28th April 2008
Today in Fez, would have to have been one of the best days of my entire trip. I got up late and went out shopping in the Medina. I went and had breakfast with two guys, one was Moroccan and the other, French. I asked the Moroccan guy to teach me a new word, Baraka, “OK” he said.
Soon after breakfast, I was hassled by this awful man who just wouldn’t quit until I had “Medina raged” at him. Soon after reminding myself every country has its assholes, I met a nice young man named Mohammed, who took me to a Berber pharmacy and to a carpet shop. We got along really well, and I have been asking every Arabic speaking person I make friends with to teach me a new word Mohammed taught me Merhaba “Your Welcome”.
I spent most of the day with Mohammed and walking around the medina chatting to him was great as I didn’t get hassled by anyone, as I was with a guy. I also went and sat in his brother shop with both of them and drank Moroccan soft drink, with Mohammed’s brother lying on the floor smoking hash. I spent the best part of the day in there with them.
I went back to the riad for a bit and then set off again, I went past the tea house and Mohammed and his friends were sitting in there, and I was invited to join them. So, I did. There was Mohammed, Kash Kash, a guy who didn’t talk and who I nicknamed Silent Bob and another guy who insisted his name was Camel, but who I insisted on renaming Charlie Brown because he kept talking about Peanuts.
We sat there for ages, and I asked Charlie Brown to teach me a word, too much to ask from him. All the other guys teased him about how he talks too much. He tried to teach me a whole sentence, I said what’s the word for shut up. Which made all the other guys laugh and got me a handshake from Mohammed. The word for, shut up is Scoot, done with a funny little hand movement.
After the tea house we were joined by Flavio from Switzerland, and we went back to Kash Kash’s place in the Old Kasbah. We met his mother, and she made us mint tea. Flavio played his guitar for us until Charlie Brown got a hold of it, Mohammed took it off him and put it back in its case. “Mohammed” I said “Shukrun” more laughs and handshakes. Shukran means thank you.
Kash Kash said “I will put on some European music” this music, to the disgust of Flavio and I turned out to be a mix of 50 Cent, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. We ended up using my phone as a stereo, that night it was the sounds of Cold Chisel, Disturbed and Marilyn Manson that echoed through the Kasbah. “This is devil music!” exclaimed Kash Kash, which made me hysterical.
Flavio and I had not eaten so we excused ourselves and went off and had dinner together. We talked about our travels and swapped stories over dinner, before we both went back to our riads.
