Ahhh, the joys of sunshine Finn. At last it's here to stay. It'll get hot, very hot, but that's fine. Bring it on, now at last we can get to feel as if we really have moved out of the west midlands. 813.
Decappage.
I keep going on about stages, but that's exactly what you have, stages and we've gone to another one. This month we've started Mounaym and his team who decap wood. This is basically paint stripping, but given the amount of wood at 813, it's a serious job. Equally there are several pieces that are highly detailed an/or painted. It's good to get another team in, to have a set of fresh faces and again to see us move on to something else that isn't masonary, or plumbing or electrics. Something that says we are looking towards, if not yet at, the finishing line.
Piscinette...and Driss is back.
Decappage.
I keep going on about stages, but that's exactly what you have, stages and we've gone to another one. This month we've started Mounaym and his team who decap wood. This is basically paint stripping, but given the amount of wood at 813, it's a serious job. Equally there are several pieces that are highly detailed an/or painted. It's good to get another team in, to have a set of fresh faces and again to see us move on to something else that isn't masonary, or plumbing or electrics. Something that says we are looking towards, if not yet at, the finishing line.Piscinette...and Driss is back.
Oh look daddy, there's a big hole in our house can I get in? No son, not without protection!
We're also building our piscinette still. Once this has been dug out fully, it'll be a job for our prodigal son, Driss who has now returned. That's one of the things here with workers. They come and go around. You go to another chantier and there's half the team we had back this time last year at Tazi.
We're also building our piscinette still. Once this has been dug out fully, it'll be a job for our prodigal son, Driss who has now returned. That's one of the things here with workers. They come and go around. You go to another chantier and there's half the team we had back this time last year at Tazi.
I caught up with Driss in the street and it was good to have him back. Yes again he's never going to be the fastest, but he's good and we'll see what he gets done this time. Can't see hamid starting again tho!
Obviously this piscinette thing is completly illegal. There's no point in going to the baladiers' and asking for permission...especially as we're only working on a V2 here. Thus we need to get it done and covered asap....umm, maybe not the job for driss!
Work on the terraces.
On the other hand we are moving ahead with completing work on the terraces. Razi's been finishing the terrace above the kitchen. I love this place. It's small, but will be perfect for getting a nice small two seat sofa type thing. The views are 360 degrees and you really feel as if you are flying above Fez. Umm, nice with a G n T and a little doobie!
Work on the terraces.
On the other hand we are moving ahead with completing work on the terraces. Razi's been finishing the terrace above the kitchen. I love this place. It's small, but will be perfect for getting a nice small two seat sofa type thing. The views are 360 degrees and you really feel as if you are flying above Fez. Umm, nice with a G n T and a little doobie!
Below that we've relain new walls on the second terrace and have decided to lay a false floor on the bottom/menza terrace. There's been a sort of walk way around the halka which is really just a loss of space, so we've putting RSJs in to the walls, to hold the weight, and are laying a floor on them. It should be great. It might seem a little thing but it reflects more confidence, to just say that's the idea and let's go...whilst always negotiating with the masons.
Zelig.
Another start is the begining of the zelig. We're planning to start from the top of the house, thgus all the work of the masons in these areas, but this really is moving towards a finishing stage. Haj, the mwalem zeligi, seems really quite affable. He's the most reasonably priced zeligi we've met and I'm really looking forward to getting going with him. jesus, imagine if we had the house zeliged for the summer...then the wood finished and then the plasterer...wow!
Zelig.
Another start is the begining of the zelig. We're planning to start from the top of the house, thgus all the work of the masons in these areas, but this really is moving towards a finishing stage. Haj, the mwalem zeligi, seems really quite affable. He's the most reasonably priced zeligi we've met and I'm really looking forward to getting going with him. jesus, imagine if we had the house zeliged for the summer...then the wood finished and then the plasterer...wow!
Time Out.
INGO work.
I've completed a follow up to my British Red Cross training this month. This was so much better than the previous course and was based far more within skill sets, thus we all got a chance to learn more. It was based in the west country and we camped. Unfortunately it was really wet the whole time, which was a bit of a drag, but over all a really good time, good learning and good people.
INGO work.
I've completed a follow up to my British Red Cross training this month. This was so much better than the previous course and was based far more within skill sets, thus we all got a chance to learn more. It was based in the west country and we camped. Unfortunately it was really wet the whole time, which was a bit of a drag, but over all a really good time, good learning and good people.
I followed this with some work with OXFAM Wash cluster testing out their training kit. It's good,very good. Suzanne Ferron, who's lead the piece of work has done remarkably well.
It was interesting to see where, and how old aid workers go tho. Lots of consultants, quite a few people who want out but can't..we're lucky to have these options. I'm glad I did the work for so long, and I hope we'll go out and do a bit more, I think you'd love it Finn, but you need other options, which we have now.
Papa Wemba (didn't) come to town.
On the subject of aid work, I caught sight of a poster saying that Papa Wembe would be coming to Fez. Papa Wembe! I couldn't believe it, he's a god, a super star of Congolese music...here in Fez. I followed up phone calls and there was a whole Congolese evening being planned up at the Fez camping...It took a bit of persuasion to get the possie together and of course when I said that it peobably wouldn't start till 03,00 noone believed me. So we went up late, cooked out of Habiby and waited. 01.00...nothing. 02.00....more of the same...people were losing faith. I told them 03.00...this was Congo...Kinshasa...wait you won't be disappointed. and then at 02.30 people started turning up, music went on and by 03.30 we were well away. Fantastic music, amazing dancing and lots of congolese women leaving little to the imagination. I love congo...would be nice to go back, perhaps not quite yet tho Finn!
On the subject of aid work, I caught sight of a poster saying that Papa Wembe would be coming to Fez. Papa Wembe! I couldn't believe it, he's a god, a super star of Congolese music...here in Fez. I followed up phone calls and there was a whole Congolese evening being planned up at the Fez camping...It took a bit of persuasion to get the possie together and of course when I said that it peobably wouldn't start till 03,00 noone believed me. So we went up late, cooked out of Habiby and waited. 01.00...nothing. 02.00....more of the same...people were losing faith. I told them 03.00...this was Congo...Kinshasa...wait you won't be disappointed. and then at 02.30 people started turning up, music went on and by 03.30 we were well away. Fantastic music, amazing dancing and lots of congolese women leaving little to the imagination. I love congo...would be nice to go back, perhaps not quite yet tho Finn!
Cafe Clock also had another party, this time to celebrat a year (or is it two) being open. I'd told mike about the barrage and off we went to check it out. Of course beautiful. The following week we all set
off, us in habiby, mike with a coach filled with party goers for a picnic at the barage. Stupendous. Lovely people and a great time. You loved it...we'll be back.
You also had parties of your own to go to as Fatimas' grandchild had her first birthday. Off you went to be the solitary gaourie amongst a group of adoring women and kids. You seemed to like that one too...could it have been all the cake and sweets?
off, us in habiby, mike with a coach filled with party goers for a picnic at the barage. Stupendous. Lovely people and a great time. You loved it...we'll be back.You also had parties of your own to go to as Fatimas' grandchild had her first birthday. Off you went to be the solitary gaourie amongst a group of adoring women and kids. You seemed to like that one too...could it have been all the cake and sweets?
This is also Fez Sacred Music Festival time and thus of course we went to see some of it. I was sorry that I missed Souad Massi, but did catch the Whirling Dervishes from Turkey, also Sufis. It's great when the festival comes round, tho the past two we've been too busy to enjoy it. However it feels less a festival than a series of relatively high brow concerts.
There are free public events, notably in the square and at Riad Pasha Tazi, but in reality tickets are about 20E, there's regularly a huge guest list of people there to be seen and it's all a bit too high brow. No street gigs, nothing like that. But it's here, who am I to complain.
You've also managed to get yourself out of Fez and up on to Mount zalagh, with your mum, Gail and Fran', who also live here. It's good that there are other English parents here and we would do well to meet more. Obviously Moroccan parents would be nice to meet as well, but for language and just relaxations sake, more anglo saxons please (how bad is that? Sorry, but there are times). I'm sure they're out there, we'll just have to go looking...Umm good time for that summer, meeting new people!
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