A bit of Darija for you. A mul-Hanut is a shopkeeper. (Hanut = shop and if you add "mul" in front of a word it means you own it... For example: Dar = house so a mul-dar is a landlord)
Every morning I walk down my steps out my door and fifty feet across the street to the store. Here I buy 1 bread, 2 eggs, and 2 cheese (not real cheese... Laughing Cow). I do this every morning. Rain or Shine. Sleet or Snow. Just like the U.S. Post Office. Consequently, I have gotten to know the mul-hanut very well. He is a great man, very friendly. I always have some sort of chat with him in the morning. Additionally, he always tries to use some english when I'm there. He has since learned bread, eggs, and cheese, but is always trying out some new phrases.
Last week, on monday morning I reluctantly left my house. It was freezing cold, windy, and rainy. However, I needed my food. I get cranky if I don't have food and I didn't want to have a cranky day... those are the worst. When I arrived at the hanut (granted only 50 feet from my door) the mul-hanut saw that I was cold and invited me behind the counter to share some warm coffee, bread, and fresh olive oil with him. It was just what the doctor ordered. The coffee ran through my veins and served as the equivalent of a shot of vodka in the middle of a russian winter. The bread an olive oil were a nice change of pace from my regular breakfast routine. In addition to offering me food the mul-hanut changed the t.v. channel he was watching the the BBC english news! It was amazing. The first english news program I've seen since I arrived. I sat with the mul-hanut for an hour watching the t.v, talking, and getting warm.
When the news started repeating I thanked him and grudgingly made my strenuous journey 50 feet across the road to my house. I was done for the day. Safi! I intentionally built relationships, cross cultured, practiced my language, and bought food. All in one stop! It was the closest thing I've come to a full shopping experience (like costco) since I arrived in this country.
I've also included some pictures of the Dar Chebab I'm working at. Enjoy! Happy February.
From the outside.
My Classroom!
i love reading your blog hahaha
ReplyDeletekeep the posts coming!!
Hey Pete,
ReplyDeleteCousin Chris here. I found your blog after a quick search after I heard about your Morocco placement. I've enjoyed reading your posts as it instantly puts me back to my PCV time in Guatemala(1995-1997).
Back then, email was just catching on as I remember telling Hugo, the carpenter who made some of my furniture, that I thought the "e" stood for "electronic"...mail.
Is your computer PC issued? We were given a mountain bike and a helmet which the folks thought I wore to keep rain off my head, not to keep hard things from hitting it incase I fell off.
Anyways, I'll keep checking in. Great stories! I too rememember some strange fruits in Guate, including some very small bananas, nothing like that club. Any taxidermists that can mount that beast for you?
Gretchen and the boys are well. It's actually raining in California and we're watching Saturday morning cartoons while Gretchen is having a well deserved sleep-in.
Peace Out,
Sperber