The Million Dollar Questions

Why Morocco?

Why don't you have a boyfriend or husband?

It seems like both these questions just keep coming from students and new acquaintances. The "Why Morocco" question  I can understand and the "Why No husband?" comes more with age, but it just seems a bit repetitive these days. I can understand how and why this question is raised.


First of all, I am living in a Muslim country where getting married is a life goal from the age of about 15 years old. For many of my students who live quite tradtionally, they have difficulty comprehending a life like mine where I travel alone and live abroad. Of course, I completely understand this as we are all products of our religion, culture, and environment. My behavior is a bit foreign to them and they wonder why I don't have a husband, children, and a career. It is possible to have all three especially in modern cities like Casablanca, but the real Morocco is quite patriarchal in nature with women being housewives and caretakers.

 

Secondly, I do find myself to be a dynamic person and one may wonder "Why is she single or not married?" Often people will comment and look at me dumbfounded like, "How is it possible?" It is quite sweet and again people have difficulty understanding the choice to be alone and a life alone.There are dynamic, wonderful, wonderful (typed twice purposefully) women who are working and living abroad. Some are younger and others who are older and they have beautiful spirits that can light up an entire room. There are dynamic, beautiful single women all over the world and my heart goes out to them all.


Lastly, it is not recognized by many people that we need to establish a relationship with our true selves before giving a part of us to others. As a single, independent American woman, I would like to educate others on the beauty of learning about yourself and trying to love yourself first rather than just handing over your identity to a man. I believe it is essential to have this relationship established with yourself before just diving head first into marriage and children. Many are focused on finding that "one" person to complete us in the Western  world (not so much in Arab world), but what about just completing our own selves? What about learning about yourself-your strengths, weaknesses,your place in the world, and how to deal with life as the good and bad comes, to learn through travel and experience, to understand how to positively cope with life's obstacles-ce la vie. If you search for that other half, you may just have an empty void you are looking to fill rather than learning how to deal with yourself in a real way. Having insight into our behavior is essential for learning and it helps us grow as women. Over the years of gaining great insight(sometimes what feels like an Insight overload), I understand myself-my needs, wants, strengths, flaws, and I can begin an open and honest relationship with the right person when that time comes. But the relationship with myself always continues and takes priority over looking for “the one.”

 

When responding to these questions, I try my best to be positive, avoid sounding cynical, and bitter, but sound kind, happy and positive.  I need to show them, “I am content with or without a man.”  When I hear the “Don’t worry you’ll find someone.” I just smile, but in my head I know I have dated great men- a couple recently lost, but with God has chosen to close those doors and hopefully has plans for new ones to open. It is not a matter of running around and trying to find a husband, but I will say that I have currently placed myself in an environment i.e. Morocco and the Mediterranean –Spain, Portugal, etc) where I do truly like the men and the culture. 

 

Time will tell, but until then let the “Million Dollar Question” take a rest Morocco=)

As Long As You Love me

The Five Pillars of Islam

1. Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophet Mohammed

        2. Establishment of the daily prayers
       
        3. Concern for and almsgiving to the needy
      
        4. Self-purification through fasting

 

• 5. The pilgrimage to Mecca

 

Happy Valentines Day

 

Happy Valentines Day to All my Friends married, in a relationship, happy and in love. I wish you a beautiful day filled with love, warmth, and appreciation. Believe in your love-everyday not just Valentines Day….

 

 

Memories of My Guru

This post is to my lovely, beautiful, incredible Guru in India. I keep his name confidential and I keep most of our experiences confidential. But I would like to say how blessed I am to have him in my life.

In my trip through India, I had heard of people who found their "life gurus." For me, I did not believe on going on a search for a Guru rather I believed in letting him find me, which he did. He found me in Rajasthan, India. The day we met was beautiful and I will never forget it. We spent some days together and

I have responsibility to him as a human being, which I hope to fullfill one day his dream to have his own Ashram. I hope I can create that for him one day in India-one day Inchallah.

While he is in India and I am in Morocco, but I pray for his health, safety, and thoughts of him keep me going. It is wonderful to have a such a kind spirit and religious person in my life. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out of Sight Out Of Mind?

We all know these lovely phrases: Out of Sight, Out of Mind" or Absence makes the Heart Grow Fonder" These two lovely phrases make us reflect on those loved ones that come in and out of our lives. 

Let’s start with our first phrase, “Out of Sight and Out of mind”. 

Is it possible to ever remove someone from your mind completely when they leave a clear, imprint on your heart?  Are we just fooling ourselves thinking that we can forget about someone special completely? A song, a memory, a sign, a movie, a joke could easily bring our mind back to this person. 

It definitely helps the healing process to have that person out of your sight without a constant reminder of them.  The less frequently we see a person, the easier it is to forget them?  It depends on your life circumstances and other factors in your life that make you happy.  Do you have a good social network of friends, family, and support systems? Are you keeping yourself busy? Are you trying to keep busy meeting new people whether males or females?

The more effort you put into other people, places, and things, the increased chance of healing your heart.  Some people are just unforgettable and you will always remember them whether you are thousands or millions of miles away.  When someone leaves an imprint on your heart, it is not something that just disappears after not seeing them. 

The opposite of this debate is “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” which this also depends on the person and the relationship. If two people are truly in love then absence does make the heart grow fonder. One being in love while the other one has moved on may make the heart feel a strong sense of loss and symptoms of a broken heart. 

With this said, Absence can create a longing and absence can create a chance to move on.  When the person is completely out of your life, it can give a human being a real chance to move on creating the "Out of sight and out of mind." They may be out of sight ,but never completely out of our minds..that is the beauty of the memory....

Sharing the Wealth

The five pillars of Islam include: the faith or belief in the oneness of God, Daily prayers, Give to charity, Fasting, and Pilgramage to Mecca. The first three of these pillars happen regularly and they all connect with one another in simple ways. When one gives to their people, they are acting with/for/to/of service to their God. This is a part of the religion to give to others even when you yourself have little to give. 

To bring in a personal example, which I might have already mentioned in the blog, my friend from work Yasseer. He worked for three months under a probation and/or training without receiving any pay yet each and every time we left the office he would give to a child or someone on the street. He had no income and had to take taxis to and from work each day, but he still managed to give. The charity to others is important for those who have and those who do not have it to give. When it comes to the religion, it is clear that you have to give yourself in some way and it may not just be about the money.  I believe that this giving charity to others can correlate to the Code of Honor, which I previously discussed. When you give your time and efforts, it is matter of religion, but honor and respect toward people.
    Give your time, give you help, give your support, and give your love- ISLAM-


From ISLAM 101:

The financial obligation upon Muslims.
An important principle of Islam is that everything belongs to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakah means both "purification" and "growth." Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion for those in need and for the society in general. Like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.

Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakah individually. This involves the annual payment of a fortieth of one's capital, excluding such items as primary residence, car and professional tools.

An individual may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa-h, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as "voluntary charity" it has a wider meaning.
The Prophet said,
"Even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is an act of charity."
The Prophet also said: "Charity is a necessity for every Muslim." He was asked: "What if a person has nothing?"
The Prophet replied: "He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity."
The Companions of the Prophet asked: "What if he is not able to work?"
The Prophet said: "He should help the poor and needy." The Companions further asked: "What if he cannot do even that?"
The Prophet said: "He should urge others to do good." The Companions said: "What if he lacks that also?"
The Prophet said: "He should check himself from doing evil. That is also an act of charity."

Its Time to Pray

In this blog, I realize I do not have enough writing about one of the most important components driving the country of Morocco: religion. I write mostly about my own connection with my own religion of Christianity, but it important to incorporate new religious principles and beliefs of Morocco into this blog. While I have many open and honest discussions with students and friends, I do not write about it enough therefore this will change going forward=)

In the Muslim religion, the required time of prayers is 5 times per day at dawn, midday, late afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. The prayer is called the adnan or call to prayer.While it is preferable to pray in a mosque, a Muslim can pray wherever they are and stop what they are doing for a few minutes. In my work, they used to have a designated prayer room for staff.

On the streets, you will see people pull out their mat and pray on the sidewalk. I even saw a guy pray in the back of a truck. Even if I am in session with a student, they will ask to take a break to pray. The prayer is one of the most important pillars for Islam many do say and it is beautiful to witness their committment to five times per day. It could be two times or three times, but it is five times and they do it with not one complaint, but

Living next to a mosque, I hear this call to prayer each day five times per day. It keeps me on track and I try to be mindful of it when I can, which means to stop take a deep breath and be spiritually present. The sound of this call to prayer I just love. Each mosque may have a different sound and some of them can be a bit obnoxious, but mine I like. It reminds me of where I am living and gives me the local feel I wanted.

Here is the Adnan Translated:

God is Great.
God is Great.
God is Great.
God is Great.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God.
I testify that there is none worthy of worship except God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Come to prayer!
Come to prayer!
Come to success!
Come to success!
God is Great!
God is Great!
There is none worthy of worship except God.

An Extra Half Inch Of Smile

There is something special about the children in Morocco and it comes from their smile. Each time I see a child I observe this adorable extra half or maybe quarter inch that shines bright. Over the smallest things comes such a beautiful smile, which makes their happiness shine onto you. For instance, the kids in my neighborhood like to play on the street in front of my house. It can get a bit loud with the "Moroccan futbol mania" and I get a bit annoyed by the noise. I , especially get annoyed with the one boy with a smart alec attitude. He is the "mean boy" of the pack and the rest of the kids are apologetic and well behaved. Of course, I  know this boy is special and a bit troubled so I understand.  But there is one boy, about five years old, Hicham,  one who always has this special smile on his face, which makes me feel calm. When I look at that smile, I tell myself, "Okay, Okay." I move on and just let it go.

Kids often hold a special place in my heart, but they can also annoy me at the same time depending on the context. In the context of work, I adore them always, they challenge me, and they make me better. Oh the memories of these wonderful children with beautiful smiles- I will always remember you and hope you have an unconscious memory flare up of me from time to time.

 
                              Keep Smiling Moroccans, Keep Smiling=)

Client Caught in the Cross Fire

In my office, I have a candle with a rosary hanging on the outside of it. I like having it there close by to keep me safe, but it just happens to be placed directly in front of the students during our session. 

Yesterday, I had a student who is a bit shy and nervous during our sessions, which I am positive and encouraging towards him to speak. Although, he was speaking very quickly and appeared more abnormally nervous than usual.  I was able to sense right away that something was wrong and asked him if he was okay, but he insisted he was fine. After that point, it did seem that he was trying very hard to recall our past lesson so I labelled it as some mild anxiety and nervousness during session.

Towards the end of the session, he says to me “I’m sorry we have to stop I just can’t focus anymore.” Of course, I kindly agree to stop and inquire about what is wrong and what I can do to help him. He had been holding back on what was really bothering him the whole session therefore he blurted it out, “It’s the Cross.” “It’s the Cross.” I apologize profusely for his experience and immediately removed it from the table.  He also apologized and said he respects Christianity, but he can not sit in such close proximity to the cross. Usually, I clear everything off the table, but I had not thought about removing the candle with the cross. After our conversation, he still seemed very nervous. He messaged me and said that he was sorry for his behaviour, but “it was a force bigger than him.”

This was an interesting and enlightening experience for me and I learned to be more conscious of living in a Muslim country.  While this is my space, it is important to be respectful of others coming into your space.

PURA VIDA

Blessings in Disguise

God Takes Away One Angel and replaces them with others.  Mr. Casa left my life as an angel, but others appear when you feel like you need them the most and God sees this.  He sees when I am hungry for his love and hungry for support and friendship.  He brings new students, acquaintances, and supports into my life and he leaves it up to me to keep them and sustain these relationships. They are blessings-secret blessings, which I have become aware of on a deeper level and this makes me appreciative.  Appreciative for his love, blessings, and unconditional support. PRIS

He Wakes me Up to Write

God Wakes Me Up to Write and I make the choice to rise up or stay down. He has always been on my side whether I make the choice to follow his lead or stray off path. His spirit is present within my core being. He gives me meaning and his divininty shines through the good days and bad...One love

 

 

 

 

Jab Taak Hai Jaan

Pris Rating- 4 Stars ****

Many Bollywood film critics and lovers say that, “They just don’t make Bollywood Movies like they used to” and often I agree with them, but I was pleasantly surprised by “Jab Tak Hai Jaan.” It is important to note the producer, Yash Chopra, who passed away in 2012. He seemed like a beautiful Indian man with great vision.  In this movie, many of the scenes were a bit cliché, but there was a beautiful message that came through at the end not just “Love can conquer all”, but “God’s Faith in Your Love Can Conquer All.”  

First of all, the fact that Jesus was involved in this movie in such a deep, meaningful way was precious. It demonstrated a girl staying true to her faith and religion.  She made a promise and she was going to keep it until fate proved was time for her to live in happiness with this man.  In the beginning, her prayers of “Please God, Please God” were not really prayers, but selfish requests.  Later in the movie, she says that she stopped making promises to God because she grew up and her relationship with God became more honest, spiritual, and less needy.

Secondly, Sharuk Khan has some great presence. He definitely proves my belief that men only get sexier with age.   His innocent, waiter boy look was not that attractive, but when he put on a suit or had his bad boy look on the motorcycle with the scruff (facial hair) and his body ripped-what a sight. Only if more men had is body and masculinity-strong, built, and just a real man.  I guess this is what makes him “Sharuk Khan” a famous Bollywood actor for good reason.  As far as Katrina Kaif, she was a bit disappointing and I believe the movie could have been amazing with a more popular, experienced actress. She has a nice physique, but her acting was a bit below average. 

Lastly, Bollywood always leaves you with a sense of hope when it comes to love. The song stay in your head and you find yourself sitting in a taxi or cleaning the house and singing them in your head. India just touches that special place in the heart leaving you feeling that anything could happen. It makes your soul feel just a little bit of hope when it feels a bit broken=) I love Bollywood and I love my Indians!

 

Habibi, Habibi

Habibi is used a term of endearment in the Arab world. It seems like at least half of the Arab songs use the word "Habibi" at least one time in their song.  This artist, Ishtar Alabina, is beautiful and I love her sound. She also speaks Arabic, Hebrew, English, Spanish, and French-what a incredibly talented and beautiful woman=)

 

 

Is He on Vacation?

Sometimes I just feel like a child waiting for the special person to come back, sitting staring at the door thinking that maybe they will walk in it. We run into each other's arms and embrace one another so closely we can feel each others heart beat.

 

Sometimes she sits and works in her living room

She stops for  just a few seconds

Breathes out and stares at her front door

Imagines his presence and him walking in it

He enters and she runs up to him

Holding one another so tight

Nothing can break them apart

He kisses her forehead and she looks up at him

Big, brown eyes of pure bliss

A smile that she doesn't want to fade

She regains focus

Back onto reality

Back into the present

There is no beautiful man at the door

Not on vacation

Not in her life

The door is closed
He is gone and gone

PRIS

Casa Art Exhibits

Being a big fan of art, I have been pretty deprived of the art scene in Casa since my arrival. For the past few months, I stop in and out of a few galleries in Gauthier, Racine, and Anfa, but I have not been to any formal art exhibits. 

In December, I met my artist friend, Mustafa, who is an artist in Casa who has worked all throughout Europe and now resides in Casa with his wife and two girls. We stopped by two art exhibits, one by Said Haji and the second by Natasha Novak. 
Mustapha is pretty well known in the Casa Art Scene and he ran into all his nice, artists friends, which he nicely introduced me too. They were adorably cute and a couple of them invited me to their galleries or studios to come and see their work. One of them is suppose to be one of the most famous artists in Morocco, but this is unknown as "everyone is somebody in Casa."

The Casa folk present in these galleries did not demonstrate a huge interest in the art rather it looked more like a social event(which this has a tendency to happen with New York art galleries as well) although people seem more intrigued by the art with more questions and curiosity. Since I do not understand the language, I might be missing some conversations they were having. In general, the art scene is not so good, but not so bad(Comsi comsa).  I kept asking Mustapha about each art painting, but he did not say much as he was more busy socializing. The artist did not speak much English so I was left just with my imagination and perspective on what his art represented.

With the second gallery of Natasha Novak, it was nice because I had some nice discussions on abstract art and our favorite artists.  I also spoke with Natasha who is from Lljubljana, Slovenia-a city I have visited on my Europe trip. I told her how much I admired and loved her city. She was quite humble and easy going. We were both very happy to be speaking English with one another. She verbalized her admiration for my "courage" moving to Morocco and starting up a business in a foreign country. She said nowadays are much harder than before for women living in Morocco, which I am not sure if I agree with her necessarily.  When I asked her about her reason for choosing Casablanca and her choices for her art collection. She said she never had an interest in dolls therefore in her current work she paints dolls, but with a variation in look(I like to call it a gothic or punk twist) Natasha also said "Casablanca is inspiring for me" "There is simplicity present within the people and the city and the people especially make you happy and smile." It was nice to hear that she was inspired in Casa as this word does not get associated much with Casa.  I was quite happy to meet a new artist friend in Casa and I plan to see her again at another art exhibition coming up next week.

                                       Said on the left, Artist middle, Mustapha right

 

 

Love the piece on the right-it was my favorite

 

 

Casa Artists

 

Love that chair, but you can't see it  

 

The Amazing Cake they had for Natasha's Birthday

                                                               Natasha and Priscilla

 

 

Fab fashion Blogger

 

 

 

                                                                 I liked this piece

 

After galleries stopped to visit some friends in Gauthier=)

 

 

 

Don't Wake me Up

Sometimes our dreams feel better than our actual reality. When we dream, our minds are feeling, tasting, and breathing a world outside of our real one. Our dreams are connected with our unconscious mind tapping into a mood, a feeling, a memory, an intention, a desire, a need, etc. Sometimes it can feel like a play with different guest actors playing a role in your dreams-these people may be from your past, your present, or people you wish to meet in your future. Every symbol in a dream can have a specific meaning and some symbols clearly represent a developmental time of our life.

For instance, a childhood memory, a connection to a parental figure, a traumatic event, a good developmental period of happiness. For instance, I had a dream last night that I ran into my kitchen and my mom was standing there. I ran into her arms and shouted, "Mommy, Mommy." It is the child inside of me that seeks love, affection, and a parent-according to Freud this can be psychoanalyzed quite easily. Priscilla longs for love, support, and a warm embrace from a maternal figure. Bowlby believed with her studies in attachement theory that these insecure attachments presents themselves later in our life and this is accurate for most of us. While some of us build up strong defense mechanisms to protect ourselves, others are not as strong and this lack of attachment impacts their interpersonal relationships and need for belonging. Our dreams present our true needs and desires, which may be haunting our unconscious mind. This desire mayby present in our lives or we may try to repress our feelings towards this desire, but it comes out in our dreams. It all comes out in our dreams-it is quite fascinating.

Another interesting dream interpretation I have is when my relationships end, I am present with the person being sweet, romantic, and loving yet they are pushing me away in the context of the dream. The reality that this person is gone, but my unconscious reminds me of what is fact. While I may miss them, they are just not the right ones for me. But when you are in a dream with someone you really want to be with sometimes it feels like you just don't want to wake up. When you are experiencing a dream that makes your senses come alive, you feel so in touch with your desires, needs, and wants-who wants to wake up?

 

Always, Always Reward Good Behavior

When people come through and they demonstrate good behavior-they get rewarded.  This is most important with clients, but it also important with new people I encounter in Morocco. Usually, my contribution involves some kind of food, extra thank you’s, extra smiles, tips, and/or some kind of gift. Lately, I enjoy baking cakes and giving them away. That used to be my trademark “baking cookies and brownies” for teachers, friends, and co-workers. Traveling around and not having an oven-it all stopped, but now it is back.  It is truly important for me to give thanks and show huge appreciation to these people because I want to keep the goodness going.

Without rewarding behavior, some of these people may be motivated to continue their good acts of kindness and for some it may have no impact at all. There are truly good people who do not want anything from you in return and with or without a reward they will just keep engaging in good behavior.  These good people I referred to as "Grade A" human beings.  I recall some people in India who would not even accept a gift when given it in return, but not just India-Morocco, Turkey, and other countries as well.  From a human behavior approach-people need to be rewarded or given a positive response through ones body language and verbal words, but some people who are truly grade A quality human beings"do not require a reward yet their generous, kind spirit continues to grow. 

This is where both religion and psychology intertwine making a person live their lives in accordance to their religious morals and values and the psychological makeup of a person is positively impacted by the religion. People may just be living within their purpose, which involves being good to others, showing respect, compassion, kindness, and warmth towards the human race. It is truly beautiful to witness the beauty of religion and our higher power, which fills up a person's being with his divine spirit and greatness.

These beautiful people I come across in Morocco, I am so thankful to have met.  And it is important to note that most of these people are my students.  I will try my best to keep rewarding those who are good to me as it is a co-created relationship between new friends and students. When people come through, in this country specifically, it truly means a lot to me.

Big Smile and I can not say Thank you enough. Big rewards for those that come through.
You know who you are if you are reading this blog-Thank you!!!

Oh So Romantic

                                       
                                

 

Oh Priscilla is such a romantic girl when she lets herself completely and totally fall for someone, she is oh so sweet and romantic. Valentines Day is just around the corner and I wish I had someone to share my romantic side with as I just love this "Hallmark Holiday." Valentine's Day is one of my favorite days- wearing red, getting dressed up, having a nice romantic date, the cute dinner specials and heart shaped desserts, the gift exchanges, the flowers, and being with someone special. For the past few years, I have been alone or with friends at some event. I remember the days with my past boyfriends: the balloons, the rose petals, poems, cards, chocolates, home-made cookies and brownies, and one time I even did a scavenger hunt... Oh those were the days..

While I could choose some random valentine this year, it is all or nothing for Priscilla.  It has  always been this way for this holiday. I want to be with someone I truly care about or be alone with a box of chocolates and a Bollywood movie ha!

My NYC Casa says he is coming for Valentines Day, but I have zero expectations of this actually happening.  My valentine could be my little 3 year old munchkin, Walid, I adore him and there is no man I would rather be with...well that is not the honest truth.

PRIS was really hoping to have a Moroccan Valentine, but oh well another year single, another year alive....

 

 

 

 

To be ALIVE

Days like today make me happy to BE ALIVE. Each day truly is a blessing. While this may sound cliche, it is the honest truth. This past year, I have received a challenge from my higher power-not quite the positive one. I guess I could say it is a "lovely gift from my father.'

While I have always been appreciative of what I have, these days I appreciate things more and more. My gifted ability to connect with others is so meaningful and this makes the days brighter. The nice, kind Moroccans I see on a daily basis always check on me and make sure I am doing okay. When you have a good day, embrace it.

Smile a bit longer, say I love you, give an extra hug, connect with nature- the sky, the sun, the sea-breathe deep and inhale your higher power's love, make someone laugh, take extra time to listen, teach someone something new, and give your honest self to the day.

It's All About the Marketing Baby

Puff Daddy said, “Its all about the Benajmins,” but in order to produce Benjamins one needs to market themselves as much as they can. Marketing can make or break your company. The right marketing can bring you business to a whole new level and bad marketing can leave you with little to no business. Thinking about social networking and businesses, I completely understand how beneficial these networks can be in today’s society and how important it is to utilize them to your benefit. While I do not like facebook and what it represents-this may or may not be a good marketing tool. Facebook can be used in a whole new way creating a business page and having no friends set up-this is the way it should be used-at least for myself. 

While people say that “Any exposure is good exposure." I do not necessarily agree with this statement, especially in my case where I am targeting a specific kind of clientele.  As a professional, you need to represent yourself and your brand in targeted fashion.  One can start off using different strategies and options, but will eventually figure out which ones work best. I find the best marketing is truly face to face contact and networking. You know who you are attracting and you build other relationships off that contact.

For me, marketing has never been something I studied or worked with and  the marketing I did for events, fundraisers/charity, and invites was always on Facebook. There are many things, which I learn day by day and trial and error. It truly is a learning experience as we can learn from everything.

 

                    Market, Market, Market=$$$$$

Good Things Come to Those Who Work

One day when meeting with my student who is the President of a Marketing company, she is talking about her work and her busy schedule and she mentions that "Successful people must wake up at 7am." I tell her, "I wake up at 8 so I guess that knocks me out." She laughs and I laugh, but I believe in her statement. To be successful, you have to make the most of the day and that means waking up early. There is no way of getting around it, but success means waking up, being responsible, and being an adult.

On the other hand, another lovely student of mine says, "Success soley comes from hard work and eventually it will pay off." While hard work does contribute to success, waking up early also adds into the equation.  A person may work hard, but this does not necessarily mean they will become successful. It depends on many other factors and it also depends on how "success" is being defined.  Overall, success is correlated with money therefore this would not mean that all people who work hard make a lot of money. My cute student says, "No money, No honey." 
That about sums it up as this post could keep going defining how we become successful=) 

I'm on My Way.....

Mr. NYC Casa( to give a brief review lesson- Mr. NYC Casa is my past Moroccan boyfriend from New York and Mr. Casa is the one from Casa, and Mr. Bigg is from Turkey. It may seem difficult to keep up with, but only three important men the past 4 years(Mr. Big, Mr. Casa, and Mr. NYC Casa).

Mr. NYC Casa lives in New York, but he also has a home in Casablanca.  He is 38, tall, dark hair, good looking, smart, a cook, a traveler, a writer, and the kind of Moroccan I envision myself being with, but he also a special Moroccan. Our communication was always and a challenge because he was busy working all the time, I rarely saw him in New York, and I just never felt like I could trust him from the beginning.  In New York, we never really had any closure as we just lost touch and with one phone call he is now back in my life.... 

Since December, he says he's "on his way" to Casablanca and it is now February and no Mr. NYC Casa.  He keeps saying he is coming the next week and the next week and the next week. I joke with him that by the time he actually comes it will be summer. While I am looking forward to having a familiar face here in Casa, I know that we will never have a normal relationship because again- he is a special Moroccan.

When I talk with him on the phone, I control myself and stay quite disciplined being friendly and nice, but not crossing over any romantic line. And then there are times where I get excited and I talk to him like I am 10 years old(it happens automatically) It also has an expression I call "just being a girl." I can not help it turning into this "cute, little girl" for a man whom I really like. It just comes out of me and I catch myself immediately after, but it is too late.

While things seems different,as he is following through and sending nice messages, I know his old ways will eventually re-surface and they have a couple times already. While he is actually following through and things seem a bit "different", I still have my doubts and try to hold the lowest expectations possible. Actually, I tell myself, he will never actually come and just forget about it. 

If he does come, there will be some boundaries set up because I am not wasting time with him or with anyone. Maybe I will not see if at all, but I say that and then he calls and I will definitely be curious to see him-it has been 2 years, but I say it right here and right now.
Priscilla is not engaging in a game of tug of war and will not be hurt by him because she does not care. I expect to see him and forget why I liked him in the first place.  This blog only has room for one heart break and that is it!

The One that Got Away

                                                                      
                                            Mr. Casa......

A Fast Car Through Life

 

Sometimes she drives too fast

It's dark with no vision of the road

She is advised to be careful

She wants to slow down, but she can't

There is so much beauty that awaits

A whole world of beauty at her fingertips

Driving with the top down

The wind blows through her hair

She is smiling with her soul

Her experiences are breathtaking

They are life changing

But did she have to speed

Did she become overstimulated

Over the fast ride called LIFE

 

-PRIS-

The Invisible Girl

Often, I have lived my life believing I was invisible- invisible to the socially constructed norms of society. Invisible to the main belief that to be truly happy, one has to take the marriage and children track. I worked hard to prove that this is not true by living independently, traveling, exploring, and dating. I would enjoy being in serious relationships, but I was not thinking about getting married. It was focused on having fun with someone who shares my same interests and enjoying life-movies, restaurants, dancing, art, and travel..

But one day it all changed.....

This day really was when I turned 25 where I started to think about having children, to think about marriage, and giving the socially constructed life a chance. While I have always been very selective with my interest in men, as I have looking for Superman(I guess someone like me), i look at men in a different way. It feels like I strongly desire just one man-my life partner. There was one man for a couple years: Mr. Big(Turkish guest star from Adventures of Bollywood Solo Traveler Blog). I did truly believe that he could be the one I would spend the rest of my life with as we were perfect for each other. We had so much in common, but something was missing and I guess two amazing people do not necessarily make a match-it requires a lot more. . Instead of staying in Istanbul, I picked up and moved to Casablanca where I met Mr. Casa-another amazing guy where I wondered where it could or would go.

At 28, I see that I am not an invisible girl anymore and society proves to me consistently that I am not invisible. Regardless of the environment, it is age and my biological clock that have changed my view towards marriage. I am living in Casablanca alone and often I do just feel alone. I truly want to have a partner in Morocco-one person that I can love and count on each and every day. A person who makes me smile when I feel sad

Often, I have lived my life believing I was invisible- invisible to the socially constructed norms of society. Invisible to the main belief that to be truly happy, one has to take the marriage and children track. I worked hard to prove that this is not true by living independently, traveling, exploring, and dating. I would enjoy being in serious relationships, but I was not thinking about getting married. It was focused on having fun with someone who shares my same interests and enjoying life-movies, restaurants, dancing, art, and travel..

But one day it all changed.....

This day really was when I turned 25 where I started to think about having children, to think about marriage, and giving the socially constructed life a chance. While I have always been very selective with my interest in men, as I have looking for Superman, I can feel myself looking at them in a different way. It is a strong desire to be with just one man-a life partner. There was one man who sparked all of these marriage and commitment feelings: Mr. Big (Turkish gueststar from Adventures of Bollywood Solo Traveler Blog). I did truly believe that he could be the one I would spend the rest of my life with as we were perfect for each other. We had so much in common, but something was missing and I guess two amazing people do not necessarily make a match-it requires a lot more.  Instead of staying in Istanbul, I picked up and moved to Casablanca where I met Mr. Casa-another amazing guy whom I thought where could this go?

 

At 28, I see that I am not an invisible girl anymore and society proves this to me time and time again.  Regardless of the environment, it is age and my biological clock that have changed my view towards marriage. I still think about kids, but not as much as I did at 25. Now, I just truly want to have a partner in Morocco-one person that I can love and count on each and every day. While my life goes on with or without it, it seems like it something I really want and I can feel myself more focused on it.

When she was younger, she would hear about this thing called ‘age.” She wondered what it would feel like it and now she knows the true feeling.  The true feeling of becoming an adult who needs to take responsibility, who seeks commitment, who seeks love, who wants success, and wants to live with purpose.....

Give Materialism to Get Materialism

Casablanca or "Casa Trash"(this sounds bad, but it is the term used in Casablanca) love their Materialism. They love to dress nice with the Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, excess makeup, a liter of perfume, flashy accessories, nice cars, iphones, and all the designer accessories.  As mentioned before, Casablanca is famous for fake designer labels and while many walk around with fake Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, etc- they still manage to think they are so cool. Even if it is a fake label or a real label, it is still the label, which is important to them.

They place significant value on materialistic things. These labels hold value and importance rather than focusing on ones education and background. Image is everything.  Again, this is catering to a specific clientele, which is the the wealthier Casa population
I bring this topic up yet again because I realize that in my business: I have to give a bit materialism to get the materialism in return. I have to present myself to their standards whether I like it or not. It is important to adapt to their "Cultural Casa standard."   They will look at the purse I am carrying rather than caring about the 100s of clients I have worked with over the years.
It is not that I do not agree with presentation in the business world as I am aware it is very important to dress the part.  This is coming from someone who used to wear the cutest business outfits from the age of 18(Oh again if I could just go shopping for one day in the US).

Anyways, I work with what I have here and present myself professionally at all times, but I need to add a dash of materialism to get the Moroccan’s 100 percent attention.  It's okay Casa I understand the focus on materialism is quite cultural and has been this way for years. It continues to grow and develop with the rest of the world, but the mentality of the people stay the same. 

Give them a bit of materialism and get it back in return=)

Hiya Hiyaaaa

This song lights a flame in my heart each time I hear it......