Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Adult aka Culinary Camp-Year 2

Yes, I got my reservation in early, so I’ve got a ponge to sleep on in Randy’s place as we eat and play games and conduct workshops for the Artisan Cooperative all week here in Ain Leuh. We’re a group of 7 this year-2 new and missing a couple from last year.

The blackberry picking is in full force, and we’ve had freshly made syrup on French toast and on homemade ice cream and angel food cake already. There are 2 big pots on the stove today making jam. And that’s only 2 days of picking and we’re not at the peak of the season. Funny, but Moroccans don’t seem to care for the berries-they didn’t pick them last year either, so more for us to enjoy!

Yes, it’s been a festival of eating (we’re thinking of naming the week Culinary Camp)-Peruvian dinner, green curry dinner, freshly made cheese for our lasagna tonight.

Oh, and yes, we do work-gotta earn our pay, yak? Yesterday Joy did a terrific Color Theory workshop for the women of the Cooperative. It was really great to see them all-this is where I did my 3 month initial training. Got to spend some time w/my host mom, see Ahelan and Ayoub-will go back and spend more time with them tomorrow, maybe l-ftr (Ramadan break fast). I’ll be doing a Product Development workshop with the Coop women tomorrow and also help them work thru the decision process of whether they’re going to apply to attend the Santa Fe International Craft Fair next year.

We got to see the work that Randy has done with the Coop-and it’s amazing. She got them to move all their looms downstairs and converted the upstairs, streetfront workroom into a showroom. It’s fabulous. Randy has such a good eye for interior design, and has been really creative in getting things made or buying pieces for the showroom at really great prices. Tbarkalik Randy!

Yes, it is Ramadan, and so far we’ve managed to avoid it almost completely. We did feel kinda bad when a Moroccan friend came in the house yesterday as we were all sitting around eating lunch. Oh well.

In addition, we’ve had 3 days of fall-like weather; cooler, cloudy, some rain in the afternoon, and sleeping w/a light blanket-hamdullah. We’ll get the heat back, but enjoying this respite while we’ve got it.

We’re all feeling a bit anxious about the time we have left-less than 3 months, and so much we all want to do. I told Jess I’d help her with her art exhibition in Fes mid-September and we’ve got a PC conference in Rabat the end of September. I’ve also got to take my Women’s Assn president-Meriem-down to visit the cheese coop in the far south in October. We’ve also got Sarah and Brahim’s wedding in the far SE the middle of September. I’d so love to go, but just don’t see how I’m going to fit it in-minimum 2 days travel each way + 3 day wedding.

Just got called to another game of Bananagram-gotta go. I’ve got my priorities, after all.

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