Sometimes....

I am an idiot. I bought some apples from a street vendor. He totally cheated me. It was the first time I'd done this. I was walking home from running an errand. I needed to get some apples. I didn't want to go to the grocery store with the hundreds of people and enormous lines. I had happened to walk by this guy and the fruits and veggies looked good. No one else was there. A quick stop and I could be on my way.

I forgot where I was and that in Marrakech they try to steal you blind and that you need to haggle. He told me the price and I was shocked by it, 42 dhirams which is about $5 and about 4 times what it should be. (I know Garren, I'm a moron) I can only justify my stupidity in paying this price with the explanation that I usually go to the grocery store where the prices are fixed and I just came back in London where I have no need to haggle. I stupidly paid him while still puzzling over the price and not realizing I needed to dispute it. As I walked away I immediately became angry at myself as I realized I'd played the role of the stupid foreigner perfectly.

In the scheme of things it's only $5 which if I was going to be robbed blind $5 is not the end of the world, but I just hate that I have to haggle (read argue/have a confrontation) with people. I hate that they just can't give me a fair price and let me be on my way. Maybe I'm just a naive Westerner (or really an avoid confrontation at all costs type of person) but I hate that buying a few apples can turn into a whole ordeal. Next time I'll let it turn into a whole ordeal. Next time I will be prepared for them to try to treat me like a dumb foreigner. Next time they had better watch out.

Next time I will go to the grocery store even with its immense lines to avoid having to deal with this.

ugh. idiot.

High Maintenance

Since moving to Marrakech, my beauty regime has not been kept up to previous standards. (Who knew I was so high maintenance?) Back in California I used to get my hair cut every 8 weeks, my eyebrows waxed every 3 weeks and have a pedicure around every 1-2 months depending on the weather.

I’ve managed to get my haircut since moving here, having found a French salon around the corner, but I still miss my hair time with Ashley back at Oxen Rose and with no curlers or flat iron here (the voltage can’t convert with those devices so I left them behind) my hair is pretty frizzy most of the time.

As for the eyebrows, I don’t know how much I trust anyone here with hot wax near my eyes. Actually I do know how much I trust them. Not at all. So I’ve been attempting to pluck my own eyebrows, which I hate.

I’ve already looked up an Aveda salon in London to rectify the situation.

And then there is the pedicure. I’ve actually been given recommendations for a place to go here in Marrakech, but I’ve been too lazy to go and now that the weather has turned cold, well nobody sees my feet anymore but me and Kept Man. And now you lucky people.

I know you're probably disgusted by looking at my feet, but look when we were Christmas shopping in the souks I bought myself some leather babouches in a pretty purple color which hides my un-pedicured feet from sight.


Kept Man thinks my slippers smell from the leather making process which he had the opportunity to visit on his guided tour of the Medina. He frequently throws them into the other room when I’m not looking. Poor pretty babouches.

In other news with all our Christmas shopping we've gotten better at haggling in the souks. Or rather Kept Man has gotten better. I've gotten better at keeping my mouth shut in the background and pretending to be a simpering well mannered wife.

Best Husband Ever

I came home last night to a sparkling home, BBQ chicken pizza, fresh, not frozen, raspberries (my favorite) and the next book in the Twilight Series (Eclipse) under my pillow.

I'm spolied rotten. Kept Man then started watching Pineapple Express and left me to crawl into bed and begin reading the stupidness that is Eclipse. I have to know what happens! Even if the series does drive me crazy. It's a sickness. I promptly feel asleep within a half hour in all my clothes. It was 9:00pm. I'm an old lady.

To those who care I'm also slowly watching a bad quality pirated version of New Moon. Although I'd like to I can't blame all the bad acting on the my bad copy. And yet, I'm still torturing myself. With Kept Man shaking his head in shame in the background.

And this little piggy

So living in what amounts to a pork free society, I've come to realize how many pork products I like. Used to be when I heard the word pork I made a face. I'm not a fan of pork chops (except for Kept Man's which is a recreation of a dish at Wood Tavern and perhaps Erik's but I haven't tried those yet) but I never really realized how many other parts of the pig I enjoy. (man that sounds dirty)

It's amazing to me how prevalent these products are at home back in the states and how DIFFICULT they are to find here. Anytime a recipe calls for bacon or procuitto or something along those lines, we inwardly groan both in longing and frustration as we're either going to have to supplement it with something else or pass over the recipe entirely. We are constantly scouring the grocery store for any pig products (to stock up whenever we get lucky and find some) and cursing any various Moroccan authority figures when we cannot.  Yesterday I went to the Moroccan equivalent of Costco and in the dairy section found salami, serano ham and bacon (yep, pig products mixed in with dairy). I immediately texted Kept Man with "found pig products" and received a "woo-hoo" in return. We are so easily pleased here.

Another situation which rams home my pork dependancy was during an attempt to torture myself earlier today by looking at the autumn menu at Wood Tavern back in Berkeley. Kept Man was making lamb sugo for dinner (which might I mention was excellent, I am spoiled) which was always a favorite of mine when we used to go there too often for dinner and I decided I just had to see what was on their current menu. As I was reading through the menu there were two new items that caught my eye, "Pig and Fig" and "Swine and Bovine". Both items immediately jumped off the page to me only because at this point they are such exotic items. Pork Belly! I might die from shock to see it here.

Thankfully we will soon be in the land of the Czechs where we can gorge ourselves on pig products and beer and be sedated for a while upon our return to Morocco. (but not too long)

Side Trip

We're going to Prague!

Seriously! And for a month or so. Not just a visit. That's right this Marrakech based couple is packing up and moving!

As some of you may be aware things with the hotel here in Marrakech are a little delayed and frankly I'm bored. I can only do so much without a property management system. So my fabulous boss at corporate level asked if I'd be willing to help at another hotel property where the Revenue Manager had just left and fill in until they found someone. I said YES! And at the same time she made sure that it would be alright for my husband to be there with me. He'll only take up a small corner of the hotel room and I promised he'd be as quiet as a mouse.

So after our London adventure we fly straight to Prague. When we come back I do not know yet.

Who wants to come visit?

This is kinda cool.....

and squishy and kinda gross.

So says my husband with his hand inside of a squid. I don't know how I feel about seeing my calamari before it becomes calamari. I've tried to avoid the kitchen as much as possible so as not to destroy the veil around deep fried breaded calamari goodness.

If anyone wants to know step by step instructions about cleaning a squid you can find it here. (You'll need to click on "play full" video and then "how to clean a squid"). Does anyone know what people did before the internet to learn this sort of stuff? Joy of Cooking I guess.

In the meantime, for your actual viewing pleasure.

Little Tabby

There is a kitten in our apartment. We were just starting dinner. Watching some TV and a little tabby kitten walked in from our balcony. Our fourth floor balcony. WTF?! He's currently behind the TV playing with some plastic and he's ignored all attempts to feed him milk or some burger. I don't know what to do. I don't want to put him back on the balcony or even kick him outside the door. It's like abandoning him to the wolves. But I can't keep him either. Maybe he belongs to a neighbor. I hope so.

I can't have a cat here. 1. Garren would kill me 2. I would have to bring him home 3. Willoughby and Maggie would kill me.

What do I do?!

Spanish Reflections

Upon our arrival in Spain it was hard not to compare it to Marrakech, where we have been for 3 months now and where we are seriously missing some westernized standards.

For example at some point Garren and I both noted how quiet the streets of Sevilla are. That's not say that they are silent and devoid of traffic, but they are devoid of constant honking, beeping and a million scooters, bikes, donkeys, carts and god knows what else screaming by as you try to cross the street. Even their light rail is quiet. And with that observation we immediately noticed how CLEAN Sevilla was. No fumes from passing trucks, scooters or cars (The idea of "green" or even smog control has not reached Morocco yet). No trash or construction debris in the street. No cats and dogs wandering around. No people sitting on sidewalks looking for handouts. It is a stark contrast and it was a strange feeling to consider it a luxury for the weekend.

Alternate observations included the number of strollers out and about. Now I know there are a few people who may be thinking, "Her biological clock is going like this!" (insert an image of Marisa Tomei from My Cousin Vinny), but seriously I don't think I've seen so many strollers in all my life. The number of children, babies and pregnant women observed on a typical day was insane. Maybe it's the Catholic culture prevelant in Spain, maybe it's just a city where it is good to raise a family or maybe we're just not used to seeing strollers here in Marrakech, but there were children EVERYWHERE (dressed alike I may add - and I wondered where my mom got that from) and if I knew what was good for me I would invent the new "IT" stroller and sell it in Spain because I would make a fortune. Below was my attempt to show how many strollers there were, however everytime I attempted to take a picture with multiple strollers in it someone got in my way. So I've circled them. They're there I swear. I didn't make it up. And I've got several more pictures of other strollers taken within a 10 minute period to prove it.

Irish Girl Found Some New Potatoes

So I'm back in the land of the living. Or should I say the land of the computer with internet connectivity?

I flew back to Marrakech from Sevilla this morning, sans husband. He's still trekking around Spain enjoying the countryside and their fabulous beer. I unfortunately am back to reality tomorrow morning and am off to work. I have however enjoyed my return to Marrakech being lazy and watching as many TV shows as my computer will download while eating in bed. (Hubby will yell at me later for this which is why I did it while he is off traveling. Hah-Hah! Have to find the silver lining somewhere!)

Right so Sevilla. Awesome town. Totally my speed. Very young, very hip (I felt so unfashionable) and lots of great food. On our first day we discovered a tapas dish by the name of Patatas Bravas which on the English menu we were provided translated to Brave Potatoes. What girl of Irish descent wouldn't try potatoes by that name? I ask you! Basically it's home fries covered in aioli and hot sauce. There is of course room for interpretation on this and it's prepared differently in different bars (yes we tried it more than once) as well as different cities (I believe), but I give Sevilla's Patatas Bravas in particular two thumbs up. Garren and I will be attempting them on his return to Marrakech. Because well why not. Seriously yum.

We we also be attempting to make a passable sangria. We've tried before with not much luck. (It sat in the fridge for 2 weeks because it was that "good") But oh my, our first taste of Sangria in Sevilla in the picturesque area of Santa Cruz was lip smacking. Delicioso. (Hence the above picture, although as you can see, Garren was having beer and totally in his happy place.)

Basically what I'm saying here is that Sevilla and its laid back culture is on the retirement list. Seriously all anyone seems to do is eat, drink, take a siesta and then repeat. I'm sure there is work being done somewhere. Right? The retirement list also currently includes Santa Barbara and the Loire Valley. In case you were wondering.

We're not picky just a little place for us to lay our head and enjoy the rest of our lives. Where's the winning lottery number when you need it? Oh that's right in Spain. They sell lotto tickets everywhere. Little old men walking around asking everyone if they want one. And then actual lotto windows where you can buy more. Freaky gaming Catholics (Bingo anyone?) how I love your beautiful Spanish city.

Shhh!

So it's not a secret that filming is happening in various areas of Morocco for this movie. But what is not commonly know is that filming in Marrakech is going to be at my office this upcoming week. I probably shouldn't have mentioned, but I just had to share.

In alternate more perhaps important news the Secretary of State is also in Marrakech this week. Apparently Marrakech is very popular all of a sudden.

Mini Break

Garren and I are going to Spain next week. It’s a holiday here in Morocco on the 6th (Fête de la marche verte) and I’m taking advantage of the long weekend and even taking an extra day to boot! Garren the lucky duck is taking a whole week to explore Spain or wherever he decides his travels will take him.

While I’m excited to spend some time with my husband somewhere else besides our apartment is it weird that I’m not really that excited about going to Spain? Specifically Seville for any of you wondering.

I think I would be more excited if I wasn’t worried more about the hassle.

1. I don’t speak Spanish which makes me uncomfortable
2. I’m returning to Morocco on my own, which means
   a. I have to go through customs on my own
   b. I have to deal with the thieving taxi drivers on my own at the airport and probably get screwed on the cab fare home
3. I know nothing about Seville and have had no time to do any research

I know all of you back home are going Spain! For the weekend! Quit complaining. So on the brighter side:

1. The cost of the ticket was $43 round trip
2. I’m going to eat Tapas until I burst
3. Tapas + Beer is even better!
4. Flamenco show
5. Roman Ruins
6. Exploring a new city with my hubby

And if any of you are screaming at your computers at my lack of enthusiasm and have some ideas about what we should do, let me know. I’d love to hear it.

Yes I am American

Being an American abroad is a weird experience. Especially with such a multi-national group as the one I work with. Anytime a comment is made regarding Americans I tend to get sly looks from the people making the comments, I think to make sure I'm not taking offense. And being outside of the country it's interesting to see what types of things they make fun of America for or really just the types of things they tend to comment on.

I also get lots of "you're so American". When I was younger and it was my French family telling me this, I used to take offense as it was like they were trying to point out how different I was from the rest of them, but now, I dunno.... Growing up with European parents I always used to feel like I highlighted my European background around others, because my family did not do things the way every other American family did. For example one Thanksgiving we had Mac and Cheese because my parents forgot the store closed early on Thanksgiving Day. There’s nothing wrong with it but it’s definitely different from every other American family planning a big get together for the day. Well here I'm obviously not European enough for actual Europeans so I feel like I need to just embrace my Americanness or at least not be ashamed of it.

Last night was an interesting test of this cultural split. Garren and I had some American friends that we met last week over for dinner along with one of our friends from work, who obviously is European. Last week when we got together with these girls I revealed in being around Americans and laughing at the same things, missing the same things and having the same cultural reference points. Last night while I still enjoyed this I could see from a European prospective how loud American’s can be as well as how uninformed and unaware we can come across as. It’s not that we actually are this way, I mean anyone who moves to Marrakech sight unseen is culturally adventurous and wants to know more about other places in the world, but in general the American culture is very self centered. You don’t get a lot of information about other countries either in school or on the news. It’s something that you need to actively seek out as it is not presented much in our day to day lives.

I feel like I’m babbling here but what I’m trying to say here is that a different times during the night I was uncomfortable knowing when my American side might be seen in a negative light and when the European one might be looked down upon exemplified by other people. It was a strange phenomenon and I found myself providing small commentary to clarify certain statements made by others.

For the most part I’ve found that I like both sides that I’ve grown up with, but that I am more comfortable with the American one. For obvious reasons. Maybe with more time here in Marrakech and around my co-workers my European side will make a stronger appearance. Probably not. And I’ve realized that while I enjoy visiting other places and meeting different types of people, America really is home. Or maybe that’s just the homesickness talking. I mean it has only been less than 3 months since we left. Maybe with more time here in Marrakech the thought of moving to Europe will have more appeal than moving back to the States, but for now I’m enjoying Marrakech as much as I can and looking forward to a time when Garren and I will move back home. With a lot of saved money and some amazing trips as silly, uninformed and unaware Americans under our belt.

Stupid Oy-vey Procedures

I hate SOPs. For those who are scratching their heads : Standard Operating Procedure. They suck and there are no set SOPs for the hotel group. Nope each hotel has their own. So I’m starting from scratch. The last one I just did took me 2 hours. And it probably still isn’t detailed enough. Although maybe I’m just being anal. Most of the other SOPs I’ve seen from the other Reservations Departments are not this detailed. Maybe I’m worrying too much. I mean really who’s going to look at them? After the initial training they’ll probably never be referenced again. I have to force myself to do them. They always feel like a colossal waste of time. Although I suppose it is good that they get me to think about how I want things in the Department to work and to confirm procedures with other Departments. However, without the Reservations System in place I also have to guess on some things and remember to update the SOP when I have the system to make sure the procedure works. Sigh.

I’m going to try to do another one now. Slowly but surely my done list is getting closer to being completed. Stupid SOPs.

A London we will go

So I had a whole post ready to go waiting just for pictures and then…Garren stole the pictures and posted about the same thing.

Suffice to say fajitas with homemade tortillas, amazing. Next Garren’s going to find a way to make corn tortillas for chips. If you cared to know the same night he made curry I made carrot cupcakes. Cream Cheese frosting worked ok. I think I need more cheese to stiffen it up, or stiffer butter, but next I want to try to recreate my pumpkin cupcakes. I don’t think I’ll have luck finding canned pumpkin but I’ve got my eye out for an actual pumpkin.

The news today is that we have bought tickets to London over Christmas. My boss finally approved my vacation and while the rates have gone up since we first started talking about it, Garren and I have two months to save and we’ve been able to save quite a bit here in Morocco so far, so it’s not the end of the world. We’re going to be in the UK for about 10 days. We’re hoping to go up to Scotland for a few days to do some whisky tasting. It was a trip that came up even before we left for Morocco and Michele was at one time just trying to get Garren to go from California on a trip anywhere and thought Scotland would be the one to entice him the most.

Garren’s doing some research to find out the best way for us to get up to Scotland, how to get around and where to stay. After that we’ll return to London to stay with family friends over the holiday. Garren and I are really excited to have a “real” xmas. He hasn’t not worked over xmas in years and our xmas since we met have not been stellar so it will be nice to relax with good company and enjoy some cold holiday appropriate weather.

Speaking of appropriate weather, last year when we went to Chicago for our annual December trip we swore we would go somewhere tropical and warm the next December. The time before we were in New York. Now we’re planning on leaving warm Morocco for cold and rainy Scotland and England. We’re not very bright sometimes.

If anyone has any suggestions about what we should do or see in Scotland or England, let us know. We’re all ears.

Really?!

A few weeks ago, I was offered hash twice, on the same day, by the same man (Garren believes), at different times of the day.

It's not a strange occurrence. Locals seem to think it's the only reason tourists come to Morocco. Not me. I mean really do I look like the smoking type? I mean seriously. Little me with her hair up in a pony tail her glasses on because she was too lazy to put in her contacts and being sick on top of it? I look like the type that will risk time in a Morocco prison for some Kif?

I was shocked both times it happened mostly because this man looked so clean cut. Why this should shock me I don't know. I think it's because usually when we're offered Kif (and it does happen quite a bit) it's by a young guy in jeans and a T-shirt. This time it was a middle aged man in a djellaba and yellow slippers. Very bizarre. I mean really you walk by the type of person who usually is trying to ignore your existence (at least that is the impression I get being a woman here a lot) and out of the blue they mumble, "Smoke" at you. It requires a double take. At least for me. I was stunned for a second or two before I told Garren what the man had said. His reaction? "The guy in the yellow slippers?!" And you think after I stared dumbfounded for a while the first time he wouldn't have bothered to try a 2nd time. Or at least maybe he would have tried to pass by Garren instead. This all happened near where the "hop on, hop off" tour bus stops.

Since then Garren has found out that the guy hangs out and wlks around this intersection a lot. He even had an encounter more than just where "smoke" was mumbled, but I'll let him relay that story if he wants. In the meantime, while walking around Marrakech I will continue to ignore any comments sent my way.

Giggle

If Garren and I hadn't already had the fantabulous wedding that we did and I had a bigger budget to have a band, I would have hired, World Peace Leaders. I have mentioned them before. They are a band that at least used to play in Santa Barbara. They do all sorts of cover songs and their front man is just the most entertaining thing ever.

Garren and I were randomly thinking of them the other day and so I did a search of them on the internet and found the youtube video below of them performing at someone's wedding. They made me giggle and laugh all over again. Thank you World Peace Leaders for cheering me up again all the way in Marrakech. I hope your still out there playing together somewhere.

Cats of Marrakech #1

I miss my cats. I miss the weight of Willoughby on my chest while he stretches his paws at me to pet him. I miss Maggie's playfulness in the morning and her meows for pets. I miss their greetings of happiness when I get home in the evening. Obviously they want food but they're still happy to see me.

There are tons of cats here in Marrakech. The truth is they break my heart. They have no homes, they fend for themselves and they only want to be loved. I wish I had the time and know how to start an animal shelter for all the dogs and cats in this city. I am sorely tempted to adopt one, but if I adopt one I won't want to leave it here and 1. trying to get it home and 2. trying to then integrate a new cat with Maggie and Willoughby when I return when they will probably already be pissed at me....not so much fun.

So instead I placate myself by petting the cats in my neighborhood and naming them. And maybe giving them a bit of food if I happen to have it. I will soon be the neighborhood cat lady.

On my first Cats of Marrakech post I give you daisy. The cutest calico I ever did see.

It looks like a Lime

Garren and I made stir fry the other night. The recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart called for limes. So at the store Garren and I found two limes (small round green looking citrus things) had them weighed and ticketed and threw them in our cart along with all our other groceries.

This is not a strange occurrence as Garren regularly buys limes for our G&Ts. Last night as we were preparing said stir fry Garren cut open the lime to reveal, an orange.

Maybe it's just a strangely colored lime? Nope smells like orange. We cut open the 2nd one to reveal the same thing. We substituted lemon instead. The lemon thankfully was lemony when we cut it open.

Just another thing to prepare for in Morocco. Sometimes the limes are not limes. And always always wash your veggies and fruits. It's amazing how dirty food really is when you don't have American Grocery Marketers making them look all shiny and clean. Who knew they did that?

This is hard, but.....

This whole transition from SF to Marrakech has been hard, both personally and professionally. It's draining me both emotionally and physically and now I'm sick too.

I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss my easy job back home. I miss familiar venues, restaurants and areas. I miss feeling comfortable about where I am and what I'm doing. I miss not feeling like an idiot when I talk or not understanding something simply because I'm not familiar with the word.

But with all the crappy things there are some good things too.

1. Garren and I will not starve. Bread is available for 2 MAD or $0.25
2. There is a French Chocolate store down the street for when I really need a pick me up
3. Massages are relatively cheap 350 MAD opr $45 for one hour or (This gets me out of my wifely duties of providing back massages - sometimes!)
4. Internet is cheap and stable enough to stay in touch
5. Taxis are cheap - when you can get them to turn on the meter
6. The weather is nice. Since it being super hot when we got here it's cooled down to be more like Santa Barbara weather. We're diggin' it.
7. Garren and I are planning a trip to the coast one of these days. There's a hippie surf camp just north Agadir of which looks fun and relaxing.
8. We're hoping to do another trip up to London sometime soon to get some much needed time in an English speaking country

So instead of focusing on the bad things, in the future I will be trying to focus on the good things, or the absurd or the just plain weird. I hope you all look forward to hearing about some of them.

Still Here

I know that some of you have been wondering where I've been.

Well I'm still in Morocco and still alive. The truth is I'm just exhausted. I sit all day at my desk trying to get anything done, feeling like I get nothing done, cursing the lack of internet and computer (still on our personal laptop) and by the time I get home all I want to do is cuddle with my husband, turn my brain off and watch TV.

I'm happy to report that re-runs (for me anyways) of The OC and The Biggest Loser are on nightly as well as many random movies. Top that off with our ability to watch streamed videos of almost anything we want, and Ashley on Top Chef, I'm pretty much set on the entertainment front.

So basically things are going. Slowly. Mostly at this point I'm just frustrated. There is a general lack of direction and as with any opening there are a million changes. My main problem at the moment is that I'm expected to create a training plan/matrix and all SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for my department as well begin to hire my staff and prep myself for setting up both an online and local system. It's all pretty standard, really, but having never done it on my own before, I don't have enough hands let alone enough brain space to even attempt to accomplish it right now.

I'm going to take this weekend to have a stable internet connection and try to get myself organized. I'm hoping my wonderful husband can help me. When things get to big for me I get overwhelmed. And I find I avoid everything. I'm hoping if I can nail things down a bit more, get an actual plan in place that maybe things will be more manageable. Right now I'm all over the place. Even this post is all over the place.

Have a computer and files at work would be a freaking help. But that would involve other people being organized or things being easy in Morocco. Yea uh-huh. So another thing to do this weekend, buy some work supplies!

So I apologize for the partly depressing nature of this post, but it is what it is. I think once things start running more smoothly at work and we get a workable opening date, I have better more exciting things to talk about.

On the home front we may have our stuff in the next few weeks. It's supposed to arrive in Casablanca around the 24th and we're making a trip up to Casablanca next week to get a document from the American Embassy which states that we are living in Morocco. (The amount of paperwork needed is never ending and everything has to be done in person) We're talking about taking the train so hopefully a more upbeat and exciting post will be forthcoming.

Nuala out!

Bouquets made by me!

As many of you know I made my own bouquet for my wedding last month. I was inspired by Princess Lasertron who makes custom vintage button bouquets and while I was obsessing over them she happened to come out with a make your own bouquet kit. I immediately contacted her picked out my colors and had a kit arrive at the house. I was a little intense during my creation period (I'm not very artistic and I was obsessed. Ask Garren), but it turned out pretty well.

I sent some pictures of my final product to Princess Lasertron to thank her and give her an example of what her kits were producing. In case she was interested.....So she posted some of my pictures (as well as some other brides creations) recently on her website.

I got a kick out of it and thought you might all as well.

Happy Birthday to You!

Happy 28th Birthday baby sister!

I cannot believe I was writing 28 for your bday this year. In my head you're maybe 20. Before it was 16 so you've jumped a few years but still, no where near 28. Course in my head I'm not freaking 30 in two days either.

I'm sorry I'm not there to celebrate with you, but I'm there in spirit. Enjoy your day, or hell, week. I feel like as we get older we should take MORE time to celebrate birthdays. And if you're in at Wood Tavern for cocktails to celebrate have a sip for me and tell them I say hello.

Spoil yourself!

Love

Big Sister

I'm totally on.....

Edward's gone and I'm actually enjoying New Moon. I can even stand Bella's "I'm empty withough Edward" whining without Edward there to make it worse.

I know he's coming back. sigh. Maybe Jacob will kick his ass? Yea...and pigs will fly. A girl can dream.

Trip to the Spa

So since we had a long weekend Garren and I figured we should try to get out of the hotel and do something. Garren as many of you know LOVES his massages and my colleague Christine had given us the name of a Spa that she uses. So we thought what the hell and decided to make a trip out.

Now I as many of you know am not the biggest massage fan. I feel uncomfortable naked in front of other people and therefore I can never really relax and enjoy a massage. I'm too tense. So I thought I would get a hammam (traditional moroccon bath) which still involves getting naked but I thought hell, "when in Rome" and it is something that people will probably ask me about over the phone during a Reservations call so I thought that I should at least experience it once.

First finding the place was a bit of a nightmare. It was off the main square Djemaa el Fna but our map did not show the street we were looking for. We therefore spent a very hot 45 minutes walking around the very large square trying every street that branched off of it. Some of the streets had street signs at the start, many did not. Of course we found it at last...the very last street we tried.

Upon entering we were shown around by the proprietor. Garren was lead away for his massage while I had to wait in the hot sitting room for others to be done with their hammam. I happily read my book and drank some of the water we brought with us. Later a group of Italians showed up who were also waiting for the hammam. We chatted a bit. They seemed impressed I was here to stay for a while and were enjoying their vacation in Morocco.

Finally I was lead into the hammam. It wasn't a public hammam (since it was at a spa and all) and it was much smaller I think than the public hammams but the practice was the same. I stripped down and went into what amounts to a sauna room. Thankful I was the last woman patron of the evening so it was just me. First I got dowsed with some water and lathered with some sort of soap/oil. I was then left to sweat it out. It was strangely relaxing. You think being in a steam room after being hot all afternoon would suck but it wasn't. Afterwards I was scrubbed down with a mitt to get all the dead skin off and then the black paste was applied which is supposed to make your skin all extra soft. I was then again left to steam it out.

While I was steaming it out another woman came in to get a shower. It was strangely surreal, but at this point I was naked and covered in black substance so what the hell. Eventually I was given my own shower and my hair was washed. It was the most relaxing feeling to have luke warm water thrown over you after sitting in a hot room dozing. I was lead out and allowed to dry off, comb my hair and get dressed.

Garren was waiting for me and we quickly paid (both the massage and hammam totaled $45 together!) and made our way back out into the now busy streets. We eventually made our way to dinner a Japanese/Thai restaurant called Katsura. It was good (and one of the competitors for the Asian restaurant the hotel is opening....research people, research.). Unfortunately I have not been feeling very well and find it hard to eat. When I am stressed out or uncomfortable the last thing I want to do is eat. You can ask Michele and Kristen. I did the same thing on our trip to Europe over 12 years ago. It's frustrating but unavoidable at the moment. We will have to go back when I am feeling better.

But other than that I feel like our Spa day was a success. We got out of the hotel. Went into the Medina. Did some work research, managed to relax a little I think. Next time I think I want to try another spa to get a comparison and if the new hotel spa needs someone to practice on, I'm happy to volunteer. Rest assured dear readers, Garren and I will find the best place for both a massage and a hammam so that any of you visiting who want to go will get the benefit of our "research"

And so it begins

First week of work done. The highlights:

• I still don’t have a work cell phone
• We have not had internet the two days I have brought my own computer. The first day I had no computer to work with.
• I have no access to email or to the network to get information that I need to do any work.
• Human Resources has been pretty unhelpful with the whole being a foreigner moving to a new country thing.
• It is a short week. There are two holidays this Thursday and Friday (the King’s birthday and a celebration of the revolution)
• Ramadan starts on Friday/Saturday
• Garren and I have secured an apartment and from what I can tell it’s a good price in a central location. Pictures to be taken next week.
• French lessons are in our future

In Detail:

Day 1:

First day was a little annoying. It basically turned out the way I expected but it is the exact thing I try to avoid when getting my own new employee. A plan in place, a list of things to do that I can dive into right away. Not to much to ask right? The problem was that there were no extra computers and I didn’t bring our laptop so that Garren had access to the outside world. Therefore the first day consisted of no email, no documents, just reviewing any information that people could print out for me.

About what you could expect from a first day on a pre opening team for a hotel opening in Morocco.

In other news we were able to talk down the price on the apartment we liked. Garren has a project for Day 2. He’s going to go see it again, make sure it’s in good condition and as nice as we remember. And we have a 2^nd apartment to look at with another realtor for the same price in a different location which is not as central.

I’m trusting Garren’s judgment. I think at least looking at a different place in an area further away at the same price will give us an idea if we’re getting a good deal for the one closer to town. I’m still not really sure if the price we negotiated is good. Someone here at work just got a 3 bedroom Riad (on the other side of the Medina from where we’re looking) for the same price we’ve been quoted for the 1 bedroom apartment. He did have some insider help, but still. And it is not in the best neighborhood, or so I’ve been told. He seems to get around ok without a car, but I dunno, I like being in a neighborhood, which is still close to the Medina but has lots of cafes and shops. Maybe I’m being too American/European. But with no car, I like the idea of being more central. Unfortunately it’s further away from work so no matter what I still have to hitch a ride, but many people are in my area in the same boat I think so…..on vera

Day 2:

Had a computer (ours) Yea! No internet Boo! I was able to work on some minor projects, but for the most part I couldn’t do much. No access to email means no access to the files I need. Hopefully tomorrow I will have both a computer and internet. And maybe my phone? I’m not going to hold my breath.

Sounds like I might be able to get some French lessons and find out where Garren can take some too. HR seems to be a little overwhelmed at the moment. It’s a little annoying to feel like I’m bothering them when really they should be helping me to settle in, walking me through the immigration process. Whatever. I suppose it’s on Morocco time. (read FOREVER). Blah.

I did have a good sit down with my new boss this morning, going through what is expected of me. Seems pretty straight forward.

• Set up the various distributions systems and SMS rate structure
• Hire Reservations Staff
• Train Staff
• Run Reservations
• Produce Revenue Reports/Conduct Revenue Management

Just need the damn systems to start. And of course they’ve been delayed. Hopefully (fingers crossed) we’ll have them by sometime next month. In the meantime I can prep…if I could just get some damn internet. Or a computer connected to the network. Sigh.

On the home front, looks like we have an apartment. Garren went back today to the apartment that we saw together still liked it. He says it’s needs a good cleaning but it’s in good shape. I think we’ll end up taking it. I feel like it’s a decent price. It’s no 3 bedroom riad, but it’s comfortable and close to many things. I have to call tomorrow to finalize things, but I may take Monday off so we can go sign papers, pay, sign up for some internet and probably even move. Or I may try to put it off until the 1^st so we don’t have to pay for an extra week.

Today was a little stressful for me. I feel like I’m unable to show what I can do when I don’t have the tools I need. The PMS system would be nice so I could set it up, but even just having access to the information I need so that I can plot everything on paper and maybe email my old boss Mel and other Revenue Managers in the company to let them know that I’m alive and that I miss them.

It’s hard. I’m the new kid on the block. And trying to get to know people when I was introduced to them all at once and have no idea what all their names are is intimidating. I need my email! I know pretty much what everyone does so if I can put a name to a face/position and I can get names down! So yea. On the bright side I have been getting compliments on my French.

Day 3:

Didn’t get much sleep last night One of those things where I nodded off and then woke up again. And after waking up again I couldn’t get a good night sleep. Also my stomach this morning was not happy I’ve been pretty careful about what I eat but maybe it’s just the heat and stress.

No internet again today. And there are lots of Corporate meetings going on which means there won’t be much time for my boss to sit down with me. I did download some documents that I had emailed to me at our hotel where we have internet but there in an excel and word format that I need an update for, which I need internet for. It’s a vicious cycle. So I had hoped that I could work on some of my informational sheets, but apparently no.

I called the realtor and we are taking the apartment. We get the keys on Monday, which means we get a relaxing weekend together (4 days!). And I’ll take Monday off so that we can get situated in the apartement, do all the necessary signing and validations and hopefully (fingers crossed) get a reliable USB internet connection. We’re probably going to hang out by the pool and maybe try to go into town to a spa that Christine recommended. What the hell right? We might as well enjoy ourselves if we can.

And then it will be back to work on Tuesday with me trying to find a ride into work. Oy vey.

Now I need to try to find a way to print out some documents. Maybe then I can actually do some work around here.

Misc Things

A post about my first days at work will be coming I promise. Yesterday was a bit overwhelming for both Garren and me so an evening relaxing and drinking was called for. By the time that was done I was so exhausted I had to go to bed. Now it's morning and I'm about to start my second day and Garren is going to look at more apartments. Potential one we will rent.

In other news, Garren's parents had a wedding announcement posted in the local Redding paper. Those who wish to see it can go here: http://engagementsandweddings.redding.com/wed_display_sh.cfm?recordID=1917

Makes me weirdly feel all grown up. I mean an announcement posting in the paper. About us. Strange, but cool.

Second, Garren's wonderful brother Andrew started a blog, Sexual Chocolate. Follow him. He's a funny boy.

Until tout a l'heure (I know, I know, I'm missing accents and stuff. Deal. I'm in a rush.)

À, à, à la discotheque!

So day 3 here continues in Marrakech. I am doing much better since my last post. There was a lot of anxiousness on my part prior to my arrival and then getting here and actually seeing what we had gotten ourselves into. Well it wasn’t good. Missing home. Missing friends. Missing family. Missing cats. I had a bit of a “what the f**k are we doing here?” moment. There have been a few more of those but for the most part I think we’re slowly but surely adjusting.

Helping us along has been my wonderful colleague Christine. She has been amazing. She and I had emailed back and forth a bit before I left the States and she was kind enough to set up some meetings with some realtors for us as well as meet with us and help us get set up with a phone and give us the lay of the land. She called us within a few hours of our arrival at the hotel and later that evening. She was a breath of fresh air and so reassuring after my freak out. She’s been all over. She’s German and went for work from Paris to Mexico to New York to Hong Kong to Miami to Marrakech. She’s done this a lot and I find her to be fearless. I’ve already told her I admire her courage. She shrugs it off, but I could not have done this by myself as she has. I’m very glad to have met her and look forward to working with her. Too bad she’s on vacation for two weeks. Le sigh.

Besides speaking with Christine, I have not heard from work. I’m supposed to hear from someone about how to get to work on Monday. Hopefully they will call tomorrow. If not I will try calling a few people. It’s a little ridiculous how little has been done by my direct boss to prepare for my arrival. Also a little annoying, but well I will just take it in stride. I think you have to just take everything in stride in Morocco. They work at their own pace. If they don’t bother to call me to tell me where to show up or how to get to work I will be poolside until they get their act together.

Otherwise Garren and I may have found an apartment. Fingers crossed. I almost feel like we should look more, but this place is cute, quiet, central to downtown, has nice looking furniture, a decent sized kitchen, washing machine, a medium size shower for Garren and a balcony. It’s seems to be a semi reasonable price, we’re just hoping we might be able to talk them down a little bit. We’ll see. We’re going to discuss it more tomorrow before I call them back on Monday. There were two other options as well that probably would work just fine that are a little less expensive, but the view isn’t quite as nice from the balcony and a little closer to some construction work going on in the area. There is construction EVERYWHERE in Marrakech. It is pretty much unavoidable.

Garren and I were able to enjoy this afternoon by the pool. Garren is trying to even out his tan. I’m trying to stay white and not turn red. Tomorrow will be more of the same. Otherwise we’re wishing that we had downloaded more movies. We’ll just have to wait for our DVDs….and better internet to start downloading things.

Keep sending me good thoughts. I’m pretty sure they’re working. One more day of laziness and then I’m back to work. I have no idea what to expect. Actually I take that back. I expect chaos. Here’s hoping it’s a bit better than that.

P.S. And for those who are wondering the title of this blog comes from the children here at the hotel who after dinner go with the activities directors to the discotheque. They all get in a congo line and chant à, à, à la discotheque as they make their way from the dining hall outside and down to the discotheque. It’s kinda adorable.

P.P.S Garren made me stand in front of the McDonalds like a damn silly American tourist. But it made him happy.

First Impressions

So not home. Yet.

Scary. Upsetting. Confusing. My French sucks.

There are no line divisions on the road. How does anyone know where they're supposed to drive? I suppose they just don't care. Saw a hay truck with hay stacked three times higher than the truck itself.

I'm scared to leave the hotel. I don't know where to go or what to do. I'm sure all of these things will be settled but for right now I'm terrified.

But all is not lost. We are meeting one of my co-workers tomorrow to help us get a sim card for the phone, stable Internet connection, and get some good old fashioned advice. Too bad she's leaving on vacation on Saturday. le sigh. We are also meeting two real estate agents to begin searching for an apartment.

It's just the beginning. Beginnings are scary. Just need to move through the scary and get onto the normal.

Booze. Booze is next. Booze for Garren's birthday. Booze to relax and try to enjoy ourselves. Maybe the pool later. We have 3 more days together before I start work. Hopefully we'll both be a little more comfortable by then.

We miss you all.

For your viewing pleasure

Our photographer has posted our photos online. Come one, come all, go and see them here.

Password is rosegarden

There are some really great photos people. Not just of me and Garren. You all look fabulous.

Kisses!

N

Perfect Day...Almost

Our first full day here in Blois started off beautifully. You see that map? We did the whole route outlined in green. 47.8 kilometers! That's just under 30 miles! Our butts hurt. :)

The day started off wonderfully. We had a great breakfast at our hotel and then headed for our bikes and were on the road to Chambord. It was an amazing ride. We rode along the Loire River seeing beautiful little homes, estates and shady paths. We made it to Chambord (which is huge, with a great big game reserve) without too much incident. However in the last 3 km to the chateaux Garren's pedal was coming loose from the bike. Not good.

We had lunch and then headed over to a vendor who was renting bikes on the estate hoping that he might have a tool to tighten the bolt. He did! We then toured the chateau. Took some pictures, had an abricot ice cream (so yummy) and then headed for our bikes. By this time our butts were not too happy about getting back on the bikes but we figured it would be a beautiful ride back and we'd just deal.

Three kilometers from the chateau Garren's pedal came loose again. He didn't want to go back. And then we thought we were lost and double backed (we weren't). Some nice people tried to help, but no luck. We continued on with Garren stopping peridocially to tighten the bolt as best he could with his fingers and me feeling uber tired, sore and upset that Garren was angry about the whole thing.

We made it back to the hotel in one piece and a new bike is coming for Garren tomorrow. We're going to take it easy tomorrow and try to find a nearby winery to bike to. I think a loop to another chateau is out of the question just because of our sore butts but a quick trip for wine tasting and eating would be ok.

Now we're off to a well deserved dinner. Garren already had some wine to try to relax after our less than stellar afternoon. But we won't remember the afternoon just the perfect morning. For your viewing pleasure, here is one happy picture.

Conclusions

As many of you know, Garren and I are currently on our honeymoon prior to our arrival for our new life in Marrakech (don't get me started on how freaked out I am about that).

It's been a great time so far with a 3 night stay in New York, followed by 2 days in Paris and we're now based in Blois, France in the Loire Valley for a 3 day stay which includes biking to various chateaux. It's been tiring so far and I'm still a little stressed out by everything that is ahead and everything that we left behind, but we're having a lovely time none the less.

Today, however, I came to a realization about the type of couple Garren and I are. Garren and I have always been avid fans of the Amazing Race. I've always insisted that we could do a great job if we were to get on the show. Garren has always insisted that it would be a bad idea. Today I take back my opinion and agree with him and here is why:

1. I get cranky when I'm tired. Garren calls it MFS (McCann Fatigue Syndrome) and it can be intense. Really it's like having a two year old who's missed her nap time. Exhibit A: the above photo. Exibit B: Our trip from NY to Paris involved us being up over 24 hours in order to acclimate to the time difference. If I had to do clues and run around a city doing puzzles after all that I'd probably break down into tears or make a huge amount of mistakes that would result in us getting eliminated
2. Garren is easily annoyed when we are lost. Exhibit A: Today upon arriving in Blois we did not have detailed directions to the hotel. We had a vague map provided by the tour company, a street name (no number), and a map of the town was available close to the train station. At one point I thought we were going the wrong way. We were a little off but generally going in the right direction. I was wrong, Garren was right...I admit it, however, Garren was immediately pissed off about the whole thing. We got there in one piece and it wasn't too traumatic, but really not a relaxing walk to our hotel.
3. Neither of us want to ask for help/directions
4. Neither of us likes being out of our element or not understanding the language.
5. Garren is hugely competitive. I am not.

All of these things point in the general direction that the Amazing Race is to be enjoyed via tv and not as a game. I will never mention applying again. Watching and mocking others for making mistakes while deprived of sleep is just fine by me.

More to come on our travels. Keep an eye on Garren's blog. I swear he'll write something soon.

Void

Well the apartment is pretty empty. I mean my sister's furniture is all still there so it's not EMPTY empty but all the stuff that made it our apartment is pretty much gone.

It's a little depressing. Good thing Garren took me out to dinner last night so we were not sitting around an empty apartment. Although this morning. SO FREAKING TIRED. ugh. Just want to sleep for-e-ver.

On the plus side the cats seem to think the empty apartment was made just for them as a cat speedway. It's espcially funny when Maggie can't get any traction on the wooden floors.

Yesterday - Stuff taken away, Today - Move to Benicia!

Honeymoon!

So moving is getting closer. I am trying not to focus on that part and instead focus on the fact that Garren and I are getting a two week vacation together.

As I've already mentioned, we're going to New York for a few days. We're just planning on enjoying the hotel, having some good food and maybe do a little bit of shopping. Hopefully also have dinner with some friends too.

Then we're off to Paris and we're staying at this hotel for a few days. It's the same place that Garren's parents are staying at in September and it seems to be in a nice location close to everything. We have no real plans of what we want to do in Paris. Garren has never been and I think mostly it's going to involve lots of pain au chocolats, cheese, the Eiffel Tower and maybe the Louvre.

The last part of our trip is what I am most excited about. We are going out to the Loire Valley and staying Blois where we will have bike rentals for 3 days waiting for us and we will be biking around the countryside visiting multiple chateaux, eating more cheese and hopefully drinking some wine. Here's some details about the trip we booked for those interested.

After that it's one more day in Paris and then we fly to Marrakech (on Garren's birthday). Work is putting us up in this hotel for a few weeks until we can find an apartment. Garren and I will have one more day to relax until I have to start work. Scary! Let's not think about that part.

So for the most part I think our honeymoon is shaping up to be a nice relaxing time. Except that it's August in France and Paris apparently will be empty of Parisians. Remind me why that is bad again?

Nuts to You

Some may wonder where I came up with the blog name Nuts to You. It comes from Get Fuzzy which is my favorite comic. Bucky (the cat in said comic) says it often and it makes me laugh every time. At the time I named my blog back in 2001 or 2002 (wow that's a while ago) I thought it was a fun irreverent statement and it set the tone as an outlet bitch about things if needed. Now, well I'm just used to it and it reminds me of Bucky.

I've been going through old documents and such trying to prep for our across the world move and I came across some of the Get Fuzzy comics I had saved. In particular I've attached one where Bucky says nuts to you and one of my all time favorites that makes me laugh every time I read it. Just for kicks. And to avoid doing moving stuff. So overwhelming! Baby steps, baby steps.

Married? Check.

Well we're married. No more rambling rants on the blog about how I'm freaking out about a dress or the details...or well really it was only the dress. From now on only freaking out about moving to Morocco!

I am currently on hold waiting to make sure that paper bills are sent from PG&E instead of electronic so my sister and Erik can pay their electric bill. I've managed to cancel comcast, figure out how to make paper payments for the car, email the movers and email about baggage storage in Paris. I still have many things to do and my phone died, but I feel like I've made some progress.

As you can tell it's back to reality. No gushing about the wedding here, but really it was a beautiful day. Garren and I were insanely happy and overwhelmed and felt so loved by everyone. It was as wonderful if not more so than we imagined and exactly what we wanted. I did have a minor freak out the night before the wedding. I think it was more a freak out about what happens after the wedding (ahem moving across the globe) rather than marrying Garren. I woke poor Garren up and he sleepily calmed me down. But the day of the wedding I felt relaxed, had a great time getting ready and was insanely happy the rest of the day running throughout the rest of the week. So having a husband pretty great so far, although really I don't feel that much different from before. He's still my boy and I'm still his girl just on paper now too.

A few shout outs are in order.

1. Mitchell at the rest of the Bouchon staff. They were amazing and gracious as always. The patio was romantic and the food spectacular. The fact that we blew most of our budget on the food and wine totally worth it and completely us.

2. Brian of BB Photography. I cannot wait to see the photos. He handled all our crazy friends and family with humor and put up with Garren and I and our lack of comfort in front of the camera. We are so lucky to have had him take our photos.

3. Princess Lasertron for my vintage button bouquet. I may have put it together but she provided the materials and the inspiration. People were dubious when I first mentioned what I was doing for flowers but they were a huge hit at the wedding. If you think my crappy version of a bouquet was nice you should see her custom orders. Spectacular!

4. My ladies in SB. Kelly and Andrea at Mishay Salon and Por Vida Skin Care. They made me look fantabulous and it was wonderful to see them again after having moved away. I wouldn't have looked so wonderful in the photos without them.

5. To the best gag gift ever. John, Josh and Emily the snuggies were pure genius. We promise to take a picture the first time we use them. So excited. Also Mr. Kool-Aid has already threatened to kill me if I use his snuggy by mistake.

6. To my girls (at the wedding or not) who all put up with my freak outs and wedding stress out moments and who were all so excited for me. You mean the world to me and I'm so lucky to have you all in my life.


7. To Jade, Toby and Alex who pitched in and brought champagne, coolers, glasses and helped organize photo taking. You took the little things off my mind which helped me relax. Thank you again.

8. Last but not least to Lindsay for helping us to create our ceremony and marrying us. It would not have been the same with anyone else there in front of us.
And now I'm done. No more gushing. No more sappy love stuff. Need to charge the phone, go run some errands, make some more calls, and pick up our new computer!!

Snobs

Hah-Hah!

Garren and I will get to stay at a sister property in New York. This one in fact. So freaking excited. This is why I LOVE working in hotels. I get to feel like I'm rich and famous.

And...Confirmed

Well I finally got the go ahead to buy my airline tickets.

We are confirmed for departure on Monday August 3rd at 3:00pm. We're flying to New York to stay a couple of days. We then leave on Thursday, August 6th and head to Paris where we stay a week and then we leave Paris on Thursday, August 13th (Garren's bday!) and fly to Marrakech.

Oh good god! This is getting more real every time I buy a ticket and everytime I look at the calendar and realize how close this all is. Ughhh. I better stop this line of thought before I start crying.

Yea traveling! Yea mini-honeymoon! Yea plane tickets!

Hell Yes!!!

Ashley is on Top Chef! Ashely is on Top Chef! And before anyone yells at me about spilling the beans it is all posted on Bravo with pictures and everything. See: Top Chef - Bios - Ash Fulk - Bravo TV Official Site

I am so freaking excited for him! Ashely I will be routing for you from Marrakech and it is one of the main reasons Garren and I are buying a new computer. Can't wait for August 26th!

P.S. For those who don't know Ashely (or maybe I should say Ash) is my sister's fiance's (Hi Erik!) brother. So my future (extended) brother in law.