Yes Fes!

We have spent two days in Fes so far. 


Upon arriving I braced myself to be hassled with offers of taxi rides, things to buy, and the slightly more ridiculous massage or marriage offers. But I was pleasantly surprised to find these offers pretty weak and easily let go and not too over bearing with a little laugh.

Tiffany and I had a really lovely dinner at Cafe Clock. This resto is situated among the winding streets of Fes in the medina but is something of an oasis of calm from the consistent bustle of people, donkeys, horses, cats, and goat heads for sale! I almost walked right into a donkey; it was clearly just as scared as I was with its head rolled back in a bray. The horses and donkeys used to cart heavy items around the medina are so well behaved and clearly well weathered by their every day routes.

Cafe Clock has three different floors and the waiters must get quite a work out from running up and down the narrow steps. We met a man named Ibrahim who worked for the Red Cross. He took us to dinner at Cafe Clock, insisting that we try the camel burger. I must admit it was really good. But after a day of kefta and camel meat I am taking a bit of a break from carnivorous habits.

Ibrahim shared with us about his work in the Red Cross. We also asked him about the bombiong in Marrakech a month or so ago. Mainly his point was that looking around at the majority of people in Morocco you see, clearly, they would not have the desire nor the means to set up such an attack. I have never believed that bombing attacks , like the Marrakech one, are representative of an entire country. It is clear that these angry calls to attention, or however we describe them, should be accepted as individual acts. That being said, coming into a place from an outside lens, the background knowledge I have recieved in the United States would suggest that this place is rather on edge. Possibly on edge with some violent influence from majority groups. 

However, all this is to say that last night I went to a concert of Saida Fikra. The emotion she invoked among the whole audience, most visibly among all the men, was beautifully empowering. Her songs of struggle for peace and coping with pain seemed to resonate throughout. It was beautiful. From all this, we see how the majority strives for peace for more beauty in the world and in our relations among other humans. It is most times the few in power or with enough power that make these hurtful gestures that mar innate movement towards peace. 

This is just a sliver of everything I am trying to make sense of. Take what you wish from it. Thank you for open ears.