cinderella; these two girls covered their heads with the hijab, and strapped their stuffed animals on their backs, just like women do in Morocco.

Repetition, especially from a young age, embeds our cultural norms do deeply that it is hard to see outside them. If only we could teach more tolerance, understanding and acceptance from such a tender age...

Family Stay in Agadir

Visting Meknes with Maiga and Mehdi :)

It's so cold in our apartment we converted the oven into a portable heater

Mardi Gras

We made crepes for Mardi Gras last night. I felt very very French doing so, as they celebrate Fat Tuesday with crepes of every kind- nutella, sugar and lemon, banana, jam, cinnamon...

They are incredibly easy to make as well, so if you feel like a crepe party, come on over!

We adopted a kitten...

and I think I am allergic.

A Beautiful Day

Smiling faces. Swinging hips, twirling hands, arms in the air, spinning, laughing, sweating.

Today was spent at the Aachoura Girls School, a cheerfully painted orphanage hidden behind a plain wooden door, lost in the medina.

The members of the Rotaract club arrived around 2:30pm to set up the tables, chairs, food buffet and portable speakers for the band. The girls mingled shyly in the courtyard until we invited them into the large open dinning hall, where they sat shyly at the table cloth covered tables. However, once the music started, the rotaractors pulled the adorable mis-match of young girls onto the dance floor and circles formed, hands joyfully joined together. We danced for at least an hour, singing along with the popular songs in Arabic and laughing with happiness. After the dancing we ate cake and pastries, and finished the day with happy goodbye kisses.

It was a beautiful day.

hiking and exploring the north country

January 8 2008

I basked on a tiled rooftop terrace today, over looking the ocean and crashing waves. The white sun was playfully dipping behind the puffs of cotton swabbed clouds and shivers prickled my arm hair each time she ducked out of sight. Happily she returned to share her warmth as I caught up on the world news and listened to the breeze whisper amongst the line-dried linens. Sometimes the world seems so far away from life in Rabat.

TWIN & NYC

I was so happy to get an idea of what Kevin's life is like in NYC. He is simply inspiring- as a friend, teacher, roommate... His apartment is beautiful, his roommates fun-filled, his city fast paced, his girlfriend sweeter than pie and his life non-stop go. I can't wait to get to travel with BOTH my brother in a few weeks!

ICP in NYC

After seeing the Gerda Taro and Robert Capa pictures in the International Center of Photography, I was blown away by the strength, beauty and emotion in their work. I was also struck by the stupidity of war. The pictures of civilians photographed in the morgue lay so life-like, with eyes focused on the camera, even as blood ran from their bodies like dark grape juice.

Jess Time in NYC!

Holland Christmas 2007

It is so luxurious being home for the holidays.

As I sit next to the fire, wrapped in a soft wool blanket, it is snowing heavily outside. I simply sit quietly, sipping my Chai and observe through to picture window as the world turns a lacy white.

The smell of pumpkin bread wafts out from the kitchen and I hear mom bustling around making pie and other tempting holiday goodies. My tummy reminds me that I haven’t yet had breakfast- I think I’ll wander over and see what’s cookin.

Sarah+Mere+Me = Fun Times at the Brewery

the trip home...

I can’t believe how smoothly my flight home was this year; it was by far the best transatlantic trip I have ever had (especially considering my lost passport in Heathrow last August)! Being my mother’s daughter, I made it Casablanca airport with plenty of time to spare, so had no un-necessary stress early on Thursday morning. Then, my friend Trent changed his seat to sit next to me, so that was fun to have someone to talk with and complain about the skimpy snacks and non-ergonomically designed chairs. After sleeping with my head on his shoulder, we awoke starving, so managed to steal some pretzels and several half bottles of wine, which made the rest of the flight much more fun.

Once at JFK I was having heart palpitations about making my next connection. Luckily, I cut in the customs line, sped through the exit, ran onto to the inter-terminal train just as it was about to depart, arrived at the Northwest check-in counter to find absolutely no line and, after taking off my shoes and belt for security, found myself calmly waiting with the rest of the passengers headed for Michigan. After changing planes in Detroit, I found myself once again in the familiar Grand Rapids B terminal, only twenty minutes late, almost 20 hours after departing my apartment in Rabat.

Portraits for Photojournalism class