Update 2:

Trusty steeds, er, readers!

Here is Update # 2. I still haven’t come up with a better naming scheme. I blame that on the many years spent in the engineering world!
So you should know that I am writing this on a balcony 30ft above a surf beach in Taghazoute, Morocco. The waves are breaking, the full moon is tomorrow night, and every once in a while you get a whiff of air that smells like rotten garbage, feces (not specific to animals), or of a combination.
Steffen (a cousin), and Edith (fellow MSF staff) join me in this absolutely wonderful experience. When the sun is setting and rays are piercing the clouds it’s hard to believe that a) this isn’t Heaven. Or b) that this time last year I was drilling holes through a meter of ice in -40 degree northern Albertan tundra.
There is no way in the world that a year ago I could have predicted or expected this drastic lifestyle change. I am awaiting a placement with one of the worlds most respected organisations. I am on call. Ready and waiting for someone, somewhere to call me and send me somewhere to do something. Can I be more vague?
The truth of the matter is that I finished my Pre-departure and Logistix training in Bonn, Germany on February 6th. The following morning I met Steffen in Koln, caught a train to the airport and flew to Barcelona for a few days. Edith was supposed to be on the flight, but she missed it and caught one the next day.
Some Internet research later told us that the cheapest way to Algeciras at the south of Spain was by renting a car. So we rented a car and drove along the Mediterranean coast in two days (1300 kms). We stopped in a few cool places, I tried to drive the snot out of the Citroen, but the little diesel bugger pulled as hard as I pushed. I love diesels.
We took photos from atop the rock that included Spain, Africa (Morocco) and Great Britain. Who knew that Gibraltar is British? Apparently that’s common knowledge. We also drove past the ferry to Ibiza, but none of us had the money to have that kind of party.
Taking the boat to Tanger, Morocco was kinda neat, a chick hurled. I almost hurled when I saw the chick hurl, as my stomach had been feeling off for a few days thanks to funky fish in Alacant.
There was a hot chick on the boat, but I am not sure how white dudes are supposed to talk to Muslim chicks. At least that’s my excuse for pussing out. To my boys out there, laugh all you want, remember who’s surfing right now and who’s sitting at a desk.
On the Muslim front: I have to say that I was and am incredibly ignorant of their religion. But I do have to say that the westernised slant is very biased and doesn’t take into account the hospitality they show, the kindness and willingness to help. I have rarely encountered such friendly people. I started by saying that I was and still AM ignorant. I am aware of that, but I definitely have much more respect than what I have been led to believe living in the western society. (That’s my political rant for the day).
So Tangier was good, they are quite the hustlers, and you have to watch your pockets at all times. My handlebars and skullet (I can’t grow a full mullet due to the bald gene) quickly earned me the nickname Ali’Baba, I like nicknames. We tried to buy a car there, that didn’t go so well. We take buses now. Casablanca was filthy, and the coolest place to be apparently was McDonalds, where I actually heard Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” blasting through their audio system. Marrakash looked really neat, nothing cooler than a city almost in the desert that when looking down the main esplanade you can see snow peaked mountains less than 2 hours away.
In Taghazoute there are a number of neat surf breaks that, depending on wind and swell direction as well as your skill level as a surfer, determine what’s right for you, whether or not you think you can ride the specific break.
One thing that I have learnt, the hard way as per usual, is that when a little kid starts dancing in front of you, don’t dance back or you will likely receive a sharp kick to the shins followed by laughing and what sounded to me like “infidel.”