The joy that there is in getting away…For early January I took a week away with you to see Sarah and Neils new farm on the Devon, Dorset, Somerset border. How stunning it is and I can imagine Neil developing an archers addiction as I type. Surrounded by protected meadow and woodland, a few hours walk to the coast and numbers of independantly minded people all doing their bit to make a different type of existance.
Of course it took me hours to find the right tiny road to take, which, of course i had already passed on numerable occassions between 10.30 and midnight after a twelve hour journey from Fez, but it was worth it. Thanks sarah and Neil..and good luck Sonny.
Jules and Tony came down to see us which was good. It’s so important to get out of Fez and get a bit of perspective at times. We need to do it more! What is great is that there have been a whole new series of places to go to from Fez; Madrid, Barcalona, Seville, Marseille, Pisa and of course Standsted. We should be making more of this and I certainly hope that we will.
Mind you Ryan Air were bastards. ihateryanair.com there’s an important site. When trying to get on the plane from Bristol they refused to let you...yes you, bring on a tiny ruicksack, that you, a two year old, were carrying independantly, that had in it your dinasour, a toy fire engine and a cuddly elephant. We were restricted to one piece of hand luggage each and this, tiny baby bag counted as a third. The bastards. I unfortunately told the airstewardess she was a prat and within an instant we were surrounded by four police over seeing our re packaging of ouir bags, you crying and presumably any potential terrorist enjoying the opportunity of the distraction of the security serfvices to serve notice to baby dinausors!
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Jules and Tony came down to see us which was good. It’s so important to get out of Fez and get a bit of perspective at times. We need to do it more! What is great is that there have been a whole new series of places to go to from Fez; Madrid, Barcalona, Seville, Marseille, Pisa and of course Standsted. We should be making more of this and I certainly hope that we will.
Mind you Ryan Air were bastards. ihateryanair.com there’s an important site. When trying to get on the plane from Bristol they refused to let you...yes you, bring on a tiny ruicksack, that you, a two year old, were carrying independantly, that had in it your dinasour, a toy fire engine and a cuddly elephant. We were restricted to one piece of hand luggage each and this, tiny baby bag counted as a third. The bastards. I unfortunately told the airstewardess she was a prat and within an instant we were surrounded by four police over seeing our re packaging of ouir bags, you crying and presumably any potential terrorist enjoying the opportunity of the distraction of the security serfvices to serve notice to baby dinausors!
Carpentry.
Well at last we managed to get a carpenter in. So many false starts, and even when we did get this guy in, he spent all his time leaving the house! And then he stopped turning up. We’ve been told that carpenters in Fez are a nightmare and have to agree. Finally Attman joined us. He did some good work, also spent a lot of time away and also again stopped coming to work…no I don’t think it’s us. We’ve been working with old gyzers and planks which can be a pain, but that is all. But at least we’re advancing…and having to re do all Shitty Saids work.
As well as the carpentry, we've also now finished the zelig work, which includes some fine stuff in the kitchen. However the piece de la restance is the use of marble in the house. We've put marble in the bathrooms and on the RDC floor. At least one bathroom looks like something from a Blaxploitation film, that requires entry with a severe gold medallion and bald black head... I love it..we'll see what you think. But what does this really mean...yes we're moving towards the end..maybe!We started the year with yet another refusal from the Baladier to give us any permission and then being dragged up before the caid for not having any building authority. Yes our fault again, but, as I said to the caid when he asked when we would finish..if I knew that I'd have booked the flights for the celebration by now.
Nonetheless, we are moving forward, as ever, and as slowly. Mohammed Zeligi has taken residence after we finally decided to end with our original zeligi. It's the silence of his work that makes all the difference.
Ironically we have a plasterer who has started, who simply can't stop talking...yap, yap, yap..bloody hell guy, just work..but what can you say...have you learnt anything about the egos of mwallems?
But at least we have started plastering...I say at least, but then of course as with every new skill there are a million answers to each question...there's old/beldi gubs, romi gubs, white cement, plastering shouldn't be done in the winter, you need three coats, any half decent mwalem will do it all in one, the plaster needs siving, shouldn't be laid after 10.00 in the morning etc, etc, etc.. We'll see and we'll tell you more about what we learn.
Outside of Fez.
Life as we've known it has completly changed..we've undergone a revolution, the su
n has begun shining, I can feel the slightest of hints of warmth in my heart, on my face, deep in my soul. What has happened? We've cjhanged our working hours to ensure a 2 day weekend. Our workers work slightly longer days, but we all get two day weekends. We all love it, but oif course everyone didn't trust the fact that it was a win win situation..surely Paul was trying to pull a fast one. The team huddled together trying to work out how I was conning them, when I first told them. No, no con, just common sense.
n has begun shining, I can feel the slightest of hints of warmth in my heart, on my face, deep in my soul. What has happened? We've cjhanged our working hours to ensure a 2 day weekend. Our workers work slightly longer days, but we all get two day weekends. We all love it, but oif course everyone didn't trust the fact that it was a win win situation..surely Paul was trying to pull a fast one. The team huddled together trying to work out how I was conning them, when I first told them. No, no con, just common sense.We're happier and so are our workers..1 day weekends, KILL. And instead, now we can enjoy the joy of a weekend that can mean, lazy days on zalagh, mornings in bed, rest between meeting our domestic needs.
Thank god for common sense!
And of course, as we possibly reach the final furlong, I look at the work in other chantiers. There's ones like these, at Dominiques, where there is still so much work to do..and then there are these, that have finished..oh to have finished! Dream on!
