Marrakesh, dishdash, and nightshift

Kerri and I went to a nearby Morroccan restaurant called Marrakesh for Mother's Day. I had checked it out once before and put it on our list of "special occasion" spots as it was quite pricey (average main dish was around 5KD). Wow...it was one of the best meals we've had since being here. We went for the "feast" which was 9KD per person, but was really a great deal if you are checking out what they have to offer. It's a soup, prescribed appetizer plus one additional of your choice, main dish, and dessert with tea. As we both got it, we got to try what seemed like more than half the menu! I have to say my favourite dish was the appetizer I ordered: Pieces of tongue. I hadn't had tongue since the States, where it is my favourite burrito meat (la lengua, por favor!) and I really missed that succulent tenderness. I had to pass up the brain, which though I have no trouble with the taste and texture, I do have this curious desire to avoid ever contracting Mad Cow disease, so I do avoid brain generally. The main dish was not very large, but they do bring rice with it (first time I haven't had to pay separate for the rice) and with everything else, you should be royally stuffed by the end (I know we were). The ambience of the place was spectacular, with intricately carved and decorated walls, ceiling, you name it. The dishes were all in the same morrocan theme as well. Service was excellent, and overall the best $70+ I've spent on food in a long time (it hurts less to think of it in KD). I do want to go back again sometime and try the couscous dishes...

Last weekend, me and another guy who works in the same area I do, and who lives here in the same compound, went down to the Fahaheel souks and got measured for our dishdashes. It's about 8KD to get one tailor made (most necessary with our frames), and there are several places where you can get it done. You pick your fabric and they jot down some measurements, then you come back in a week. The other day I picked mine up, and today I wore it out for the first time. I don't have the knack of the full headgear yet, so I just wore the dishdash itself, along with the long underpants and undershirt. I have to say, it was incredibly comfortable and suits leisurely walking along the beachfront very nicely. We ended up going to nice Lebanese restaurant in Fahaheel called Tanureen where we finished up our evening out. I did get some odd looks, more looks than I've ever had since being here (Kerri says "welcome to my world"), but on the whole I'm willing to put up with that for the comfort. Jeans are just too hot for walking about in here.

After that evening, we started into the next one, as I am in the process of shifting my schedule to night shift (wake up at 2pm, go to work at 4pm, come home and go to bed around 6am), and the rest of the family is trying to shift theirs later as well. So we kept Rowan up til 11pm tonight by starting into the Chronicles of Narnia with the Magicians Nephew. We are about half way through the first book now. The 3rd evening started after that, with Kerri and I finishing up Season 2 of Heroes and starting into Season 1 of The Tudors. Then Kerri went to bed, and I decided to run out to see what's open at 2:30am and get some food (lunch? I think...). Pretty much the only type of restaurant open at this time of the morning is the arabic food type, which is fine, but I was hankering for some indian...guess that'll have to wait til tomorrow. I have a long weekend, as I got a transition day, my weekend, plus I'm taking my Memorial Day holiday too, so I should be good to go by the time I have to go back to work. It's 4:10am now and I'm counting the minutes. Figured I could do a quick update while I'm waiting.

I'll try to get some pictures of me in my dishdash tomorrow.