still WIP

Well we are now into our second week of building. The patio is completely surrounded and just about all the internal walls are up. I think the next step will be the archways on either side of the patio .... and the then roof and the stairs up to the roof and then the balcony outside the living room. The picture shows the view diagonally across the patio to the kitchen.

I have to stop myself thinking that the work is almost done... we then have to get the electrics sorted, plumbing, "paper" ie render in cement all the walls, windows and doors, paint, think about what we can afford to tile...

We finally have our car back... it died last weekend some issue around the work that was done previously. I hope it is solved now. Mohamed spent half his time last week hitching into Agadir in the hope of getting the car back only to come home around 10pm with no car. I gave him a short shopping list on Thursday - essentials for couscous etc and he came back with no garlic but 2kg of carrots, 2 kg of turnips, 11kg of oranges and an assortment of melon. When I asked what on earth he was thinking of (no car!) he said - but they were really cheap!

It is almost melon season proper now. Pickups filled with watermelons parked at the side of the road selling off melons to passerbys and the men staggering home with their fat friend under their arm. Watermelons are great when they are sweet (and in the summer here they are) and so refreshing - but they take up all the fridge!

Marmela is still sneezing... though she does seem better she has given me a lot of anxiety this week by disappearing all day (I was convinced one day that she had gone off to die). If she is no better tomorrow I will try the vet. I couldn't take her without the car - we would have had to put her in a bag and maybe walk 5 or 6 km or wait an hour before the minibus came along (the bus service that used to run has been stopped). On top of this our experience with vets in Agadir has not been good. It is typical that we just found a good one in Taroudannt before we moved. The vets here just don't seem that interested in cats... they are either large animal vets or have practices that revolve round the various little pedigree pooches that the french expat residents are so fond of.

Her neck is healing up and I can now see distinct tooth marks where something - probably a dog - has grabbed her by the neck. I am wondering if her infection has anything to do with being bitten.

WIP

We are now on day 4 of building, the pictures show where it stood at the end of day 3. Things are going slower than we hoped... today we are down to just one builder and Mohamed.






















Aretha likes to inspect the work everyday.

Here is a picture of what it is going to look like (sort of)... though the fountain will be in the centre of the patio and the passage will be covered at both ends of the patio and over the entrance.




I spent a good few hours yesterday trying to work out the best layout for the bathroom in my dad's room - bearing in mind that his mobility may get less. I think I have it sussed.... but then who knows what the actual fittings will be.

Oh and I did see the windows that Mohamed had found, while not really what I had in mind they were nice. We have however both agreed on something else from the same carpenter though I think we will shop around a bit to check prices. Really nice carved woodwork.... moorish designs of course and at last Mohamed has stopped talking about massive plate glass vista windows.

There is an arabic saying along the same lines as "no good turn goes unpunished".

We were all set to start work about 2 weeks ago but our neighbour asked if he could borrow our builders and labourers for "a couple of days" so that he could get just a little bit of building done before he had to go and harvest his wheat. So, being good and considerate neighbours we said yes - and of course that couple of days turned into almost two weeks. What our neighbour didn't tell us was that he was also going to pinch our labourers to help him harvesting his wheat. So as previously explained poor Mohamed is having to do all the labouring himself. I did volunteer to help shifting bricks etc but that just is not going to happen.....

We have had another breakdown in the car... something not right with the work that was done before but we are stuck between two different mechanics both saying it was the other person's work that is wrong. We are beginning to wish we had gone back to the Renault dealership to get the work done.

I am also a little worried about Marmela, she has been coughing and I am not sure if she has a bug or just something caught in her throat. I have to say that she is not in the least worried about herself and has disappeared off out after wolfing down breakfast. She has had a horrible set of wounds around her neck - not sure how she got hurt. Seems have got her neck caught in something but I don't know if it was a thing or another creatures mouth! It is all healing up and her hair growing back (I did cut it back to try and get ointment on).

We have also been hosting some huge wasplike creature that was building a very nice little mud house on the light fitting in our spare room. This turned out to be full of green caterpillars ..... It was a very big waspy like insect so I do hope it is not too cross when it finds out we have wiped out the next generation! Oh how I wish I had an insect book.

Building Work has started

Yesterday we restarted the building work, and as I sit here I can hear various scrapings, hammerings, squeaky wheelbarrows and builders whistling (yes they do it in Morocco too) and the unique slushy sound of concrete being thrown around going on overhead.

Here is a photo of what it looked like yesterday evening.


I will post more photos as work progresses. We have not managed to find any labourers at the moment so poor Mohamed is up there carrying bricks and mixing concrete for the two builders.

I have spent a fair part of the last couple of days watching the election results unfolding and feeling very down about it... at the same time very happy that I am not back there struggling to deal with all the cuts in social housing and benefits that are now bound to follow. The North-South divide is so glaring again.... and there must be lots of questions about the role of the Westminster parliament in Scottish affairs now.

Well I must go into town and do some shopping, trying to get back to normal (well as normal as you can be when you live under a building site) now that I have recovered from jetlag and a little tummy upset last week.

btw I saw Elvis (twice) in Las Vegas and an Amish couple when I was in Chicago (they were up the Sears Tower)!

A Tale of Two Cities

Thank you Iceland, I have always wanted to go to Chicago and now I have! For those who have been living on another planet for the past month, a volcano erupted in Iceland (a few times) and the ash from the volcano drifted south and east over Europe, closing most of the airports and so making It impossible for us to get a flight back to Brussels till 21st April.

I suppose I had better start with Las Vegas. Well now I can say that I have been there. It is not my kind of town – and it does seem more of a town than a city. We stayed in a really beautiful hotel…. My room was huge, bathroom with everything I could wish for – mind you at the moment all I wish for is hot and cold running water, but you know what I mean, and a view over the golf course complete with fake waterfall (I asked and you are not allowed onto the golf course unless you are playing golf).

Most of my time was spent in the Convention Centre – big aircraft hangar type building – trying to smile winningly at passers-by so they would stop and sample our wares. Pretty quickly learnt to identify the “cameramen” (khakis, lots of pockets, bags over every shoulder and always a hat of some description), the “film lovies” and the “I am completely knackered and just walking in a zombie like fashion to the nearest exit”.

I also helped build a house – Habitat for Humanity was there in the carpark building a house with volunteers from the show to help boost their profile. The house was dismantled at the end and moved to a site where it will be completed and handed over to a family. They aim to provide housing for families who would struggle to meet a standard mortgage so they get an interest free loan on a low cost home plus they have to volunteer for 300 hours – helping build other people’s homes. They were a bit sniffy about the fact their houses were NOT for homeless people but “decent hard working types” as the shirt who formally handed the house over at the end said (OK he was not from Habitat for Humanity). So I did try and spread the word that homelessness is not just about rooflessness but that there is a continuum from not being able to afford a basic mortgage through living in insecure and unsuitable housing then sofa surfing to living on the street and it is very, very easy for anyone (except the very wealthy) to find themselves slipping down the slope, ie the wrong way. Anyway off the soapbox, I had great fun working with a couple of guys in taping out a patio area (after putting in a couple of windows). I have to say we got a bit carried away with ourselves and attempted a Moroccan tile design using only electrical tape in red, white, blue and black…. If only we had had more colours.

I did spend one evening going down the Strip and took photos of the lights… and another evening downtown. This area although tackier did have a bit more of a real feel, and a really exciting light-roof screen where on the hour they showcased some animation to a popular tune. We had “American Pie” and “We are the Champions” (so I was able to join in the singing and swaying).

So I may be one of the few people to spend a week in Vegas and not even touch a casino chip… but I know my luck, have an elementary understanding of the theory of probability and absolutely no understanding of poker. I would rather stand in the street and give cash to strangers walking by. As for the people who sit for hours with the one arm bandits – it seems a bit dull to me and I can’t help thinking (in a totally non-judgemental way of course :)!) that they all looked very lonely and slightly desperate.

I should add here that, with one notable exception, everyone I met was lovely, friendly, interesting – and that includes at least one native Las Vegan whose grandfather came to the area as a explosives consultant for the Hoover Dam.

I think Vegas is like a big shopping mall (oops centre) for the rich, and I do dislike big shopping centres. Expensive, artificial and uninteresting.

On the other hand I loved Chicago. Fresh air, trees (lovely spring trees), exciting skyline, loads of green areas in the city, rivers running through…… and I didn’t even get to see any of my initial reason for wanting to go to Chicago, the electric blues. Maybe another time! I did go to the Art Institute – American Gothic and a Matisse exhibition (and yes I bought another view through a window … I can’t help myself), and I went up the Sears (now Willis) Tower and even stepped out onto the glass platform (not for very long though), travelled on the “L”… I would definitely recommend Chicago as a good place to visit.

I must say that it was wonderful to get back home, sleep in my own bed and see my dear little cats – and Mohamed of course. I have caught up on my sleep and got my body clock back in the right time zone and pretty soon we will start building. We were going to start last week but our neighbour asked if he could borrow the workers we had lined up to start working for us. It was supposed to be for a couple of days… which turned into a week. We now have all the iron, cement, bricks, sand and gravel necessary so it will be quick work to throw up the walls and pour the roof. Mohamed has also found a joiner who can make us some nice doors and windows… though I haven’t seen them and sometimes Mohamed’s idea of nice is spot on and sometimes way off (for me anyway) so I shall wait and see.

I will post some pictures but the small rodent who normally powers my internet connection is evidently having a slow day.

And that is all my news… well all I can think of just now… and in case you were wondering it is SCORCHIO!

Sorry for not writing much lately... it has been a funny period of waiting for things to happen.

I am just about to head off to Belgium and then Las Vegas for a week of work....

....and at home we are waiting for the go ahead to start building again.

Meanwhile Elvis has been in the wars (again) and I have spent a lot of the week sneaking up on him with ointment for his wounded ear and Honey has been continuing her discovery of local wildlife... she has come home with several long tailed mice and one bat!

anyway I will post news of what Vegas was like for someone who's current excitement consists of chasing goats off her roof.

Back to blue skies and sunshine

Hallo everyone

I am back in Morocco after a week in the UK visiting my little sister who had a birthday. As it was a surprise visit and she does read this blog I couldn't mention online what I was up to... would have spoiled the surprise!

I managed to get back through customs with all my cheese (and mango chutney, lime pickle, yellow bean sauce, crunchies, popadoms, jelly, mustard powder....) and am thinking about cheese on toast for lunch. Also came back with a really runny nose.

All the cats are well... I think Martha was the most pleased to see me as she doesn't get cuddles from anyone else (her choice) oh and Mohamed of course.

Although I do value the temperate climate and the year round green it provides, it is nice to have blue sky and warm sunshine.

all safe now

ooops sorry didn't mean to leave you all on the cliff edge. Yes Mohamed made it home on Wednesday night. He had to walk the last 10 km or so as the river had taken out half of the bridge further along the road and then dumped a load of rocks and trees over the road at the Nomades Paradis crossing.

Dad and I kept ourselves entertained and warmed by sitting wrapped in blankets watching Babylon 5 episodes.

The car did not get back to civilisation till the weekend when we managed to get it towed to Agadir. It then spent the best part of a week (and a lot of money) having the engine taken apart and put back together without the water or the water damaged parts. Next time I drive through a flood (not that I will ever again, promise) I have to first of all disconnect where the air goes in... and if it does get water in the engine not try to start it again till someone has wiggled some part or other to get the water out first... hey ho we live and learn.

When Mohamed did get back he had a harrowing tale of seeing a pickup truck that had been swept off the road by the flood just outside Taroudant. There were 4 children in the back and a driver who were OK but a baby and mother in the cab were drowned. This gave me some pause for thought over my reckless driving......

Dad should be home now. He couldn't get to the airport for his flight on 17th - even if we had a car or he had been in the hotel we couldn't have got in to Agadir. So he missed some wild snow and had some wild rain instead... as well as being invited for dinner at the local elected man's house to celebrate Mohamed (the prophet)'s birthday and going to the hamman with Mohamed (the husband) - which wouldn't have happened if he had left on time.

It is a bit damp again today but in between we have had some nice sunny days as you can see from the picture.

Latest news: Mohamed went to a meeting in the mosque on Sunday to be told that the work on getting the mains water supply to the village should be starting in June. They are going to build a water tower at the top of the hill to the west of us and pump from the road up to there before distributing it to all the village. This may well slip though as everyone has to contribute 2800 dirham for their meter and pipework before they start work.