Growing older

So I added another year to my illustrious life (read sarcastically). Ever since I left Manila, the few celebrations thus far have been an assortment of things. This year, the difference is obvious because this is the first (and probably the last) birthday celebration I have here in Morocco. It was nothing fancy but I was touched by the effort of people, well, friends, who I have not even met before arriving here exactly one week ago. They started preparing the chicken for roasting at around afternoon, in between classes, and cooked the pasta, rice, and made fresh lemonade out of the lemons from the tree in our backyard starting around five pm. We had a simple dinner and singing over the cake. There were no blowing of candles this time but maybe that kind of practice grows old as one grows older.

So this is a picture of the cake and the homemade card they gave me. It was indeed sweet. I have also received so many greetings (genuine it seemed at least to me) that I guess I tend to forget people do appreciate my existence somehow. But I know my celebration is complete after I have talked to my family and best friends. In the end, it doesn’t really take more than that.

Anyhow, I have since forgotten (until now) what it’s like to live in a multi-person house, almost like a dormitory of sorts. Now, if I really want to be alone, I have to lock myself up in the room otherwise all sorts of people are just doing various things inside the house which are nice distractions, e.g. watching a movie in the living room or chatting inside the kitchen. We have a guided tour of the old medina (city) early tomorrow at half past eight in the morning so nobody wanted to be out late tonight. (from hereon, we have a schedule of cultural activities and tours for the next five weekends including a most-awaited trip to the Sahara desert!) And then when Sunday rolls around, everybody will be doing homework I suppose. We all have upcoming quizzes on Tuesday. And you know what they say about quizzes, it just freaks you out psychologically even though not all of us are taking these classes for credit.

Right now though, with the luggage problem behind me (finally !), I have only started to work again on my dissertation chapter in order to miraculously come up with around 2,500 or so remaining words that I need to complete it. I will take advantage of other people’s distraction here just to get it done and over with. And as I know too well, submitting it to my supervisor is not the end but only a beginning.