This Shouldn't Have Been This Difficult

I fasted for Ramadan last year. A month without eating or drinking during the day, and at night, the food consisted of sweets and candies and juices that served to provide energy for the next day. Everything is closed all day, and throughout the night, people wander the streets. Nobody works during Ramadan. Needless to say, I decided to travel to America this year. Knowing the way things work in Morocco, I decided that the best route to take would be the 8:30 CTM bus directly from Er Rachidia to Casablanca, and then to wait in the airport for about 8 hours until my flight was to leave at 6:30. I have been waiting in airports before, so this was no problem, and it would be welcome to know that I got there in time. I walked to the CTM station and bought my ticket. It was July 26th.

"Hello. I would like to buy a ticket to Casablanca on August 2nd."
"August 2nd is during Ramadan. You're traveling?"
"Yes. To America."
"Okay. Here's your ticket."

I went home, glad that I would be able to make it to America so easily. The day came, and I made my way through the street to the CTM station half an hour early. My suitcase dragged behind me, and my laptop banged against my side. I made my way to the CTM station, where I saw two men who sat in front, occasionally beginning to nap. I walked into the CTM station and asked them when the bus would arrive.

"What bus?"
"The bus that goes to Casablanca this morning at 8:30."
"There is no bus that goes to Casablanca today."

I showed them the ticket that I had bought the week before. They laughed to each other and pointed at me and to the ticket. I realized that I was on the verge of a blackout, I began to get tunnel vision, my breath suddenly stopped, and I began to mutter to myself without realizing it, something about the two men who stood in front of me and various methods that they needed to be destroyed. I had to get out of the CTM station, and fast. I found myself walking from the CTM station to the souk bus station. There was a reason why I preferred to ride via the CTM station instead. Souk buses don't run on schedules, bus simply begin their journey with a final destination in mind. It may stop at any village or city, or it may simply travel straight through. It may travel the direct route to the final destination, or it may simply meander through cities in the opposite direction, depending on who got on the bus at the time. I had to take a bus from Er Rachidia to Marrakech, and then find a way to Casablanca myself. This souk bus in particular, in order to get to the northern city of Marrakech, had to first travel southwest to Beni Milal, and then northeast to Marrakech, making what could have been an eight hour trip into a ten or eleven hour one.

I'm happy to say that the bus did leave Er Rachidia on time. However, due to the fact that a lot of people were so tired due to not eating during Ramadan, they had to stop for longer periods of time at the cities they stopped in. For instance, a stop in Midelt, which usually lasts about fifteen minutes, had to last about forty-five minutes so the driver could take a brief nap. What should have been a half hour stop in Beni Milal became an hour and fifteen minute nap break. I looked at my watch in Beni Milal and realized that had they not changed their mind about the CTM bus (they are apparently allowed to simply change their mind as to whether or not a bus does or does not have to work.) I would have been nearing Casablanca at this time. Instead, I found myself traveling to the other side of the country in order to find a way to get to Casablanca. I realized that I had to take a train from Marrakech to Casablanca if I were to get there at all. I checked the times and realized that the last train leaves Marrakech at 9. I had a few hours to get there, and at least would be able to get to Casablanca at around midnight, which would give me a little time to rest in the airport.

I felt that, until I discovered that sunset would occur a half an hour outside of Marrakech at 8. The bus stopped at a small cafe outside of Marrakech and everyone got out, eager to devour the food prepared. Granted, the food was delicious, but I couldn't eat very well knowing that due to the complete unaccountability of travel schedules, I may not be able to get to America at all. We had reached almost 12 hours on what could have been a ten hour trip, or a seven hour trip had the CTM buses ran. I managed to shove some sweet food and soup down and ran back to the bus.

I finally reached Marrakech at about 8:45. I had fifteen minutes to get to the train station. I ran out of the bus station and to the taxi stand, but I found that surprisingly, this series of taxis were in strike. Why they were on strike I do not know, but what I did know was that I was beginning to black out again, and I needed to get away from these people as soon as possible, otherwise, my actions would lead me to a place I really did not want to go. Luckily, I found a cameo, a tricycle type vehicle with the equivalent of a red rider wagon attached to the back. I threw my stuff into the back and hopped in. The man was wearing a New York hat, and I immediately felt like Indiana Jones traveling through the streets of Tokyo.

"Short round, get me to the train station, now!"

I threw dirhams at him, and in my fantasy, I imagine him shouting, Okay Dr. Jones, hold onto your potatoes! The traffic was heavy in the city, and the driver dodged the traffic and wove into and out of the cars. We ran through red lights and stop signs in order to get to the train station. I looked at my watch. It was 9. I heard the sound of a whistle and leapt out of the cameo. My roller suitcase was upside down, but at that point I didn't care. My laptop banged against my side, and my stomach began to turn on itself. I reached the platform just as the train began to roll out of the station. Normally, if a train starts to move, that means it was missed. But in Morocco, One only missis the train once it has finally left the platform. I sprinted to the nearest door, pulled it open, threw my laptop into the train, and then my suitcase, and then I pulled myself into the train just as the platform dropped from my feet. For a moment, one foot dangled outside the train,but I pulled my body into the train, fell to my knees, and threw up sweets and soup all over the floor. I knew that I would finally get to Casablanca with a little time to spare.

I then realized that most other volunteers tell me to travel just before Ramadan instead of during it. Now I knew why.

Rolling Blackouts

1. Blackouts

I was making the final adjustments to my vacation schedule the other night when it happened. The lights went out, the wifi internet stopped working, and the music that usually plays every night in the street went silent. What was strange was that it would happen at around the same time every night; the power would go out for about fifteen minutes starting at eight o'clock, come back on for another fifteen minutes, go out again for half hour, and then remain on for the rest of the night. For some reason, however, I had connected the power outages with the construction that had been going on.

In hindsight, it should have been obvious that wasn't the case since they usually stop construction work around seven, but it never occurred to me that the power company would just choose certain parts of the city to not have power for a specific period of time. I talked to Dipesh about it, and he told me that they were called rolling blackouts. I had heard of the term before, but I wasn't familiar with the actual meaning of it, nor had I connected it with what was happening.

In America, we take for granted that, so long as we pay our electric bill, any time we flip a switch there will be light. But this was the first time that I had actually experienced the fact that electricity, as with other forms of energy, is finite and has to be measured out. We understand this in America - that we need oil for cars, coal and other catalysts in the creation of energy, but there is enough energy in America so that it is always available. For now, at least.

This night in particular, I was making final preparations for my vacation to Los Angeles to be with David. The plan was that we would stay at his parents' house for the month of August, except I would fly home at some point for the week. The power had turned back on when I got the message.

"Marcus, I have some bad news."
"What is it, David?"

lights go out, internet dies.

"Shit."
"What is it?" Dipesh asked.
"David has some bad news."

We waited for fifteen minutes. The lights came back on, and after a few minutes, the internet started working on my computer again.

"What is it, David?"
"We can't stay at my house for August."
"What do you mean?"

lights go out, internet dies.

"Damn it!"
"What?" Dipesh asked.
"We can't stay at David's parents' house. I don't have the money to stay anywhere else."
"These blackouts seem more frequent tonight. I wonder why."

We waited for half an hour. I lazily pick up a cigarette and light up. I know it's a terrible habit, but fortunately, the stress is only here, in Morocco, so I will stop when I return to America. Finally, the lights came back on, and the internet started to work again.

"What do you mean we can't stay at your parents' house? An extended motel would end up costing us another 2000.00 dollars."
"I know, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do? You aren't mad at me, are you?"

lights go out, internet dies.

"Oh damn it!"

I know that there are numerous sources of renewable energy - wind, solar, hydro - but so far, none of these energies are taking off in America. It is only now that the country is doing anything serious about mileage standards on vehicles. Apparently, most Americans seem to equate the fact that we have a responsibility to not destroy the earth and keep it habitable with socialism. I bet that if rolling blackouts were to return, we would find a huge market for these other energies within moments. The lights came back on, as did the internet.

"No, of course I'm not mad at you."
"Are you sure?"

I began to type.

"No, it's just that we're having rolling blackouts, so I don't know when-

Lights go out, internet dies.

"..."
"You're simply accepting it now?"
"May as well."
"You do realize that you've lit up a cigarette about every time the internet went down, right?"
"Shut up, Dipesh."

By this time, the brief exchange that should have taken about five minutes has gone over the course of over an hour. A friend, Princess Leia, once gave me a piece of advice; no matter what else life throws at us in America, we'll always be content with the fact that it's not happening in Morocco. It's true, I can no longer think of anything that could happen in America that would make me very frustrated. Traffic jam? Meh, I was driving too fast anyway. Long line at the grocery? I'm just glad they know how to make lines and go in turn. Taxes? That means I get to use the interstate, the library, the police, the firemen, and the EMTs. The lights come back on and the internet works.

"I'm sorry, there are blackouts."
"I have great news! I talked with a friend and you can stay with her."
"That's great. Okay. I'll talk to you later. Bye."
"Bye."

I turn off my computer and stare at the wall. I shuddered to think about what would happen to the developed world if, heaven forbid, an electromagnetic pulse were to erupt from a nearby supernova that would cause electronic devices to fail. Much of the developing world would be able to get along just fine, but as for America, Europe, and the rest of the developed world, most of our lives are dictated by electronic devices. All of our money is electronic, placed in banks, stocks, and other bytes of information that float around. If the power went out, we'd be left with basically nothing. And our farms are based on electronic devices now, except for small family farms. It would be so disastrous for us if that were to happen. I think I am going to reread my old boy scout manual at some point to refresh myself, and perhaps look into properties where I can learn to grow my own vegetables.

You know, just in case.

Three Things I Didn't Expect to Miss

1.) Cheese: I never realized how delicious cheeses are, but after sampling some Spanish cheeses earlier this year, I now look upon my selection of cheeses in Morocco, and, well... this is how I begin to feel.



When I go to Los Angeles and back home next month, I will have to go to a wonderful little shop that I know that sells Parmigiano Reggiano, just the popular parmesan cheese from Italy, but still, delicious, especially when paired with a nice, dry Pinot Grigio.

2.) Personal automobile: Obviously, since my driver's license expired, I will have to get that renewed before any driving takes place. I miss this because it is a freedom that many people in America take for granted. The automobile industry has contributed greatly to the American identity, I feel, because it instills a sense of freedom. We have the ability to travels great distances, to see so many things, because we have access to individual cars. Just to be able to go see some friends back home.

3.) World of Warcraft: My name is Ikeene Stridersoul. I am a tauren druid whose goal is to destroy the Mauderon of Desolace to avenge my mother's death, and to find the rare glomsblood to make the elixir that she was hoping to make for my father. I will use my alchemy and herbalism skills to make it so that my father will love me again.

Roleplaying is something that I definitely think is the strangest thing that I miss. But I love it.

Patriotism and Freedom: Definitions, Pt. 2

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Patriotism and Freedom: Definitions, Pt. 1

The association that I have formed with a group of Moroccans held its first event on July 4th; the event was a look at the history of Independence Day and our continuous relationship with Morocco. Morocco, being the first country to recognize America as a sovereign nation, is an especially important relationship that America has, due to it being an Islamic state, it being close to Europe, and its unique position as a syncretic country that combines the cultures of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. As I studied the history of Independence Day, and our subsequent relationship with Morocco, I began to ask myself what it meant to be proud of one's country, and what it meant to obtain freedom. I wrote an article exactly one year ago about about being a liberal patriot, and I feel that it defines what I believe to be the American culture, but I didn't expand on how I actually define patriotism or freedom.

I have never been the type of person to be "proud" of a America just because I was born there, I need to know the why. From what I have always seen, most Americans show their patriotism during Independence Day parades, waving plastic American flags that were made in China while military personnel walk by. To many people, making any criticism of America, and even more so its military, is equivalent to treason, and an almost hanging offense. But do we really appreciate our veterans? According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans,

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states the nation’s homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly five percent being female. The majority of them are single; come from urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About one-third of the adult homeless population are veterans...

VA estimates that 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year, approximately twice that many experience homelessness. Only eight percent of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly one-fifth of the homeless population are veterans.

With numbers like these, one would think that any self-respecting country would devote resources to combating this social ill; after all, our veterans sacrificed their lives, limbs, and mental stability just so we could wave our flags. But with every budget debate that has occurred, rather than using our wealth to help those who have made these ultimate sacrifices, we instead sacrifice them so that we can keep our taxes low. When given a choice, social services have always been the first so-called "entitlements" to go - mental health facilities, substance abuse programs, housing programs for the poor - all of these programs that actually help these veterans are instead sacrificed in support of trickle down economics, the belief that the fewer taxes rich people pay, the more money trickles down to the poorest of Americans. I cannot fathom how anybody can claim to be patriotic only to support politicians who would rather let veterans die on the streets rather than establish a decent living wage, housing, and health programs to ensure that they are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

In international media, most of the articles revolving around American budget debates focus on the fact that so many people are so willing to cut services with the neediest among us. Even when I do force myself to read American media, the same outcome is evident. Most people refer to these programs as "entitlements", as if supporting the least among us is a luxury, not a necessity. From this, I have to conclude that Americans aren't proud of America as a single entity, but are instead proud of themselves for being American. As I stated in a previous blog, America is unique among other countries. Most countries are defined by a common ancestry, religion, race, or some other physical attribute, but America is unique in that what unites Americans is not a physical or religious trait, but an ideal. I believe that ideal is found within the Preamble of the United States Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,[note 1] promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

And in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

The fact that an ideal, instead of a religion or physical characteristic, is the link that binds us is both positive and negative. It is positive because it means that all human beings in America, whether they are from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, or South America, whether they are male, female, or transgender, heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, whether they are Atheist, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, or Muslim, are all endowed with the right to those qualities listed in those two statements. It is negative, however, in the fact that it requires Americans to view each other as equals. Sometimes, this can be difficult. It can be difficult for people to see someone who is physically different from him or her to view the other as equal. Racism, sexism, xenophobia, and other traits that serve to separate us from one another are bred into us from an early age. It is biological, and to fight it requires us to fight very dark, very deep-seated negative qualities that reside within us. Many people, I have noticed, cannot fight those dark impulses within them, and so feel no remorse by the fact that there are fellow citizens who experience hardships because they do not feel a connection to them. How many speeches have we heard in America that talk about so-called "Real America", as if there are people in America who don't deserve to call themselves Americans. The truth of the matter is that we are connected. A country is only as strong as its weakest member. We are only as successful as our most downtrodden of citizens. We are only as good of a country as the one who is least cared for. We are in this together. The ability to recognize our unity is what differentiates a country from a simple collection of people.

Living in Morocco, I have noticed a sense of community. I feel that it is made easier due to the physical and religious aspects that they share. Again, it is easier to feel a connection to someone when they share physical and religious characteristics. America is the most religiously, ethnically, and physically diverse country. That doesn't negate the fact that we are all still connected by an ideal that transcends petty physical and religious differences. Americans used to be taught that we are better than that, that we are capable of looking past our superficial differences and seeing, instead, the common qualities that bind us.

Living in a developing country for as long as I have, I am finally able to see this about America. It is this that I hope to bring back to America. I am patriotic. I am proud to be an American, but I am proud of that because I want to strive to see the commonalities that all Americans share. It doesn't matter if you can trace your lineage back to the Mayflower, or if you are a first-generation immigrant. None of these physical characteristics matter. That is the difference that I see. Many people who claim the mantle of patriotism while supporting cuts to the social services for the least of their brethren are not proud of the greatness of America - they are proud only of the greatness of themselves.