This week has been a little frustrating, to say the least. I have been trying for over a month now to have internet installed in my house. Which has involved me going to the Maroc Telecom store at least three times a week - I'm now on a first name basis with the director of the store - to ask them what's going on. And, at first, this was, oh just wait, someone will come, no problem. Then it was, oh, you don't have an address (which I had told them, and even drawn them a map to my house). Then it was, oh well you need a telephone pole put in by your house since you live in the back of beyond. (Which inevitably led to, and why exactly do you live there?) Then someone was killed in a car crash, so that threw things off for a week. Then it was, someone will be there by Friday. Then by Monday. Then by the next Friday. And finally someone did come. And put a wire that went to my window (outside - and not a new telephone pole, btw) but didn't connect it to anything and left. Then they came while I wasn't home and made a huge mess of my desk by drilling a hole in my window frame for the wire to go through (my landlady let them in). Then I went back to the store, and reminded the director that I haven't paid for anything yet, and I don't have the modem I need. His response, was well, who is going to pay for it then, and why don't you have a modem - like it was my fault that I've been telling them since day one what I want. And that I'm willing to pay! Here, take my money and MAKE IT WORK!! So then I got the modem. Yesterday. WHICH DOESN'T WORK. ARRGGGGGGGGGGGGGH! I've tried everything I can think of and my computer recognizes the modem, but won't connect to the internet with it. Which I suspect is part of the evil Maroc Telecom plan. Oh, yes, and they are closed on Saturdays. Brilliant.
So. It goes without saying that I will be in there first thing on Monday, and they can expect an earful from me. All I want is this to be fixed before I leave for PPST (training) next week, so that I know it's done and dealt with (and download my missing episodes of The Office). Things really are never as easy as they should be. Especially when you're trying to do 70% of this in a foreign language! (The other 30% is in English, since the director does speak English - thank eff.) Phew. So there's my rant for now. Oh wait, no, no - I forgot, there's more - then, my trusty iPod decided that it didn't want to work and needed to be restored, wiping all my music from it. Thank goodness for back ups, but talk about a technology challenged week.
In other news, I'm sitting at home, and when I'm in the house, I usually keep the front door open, to get some fresh air in, and some sun, for Olly to go and sit in. But today, there is a very bold chicken, who has come in to my house three times now - I've caught him behind the door, under the sink, and on the threshold to my bedroom! He's a quiet, sneaky chicken. If he's not careful though, he may end up as dinner. You hear me, chicken!?! I've watched chickens killed before! I'm not afraid of doing it! (Well, a little bit. Okay, a lot.) Oh, and now the chicken is getting in a fight with a cat outside. When will animals in Morocco learn that cross-species fighting will always end badly? Donkey vs. dog, cat vs. chicken, chicken vs. human…
Also, today I did my laundry. Not particularly, newsworthy, although it reminded me of the good old days when I had a washing machine and tumble dryer in my apartment building, and I thought laundry was a still such a pain in the arse - lugging it all all the way downstairs (in the lift) and then back, and having to fold it all when it was nice and dry. Now, I hand wash in buckets, and hang everything in the bathroom where it takes 3 days to dry. This is from the girl who avoids hand washing at all costs. Luckily, my lovely landlady does some of it for me - she always offers when she is doing her wash, and I've resisted since I've moved in because I don't want to rely on her doing it for me for the next two years, but I broke down the other day and she did my jeans for me, since I'm really scared of hand washing them (jeans are really heavy when they're wet!). But, everything else I do - and so my bathroom is now covered in my underwear (can't put it outside - since I don't have a roof, and that would be hshuma. And weird.) So, think about me and all my hand washed, wet clothes the next time you use your tumble dryer. Thanks.
Another story for you, and I think this will do well to cement everyone's perception of the wild, crazy, adventurous life I live in Morocco, at least when I'm at home. Last week my power went out, because my landlady next door is doing lots of work on their house, and there was something about a regulator that was broken. And it was out for 3 days. So, as soon as I would get home from the association around 5.30 or 6, the sun would be going down, and I would have to cook dinner by candlelight and headlamp. It also meant no computer, no phone, no heater, and no toast. So, what does one do without the stash of movies on my hard drive to watch over dinner? Read. A LOT. I finished a 435-page book in those 3 days, and was still in bed by 8.30 or 9. Wild times, right? You gotta just embrace it sometimes.
So, yes, thoughts from the back of beyond - where even here, people struggle to understand why I live where I live. And where people don't even know where I live, even though it's only 2km from where they live.
xoxo.
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