Derelicts and Adventurers

September 11, 1974

Another day in Rabat where under blue skies with no threat of rain you could live outdoors all year. For that reason I don't think it is a great hardship to live in the one roomed thatched huts as many people do. Mrs. Thompson and El Kabera went to the market but we stayed home that morning. When David and Amy came home from school, we all went to Sale´ twin city of Rabat, to visit the pottery and basketry factories, euphemism for one roomed, mud floored huts. First to the pottery huts - one room adobe type huts, with a crude division of labor - from the getting of the raw material, a red sticky mud from river bottom, then stamping on it to make it usable, then kneading to make it pliable, the molding into shape on the potter's wheel, the placing of the design -- either a cutout or hand drawn one on the article, the painting, the baking ,and displaying it for sale. Again the high incidence of child labor sickened me, especially one very young boy with saddest eyes painting designs on pottery. Here they had for sale little spice jars, tea sets, cups, vases, large jars - all decorated in Moroccan style and shades of red, blue, yellow (harmonizing) with predominantly geometric designs and floral motifs with interlacing lines. I was tempted to buy, price was small, but was afraid that I would break them on return journey. How they could sell at such low costs was evident - minimal operating costs, maximum sales volume, and an efficient deployment of labor (child) and material resources. Behind these crude huts were the living quarters, more crude huts with several naked children running about.

Not too far away from the pottery making stalls were shops engaged in weaving strips of bamboo in woven fiber products - baskets, tote baskets, rugs - all made by hand using a division of labor similar to the pottery making, cutting the branches, stripping them, coloring some, and making the products. The structures housing this industry were open with bamboo type roof supported by walls of same material  or often supported by poles placed at strategic places. Several men sitting cross-legged, unhurried, and non-communicative, prepared bamboo for weaving. One man was white, English looking, possibly a derelict or adventurer, oblivious to tourists. There were many articles here which I wanted but I had been warned by David and Gail that there is a special way to bargain. David, speaking French, bargained, holding firm to his price much lower than their price. Gail, unemotionally, refused and was on the point of walking away when the merchants agreed to our prices. At this time, Morrocan money was difficult for me to understand and I kept asking David what it was in American money. After more haggling, we purchased colorful mats with red, green or blue geometric designs, baskets and a colorful fiber rug for a porch or patio.

In the bamboo making area, I noticed only one boy, engaged in selling. He was happy looking and business-like in his work but looked so strange with his ill-fitting man's sport coat drawing my attention. One seller asked Gail for an American cigarette, my first but not last experience with wheedling, coaxing, and begging. Finally we reached home where we gloated over our purchases which we felt according to American standards were bargains. At dinner, we had our first taste of Harira, a soup which Muslims use to break the day long fast during the month of Ramadan. This soup has a basic beef stock which is simmered alone in a pot for several hours. The vegetables, washed thoroughly (chick peas, lentils, beans) are soaked overnight. The next day they are placed in a pot containing water with other fresh vegetables - carrots, turnips etc and simmered for hours. Spices are added and it is thickened slightly with flour. The last procedure is squeezing small tomatoes and placing them in the soup. (I will ask El Kabera to let me see her preparing it before I leave.) Some Muslims add yeast to it. It is a delicious, filling soup. After the soup we had tajine.

Again Mohammed pulled the shades, lowered the heavy shutters, and locked us in securely.