New generation of school teachers

Like in any school in the world, good pupils are in front, and the more troublesome try to hide behind. Our arrival has troubled the quiet school, all schoolmasters are in front of their classrooms, which are full with the laughs of the children. They saw us, and expect a very welcomed diversion, shortening their 45 minutes lessons. We are in the month of Ramadan, in the end of the morning, and everyone is happy to stop for a while.

In the Aït Ballouk doyar, in Tazzarine, there are five schoolmasters in the primary school. The class are reasonably populated, between 20 and 30 pupils.


Mohammed Khalloufi is one of those young teachers who do everything they can imagine to help their pupils, to push them a little bit further, learn other things than the official program and make them discover the world. He has an incredible IT equipment, a laptop, a DVD burner, a satellite card with which he can record TV shows from the whole world. A beamer, loud-speakers, also, and he regularly organises, in his class-room or at home, slide shows. In his class-room they are serious ones, at one, more fun, like cartoons, but he always uses them to teach something new.

He uses topical events, special days like « World Day of Ozone » or « World Day against Tuberculosis », of the Moroccan Day for safe driving (so much needed). He builds his slide-shows with videos, texts, looks for references on Encarta, to keep it short he acts like did our old schoolmasters, and try to bring his pupils all the knowledge available on Internet.

Tuberculosis for example is a question of health and biology. But also history (who did discover it), and prophylaxis. Each of his slideshows tries to give practical things to do. And he hopes the children will transfer the message to the parents. Because books are very rare here, and there is no other source of information than TV


ADSL, which arrives in the countryside had really changed Mohammed’s life !!

Education is one of the biggest challenges of modern Morocco. With a birth rate over 22%, young children are more and more to knock on schools’ doors, when, with action against illiteracy, women and adults come back to study after school hours.

These two last years saw proud proclamations from the Ministry of Education, with a schooling rate of nearly 99% of the children of age to enter primary school. The main black areas are in the remote mountain villages, specially in Middle and Anti Atlas, and by the nomads, for obvious reasons. Also many children leave school early, and leave at the end of elementary school, to become apprentice.

But, one after the other “colleges” (from 13 to 15) open, offering general or technical cursus. It is easier for a young to pass his baccalaureat (equivalent of A/O levels), and grants are given for poor families to send their children to university.



Everything is not perfect, far from it. There are still a lot of old school masters, hastily trained after the independence, some of them even did not know the topics they taught their pupils just by asking them to learn their books by heart.

Today, Morocco still misses many teachers, and the lessons can start quite late after the official date, even with one month delay.
Young teachers sent in the remote doyars (villages) have a very hard life, even more when they are Arabs (and from the city) in Berber area, their contacts with the population can be limited to nearly nothing, because of the language gap, and a quite old mistrust.

A Moroccan primary school teacher earns at the beginning around 200 euros per months, and up to 600 per month at the end of his career. (Minimal salary is 180 euro per month). He has quite often a high diploma, 3 or 4 years at university, but he had to take this profession, by lack of other opportunities. He wants to help his pupils as much as possible to improve their future.

If you pass by Tazzarine, Mohammed will be very happy to open his classroom to you.

If you want to help a class or a school in Morocco, you can :

• give school stationery, which you purchase in Morocco (it helps the local shops, and, « all inclusive » it is cheaper than bringing it from Europe), like notebooks, pens, chalks, school books, etc… and even aprons and satchels. The school teacher or the caïd (administrative manager of the village) will distribute them to the families needing them
• give material for the class, glob, maps, posters, IT equipment, books and dictionaries. Here also, it is better to buy as much as possible in the village, even if some of it can be found only in the cities. Even in Ouarzazate everything is not available and we sometimes have to go up to Marrakech
• when you’re a teacher yourself, you can organize an exchange with one of your classes. Letters, exchanges, even a long-term sponsorship (and why not a school travel ?) would be a wonderful opportunity for both sides.

The first canon of Ramadan

Yesterday evening, around 20h30 a canon - probably in Taourirt - shot. The imam saw the first very thin part of the new moon, and the Holy Month, the Month of the Fast, just started, for 28 or 29 days. It depends on the instant when the next new moon will be seen… And if it is impossible, for any reason, like heavy clouds and storms, to see it, in any case, Ramadan won’t last more than 30 days.
Every morning, one hour before sunrise, the canon will shoot again, to warn the believers, for some of them it’s the last meal before breakfast after sunset. The time to eat arrives when the iman cannot distinguish anymore a thin white thread from a thin black one. When the call to the evening prayer is heard arrives the breakfast, with whey, dates, eggs, msamen (a thin pancake eaten with melted butter, honey or jam), many little cakes, bread cooked with meat fat, or with onions, some soup (harira), tea or coffee. Later on, around midnight, the second meal, nourishing and abundant, you always cook too much to be able to share with your neighbours, and give to the poor.

Ramadan is indeed the month of Charity, the time of the year where nobody should be hungry. When you invite someone to eat with you, it is in the spirit of Allah, and your house becomes a little be holy, like a small mosque. That is so understandable, Ramadan’s discipline is hard enough, if on top of that one must be hungry in the evening, it becomes impossible !

During the whole day it is forbidden to eat and drink. To smoke also, and one must avoid perfume and all the pleasures, including love and fondling. As well as thinking about it, like always in Islam, intention is as important as the observance. The man who would fast the whole day but would think also about his evening meal would not be true to the spirit of Ramadan. Neither someone who would get nervous or angry. He would have to replace his missed fasting day by another one, after the end of Ramadan.. It is so hard to be hungry and thirsty all day long, in the heat (yesterday was around 30°), and to remain patient and quiet !

Several penances are possible when one does not follow Ramadan. When this is purely by mistake, for example a drop of water drunk without intention when one refreshes himself (at least you can water yourself to get a little bit cooler), one has just to replace the day by an extra one at the end of the month. If someone can’t resist and eat or drink one day, the penance is harder… either to fast another 30 days, or nourish one meal for 60 poor people.
Sick ones, women pregnant, breast-feeding or bleeding, and people travelling far away (more than 80 kilometres) are allowed not to follow Ramadan (but they can fast if the wish so). They will have to “pay back” later the missed days, whether a few of the whole month.

And many Muslims also decide to extend the month with 6 extra days.

In Majorelle's alleys

Majorelle Garden are a real treat for the eyes, and a true nightmare for photographers. Like everywhere in Morocco, tripod and flashes are forbidden, and you have to make real acrobatics as soon as you try to achieve a decent flower macro. And that because tripods and flash are used only by professionals, not by amateurs. You absolutely must prevent these awful photographers to make the one original photo of Majorelle, the one nobody never made, the one that would be sold for a lot of money, without any profit for Majorelle, because no one never saw it.

That is indeed the first nightmare of Majorelle. How many thousands images of these large yellow pots against the blue walls, and lost in this same blue wall, how many thousand images of the green and pink door ?

Fountains are a little bit less frequent… you have to grab a moment when no body is in the field, and, if you’re very lucky, a bird arriving, all that in the beautiful light and in the right angle.
Because Majorelle is crowded, the whole year, from 8h30 to 18h30, and the moments where it is possible to make a shot without a white silhouette passing in front of the pavilion or the small pond can be counted in seconds between long quarters of an hour waiting, and waiting. That’s the second nightmare in Majorelle.



Today, I made a slightly different image. Actually, it could have been made anywhere, but I really love these two small kittens, with their large blue eyes, of a blue so softer and tender than Jacques Majorelle’s deep hue. Taking no notice of all the people who admired them without daring touch, these small balls of fur where so lovely.

I spent two happy hours in the gardens. To look for a photo is a great pleasure, even when you don’t find it. It helps to look at the world around, circumvolutions of the cacti, colours in the tiles, textures of the large earthenware pots. I enjoyed the points of the succulents against the sunset light, and the shadows of the palms dancing on the ochre walls.

I guessed the departure of the last visitors with the growing silence, fountains could be heard through the whole garden, birds’ chirps filling the space, doves’ cooing mixed with the far-away call to the evening prayer.

I sat on a bank, in a sideway alley, enjoying the coolness of the night, and waiting for the guardian to take me out and close the doors behind me.

We came back walking slowly, palm trees were moving with the flight of the birds, surprised not to be already quiet.

I went out very happy of these two hours spent in the beauty of these gardens, with memories more precious than photos. I love to dream in Majorelle…

More photos of Majorelle.

Sidi Abderarrmane

This is a very simple image, without great photographic merits, anyway I really love it, because it summarizes a very special Morocco. We are on Sunday afternoon, south of Casablanca, along the beach, in a part of the city called "Sidi Abderramane".

The Marabout (building with the grave of the Saint, or Sidi) is build on an "island", a few rocks a few meters away, you can pass by foot. It is well noticeable, with its roof of green shiny tiles, and surrounded by a few houses. Everything is white, the light is gorgeous. The houses certainly belonged to disciples of the saint, now a family life is settled, washing is hanging, paraboles are everywhere on the walls and terraces, and children are playing in the narrow streets.

On the beach, families of Casablacas (Casawi) came to quietly enjoy their Sunday. Parasols, ice-cream stands, children playing, a whole world, simple and joyous. Two young girls are riding, veiled with bounty scrafs (pink and blue are very trendy this year). That reminds me how much do Moroccans love horses... you have to visit the old stabbles in Meknes to understand that. Today, the King still receives the yearly pledge of obedience of his subjects on a white arabic stallion.

It's good to be on the beach. With a few minutes by car, after the splendid white villas of Aïn Daib, you can join this simple Morocco that knows how to enoy lfe !

Dates festival in Erfoud, a morrocan story

Well, if you remember, we called several times the Tourism Office in Er-rachidia, to get the exact date. Each time that was the same answer "the date will be known by 15th of September". On the 15th, I try to call, but does not have a lot of time, because I'm taking my plane.

And when i call this morning, I learn that the festival happened this very week-end, on 15th and 16th of September.

I'm quite upset, but what can we do ? That's how it is here, that was written, Mektoub....

With all his excuses, the responsible person in the Tourisme Office warns me "the social aspects of the moussem, which is now an 'International Date fair' has been abandonned to better promote its commercial goals".
In other words, no more tradition, no more camel race... just stands and money ... no regret, except to have learned it so late.

Back to Casa

One of the advantages of the LH 4118 flight from Frankfurt to Casablanca is its very late arrival, pas midnight. At that time, you go very quickly through the controls, policemen and Immigration and Customs officers are obviously also longing to go to bed. Just after that, you’re on a Moroccan motorway, where it is perfectly normal for a speeded Mercedes to try to create a third lane just by passing between a truck and a bus. A few horn-blows, and that’s all, no accident and no reaction from the nearby police car.
Casablanca by night is quite surprising, totally emptied of its daily animation, silent, nearly clean, the main avenues seem too large, when, in the day, they are crowded by four or five lanes unable to go over 5 km / hour.
In this darkness, the luminous colomn of the minaret of Hassan II mosque is even more visible, signalling the direction of the sea. From the balcony of our hotel room, I have the feeling I’m very near it.

This year, the mosque is in maintenance. At least the pillars that sustain the part built over the sea. It was a nice case of several dozen million euros, a nice Moroccan story, complicated enough, between Bouygues (the French entrepreneur that built the mosque) and Morocco. So, nearly two thirds of the mosque have been built over the sea, on concrete pillars anchored in the rock. These pillars are “fissures” threatening the stability of the whole building. Bouygues argues of the technical difficulties, such a construction was a “premiere”, the strength of the waves was bigger than expected, and anyway the damages are happening more than twenty years after the official reception, so it’s to Morocco to pay the repairs.
Well… it happens that the official technical reception was never signed ! The mosque is used for more than twenty years, but that was never official. And it is still under guarantee argues Moroccan state, asking Bouygues to pay.

Whatever they decided, they have reached a compromise, and some cranes are at work in front of the mosque. That’s good news, and I hope the way around the mosque, on the seaside, will soon be opened again.

This building is magnificent. The mosque itself is splendid, more for its traditional decorations, the marbled prayer rooms, its sculpted ceilings, the washing rooms with marble fountains shaped as lotus flowers, than for the technical performance of the huge roof that can slide completely opened. More than anything, the situation is unique, on a huge place, directly at the sea. In all this blue of the large cloudless sky and the strong waves, the mosque becomes like a white ship with green sails.

Moroccan phone numbers changed - update yours

Moroccan telecom made a change in the phone numbers, to be able to answer the increasing demand.

If you get a strange, long and not really understandable message, it might not mean that the phone number you're calling does not exist anymore, but just that it was changed.

So that's quite simple :

• everything that started with 44 (Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Agadir,...) is now starting with 24
• everything that started with 55 (Fez, Meknes, Middelt, ...) is now starting with 35

A lot of websites did not update their contact data, specially repertories. But the rule is simple enough so that you can correct the erroneous numbers.

Departure preparations

For once, we leave together. Two people means twice more luggages. We have 40 kilos, and we are authorized to get two hand luggages ! No need to say Bilal will have a very few things with him, but for once I won't need to discuss and explain that I don't want to abandon my cameras, neither my laptop, nor my lenses, nor any fragile and expensive electronic equipment. And apart from my passport, that's all I have with me as hand luggage....

We started to gather what we're taking.

• 1 new sleeping bag for Bilal
• 2 "meat sacks" (inner sleeping bags)
• 1 air mattress - yes, it's nice after 2 or 3 weeks on the road
• As much as possible automated watering equipment, for the oasis. Which means around 20 meters of porous pipe, a sample of non porous pipe (we should be able to find that easily in Morocco), and 10 meters of the very thin pipes. Two programmers, (one for the oasis and one for our house in Ouarzazate) and a lot of small plastic parts to build our waternet.
• 2 nice italian expresso coffee pot, for the oasis (we get addicted to expresso, and maybe you would love that)
• 1 real eiderdown, that I get from my granny, and 1 duvet for the cold nights of in Ouarzazate
• when we can find them in time, some blades for the threading machine (fileuse ? I don't know the name in english)
• fabrics that Bilal's sister gave me, to make some djellabahs
• clothes as gifts for the family, and perfumes

we considered my old printer, but that's just to big for a plane, it's now in the cellar, waiting for our car trip.

OK, we need also clothes (a little bit) travel guides (one), no more maps, as the one I bought are scanned and indexed for my GPS, but we also have to bring some papers for the company, and I created some flyers for the saffron cooperative in Taliouine, I would like to bring them.

Some large bags, that we'll use instead of the cases, when we are there. The larger bags will be used for the duvet and eiderdown, luckily the airline doesn't limit us in terms of number of pieces, just weight. And we're two to go to the airport, so we should be able to manage 6 pieces...

That reminds me last time, in Frankfurt, there was a woman, travelling alone with a little girl. That was totally impressive... She had around 60 kilos she intended to check in. First problem, one of the luggage was over the limit for bulky !
But the very very real problem was the amount of luggage she intended to take with her.

• 1 full handbag (you ladies, you know what I mean by full handbag)
• 1 extra little bag
• 1 vanity case
• 1 furcoat, a long large one
• the backpack of her daughter
• the bag with er daughter's barbies
• the bag with her daughter's other toys
• the bag with heur daughter's diapers
• her daughter's push chair
• her daughter's car seat
• and some stuff she bought in the free tax.
  

Can you imagine ?

They were three people to bring all that, her parents stayed in Germany, and she was surrounded by a pile of luggages.
And then, she had to open them, modify everything, try to make some luggages lighter...
Her father went to a shop, and had to buy two expensives extra pieces, to store all that.
And of course when she arrived in Casablanca, that was a real mess. But we did not stay two more hours in the airport to see the end of the story !

And some people DO pretend that I travel heavy.... Sigh :)

Anyway, by now, everything we have to pack is spread around on the floor, for the greatest pleasure of the cats !