Writing the Journey - a Moroccan Desert Retreat

Writer and performer Jan Cornall mentors writers and teaches writing at Australian universities and community colleges. She also leads writing retreats and workshops in inspiring international locations - Bali, Fiji, Cambodia, Burma, and Laos. Each year a number of her students go on to publish with major publishing houses. As Jan explained to The View from Fez, 2013 will see her run a writers' retreat that begins in the streets of Fez before heading into the Moroccan desert

When I decided I wanted to run a desert writing journey in Morocco I was lucky to find the ideal place - an oasis retreat in the a tiny traditional Berber village, perched on the edge of one of the Sahara’s most extraordinary natural landforms, the 22 km long sand dune, Erg Chebbi.

Established by Australian artist Karen Hadfield, Cafe Tissardmine is slowly becoming a hub for writers, painters, photographers, even scientists wishing to study desert flora and fauna.

Karen was on a short holiday to Erg Chebbi in 2010 when it all became clear - this was where she would set up an artist’s retreat. She found her renovators dream, a mud brick ruin in Tissardmine village, and with business partner Yousef Bouchedor, set about converting it into a guest house. Located 30km from the well travelled towns of Erfoud and Rissani, Cafe Tissardmine is a place of tranquility, ‘where the loudest thing you will hear is the birdsong.’

In January, our twelve day writer’s journey begins in Fez with a day and a night to explore the ancient city before we head out by four wheel drive to Tissardmine. For our six day desert retreat we sleep in traditional Berber tents (complete with en-suite bathrooms) and attend daily workshops and readings in the comfortable artist’s salon.

Taking our inspiration from the cosmology of the Moroccan star, we will explore the mystical significance of the eight cardinal directions and the areas of writing craft they relate to. Excursions into the desert from our base will employ the senses and elements to capture the unique desert experience and transform it into powerful writing. We will complete our journey with a breathtaking drive across the Atlas Mountains to Marrakech, where we will celebrate our writing achievements with a feast of Moroccan culture.

Please join us if you would like to come. Writers of all genres and all levels of experience are welcome. Creative artists, photographers, performers - even if you have no idea what you might write you will be surprised what you are capable of.

Writing The Journey - Morrocan Caravan, Jan 10 - 22, 2013.
www.writersjourney.com.au 
 www.cafetissardmine.com

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Morocco's Tissa Horse Festival 2012 - A Reminder

A reminder that the Tissa Horse Festival 2012 edition begins on the 19th and runs through until September 23.  Below is all the information you need in order to make the trip - It is a fantastic day out, so don't miss it! 

Getting there
The easiest way to get to Tissa on time for all the action is to catch the bus provided by Plan-it-Fez. The vehicle will depart each day (from the 19th to 23rd September) from Batha (outside Batha Poste) at 7am arriving Tissa at 8am.

For the return journey the bus will be departing Tissa at 3.30pm for arrival in Fez approx 4.30pm.

The price per person is 350 Dirham. Please note: this must be paid in cash. A minimum of five passengers are required for the bus to depart - so make sure you bring your friends!

Most important:   People MUST book 2 days in advance by emailing Plan-it-Fez.    
email: info@plan-it-fez.com

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Fez Cafe at Jardin des Biehn ~ A New Direction

Paul Biehn has returned from France and taken over the management of the popular Fez Cafe at Jardin des Biehn in the Fez Medina.  As he told The View from Fez's Suzanna Clarke, he is very happy to be back.

When he first arrived five years ago, the ancient Medina of Fez made a big impression on Paul Biehn. "Oh my god, it's wonderful!" Now Biehn, 30, has returned from a year living in Paris to take over the management of the renowned Fez Cafe at Jardin des Biehn. And he has plans for the place - including a free tapas night on September 22.

Fez Cafe can be found at the end of a magnificent Islamic-style garden - part of the complex which is also a pretty and colourful boutique hotel. It is owned by Paul's parents, interior designer Michel Biehn and his wife Catherine, who runs a sophrology consultancy from the premises.

Paul helped to supervise the purchase and renovation and set up the restaurant. "We have 48 seats outside and 20 seats inside. A big improvement is that in the spring we are going to open the terrace upstairs. We are not changing the menu or the prices - it will still change from meal to meal and be based on seasonal produce."

Reliable internet will be another improvement, and Paul is planning to improve the bar offerings, with "mocktails" - non-alcoholic cocktails - on the menu, and is upgrading the beverage list, "so people can enjoy a nice drink in a lovely garden".

Biehn says he wants the style of the restaurant to be "eclectic and changeable", so regular patrons and visitors will not know exactly what to expect. To achieve this, Paul is working closely with chef Hicham Moufid, who has been with Fez Cafe for more than a year. "He used to work in Rabat for many years at La Mandarin," he says.

Born in Aix-en-Provence, Paul grew up in the mountainous Luberon region of France. He left home at 16 and went on the road with a group of friends, "looking for the illusion of freedom", he says. He was involved in running rave parties all over Europe, but at the age of 25 decided the life-style was taking too great a toll on his health. "So I stopped everything, and went to Afghanistan in 2006 for a year, to run a restaurant in Kabul for a friend of mine."

It was during this period that his parents made the momentous decision to move to Fez and purchase the summer palace that the Pasha Tayeb el Mokri built in 1906. After helping with the set up Paul took off for Paris where he has spent the past year working in set construction for theatre and in a famous bar, Les Trois Baudets (The Three Donkeys.)

Now the Fez Cafe is well established, Paul is planning to offer regular events. The first of these will be the tapas night on September 22. "The tapas will be free, and people will just pay for their drinks," he says. "We are hoping for a lot of people to share a nice moment in a beautiful place."

When: September 22 from 7.30 pm
Where: Fez Cafe, Jardin des Biehn
Info: www.jardindesbiehn.com
Fez Cafe: +212(0)664.647.679

Photographs and text: Suzanna Clarke

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Pop-up Art Show Comes To Morocco

Tangier, Fez and Casablanca are on the schedule of an enterprising (and surprising) couple of artists from very different backgrounds.  The duo, Swales & Sinclair, are expected to pop-up in Fez on the19th and 20th of this month after a visit to Tangier. Their travelling show is called  In the Footsteps of Ibn Batutta.

Founded in Manila in 2008, Swales & Sinclair is an ongoing artistic collaboration between mixed- media, visual artist David Swales and mixed-media artist, singer/songwriter/poet (and former Philippine child music-star) Chanel Sinclair.

They have exhibited in New York City, Manila, Athens, Hurghada and Al 'Uqsur and are about to embark on a schedule of spontaneous, pop-up, neighbourhood exhibitions in Eastern Europe and the Islamic world – exchanging wabi-sabi images between contrasting global, urban contexts and audiences.

If and when we discover where in Fez they will pop-up, we'll let you know. Limited edition prints will be for sale.

Keep an eye out for Swale & Sinclair and show them your support because proceeds from the show will be donated to a local charity, either the local women's shelter or the abandoned girls' home.

WABI-SABI - the art of imperfect beauty

Pared down to its barest essence, wabi-sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all. Wabi-sabi is flea markets, not warehouse stores; aged wood, not Pergo; rice paper, not glass. It celebrates cracks and crevices and all the other marks that time, weather, and loving use leave behind. It reminds us that we are all but transient beings on this planet-that our bodies as well as the material world around us are in the process of returning to the dust from which we came. Through wabi-sabi, we learn to embrace liver spots, rust, and frayed edges, and the march of time they represent.

DAVID SWALES

David Swales was born in West Belfast, where the war- damaged cityscape, vivid political murals and extreme societal traumas left an indelible, primary influence. During a largely diasporic life he has since lived and worked in Europe, Asia, Africa and the U.S. David previously worked at Central St. Martins College of Art under renowned photographer/film-maker Malcolm LeGrice, He also worked in the gem-trade, until an unfortunate robbery at Heathrow Airport compelled him to seek employment in the financial world (in Seoul, London, New York City and Manila). Throughout this period he also had several successful exhibitions, finally leaving the financial world in early 2012 to focus solely on his art.

CHANEL SINCLAIR

Chanel Sinclair was born in San Diego, California. Growing up in a multi-lingual, trans-pacific family, Chanel experienced the popular culture of the West Coast while living for large periods in a contrasting rural province of the Philippines. Writing poetry and music in several languages, Chanel has been profoundly influenced by the rich folklore and visual artistic heritage of the Philippines, but also its vast economic disparities. This manifests itself within the work of Swales & Sinclair, especially with written word (woven into the mixed media pieces that the artists construct) and her passion for revealing the hidden beauty of wabi-sabi captured in often poverty-stricken environments of developing-world, urban contexts. Chanel is also exploring the use of the native (but now extinct in terms of common-usage) Philippine script of Alibata within their work.

Chanel in Luxor with street kids

 IN THEIR OWN WORDS

In a time of great political change and increased societal/cultural polarisation, our humble and personal mission as artists is to commit our own resources to help increase global dialogue and understanding.

On a person-by-person basis we hope to achieve this through several art projects where we document wabi-sabi images in contrasting urban environments and transplant or "exchange" them through spontaneous, neighbourhood exhibitions in differing parts of the world.

We especially seek out “typical” neighbourhoods where people may not normally have interaction with the commercial art world or foreign artists. The limited edition prints of our work that we exhibit during these neighbourhood shows are donated to the respective audiences.

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Anti-Muslim Film Protests Spread - Update

On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Tripoli, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans were killed in the Libyan city of Benghazi when an armed mob stormed the consulate, torching the building after looting it. The protests were sparked by the American-made amateur video called "Innocence of Muslims." 

The low-budget movie, in which actors have strong American accents, portrays Muslims as immoral and gratuitously violent. It also pokes fun at the Prophet Mohammed and touches on themes of paedophilia and homosexuality. According to the Wall Street Journal the film was produced by Israeli-American Sam Bacile who describes Islam as a cancer.

Protestors in Casablanca

Morocco has described as "shameful aggression" the attack on the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi, and presented its "sincere condolences" to the US government and people, while denouncing the film that prompted the attack. The Moroccan government stressed that the attack "cannot, in any case, be justified," in a statement carried by the official MAP news agency.

In Casablanca on Wednesday hundreds of people protested outside the US consulate. The protesters, numbering between 300 and 400 mostly young activists, gathered around 200 metres from the consulate amid a heavy police presence. Some shouted anti-US slogans, including "Death to Obama!", but without resorting to violence. The Casablanca protest appeared to have been called spontaneously, via social media networks, and without the involvement of any particular organisation.

Police guard the US consulate in Casablanca in 2007 (photo: Abdelhak Senna)

The two-hour movie that sparked the protests first came to attention in Egypt after its trailer was dubbed into Arabic and posted on YouTube.

The reaction in the social media has been swift and angry, with one Moroccan woman's Facebook comment about the film's makers "I will enjoy seeing them all burn in hell, inshallah" being typical of many responses.

Unfortunately, in the United States, the film is being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Christian pastor Terry Jones. On Wednesday, a MSNBC panel debated whether Jones should be held responsible for the deaths resulting from the protests. Others on the left have presented similar arguments, saying the film is to blame for the attacks, seemingly deflecting blame from the radical Islamists who carried out the acts of violence.

Hillary Clinton Comments

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called a US-produced anti-Islam film that has angered Muslim communities in North Africa "disgusting" but said it cannot be used as a justification for the kind of violence seen at the US embassy in Libya.

The US Embassy in Morocco, like other  embassies, has moved quickly and widely disseminated Secretary Hilary Clinton's earlier remarks about the killings in Libya - in Arabic. (See the Arabic text here)


The film's director in hiding

The director of a film that sparked protests says he is "upset" at the death of the US ambassador to Libya and has gone into hiding, a consultant on the project said on Wednesday.

"He's very upset that the ambassador got murdered," Steve Klein told AFP, adding that he had spoken to filmmaker Sam Bacile by phone earlier in the day, but did not know his location.

When Bacile - not his real name - was told about the death of US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, "he melted, he fell apart," added Klein, who said he was one of some 15 people behind the film, "Innocence of Muslims."  He added that the reported Israeli-American director could suffer the same fate as Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, who was assassinated in 2004 after triggering protests with an anti-Muslim film.

Asked if Bacile could be killed, he said: "If he goes public I'm sure he will."

Protestors on the walls of the US Embassy in Cairo 

Other reaction

In Cairo, several thousand people stormed the US embassy in a similar protest against the film. On Thursday Egyptian police used tear gas as they clashed with the stone-throwing crowd after 13 people were injured in overnight unrest, according to the health ministry.

The U.S. embassy in Cairo issued an apology to Muslims shortly after rioting Muslims tore apart the American flag outside the embassy: “The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions.”

A protester throws a tear gas canister near the US embassy in Cairo   photo: Amr Dalsh

Algeria's foreign ministry, meanwhile, condemned the low-budget movie, "Innocence of Muslims," The Algerian Foreign Minister, Mourad Medelci, offered his condolences to his US counterpart Hilary Clinton, after the deadly attack. Ministry spokesman Amar Belani meanwhile deplored "the irresponsibility of the authors of the film... which offends Islam and his prophet".

"The outrages on the sacred religious symbols... can only result in disapproval and indignation, because these provocations are designed to fuel hatred," he added.

The US embassy in Algiers issued an emergency travel warning, urging US citizens to avoid large crowds, and to "be aware of the potential for protests or demonstrations at any time."

Protestors in Gaza  photo: Suhaib Salem

Further, U.S. embassies in at least seven countries in the Middle East, including Sudan, Tunisia and Morocco, Africa and the Caucuses are warning of possible anti-American protests.

The embassies in Armenia, Burundi, Kuwait, Sudan, Tunisia and Zambia, along with the embassy in Egypt, which was hit by a protest on Tuesday, all issued warnings on Wednesday advising Americans to be particularly vigilant.

The warnings, posted on the embassies’ websites, do not report any specific threat to Americans but note that demonstrations can become violent.

Protests have also broken out in Kuwait, Tunisia, Yemen, Gaza and Sudan.

Yemeni police shot dead a protester and wounded five others when they opened fire on a crowd attempting to storm the United States embassy in Sana'a to protest the film. The shooting in Sana'a came as protesters, chanting "O, messenger of Allah... O, Mohammed" launched a second charge on the complex which they had stormed earlier, but were ejected by the security forces.

Yemen president Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi apologised to his US counterpart Barack Obama and the American people for the acts of a "mob" and ordered a probe.

In Iran, up to 500 people protested in Tehran, chanting "Death to America!" and death to the movie's director. The rally took place near the Swiss embassy, which handles US interests in the absence of US-Iran diplomatic ties.

Fearing a violent backlash, Afghan president Hamid Karzai has postponed a planned visit to Norway.

The US has sent a detachment of 50 marines to secure the American embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli, where staff numbers were being cut to emergency levels.

Washington also began evacuating all its staff from its mission in Benghazi while at the same time sending two destroyers to "the vicinity of Libya" as a precautionary measure, a senior US official said.

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International Hip Hop and Breakdance Festival in Meknes

Four hundred dancers from more than ten countries will be converging on Meknes to take part in the 9th annual dance festival to be held at various locations around the city. The International Hip Hop and Breakdance Festival takes place from September 17 through until the 23rd.

Once again the festival has been organised by the Moroccan "Hope Youth Association".

According to the organisers, "this event is truly a developer of talent and a springboard to the international scene for the winners and also for the world of work and show business".

The more than 400 artists will participate in "dance-offs" in different categories of dance to move to the final and maybe winning the first prize and the chance to represent Morocco in one of the international competitions abroad. The competition focuses on four categories: dance, graffiti, rap and freestyle. In addition, a panel of international professionals act as judges to decide the best teams and dancers in each category.

The Hope Youth Association aims to discover and mentor young Moroccan dancers. Its purpose is also the social and economic development of the performers including girls and boys aged between 12 and 25 years who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The association focuses in particular on the implementation and promotion of artistic and cultural projects related to urban culture. "Despite the growing number of practitioners and the real interest in hip hop, we find that the artistic and cultural practices associated with this culture, coming, as they do, from the street, are often informal. So we want to address this lack of structure because it hinders the identification of the performers involved and the value of their initiatives".

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Tissa Horse Festival 2012 - Update and Transport Details

Tissa Festival horses - photo Suzanna Clarke

At last we can confirm both dates and transportation details. The festival runs from the 19th of September to the 23rd. The main competition day is the 22nd of September. In addition, on both the 19th and the 23rd there will be souq (market) days in Tissa.

Catch the action - bring your camera! - photo Suzanna Clarke

Getting there

The easiest way to get to Tissa on time for all the action is to catch the bus provided by Plan-it-Fez. The vehicle will depart each day (from the 19th to 23rdSeptember) from Batha (outside Batha Poste) at 7am arriving Tissa at 8am.

For the return journey the bus will be departing Tissa at 3.30pm for arrival in Fez approx 4.30pm.

The price per person is 350 Dirham. Please note: this must be paid in cash. A minimum of five passengers are required for the bus to depart - so make sure you bring your friends!

Most important People MUST book 2 days in advance by emailing Plan-it-Fez.    email: info@plan-it-fez.com

The action is fast, furious and noisy!  - photo Sandy McCutcheon

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A Cultural Difference

Abderrahim, a Fez taxi driver, was driving his fare, a first-time visitor to the city from the airport.

Pointing to some foreigners on the sidewalk Abderrahim tells his passenger "They are Americans."

"How can you tell?" asks the passenger.

"They're fat."

Pointing to his own stomach, the passenger asks, "Well, what about me?"

Realizing he might be jeopardizing his chances of a tip, Abderrahim responded, "You are not fat, brother You are prosperous."

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A Refreshing New Take on Moroccan Cuisine

There are many books on Moroccan cuisine available and most contain what one might describe as  "the usual suspects" - the same recipes trotted out time and again. So it is refreshing to find a book that takes a different approach.  New Moroccan, by Mourad Lahlou is a tasty marriage of tradition and innovation.

Mourad Lahlou's  New Moroccan is really two books in one. It begins with seven cooking classes that will give you the fundamental building blocks of Moroccan cuisine and follows it up with a wonderful collection of recipes.

Lahlou was born in Casablanca before moving to Marrakech. After moving to the United States he abandoned a degree in economics to open a restaurant. His Azizz restaurant in San Francisco is the only Moroccan restaurant in North America to be awarded a Michelin star.

"Let me tell you why I wrote this book. It wasn't because I thought the world needed another Moroccan cookbook with essential classic recipes. And it wasn't because I'm looking to evolve Moroccan cuisine or take it someplace it doesn't want to go. I think of what I'm doing as evolving my cuisine and that's what this book is really about." - Mourad Lahlou

Warqa

In the first section of the book, Lahlou pays attention to the basics, with a comprehensive look at spices, preserved lemons, couscous, warqa (paper-thin pastry), harrissa, charmoula and tagine cooking.

The chapter on spices also contains a selection of spice mixes such as ras el hanout, his own restaurants curry blend as well as Ethiopian Berbere.

If you have never attempted to make your own preserved lemons, Lahlou's easy to follow instructions will have you set to become an expert.

When it comes to couscous, Lahlou will convince you never to buy the quick-cook packets ever again. Sure, hand-rolling couscous takes a little time, but the end result is worth every minute of it.

The recipe chapters are crammed with mouth-watering temptations such as a Berbere-cured chicken liver mousse garnished with pickled green strawberries or a delicious combination of braised artichokes, cipollini onions in cumin broth. Some of the gems, such as chicken bouillon with wheat berries and salt-baked tomato are quick and easy, while others such as basteeya are more complex, but certainly worth the effort.  The modern version using phyllo with rainbow chard and edible flowers is superb.

Chicken bouillon, wheat berries and salt-baked tomato

For dessert lovers, New Moroccan offers some fabulous recipes such as a lavender-almond roulade, a chocolate-star anise cremeux, chocolate gingersnaps and the outrageously delicious curry ice cream.

chocolate gingersnaps

New Moroccan by Mourad Lahlou (with Suzie Heller, Steve Siegelman and Amy Vogler) is published by Artisan.  The sumptuous photographs in the book are by Deborah Jones. 

New Moroccan is available in Morocco from the bookshop at the American Language Center in Fez.  It can also be purchased online - click on image below.



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