Hiya, family and friends-
We’re back in it at school. We welcomed 23 new staff to GWA this year, launched a successful orientation for our newbies, and coordinated an all-staff in-service with my team, culminating in a successful beginning. Mike and I are back in the rhythm of the school year, aiming to keep our focus on bettering the school, finding peace in the surroundings from our beachfront villa, and managing the chaos that comes when driving (something I’m sure I’ll never adjust to). On the weekends, we catch up with our family back home, spend time planning the next travel destination, and carve out some downtime. We lack a social circle here, and I’m working on accepting what is on that front.
Some days are challenging when I think of what I miss: family and friends, the ease of driving behind cars that stay in actual lanes, and when I feel like I could take a 3-hour nap due to the heaviness of the air. There are other days when I wake up (like today) to clear blue skies, a calm sea, and an appreciation for our slower pace of life. This is when I step back and find gratitude in the simplicity of our weekends and lifestyle, reframe the challenges into opportunities, and remember “why” we’re here- to learn from other cultures and appreciate differences.
This takes me to our market shopping weekends. We’ve made it more of a consistent practice this year to visit the underground market in Casablanca on Saturday mornings, as this brings similar joy to our Saturday vegetable market shopping in Istanbul, where I’d take three different buses and haul my trolley to get there.
In my quest for the best food source, I believe it stems from the farmer and how connected s/he are to their produce. Are they conscious or unconscious as humans- honestly, I believe there’s a transference of energy through the live vegetables we meet.
I’ve established relationships with my regulars now, as they often expect Mike and me to visit. My first stop is the “guy with greens,” no, I haven’t mastered his name yet, but his gentle eyes, weathered and soiled hands, and the intentionality behind picking the freshest head of lettuce or most nutrient-rich beets are why I continue to return: he possesses a food-conscious connection to his produce. I can fill my market bag for $5.00, which far surpasses what I’d buy at Whole Foods.
Then onto the egg vendor, who brings them fresh from his farm and packs the eggs in cardboard and twine- 15 for $2.00. I make a few stops in between, varying vendors based on what’s in season, but I am always sure to visit my “olive guy” as he has the best olives- EVER, as well as garlic.
I often learn about different medicinal plants while I’m there as well. Yesterday I stocked up on verbena, which helps with inflammation, stress, and has a myriad of antioxidants. The food market never disappoints, as long as you can withstand the smell of freshly slaughtered chickens- I basically hold my breath while shopping and a seafood market, but through it all, there’s a buzz, a sense of pride from many of the vendors, and moments of grace that happen within this short Saturday morning visit. One of Mike’s perks at the market is not the parking, but the gentleman who brings a bucket and a brush and offers to clean his car while shopping. Another inexpensive moment of grace as he takes such pride in his cleaning- all for $2.
Food is life, and many of us have grown detached from the gift of life that food offers. Grateful for the Saturday markets and appreciating our food source (even if it involves careful washing and prep on the return home).
