The three of us – Adam, our friend Sarah, and I – recently shuffled across the epic mosaic floors at the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, Tunisia and gazed at the intricate tile walls depicting ghoulish sea creatures or fertile signs of the Zodiac. “Can you imagine how long this must have taken?” Adam said,Continue reading “Roman Ruins, Italian Food, and a Museum with a Sad History in Tunis”
Category Archives: Cultural Differences
A Desert Party from a Magazine Spread
It’s officially the holiday season here in Algiers. Our Christmas tree is up, our house is aglow in twinkle lights, we are going to lots of parties and eating our weights in decadent foods. We are preparing to host our Fourth Annual Holiday Spirit Cocktail Contest Party in just a few short days and I’mContinue reading “A Desert Party from a Magazine Spread”
The Vulgarity of Learning a Language
It was near the end of our time in Rabat when I decided I’d make pillows out of the cool African mud cloth I’d bought in Marrakesh. I had a new sewing machine and I had the fabric. I just needed zippers and so I went in searching in the Rabat medina, a place thatContinue reading “The Vulgarity of Learning a Language”
Our New Home, Algiers
Bonjour and marhaba from Algiers, our city of residence for the next two years. We arrived a little more than three weeks ago and, as in times past, I feel the urge to put off a post on our new city until my impressions are more fully formed. But that could take ages. This isContinue reading “Our New Home, Algiers”
The Pirate City Across the River
Rabat/Salé is one of those city duos separated by a river, like Minneapolis/St. Paul, or Budapest. The Bou Regreg river divides Rabat and Salé and empties into the Atlantic at the edge of both cities. Here is how novelist Edith Wharton described the two cities in her 1920 guidebook “In Morocco:” Salé the white and RabatContinue reading “The Pirate City Across the River”
Travel Scams (And How to Not Let Them Ruin Your Trip)
I recently read this article about the most common scams on travelers in Morocco and how to avoid them and it got me thinking about how much I hate, loathe, despise and abominate being at the receiving end of an attempted scam. There’s something uniquely sucky when someone tries to scam you when you’re in the open-heartedContinue reading “Travel Scams (And How to Not Let Them Ruin Your Trip)”
Mastering the Life-Changing Art of Driving in a Foreign Country
I can be hard on myself about certain ways in which I handle living abroad. Awkward language-barrier encounters, not being assertive enough, not having local friends. But one thing I’ll say outright that I deserve kudos for: Driving a car in foreign countries. To know why this is especially commendable in my particular case, we’d haveContinue reading “Mastering the Life-Changing Art of Driving in a Foreign Country”
A Fall Dinner Party in Rabat
For the first month in Rabat, it was all sunshine all the time. Just when my stateside friends started posting about pumpkins, a chill and rain blew in to Rabat. No changing leaves, but still I’ll gladly take semi-autumnal sweater weather as an excuse to make soup. Around the same time, our stuff arrived! OneContinue reading “A Fall Dinner Party in Rabat”
Moroccan Surf and Yoga Camp
A few days ago I posted about the amazing shopping in Morocco that my friend Neda and I partook in during her recent visit to Morocco. And now, for part deux: Surf and yoga camp in Morocco. So neither Neda nor I know how to surf, but we thought it would be fun to learn inContinue reading “Moroccan Surf and Yoga Camp”
Settling in to Rabat
We’re just over three weeks in to our Gap Year in Rabat, and already I’m thinking in percentages. As in that’s 10% of our 10-month tour already gone! First impressions: Rabat seems chill and very livable although probably not the exotic color and spice explosion I’d imagined Morocco to be. It’s modern, clean, and seemsContinue reading “Settling in to Rabat”