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January 29, 2006
Visit to Tangier, Morocco
Yesterday we returned from a few days visiting La Cruz Blanca Casa Nazaret in Tangier, Morocco. We went with a group from Ceuta’s Cruz Blanca on Wednesday in order to celebrate a late Three Kings’ Day and give gifts to the people in the program there. Casa Nazaret works primarily with more intense cases of mental and physical disability. Even the worst case in Príncipe can understand more than the “niños” of Casa Nazaret. Although called boys, they are mostly men and the oldest is in his 40’s. The other main service that this house offers is some basic medical attention and some local food distribution.
Nabil, Bilal, and Youseff dressed up as our three kings and they passed out the gifts to the program’s niños as well as some local children. After tea and some pastries, those from Ceuta made their way home, and Jenna and I remained. We took our first evening to walk around the city with Mohammad, who showed us the center of the city and the market area. Mohammad is a young university student from Tangier who is studying computers and math in Ceuta. When he’s there, he stays and works at La Cruz Blanca. Right now he is back in Tangier waiting for his visa to be renewed so he can return to school. Our discussions with Mohammad from early on and into the next day largely revolved around our preconceptions and clarifications, in many cases regarding religion. For example, even though the movies Moroccans watch come from the U.S. and tell them that our breakfast staple is doughnuts and coffee, I wanted to clarify that there are actually probably more people that have cereal and orange juice. Similarly, he thought maybe I would expect camels and desert instead of a modern city. His main concern, however, was that we understand who the prophet Mohammed was. Although we were all using our second languages, we talked around various points of faith as best we could to understand one another better.
On Thursday, we began at 7:30 with a cup of coffee and then gathered with the Catholic staff to go through their daily prayers. It was really encouraging to see the devotion of these people, who pray every morning a serious of prayers that follow the annual lectionary and some that are specific to their group as Franciscans. One of the last prayers they pray daily before leaving is the famous prayer of St. Francis, that they would be an instrument of God’s peace in the world. They leave the room and begin to shower, dress and feed the house’s ten niños. On Friday and Saturday we were able to help more with putting on the men’s diapers, clothes, and new bed sheets and spoon-feeding those who can’t control their arms. There are surprisingly few staff for as much as there is with these men, and I can only have a great respect for the investment of energy and patience of the staff.
After another walk with Mohammed in the morning with a special visit to the site of the Roman tombs that overlook the city, port, beach and sea, we joined another friend, Hafsa, who enthusiastically took us to introduce us to some of her friends and relatives in her neighborhood. We would take every chance to use the few greeting phrases we knew and could recognize, which always brought a smile and fun introduction to new people. We were told there would be some Anti-American feeling in some people and places, but the people we met treated us very well. I couldn’t help still feeling particularly vulnerable as we stuck out more here than Ceuta. Some mistook us as Spanish, and I was quite content not to clarify that we were from the U.S.
Hafsa’s mother prepared a delicious lunch for us, and the mother of our friends Nabil, Youseff, and Rabeh also joined us. Circled around the table on floor cushions, we started with three delicious dishes of salad with fresh bread and fish. After that, we were served a tasty tender beef with hardboiled eggs. Dessert was fresh fruit, some cookies and Moroccan tea. After lunch we walked around for a good while with Hafsa, going down past the center and walking along the beach. In the evening, Mohammed took us to do a little shopping and later to an internet café.
We spent Friday morning at the Cruz Blanca center, where we helped with the morning chores and then some other jobs. They served us coos coos for lunch, which they told us is a traditional Muslim food for special occasions and Fridays. In the afternoon, Hafsa took us by taxi to a few tourist spots around the outside of the city. The first was the cave of Hercules, a little to the west of Tangier. Apparently the legend tells that long ago the land of the earth was all one, until Hercules pushed the plates apart, at least here at the straight of Gibraltar. The cave here, is where he supposedly stayed.
From there we took a ride to Rimilet, which is another spot that has a nice view of the ocean and city. We made our way back down to the city mostly walking, but took a taxi for the last stretch. In the city again, we returned to Hafsa’s house where we met her sister’s family who had just arrived in town for a visit. Again, we were served local bread and tea and shared a fun time together.
On Saturday we began with prayer and dressing the niños again and after breakfast we made our way along the beautiful route by the coast back to Ceuta.
Posted by Derrick at 06:40 PM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2006
Tortillas Españoles
Tuesday’s are the days for Spanish Tortillas, and being a favorite national food since arriving here, we wanted to take advantage of the chance to learn how to make them. We caught a ride up to the barrio/neighborhood Príncipe Alfonso XXIII, or just “Príncipe,” where the Cruz Blanca has their other Ceuta facility. While the house we live in (Avenida España) works with older men and immigrants, the Príncipe house takes in the older women and persons with mental or physical deficiencies. I think forty persons or so are currently living there.
There are a few other things about the Príncipe house that make it unique. First, it is the first building to be used by Cruz Blanca in Ceuta. It also has a chapel area where they hold weekly masses for residents from both buildings. Smoking, still very much a part of European culture, is permitted in the lounge where most of the residents spend their time. The one in charge here is Hermano Diego, who is quite unique himself: clergy, nurse, singer, cook, and who knows what else. He’s working his diet right now, but he has quite impressive stories about his days as an athlete who spent four hours or more daily in the gym.
For those at our Cruz Blanca house on Avenida España, the important thing about Príncipe is their kitchen. All the food for both facilities comes from Príncipe. The friendly Cruz Blanca hierarchy complicates the meal preparation, but it seems natural to everyone here. The first menu is for the immigrants and the mentally handicapped. A step up from them is the older people who are served mostly the same food, but are served with a little more class and get some extras like olive oil for their bread and cloth napkins. The next step up is the Hermano Aurelio and his gang who eat lunch and supper separately upstairs in our building. We are privileged to be invited to the Hermano’s breakfast club who shares fresh bread and coffee and a variety of tapas. When we visit Príncipe, we really see where the class is at. Our chef Hermano Diego prepares all of the food plans for all the different groups, and his comunidad of around four or five eats food that they prepare to their own taste. During our first time at their table we were given some options, but we chose a spaghetti and tuna dish which was followed by a dish of fried pumpkin slices, chicken, and boiled pineapple slices topped with a mix of almonds and brown sugar. Dessert is usually fresh fruit. It was absolutely delicious, and we were full even when we sat down with them for afternoon snack with tea and Moroccan fig newton-like treats.
Today was delicious as well: a noodle soup followed by beef, potatoes and fresh fruit. After the meal we took a little rest, while some flipped through the digital channels on their big screen TV. At 4:00, the tortilla-making task was under way.
The Spanish tortilla is made up of potato slivers, onion, and eggs fried together something like an omelet pancake. On Tuesdays, the women volunteers in Príncipe make around 70 or 80. Apparently around a year ago the soup kitchen served many more immigrants until the police started to tighten their policy about who was allowed to receive food. Instead of the 20 or 30 that are served today, there were as many as a hundred or so. Every time I ask about how many of this or that are prepared, which ever staff member I’m talking to takes the chance to tell me about how it used to be when the comedor was full of people.
Anyhow, the ladies were quite eager to give us a chance to fry our own tortillas and we each worked one of the six burners they were using. Within an hour and a half or two hours, the group had turned out all the tortillas. They all encouraged us to take our new skill back to our states to feed our friends and family.
Posted by Derrick at 06:39 PM | Comments (1)
January 22, 2006
Religious diversity
We shared our New York-Madrid flight with couple dozen Mormon missionaries. They talked among themselves with their church program acronyms and sparked suspiciously enthusiastic conversations with their seat partners. I was quite uncomfortable, but I decided that may be partly because evangelism has its place and history in my own tradition and I still have my uncertainties and insecurities about myself.
Within a week, we were in the Cruz Blanca, with director Hermano Aurelio who shrugs off religious diversity: We all have the same God, and different traditions to understand and approach God. Another staff member, Alí a Moroccan Muslim married to a Spanish Catholic, says that religion is what divides people, causes injustice and violence of all kinds. His suggestion: leave religion to the side, and go on with life as normal.
Evangelism is certainly in Ceuta too. There’s an itinerant Catholic fellow from France who is served breakfast and lunch along with the immigrants. He’s been traveling through southern Morocco and now is in Ceuta, bringing the message of Jesus. His message: “100% spiritual” and no social motivation, he says. As Alí walks by at breakfast, he tells us with a smile, but quite forwardly that he’s here “to tell Alí about Jesus.”
This morning Alí and I were talking about how Catholics use images and saints while Muslims insist that there is but one God. In the discussion he asked, “Have you ever seen God?” I said that I believe I have. When I see people go out of their way to give a cup of cold water to someone in need or love someone who is forgotten, I see God there. I could have gone on to talk about what it looks like to see forgiveness, to see conflict transformed, or to see a community come together beyond social, ethnic, economic, or other distinctions. In La Cruz Blanca, Muslims and Christians alike join together to share with immigrants, older people, and mentally and physically handicapped people. In all this, God is seen at work.
Posted by Derrick at 06:34 PM | Comments (0)
January 17, 2006
La Cruz Blanca
The reality that the immigrants face here is really difficult to comprehend and it´s hard to know how to respond to situations with which I can´t really identify. I don't know what I'm supposed to do when the Cruz Blanca gives me a room to myself with four beds with a nice tile bathroom across the hall, while there are dozens of immigrants without papers sleeping in an abandoned building that sits right behind our building. I can see them come in and out and wash their faces from my second floor bathroom window. I'm not sure what to do or feel when the police come to every meal to make sure only the immigrants with papers are served, while the others look on from right outside the door to the comedor. I don't know how to respond when a guy from Liberia tells me that his parents were killed when he was young, has worked hard as a farmer as long as he could take it, and could only wish he had the privilege of time and finances to be a student. I've talked to people from India, Algeria, Morocco, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, and a few that I can't remember at the moment. Each comes with a story of struggle with poverty or violence of some sort. I've talked to two guys who have come in to Ceuta by swimming along with a guide that I hear they will pay around 1000 Euros. I don’t know how they get that money, except perhaps through connections to friends in Europe. Others come in trucks or find their way across the fence/wall border.
We just got back from a super long walk with a friendly Algerian guy named Nadir who took us the whole way to the border with Morocco where we saw the wall and all. We first came to the gate along the southern side of the island. I touched the Mediterranean water for the first time. I wondered if Paul's ships ever touched that same water on the other side, or at least Linford and Janet. From there we went much farther to go up a hill/mountain to a lookout point where we could see all of the Ceuta peninsula. It was absolutely beautiful. I'll put pictures online.
This morning we had more work to do around here. I helped to stack some clothes downstairs, Jenna mopped and cleaned some, and I don't remember what Laura did. I helped get some help for an Indian guy who spoke a little English for his friend who had a fever and also translated a legal note for the Liberian guy who is my age. Also, they announced today a list of maybe 20 names of people who will be transferred to CETI: Centro de Estacion Temporal de Inmigrantes. That's a government place where they are processed and hopefully end up being given papers to continue legally on their journey, so they excited to go. It's interesting to see the movement.
This morning it was cold and raining and the police decided to have compassion and let the paper-less guys come in and have breakfast. One guy who spoke Spanish said that the people in that group were from mostly from Algeria and came by crossing/jumping the fence. After seeing it today, I'm not quite sure how that is possible. It is difficult to know who to believe and when: which immigrants, the police, the Cruz Blanca... who's to say? The police guy tells me they all are from Morocco and don't care to try to get papers. The one Spanish-speaking guy tells me he's from Algeria, as most of the others and that they have tried a number of times to get papers and have been unlucky so far during his months here. He also says they've been eating out of the garbage for their food. Cruz Blanca staff worker Ali, a friendly guy I've talked a good deal with, says that a lot of the stories they tell are stretches of reality so that they can get through, getting papers and all. Laura says that based on the news and histories of their countries, granted that they come from where they say, are really likely experiences.
I was happy to see the Spanish-speaking Algerian guy without papers at breakfast this morning come back at lunch with papers in hand. It was good to see him eat spoonful after spoonful of his long-awaited lunch. La Cruz Blanca gave away extra bread and coffee and breakfast and lunch today to the paperless immigrants. That made me feel a little better too.
Posted by Derrick at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)
January 15, 2006
Arrival in Ceuta, La Cruz Blanca
Today we took a bus from Cádiz to Algeciras, where were got on a plush ferry to take us across the strait of Gibraltar to Ceuta, one of two Spanish cities along the Moroccan coastline. We were welcomed at the Cruz Blanca by the director Hermano Aurelio and given a hearty late lunch of seafood. We talked with him for the next few hours about La Cruz Blanca, Ceuta, immigration, politics and a variety of other issues.
The event of the day came at suppertime, when we followed him into the comedor (eating room) where the immigrants were being served. We missed the idea that we were actually to eat next door with the staff, so we went ahead and got our food with these guys. I sat down next to a man who spoke no Spanish, but some English and got my first loaded immigration story. He was originally from Uganda, which is war-ridden in conflict between the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army and the government. He showed me scars by his eye, on his forearm and waist from a time when he had been caught by them. He had fled the country by bus and lived the last three years in Morocco, until three days ago. At that point he put on a life jacket at around 5:00 in the morning while the guards were not yet posted and swam about an hour across from Morocco to the city of Ceuta. Since then he has been housed here at the Cruz Blanca until he continues his journey to Spain, where he will join a friend.
While this conversation was coming to a close, another man with limited English started to joke around with Jenna. Soon he asked where she was from, and when the answer came, things got interesting fast. “Hey, she’s from America!” He rallies some of his friends. “Hey, F--- America! I’m from Liberia, America colonized my country!” Soon Hermano Aurelio who doesn’t speak English was over to see what the deal was, and everyone else in the room had their attention our way. I didn’t know quite what to do, but things were definitely tense with a limited communication possible. I’m not sure if I reached out my hand first or he did, but we shook hands next and he asked if I was also from America. When I said I was, he let a similar exclamation like he’d never seen any one from the U.S. except soldiers. Again not quite sure what to do, I got up out of my seat to give him a more proper handshake, and our handshake became a jovial hug. Now the exclamation was something like, He’s an American, I’m a Liberian, his country colonized Liberia, but we can get along. The hug was enough to speak between the French, English, Spanish, Arabic, and who knows however many other languages represented. It was a relief to feel the tense air leave the room.
Laura, Jenna and I took a brisk walk around the city after supper. Within such a short time we’ve been amazed at the difference between Cádiz and Ceuta. While Cádiz has a rich history, Ceuta is by far a much more diverse mix of cultures, religions (Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Hindu), nationalities, histories, and much more. The process of understanding immigration inevitably holds many stories ahead.
Posted by Derrick at 07:52 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2006
First impressions of Cádiz
After around three days to explore the city of Cádiz, it has been interesting to compare and contrast this city to my experience in South and North American cities. There is certainly a mix of worlds here that I have never seen together to this extent.
My first impression of Cádiz was a strong connection in architecture to that which I have seen in Cuzco, Peru. Buildings are made out of brick and concrete and older buildings use more stone similar to many places colonized by the Spanish in South America. Like Cuzco, there are narrow streets of cobblestone with buildings lined with small balconies. However, the buildings here represent a history much broader than the colonial era.
Although we are told that the history of the city on this isthmus dates as far back as 1100 B.C.E. to a Phoenician settlement named Gabir, many conquests and redevelopments of the city have buried much of its history. The earliest structure that stands is the Roman amphitheatre, which would date back to somewhere within the seven centuries of Roman control of the city, between 241 B.C.E. and mid 470’s C.E. After the Roman empire began to crumble, the Visigoths controlled Spain until 711 when the region fell to the Arabs. There is Arabic influence in a number of significant buildings in the Cádiz, including the Palacio de Cogressos, which was once a tobacco factory. After the Christians regained control of Spain, they found success in their travels to the Americas and other economic gains, ushering in the “Siglo de Oro.” During this time, other great buildings and fortifications were constructed in the city. I will be interested to learn more about when various landmarks were built as we spend more time in Cádiz.
Spain’s experience declined after the Siglo de Oro through economic struggle, civil war, and finally came under Franco’s dictatorship in the early 20th century. After his death, he appointed Juan Carlos as his successor, who set up the monarchy system that works alongside a democratic government which still functions today. Towards the end of the last century, Spain joined with the European Community, now the European Union, and has continued to advance economically. This is also evident in their new buildings, transportation systems, and other recent developments. Simply from looking at the buildings of the city, there is evidence of a long and rich history.
Culture is another thing that will be interesting to learn about. As I have mentioned, there have been numerous cultures that have made their way through Cádiz. From our few days, we have hardly been able to see what that involves in the city today. The people with which we have interacted have been remarkably helpful and friendly so far. The food is classy and prepared in style. On the negative side, we are not sure yet if the diet is really healthy—it seems to consist of lots of bread, oil, cheese and meats, which limited fruits, vegetables and dairy. I suppose we will see more about what is normal through home stays that are yet ahead.
In some ways, our first few days here have really given us a minimal exposure to Cádiz. We have not been pushed to change our sleeping, eating, or English-speaking habits. We have limited connections beyond a few contacts in the University to meet with persons other than ourselves.
On the other hand, it has been a good in-between to get our feet wet in Spanish culture and to get to know one another in our own group better before a real plunge in to our experience in Spain. We’ve been able to make some helpful connections with the university and host families, and we will have a little something with which to compare Ceuta once we are there. From this point on, I expect to be much less focused on the group and more on first-hand experience with La Cruz Blanca, host families and studies.
Posted by Derrick at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)
January 12, 2006
Arriving in Cádiz
We arrived in Cádiz after a long and trying travel. We had delays in both New York and Barcelona and by the time we reached Madrid, we were running late if we were to catch the last bus to Cádiz. Our luggage took forever, We didn't have money, we couldn't find Jenna Martin, and when we did meet her, we learned that one of her bags had not made it on her plane. We decided to get it shipped to our hostal and to rush and make the bus. After one ride on the metro subway, we realized we would not make it in time. Laura Schildt said we were supposed to take the train, because Moira had made connections with Hostal San Francisco in Cádiz for that night. So we slowed our pace and made our way toward the train station.
At the station, Laura started a conversation with a friendly young woman who was headed also to Cádiz. She had lived there the last few years after growing up in the Canary Islands. She turned out to be a helpful resource as we made our way south. Once in Cádiz, we took a taxi to our hostal, which ended up being a nice little place tucked back in narrow roads with buildings lined with small Spanish balconies. Everything seems very European, from the cars and trains to the styles and designs.
I decided I was too tired even to brush my teeth after only a few weak hours (if there were indeed more than a single hour) of sleep. It was cool and I got out of bed more than once to put on more cloths.
This morning we slept in almost until noon, which is close to a US morning (6 hours behind). I first used the internet for some quick "we're here" emails, called Rebekah briefly, and then joined Laura and Jenna for breakfast/lunch at a small restaurant on our street. They had toast and bread and I had some tapas, which are a traditional food that come in a variety of forms of meats and cheeses. I've understood that meals are scheduled differently here, and that there is a late afternoon snack/supper and an evening snack/supper at around 10:00. I suppose when we leave the hostal and live with others we will see more of how that works.
After that we made our way around the coast of the peninsula. "Casco Antiguo" is the older part of the city with many historical buildings. I understand that closer to the mainland are many new residential buildings. Anyhow, we walked from the northern end down around to the southern coast, seeing a variety of stone coasts, walkways that are built up, beaches and most interestingly, old fortresses. I'm not sure about many of the details yet, but Cádiz has always been a port city, and at one time, quite fortified. I'll say more as I learn more about that as I learn more.
Our walk ended close to the train station where we had arrived last night, which helped to orient ourselves somewhat. I don't expect it to be too hard to find my way around the city, but we'll see how it goes. As I write, I can hear a street jazz guitarist (the narrow street acoustics are great) and the noise of people out for the evening below my porch. Work schedules are different too; what would be a siesta time in Latin America goes for a good bit of the afternoon, and stores reopen for the evening. The evenings get cooler, but during the day it was sunny and in the 50s. People bundle up like it's cold. People are friendly; we've had a couple times where local folks have gone out of their way to give us extra information or to tell about themselves and all.
The plan right now is to stay here and familiarize ourselves some with Cádiz until Sunday, when we'll move along to Ceuta for the next phase to learn about some issues surrounding immigration.
Posted by Derrick at 07:49 PM | Comments (0)