Baraka

I was wondering a few minutes ago why it felt like my blood was boiling even though it is quite cool in my room.  I just checked the weather, getting ready to go out and it is 108 degrees outside!  I thought it was only 104... so figured we would wait a few hours until the temperature drops.  We were out earlier, had to run a few errands, that might explain why we came back exhausted.  But we cooled off pretty quickly.  On the way out, we came across the guy in the photo, didn't even know they had turtles here.  He swaddled slowly along in front of us.   Guess he had the right idea, take it slow and easy...

A bit later, we were riding in a cab, that made me think about cabbies and the heat.  A hot day is a cabbies best friend.  All the cabs were full, and when we finally got one, our cabbie picked up and dropped off two passengers on the way to dropping us off.  I think he had mercy on the two women, everyone was hot and trying to get out of the sun, and the streets were still packed and hot.  Anyway, we ended up all on the other side of town and the cab rides each way only cost the equivalent of a couple dollars.

I read the guidebooks to find tips about travel and also read the news via the internet.  The story of the waitress at Chilis who got fired for threatening to spit on peoples food for poor tipping, ie giving her five dollars, got me thinking too.  In a place where giving one dirham, 12 cents, can bring someone so much joy, it is remarkable the negative attitude many people, particularly regular visitors, have about dropping a dirham or hell maybe two in someones hand.  Most of the time I noted really interestingly that people only ask for one.  True, they will ask for one for a long time from a bunch of people, but so what?  If they spend a few hours or maybe even take up beginning as a career, who cares?  It is twelve cent.  If someone could build a house or get rich by begging this way for say ten years, one dirham at a time, I would be glad to be the first or last giver.  There is not much stress either.  Then they are very thankful.  Those who would question my logic would be glad to pay interest on a loan to any number of banks who have devastated the world's economy and evicted thousands in the US alone.  The poor of the world and the beggars of the world tend to bother no one, well in comparison, no one.  Most are old people here, the people asking for donations in Egypt would be kids many times.

From wikipedia - Baraka means blessing in Hebrew, Arabic and Arabic-influenced languages.

• Baraka, also berakhah, in Judaism, a blessing usually recited during a ceremony 
• Baraka, also barakah, in Arabic Islam and Arabic-influenced languages such as Swahili, Urdu, Persian, Turkish, a blessing from God in the form of spiritual wisdom or divine presence. 
• Also a spiritual power believed to be possessed by certain persons, objects, tombs. 
• Baraka, a rarely used French slang term for luck, derived from the Arabic word Baraka, fully ḥabbat al-barakah, aka Nigella sativa, a spice with purported health benefits 
• Baraka Bashad, meaning "may the blessings be" or just "blessings be", originally a Sufi expression and also used in Eckankar 

Yesterday, a man in the medina asked where we were from, after an olive vendor had asked his help to translate something for me.  I said America.  He looked me over and smiled, he said you all are the original people.  He didn't say this for any reason except what he was feeling and understanding.


Most times people are interested particularly where people of color, so called African Americans or dark skinned people are from. It is easy to figure our where many Caucasians originate, via language and demeanor. Often we evoke stares and pleasant greetings.  When we first arrived in the area here we garnered plenty of attention arriving in front of a cafe packed with older men, trying to figure out what we were doing, waiting to meet our landlord.  


I have experienced no problems in Fez.  Ironically when in Essaouira, I sometimes felt there was the hint of racism but the understanding, welcomes and camaraderie displayed by others more than makes up for that.  I think more than racism it was curiosity and sometimes mindful neglect due to the fear of not understanding a foreigner. More than anything I was annoyed by touts, but the problem is that if you let them annoy you to the point you are rude, you will miss your baraka, miss dealing with the genuine people who want to speak to you.  This almost happened to me yesterday.  A schoolteacher approached us and greeted us.  I just knew he was going to start trying to sell a tour, but he was just trying to welcome us and find out what we thought about politics in America, mainly Barak Obama.  I think it is a safe consensus always to say, 'Obama, better than Bush' and leave it at that.  No one, outside of America would disagree.


May you have blessings and baraka as you finish your day or night, more pictures to come.  I will do them George Lucas style and just imbed them in the current post, without much fanfare, so check back soon.  As a side note, I have started using instagram and it is so cool.  Make sure to check out some of the pictures via:

• http://instagrid.me/oarchie/

That is kind of a photo album of the trip thus far.  I don't put everything on there but there are enough so that it makes it fun and interesting to look at.