The August Monsoon

This was an exciting week for me and my house. This freak August monsoon brought with it a myriad of new experiences. When I returned from Taza on Tuesday, I was filled with a renewed appreciation for rain... actual pouring, earth soaking rain. The heat had dissipated and it was almost feeling like a day back in the good old Northwest. On the bike ride back to my house everything looked renewed, and as I made my way through the forest I could pick out the scent of the pines just behind that freshness you get after it rains. However, along with the heat and dusty smell of summer, the rain also washed away parts of the hillsides, dumping heaps of mud over the roadway and causing a general mess. After cruising down the valley and back up the hill to my house my bike tires were completely caked, and I had spatters of mud all over my pants... but it felt good to be exercising again.

You see, Ramadan has created a sort of challenge for me in the way of exercise. Given the general heat wave typical of the middle of August, and the fact that I'm not technically supposed to be drinking water during the day if I'm fasting, I haven't been of the mind to do much in the way of intense workouts. I'm just not sure what a good time to do such a thing would be. I could do it in the morning, but I usually sleep in because I wake up at 3 to get in a last meal before the morning call to prayer. I could do it in the evening, right before the 7:15 call to prayer, but by that time my blood sugar is so low that I can't even speak Darija well, let alone go for a run. And exercising at night is right out due to the dogs that roam around barking all over the countryside. So yes, it has been hard, but I'll work something out eventually. I may just end up cheating on the water part of fasting to keep this feast/fast cycle from making me completely out of shape. Wouldn't it be ironic if I wound up gaining weight during the Ramadan fast?

Where was I? Ah yes... arriving at the house. I remembered that earlier in the year when there was just a little bit of rain I had a small leak from the roof. Unfortunately, with the large volume of rain, the problem became exacerbated. Stepping into my room, I braced myself for the worst, and was not disappointed. Water was dripping from multiple points in my bedroom, and had gotten a few of my papers, some of my clothes, and my bed area pretty sopping wet. There were small puddles on the ground, and rivulets running down towards one end of the room. There was but one of my ponjs that was untouched which I made use of for sleeping along with my still dry sleeping bag. At times it feels as though I'm living in a cave... damp, musty, with water dripping from the ceiling. The good news is that the floor is cement, and they included a drain hole in my room. That's how these things are built to be cleaned, so no big deal. Unfortunately drain holes are a two way street. Just because they let out water doesn't mean that they don't let in other things. Case in point... my mouse problems.

I've been waging war against the mice in my house for the last couple of weeks. It started when I went to get some flour for a recipe and discovered that my 5 kilo bag of flour had some holes in it... and small bits of fecal matter scattered around the outside. Needless to say I was not very pleased with the whole situation. Hence began the hunt... making things mouseproof (or so I thought), setting up elaborate traps (one involved the chimney, a tupperware container top, and a bucket of water), tearing up my back room looking for entry points, and wondering what to do with the mouse that was now swimming in six inches of water. I wound up killing the bugger by hand (gloves), much to the disappointment of you animal lovers out there. In my eyes it was an act of mercy, better than the slow death of tiring of swimming and slowly drowning. I thought there was only one, but they just kept coming, drawn to the food that I've tried so hard to keep from them. I've gotten four of them so far, and there is at least one more that has gotten away to date. Along with the tide of mice came another visitor to my house, drawn in by their scent no doubt.

That brings us to the snake. Yes... a snake in my bedroom of all places! I'll bet you that not many Americans can say that, barring the few that keep them as pets. There I was, minding my own business and watching How I Met Your Mother on my computer, when out of the corner of my eye I see some movement. I said something to the effect of “Jesus!” and lept off of my one dry ponj. He decided to take that as a hint to slither on by into my living room/kitchen area. It snuck into the the corner, behind my elaborate mousetrap, hissed at me and coiled itself up. Running outside, I picked up an appropriate stick and pinned the sucker down, then deftly flipped him into a giant pot and slapped on the lid. Let me make perfectly clear that this was no small snake... he was easily 3-4 feet long, and I being unfamiliar with snakes in the area, potentially dangerous. The danger being neutralized for now, I ran over to the neighbors and told them that I had a snake in my house. Well, from the viewpoint of the snake, that was a bad idea. Instantly it was decided that the snake must die, and I must say that I didn't put up much of a struggle against it. I have this thing about creatures invading my territory. Mice, scorpions , snakes, bugs... if I find them outside they are free to live, but once they cross the threshold of my house they have made a crucial mistake. They are no longer in nature... they have invaded my space, and therefore must die. So yes, the snake now lies dead... however I am a bit saddened now that such a beautiful specimen of an animal was killed for just doing what was natural for it... following its nose.
The monsoon continued last night, but hopefully things will dry up soon. Today will be a day filled with laundry, airing things out, and preparing my house for its new plastic sheeting which I bought yesterday at souk. For all the curveballs that Morocco has been throwing me, I'm still in the game, and hey, a curveball once in a while is what keeps it interesting.