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I studied French for 6 years and unfortunately never got to visit France during these years.  As with anything you learn, if you don’t put it into practice you will forget it very quickly.  Such is the dilemma I found myself in as soon as I arrived in Morocco.

It is an Arabic speaking country but 90% of the people here also speak French.  I never got to go on a student exchange to France because the year my class were supposed to go Foot and Mouth struck Ireland and that cancelled all travel plans.  The result of this means I struggle every morning asking the Taxi driver to take me to work.  Its worse if he understands my initial request because I then have to heed his chit chat and explain to him that I don’t speak french….just a few select lines that my iPhone gave me.

So I’ve downloaded iPhone apps and consulted a French friend for some tips, I can at least order a coffee!  Expect a separate blog on the quality of coffee and tea in Morocco soon. For those few minutes when I order a coffee, I actually blend into Moroccan society and don’t stand out as a ‘possible American’.  This seems to be the impression a lot of Moroccan Taxi drivers get when the see me.  They seem to relax a bit when I say ‘Je suis de Irlandais’.

I’m rambling a bit here so I shall sum up by saying why the fuck were we not sent to France when we studied it for 6 years?  After 6 years I was able to write French essays!  It should be mandatory in every school that at least once a year, for every language you learn you must visit the country or something similar.  Even a few weeks a year where you were forced to speak a different language like the Gealteachts.

I’ll continue learning french will I’m here, it would be nice to have another language, it could open up more job opportunities in the future and then I could have a lovely chat with the Moroccan Taxi drivers.

Its been a while since my last post so a quick update is in order..

• Finished the second year of my Masters.  Again was under immense pressure to get reports and labs completed and had little time to study for exams.  I just hope I passed!
• I went to Stockholm for a quick trip for work, it was very interesting and I finally got to see the main headquarters.  Stockholm is a fantastic city, I was very impressed but the cost of living there is quite high.
• I’m now working in Rabat, Morocco.  I’ve been here for nearly a week now and only 4 weeks left to go, I’m counting down the days.  Its not that I dont like the place the project is extremely laborious and I hate being dropped in the middle of projects were you are expected to start running from a standstill.  To make matters worse I’m doing work I have not been assigned to do, to say the least I’m angry about this.  It happens and I’m expected to deal with it but it is a horrible way to work.
• I was planning on taking part in SoFoMoBo seeing as I was in a foreign country and all but its proving impossible to take photos while I’m here.  I might get a day sometime before I leave and try get all the photos I need but I can’t do a photo a day deal.

Right thats the end of the updates lets get onto something less depressing.  A very good friend of mine got a tattoo yesterday and I think its really cool.

While its not the most original tattoo in the world (I know a good few girls that have a star tattoo) it is a very cool tattoo and the only tattoo thats acceptable on a girl.  Made me think what would I get and where?  Its difficult to get a tattoo if your a guy cause its very easy to get a tattoo then one day your in your 40s with a hairy chest and a stupid tattoo of your favorite football club on your arm or something.

Guys can’t have cool tattoos, guys with emo tattoos are gonna look stupid when they turn 40…..what am I saying they look stupid now.  I remember contemplating getting a Metallica tattoo but there is no originality in that.  It would be nice to have a tattoo that showed I’ve lived a little.  I mean I travel a lot but I’m not coming back changed and trolling on about my experiences abroad, clearly I have none  MaybeI should get a Henna tattoo or something while I’m here…..

So Reader! What tattoo would you get and where?  Answers on a post card addressed to Rabat or post a comment to forgo the millions of stamps required to reach this place!