Title Schmitle

Some things I have been doing recently that I haven't talked about on this blog yet:

• Going to salsa class at a gym on Wed night. One of the other Moroccan teachers at school told me about it. She and all the other ladies are fantastic salsa dancers (mainly Cuban style), which didn't surprise me since most Moroccans seem to have a natural talent for dance. We usually only have one man - the instructor - so we mainly do little routines, and he partners each of us for a few minutes. He keeps suggesting that I should come to beginner class instead, though I can't due to my schedule. This is another typical Moroccan trait: they are very critical. They frequently tell Molly and I how bad our Arabic is. Anyway, I still haven't been a real salsa club yet but I will try it someday.
  
• Visiting tourist attractions. I finally made it to Chellah, a park with Roman and Islamic ruins, and lots of storks. I went on an absolutely beautiful day (since then the weather had been eratic) and really enjoyed it. View my photos here.
  
• Hanging out with Jeff. I spent last Sunday with him, and we went to visit Nazha and family. It didn't go incredibly well: Jeff chewed through his leash and got bitten by Billy (turns out Jeff does not get along with other dogs). He got very upset every time I went in the house, so Nazha and I sat in the garden with him and worked on mending one of my sweaters. We managed to take both dogs for a short walk around the neighborhood without further incident. Jeff was tired and hungry when he got back home so I bought him a sandwich and returned him to his owners. Luckily, the Irish girl who rents a room there was just coming home and I got to talk to her about Jeff. She had bought him the flea medicine which seems to have effectively killed all his fleas. She said she had taken him to the beach yesterday and he had bitten a waiter! We concluded he just needs to get out more, so I will try to take him out each weekend. Fortunately, the cobbler down the street was able to repair his leash.
  
• Visiting the animal shelter, S.P.A.N.A. I took a long walk along the oceanfront boulevard to get there. The shelter is actually quite nice, better than the one we got Rocky at. They have cats and dogs from the street, as well as donkeys and a horse that been brought there due to injury (the details of which are too horrible to recount.) These were the lucky ones, though of course they are the great minority. I asked about volunteering there but they said it was too dangerous since the dogs may have rabies, etc. A young vet took me on a tour, and we made an appointment to get Balia spayed! I'm not sure if I'll be able to manage it logistically without a car, but we're going to attempt it on Tues.
  
• Celebrating my 32nd birthday. Molly's boyfriend Aaron came to visit along with Nicole, another friend who taught in Russia with them. So we all went out to my favorite place, Bistro Pietri, the same one we went to on Christmas. They usually have live flamenco music on Tues nights, but this time it was jazz, which was slightly disappointing but still a nice break from gnaoua (the traditional music that we have grown a bit tired of). We had a nice dinner and ice cream sundaes for dessert. As a result of their visit, we also have a hoard of cherished American goods like peanut butter, Craisins, and various Trader Joe's chocolate confections.
  

Future plans: Molly and I have decided to sign on for another year here. But I will be spending July-Sept in the U.S., mostly in California where I already have some leads on summer teaching jobs. Not sure if I'll be in L.A. or San Diego, but please tell me if you know of anyone with a room for rent in those places, or who would like to rent my room in Rabat!