Yesterday, our first day off in Rabat, we finally had the chance to stretch our legs and just as importantly, get to a cafe with some decent wi-fi. Upon arriving, I open exactly one email, then accidentally dump hot, sticky mint tea (the toxically sugary, incredibly addictive national drink) on my keyboard. And the computer goes black, then white and has a major computer seizure. Then zip. Dead. Bad end to a great day.
But then Britt googled some instructions and I showed incredible restraint -if I do say so myself- by letting it dry out for a full 24 hours before trying to power it back on and...success! There is a very common expression in Darija, "Lahmdulillah!" Praise God! It will be our most useful phrase during these 27 months, I'm sure.
Some pics from our day around Rabat.
But then Britt googled some instructions and I showed incredible restraint -if I do say so myself- by letting it dry out for a full 24 hours before trying to power it back on and...success! There is a very common expression in Darija, "Lahmdulillah!" Praise God! It will be our most useful phrase during these 27 months, I'm sure.
Some pics from our day around Rabat.
Yeah! LOVE getting the updates on the blog and it's full of good news. And thanks for the photos - they really help show what it's like. Be well and use a travel mug.
ReplyDeleteSo glad it's OK, Pete. Thanks for the good news. On the way to library momentarily. Keep the pix coming.
ReplyDeleteRan across this insight from Wendell Berry and thought it apt for travellers and all those facing new circumstances:
ReplyDelete“It may be then, that form serves us best when it works as an obstruction to baffle us and deflect our intended course. It may be that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”
Standing by Words, by Wendell Berry;
Ch. 5: “Poetry and Marriage: The Use of Old Forms” (1982)
Keep singing, everybody.
Great to see some photos. I'd also add, great to get your first problem out of the way (computer seizure). It was bound to happen sometime.
ReplyDeleteAnd just so you can remember you are still learning things from us back home:
Alhamdulillah, praise be to God, is the equivalent to Hallelujah. Can't you tell?
Ryan, we've been shamefully ignoring the comments, but I wanted to tell you how right you are: we saw a music video on a channel called Arabica for an Arabic-language cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah": "Hamdulilah," it's called.
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