Manele, do you smell something burning?

Thursday night, after a long choir practice preparing for the music festival we will be performing in this coming Thursday and Friday in Marrakech (International University Music Festival: http://www.ucam.ac.ma/fimum/) and lots of homework, I retreated to my room. Manele, who had just taken an economics test, was almost asleep. I was packing for the weekend's coming adventure to Casablanca. As I was gathering my things, the smell of burning plastic became more and more potent until I asked Manele if she smelled anything funny. I checked the bathroom for an ignored hair straightener and the objects around our heaters. I soon noticed the smell was coming from the hallway. I opened the door to check in with our neighbors. Before I could knock on their door, I was distracted by the sound of tiny explosions and obvious smoke billowing from the electrical boxes. REAL FIRE! and not flames but electrical fire. In addition, the sounds and smoke were coming from all floors.

Manele immediately called the housing services and security and then proceeded to should "SORTEZ!!!!!! C'est un feu!!!!!!!" to wake up the rest of the residents. Thankfully, I am in Morocco so the nights are warm and being outside barefoot in PJs is tolerable. WRONG! it is still freezing here at night... literally, there is ice on the benches. After about 10 minutes of yelling and people running in and out of the building to get their computers or in the international student's case, passports (I grabbed my passport, wallet, two coats, and chacos... it is always interesting to see what people grab when there is a serious situation. computers, cigarettes, pillows, blankets, cameras). As we watched the top floor excrete smoke and more and more security men run into the building, which still had electricity flowing into it at this point despite the cries from girls telling them they should probably cut the power to building if they didnt want it to explode, with fire extinguishers. FYI, there were no fire trucks, no official firemen... just the security guards. This was incredibly reassuring... (insert sarcasm). Luckily, no one was hurt and nothing officially caught on fire besides the electrical wires.

Eventually, we moved out of the cold into another building waiting for them to put out the fires and give us rooms for the night. The smell of plastic and fumes/ residue from the extinguishers was too much. Because Manele saved the day, has an incredibly good head on her shoulders, and is feisty, we got a room for the night. The next day, there was no electricity in the building and the closets with the main electric stuff on each floor were completely charred.

Thank goodness the taxis are up and running so I could escape to Casablanca for the weekend. The weather was incredible and I spent all day yesterday being a true tourist, visiting the Hassan II mosque, which has a retractable roof and is the largest mosque in North Africa, Rick's Café, a perfect replica of the one in Casablanca complete with the men in silly hats, did some shopping and finished the night with a few Speciales (beer for 20 dh... remember the exchange rate is $1 to 8 Dh) at a local bar. Each time I get to be at the ocean after being landlocked and litterally locked up in Ifrane, I realize how necessary the sea is in my life. The ocean-air and calming sound of waves are the perfect cure for anything. Especially when I know you all are on the other side! In addition, sea means seafood, which in a fancy city like Casablanca means SUSHI!!!!!! wasnt the best ever, but hits the spot after the copious Kefta tagines I have had these past 4.5 months. Pictures to come. LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL!!!!!!