Sunday, June 7, 2015
Debriefing meeting with distractions Sunday 6/7
Today we all met in the lobby of the hotel at 10am to debrief a bit. The Moroccan Government is very keen to start the collaborative aspect of our relationship---beginning with a Memorandum of Understanding. Our delegation leader, who is quite interested in ideas from everyone, wanted to hear from us. My priorities always start with teaching---sometimes selfishly---as it is what I feel I am most qualified to discuss. I'll try teach anything, anywhere, any time, to anyone. Others have more long term, strategic interests in mind.....much of it concerning structural issues in the Moroccan educational system that are contributing to long term unemployment ans the high school dropout rate. I also continue to advocate including the US business community in our efforts. My colleagues to their credit, listen to me always and include me at all times. Very refreshing. I have to say that I have gained great admiration for each of them. A project like this helps us all gain perspective on what each of us does for our students every day. I feel renewed in a way.
While we are speaking, a group of Barcelona jersey wearing, male noveau riche, Moroccan fellas proceeds to sit at the next table and play juvenile videos to each other at loud volume on their phones while smoking like chimneys. Rude. Many of the worlds problems might be solved if men realized that toys are for little boys.
While we are speaking, a group of Barcelona jersey wearing, male noveau riche, Moroccan fellas proceeds to sit at the next table and play juvenile videos to each other at loud volume on their phones while smoking like chimneys. Rude. Many of the worlds problems might be solved if men realized that toys are for little boys.
Casbah 6/7
Miguel B. Corrigan
Assistant Dean for BUS/FIN/MKT, NVCC-Loudoun
Associate Professor of BUS/FIN/MKT, NVCC-Loudoun
Assistant Dean for BUS/FIN/MKT, NVCC-Loudoun
Associate Professor of BUS/FIN/MKT, NVCC-Loudoun
2014 Fulbright Teaching Scholar, SVRIA, Saratov, Russia
mcorrigan@nvcc.edu703-450-2615
Call to prayer 6/8, 5:10 pm
I am back in my hotel room on Sunday after a 2 hour sojourn through the western Casbah then back through the Medina. I have a great little window on things from my 4th floor southwest facing room. First there are some buzzing businesses below---one being a bottled water distribution center---the other a wood shop. There is a little guard shack you have seen in previous photos I think. A dog sleeps in a little cardboard shed to it's left during nighttime hours. He is tied and gets very upset when a horsefly or something is buzzing around. He barks at night, especially when revelers(not drinkers mind you, but music festival attendees and such) get too close. He has a couple of minders---one is a security or parking guy who I think he spends the heat of the day with--the other is a severely disabled fellow who I think keeps the streets clean---also appears to be deaf. He and the dog love each other, they hug and appear very close. In the daytime one or the other guy is in the little shack at times. At night, the dog is there. Today, Sunday, there is little activity on the street but just now a taxi driver pulled over, grabbed a piece of cardboard out of the car and knelt for prayer. Shoes off. Stands up. Kneels again. Packs up the cardboard. Gets in and drives off. I hear the call to prayer often here. It is a lower octave than you hear on TV in America, less musical, but nevertheless, beautiful. Allah-Huakbar....for about 5 minutes several times a day. No agenda here but it never fails to move me for some reason. I shall post some pictures of all of this next.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)