Love thy neighbour or Trench warfare

A wonderful day in the neighbourhood today, let me explain further as this is a slightly complicated issue. For several days the builders have been digging up the basement to put in new drainage and inspection tanks but when they checked outside the drains to the main street were either non existant or broken or inadequate.

This became a major problem as it involved several close neighbours and we were all unanamously agreed the problem of fixing the drains lay with Radeef the government body. They came quite promptly looked at said drains and sent all the materials necessary for the work but said we would have to provide the workers. I suggested to the neighbours if this was the case even though I did not agree with the proposal then we should all chip in to get the bloody thing done, approx 5000 dirhams.

Not so said next door who works in the Planning Dept and he promptly took some photos of the holes in the alleyway where the drains should be, marched up to Radeef and threatened to show said photos to the local paper. Within one hour 5 workman were digging up the street at about 5pm and as they were working through the night requested harira soup to break the fast at 6pm.

Before I knew it Ben had set up a table and chairs in the apartment and all the neighbours came round with soup, bread, dates, tea and coffe and a fish tagine and we all sat down to a feast. The first meal proper in the apartment and some very happy workers who went back to their trench digging with renewed vigour.

Meanwhile Mr Snailman who each night plies his trade selling snails in broth on that patch was having a fit as he had invested in a huge bucket of snails for that evenings sales. We let him blow himself out, Moroccans are remarkably quick to high temper hissy fits, and when he had appraised the situation he was back to his usual jovial self. He contented himself selling his other great idea which was cones of crisps from a giant sack of potato chips about 4 feet long that had been open for two days at my estimation, soggy crisps anyone.

As a bonding exercise this was a good day as all my near neighbours helped solve a tricky problem at no cost to ourselves and Radeef workers got some Mernissi hospitality. I seem to be the talk of the neighbourhood at the moment as everyone can see my problems and how they are dealt with as they involve everyone around to some extent.

As Ramadan enters its final few days its a good time to do business as most of the shops are hurting for ready cash so I am stocking up on wall lights and few more cushions etc. On the 23rd everything should be back to normalcy if you could ever apply that word to life in the Medina but by that I mean no tired and irritable people and the work rate goes up and the nights entertainment stops at 10pm not midnight.