2019 October Notes from Rabat

A place to record some notes about Rabat and Morocco.  

Barbara  is back with her parents, helping the process of eventually moving them from independent apartment to the assisted-living floor which is much more expensive but is more and more necessary now that both seem to be waking up at odd hours, and both seem to be particularly confused whenever they wake.  Her father has fallen a few times, but apparently his "fall training" has had good effect, because he gets only slight injuries when falling.  The bigger issue is that Jodie cannot help him up when he falls; one time he could not arise by himself and they had to call an ambulance!

So Barb is assisting with the discussion with TheHome staff and management, and shepherding her parents through the process; her original primary reason for going now was to help with the downsizing to prepare for an eventual move, as their current 2-bedroom apartment is quite full of stuff, much of which has not been touched for a while.  That will proceed as well, but there is a bit more pressure to move more quickly now;  she is also working on the delicate matter of finances and access.  Clearly neither Jack nor Jodie is consistently clear-headed, and both also are starting to exhibit occasional paranoia.  Yet Barbara is clearly the executor of the estate, primarily as first-born but also as the more level-headed of the girls (though youngest Melissa is more business-savvy).

I am here in Rabat working on our group presentations -- six different five-hour workshops for current English teachers in Morocco public schools: that is the grand program offered for free to Morocco's Ministry of National Education, Le Ministère de l'Education Nationale, de la Formation Professionelle de l'Enseignement Supérieur & de la Recherch Scientifique.  

(hmm. serious question: why are the Moroccan government ministry names so lengthy? in order to prevent another minister from encroaching on their turf?    Apparently our business cards will need to specify the full name of the ministry!)

The concept, presented as a nice package for the Ministry to show that it (and its strategic beneficent partner the US) is Doing Something to Improve English Education in the public schools.  And this will be a drop in the proverbial bucket.  I hope that it also means we can help with some sort of advice about curriculum or staffing or teacher training regulations, that can have a broader effect; or perhaps we can help by providing insider info about the Ministry to our supervisor at the US embassy, so he can know who best to approach about policy toward the US? 

Personally I would like to get Morocco to rescind its ban on granting teacher visas to anyone over 60 years old -- no apparent reason for it, though some unrelated Morocco reports refer to 60 as the official retirement age here, and they are now worrying about neglecting the over-60s!

Today I met Margot at the café La Table à Côté de Le P'tit Resto; then we walked as usual up to the Fulbright Library.  After a few hours there testing the download/conversion of our googleslides to PPTX files, Margot left.  I stayed to work a bit more on my Quizizz and Kahoot and GoogleClassroom exercises; and I met longtime Fulbright worker Mustafa, who is now their I.T. guy, working on their videoconference setup.  He was trying to get the Zoom app to work there; I helped, setting up my googlepixel phone with the Zoom app and connecting to the videoconference -- the equipment's microphone is absurdly sensitive, but otherwise works fine.  Problem is they want outsiders (in Morocco) to literally phone in to join the conference call.

After a chat with pleasant knowledgeable Zoom salesrep, it seems that indeed the ability to phone-in to any tollfree number (1800) or Morocco or Algeria and a few others, subscriber must buy the extra phone package at $100/month.   I wonder what package the Fulbright folks have; and perhaps they are considered an educational institution, and thus get some discount?  otherwise, even a free account can phone-in to +1 646 558 8656 or  +33 1 7037 9729.

Because my laptop battery ran out, I decided it was time to leave.  I walked over to our neighborhood, stopped at the little barber shop Salon des Coiffeurs.  Very nice chatty barber was trying to teach me some Arabic pronunciation--in an attempt to demonstrate the letter H, he kept getting me to repeat O-lyud.  Olyud.  But I wasn't getting it right, so he showed me, on the television channel guide:  Hollywood.   ah, right.     Good haircut and beard trim -- he even used nosehair clippers.  60dirhams.  Then I walked next door to the curious dark restaurant with only a simple sign...it's a dark smoky bar.  There's lots more drinking here than meets the eye!   Liquor stores are abundant, just not marked, and certainly not advertised.  All alcohol consumption happens behind closed doors and curtained windows, or in a fancy international hotel away from sidewalk view; nothing is visible from the street.   Anyway, this restaurant was truly dark and dingy and smoky, pretty full with men, obviously regulars, drinking bottles of beer; some with food also.  One female customer only.  Television screens quietly displaying either soccer or the NatGeoAbuDhabi channel, lots of conversation, nobody rowdy, everybody calmly drinking beer.  I ordered a turkey sandwich + fries; actually quite a good hot turkey wrap, because the bread was very good.  60dirhams total; I left the waitress a 5dhs tip, and walked on.  

Actually another trivial incident that surprised me: our BIM store, the local discount grocer, one would think very lowcost uncaring workers: the cashier saw me and another customer with just a few items, standing behind a couple old ladies with a full grocery cart: the cashier asked them if we could go ahead and pay first!  shock.  the ladies agreed.   I walked home reassured of the goodness of human nature.