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Bicycle Touring Through Morocco: A Literary Travel Memoir

November 29, 2014 by Michael Zack Leave a Comment

Morocco bicycling tour Michael Zack

Photo Credit: Michael Zack bicycling in High Atlas Mountains by Photographer Rob Bregoff

Pedaling Nowhere Writer Logan Watt’s article “Bikepacking Morocco” is just one of the signs that bike touring in Morocco is becoming more popular with cyclists. What if you retraced the steps of your favorite writers on a travel adventure too? SmartyFella Michael Zack did just that. Here’s his story.

There is something that we want to find, some experience calling us, when we set-out to travel.  From the first step confidence as to what that is diminishes, and it not far down the road that we’re reminded again that it’s the journey, not the destination, that leaves a lasting impression.

In the spring of 1995 I boxed my touring bicycle in San Francisco and re-assembled it in the Casablanca Airport, and rode out of the airport, past people working in the fields who smiled and waved. I learned two things quickly: to defend myself from less welcoming dogs with the help of my tire-pump and to carry some stones. Marrakesh was to be my home for five months and I ended up riding over the High Atlas Mountains with my invincible friend Rob Bregoff. We were just beginning a five year domestic affair. We made it to the mountain pass and to Zagora “the door to the Sahara”, but we, like so many other couples, couldn’t make it past Y2K.

I first went to Morocco in 1991 to find the American writer Paul Bowles. Leaving the Joe Orton Diaries incriminatingly underneath my childhood bed, I landed by boat in Tangier and checked into the waterfront youth hostel. Two days later I had given up any hope that I would summon the courage to ask around to find Paul Bowles, occupied in my head with what I would actually say to Paul Bowles should I meet him (I had nothing really to say), and questioning “what on earth he would have to say to me? The whole literary world comes knocking at his door”.  Instead, I humbly went forward to Marrakech to see for myself some of the North African life I experience in Paul Bowles novels The Sheltering Sky, Let it Come Down and The Spider’s House, and most evocatively found in his short stories.

I never did meet Paul Bowles, but this past spring I spent two months sleeping in my parent’s Michigan basement, reading everything on my Mother’s bookshelf and on “Michael’s table” where she keeps all the books I’ve given her because my Mother is determined that my legacy will include the return of every gift I’ve given her.

My Mother kept suggesting I read Paul Theroux’s The Pillars of Hercules, “it’s down there on the shelf.” She loves his writing, me not so much.  He’s quick: can sum-up a place in the comment of an old man working in a Tabac that sells porno. Wherever he is, he’s always checking-out the porno, taking the temperature of a repressive nation.  It’s a series of events that are only related in that they happen to him; but it’s travel writing, and carefully observed for what it is, and easily dismissed as obviously having been better to stay at home, so it’s wildly popular.

Tangier Morocco Passport Stamp

Photo Credit: Michael Zack’s Passport Stamp for Tangier

Upon reading the premise of the thick hardcover on the torn dust-jacket with the picture of the Amalfi Coast, I was hooked.  Paul travelled by land and sea around the coast of the Mediterranean, from one of the Pillars in Southern Spain to the other in Morocco, a journey that would take him through Europe, Asia and Africa.  Hooked, because in the autumn of 1995 Rob Bregoff and I had an unforgettable lunch of really giant prawns at a table positioned on a little carved out spot on the Pillar, just above the crashing surf of the Atlantic.

When Rob landed in Tangier for our bicycle journey to the Sahara, I waited for him in my room with a view of the harbor in the Continental Hotel, a Moorish palace where Bernardo Bertolucci filmed some of The Sheltering Sky.  I didn’t know what boat he would arrive on, so I arrived a couple days early, and Rob was a couple days late, leaving me a long time to watch the ferries come and go, and lay around the empty ornate hotel lobby rooms thinking about Bernardo Bertolucci, and strolling The Kasbah and all over the slightly menacing city. Rob arrived, and before we took the night train to Marrakech we rode over to newly late Malcolm Forbes’ frothy abode – with all the glamour of a Hollywood set – now Forbes’ Toy Soldier Museum, undoubtedly a tax-exempt charity run by his heirs.  Peddling West, from this not so subtle re-imagining of Christian domination over the Islamic world, we came to the Pillars of Hercules, and those jumbo shrimp.

Would Paul get there?  Would he order the shrimp?  So, I read through the 500 pages as Paul weaved his way around the political hot spots of the region. And he finally does get to Tangier. Not as I had imagined, by way of Algeria, but back across the Straights of Gibraltar, from where he began, arriving on a ferry boat, just like we all did.

The magical moment for me is when he goes and looks up Paul Bowles. Paul meets Paul; “I know your books” Bowles greets him and invites him in, and recounts again, for the record, that it was Gertrude Stein in 1931 who suggested he go to Tangier, for the boys, and the tax-free cigarettes, and it was he alone who could stand the place (for very long), so he stayed.

As the audience waned, they smoked some hand rolled cigarettes of The Rifs finest, floated away into their own worlds, and Theroux end up walking the alleys of The Kasbah until he stumbles upon writer Mohammed Choukri who Paul Bowels translated into English and “introduced to the world”, and got published his novel For Bread Alone.  Mohammed was a little drunk, a little surly, and basically summed-up Bowles as patrician, and cheap, “In twenty-one years he has not bought me even one cup of coffee”.

So there I have it, in 2014 I completed my journey I set out on in 1991, to visit Paul Bowles in his legendary Tangier apartment, where he died in 1999.

I didn’t do it, but someone else did,, and wrote about it.  And if my Mom hadn’t given me the book, sold me on it really, I would not have ended this journey so comfortably, in the comfort of my bed (with it’s perfect reading lamp), in the interior of Brazil. Thanks Mom!

 

Michael Zack Travel Guide Morocco

Photo Credit: SmartyFella Michael Zack Passport Photo 1995

Michael Zack is a writer currently in South America. Renee and Michael became friends on an asphalt basketball court in grad school. Renee believes Michael and his layups are invincible.

Aki Con 2014: A Year After the Incident

November 7, 2014 by Marquila Wilson Leave a Comment

 

November is our blog’s month of thanksgiving. Our editors thank our guest reporters in the field who take on personal risk to get our stories for educational reports that matter to SmartyGirls and SmartyFellas. Don’t think there is personal risk for World of Warcraft to Queen Elsa Cosplay? You’d be surprised.

Empower yourself by advocating for safety for all: #heforshe

HeforShe

Photo Credit: @HeforShe

Our editors would like to acknowledge our thanks to Guest Anime Reporter Marquila Wilson for covering a Seattle-area anime convention that received negative press last year because of a violent crime.

SmartyGirl Marquila Wilson is an Anime expert and our eyewitness to changes in the anime community one year later. Here are her observations in her own words:

Aki Con 2014 was an experience to be remembered for both its originality and elegance compared to some of its larger “Big Sister” Cons like Sakura Con.  This smaller convention offered many perks of the name “Aki” to sparkle. The glimmer in the eyes of its attendees, the ornate and elaborate cosplay and the flashy autumn lights made a positive impression.

Arts Knowledge Imagination Aki

Photo Credit: AKI Foundatiion

There were so many cool things about Aki Con. For instance, one of the many events included voice actors Melodee Spevack Voice actor to a number of projects including Bobobo-bo Bo-Bobo anime and a Star Trek web series. She together with Michael McConnohie, another voice actor from the widely known World of Warcraft and Vampire Hunter D series, hosted a Voice Acting Master class that I found to be both informative and realistic. They had a more personal interaction with the class that you don’t seem to get at larger Cons with advice tips and voice acting exercises that were beneficial to those who attended.

Cosplay was detailed and for some quite extravagant! See below for a video clip by Timey Wimey Production for what I mean.

Aki Con hosts a Masquerade Ball that’s formal and other dances along the way. This makes for a grand opportunity to cut loose from the hustle and bustle of the jam-packed schedule. A few smaller but less formal dance parties featured a whole lot of eye-catching pop culture references like Sailor Moon and even Queen Elsa from Frozen Cosplay Hall offered a chance to show off some skills and give tribute to your favorite anime, game or comic. With the presence of a new a division named S.A.S.H. (Safety and Social Health) volunteers well known, attendees were able to have full access to the con without concern.

safety first aki con

Photo Credit: S.A.S.H. Aki Con

Artist Alley featured some very talented up and coming artists as well as some who have already arrived. There were many personal artworks and manga.  A large assortment of vendors with everything pertaining to the culture of anime from lanyards to full costumes ( plus mystery bags) designed to give the buyer an assortment of goodies pertaining to a genre for a fair price.

Overall, Aki-Con 2014 was a success that overcomes a bad rep from the years prior giving its attendees additional staffing more attractions and a list of things to do that just keeps going. Not only is it worth your time, this also counts an experience any true Otaku should have at least once. This convention offers endless opportunities without the commercialism while still exploring diversity connecting with its attendees vendors and sponsors. It offers a safe and open space where those alike and unalike can unite for a common purpose: The understanding and celebration of anime and Japanese culture. And what Smarty Girl Otaku or #heforshe SmartyFella can’t get behind that?

Marquila Wilson Anime Reporter

Photo Credit: Marquila “Kila” Wilson

SmartyGirl Marquila Wilson is an anime/manga illustrator and reporter for the anime community in the Seattle area. She also believes in evaporated milk as the magic ingredient in desserts.

Fall Fitness Challenge: Digital Monitor Break

November 1, 2014 by Charlese Compartore Leave a Comment

Living in Digital Times invited SGL to the International CES Digital Health Summit that debuted wearable tech earlier this year.

Though many of our readers use fitness app technology to help them reach their health goals is it possible that Quantified Self (QS) frequent digital health monitoring might be counterproductive for some?

Our Guest Writer Charlese Compartore gives her opposing viewpoint to QS from the perspective of a SmartyGirl recovering from eating disorders.

Eating Disorders Charlese Compartore

Photo Credit: Charlese Compartore

SmartyGirl Charlese spoke with Editor-in-Chief Renee by phone to share 5 Unplugged Tips for Managing Emotional Eating During the Holidays.

If you are interested in testing out a “manual override” for the upcoming feast-days, then read on. Consider this a break from The Phantom Tollbooth’s Digitopolis.

Note: This is article is not medical advice. Please consult with health professionals before making a change in your health routines.

1. Feel your feelings. When strong emotions are triggered, we often want to distract ourselves or divert them. That’s where emotional eating can start. Acknowledge what you feel and deal with that discomfort. Google a feelings chart if you are not sure what to name it. Maybe you need to mourn. Use safe coping methods.

2. Move but have fun. Choose an activity that won’t cause resentment. Love the outdoors but think you can only make progress indoors in the gym? Pick a new sport and you’ll have so much fun, you won’t notice that you are building muscle and improving cardio.

3. Guard your time. Exercise your “no” to requests by others. Sure it’s a verbal exercise that might not make you break a sweat. But practicing communication and resisting pressure from others can give you better emotional wellness.

4. Qualify instead of Quantify. See the feelings chart, again. Instead of making a clothing size your goal, why not reward yourself for giving yourself an affirmation rather than a put down when you pass a mirror.

5. Journal long-hand. This is a place to express your discomfort and your small victories. This is not a confession log for others to read about your fails. Instead include non-eating and non-exercise related ambitions.

Here’s SmartyGirl Charlese Compartore’s story, below, in her own words. Feel free to chime in in the comments below.

Like most people, I’m always excited when Apple comes out with a new iPhone. They’re constantly raising the bar on technology and the sleek design of our mobile companions. The changes that come our way every fall are eagerly anticipated, along with long lines at your nearest Apple store. I love updating my phone when the new iOS version makes it’s way into my notifications. It’s like Christmas for me. New features, looks, and colors. Enhanced apps, and new, easier ways to do things that are sometimes far beyond my concept of technology and usually even hard to grasp. But it’s these things that make it so much fun.

This year, I was most excited about the new iOS version. I was ready for a change in my life, even if it was just my cell phones operating system. When the phone was finally finished updating (which felt like it took forever), I was surprised by a new app. A white square with a pink heart in the right corner greeted me with the name “Health”. When I opened the new feature app, and impatiently started pressing on my touchscreen, I saw a list of categories: body measurements such as fitness results, nutrition inputs and sleep vitals. A few things ran through my mind. I was happy that Apple was aiming towards making people aware of their own health, and taking steps to help them live a healthier lifestyle, especially since this is a huge epidemic in our country. The next thing I though “How can I delete this off my phone?”

Health Apps Eating Disorders

Photo Credit: Charlese Compartore Yosemite

Although I think this app is an excellent idea, it’s not for me or others like me. I’m almost a year into recovery from anorexia and exercise bulimia. I finished an excellent outpatient rehab program in Concord, CA called Casa Serena at the beginning of January. I’m still not done recovering, in fact, I’ve just scratched the surface. This app reminded me of how undeniably obsessed I was with the first things on the list that were staring me in the face. Body measurements, fitness results, nutrition inputs, and sleep vitals were triggers for me.

A year ago, my life was consumed with these things. It was all about how many inches I could lose around my waist, arms, hips, and thighs. Fitness was my life. I did nothing but go to the gym and workout. I had no time for friends or family. Me. All about me, and my new “healthy lifestyle”. I was obsessed with nutrition facts and labels. I had to track everything I put in my mouth, even if it was just a bite of something that I wanted to try. I made sure I never went above 700 calories a day. My results were amazing, weighing myself 5 times a day just to “make sure” I didn’t gain any weight back by eating an extra almond. But here’s the kicker… with every pound I lost, I looked in the mirror and felt like I had gained 5.

My results were, in reality, far from amazing. I was sick. Mentally and physically. I had all of the apps on my phone that tracked my nutrition, my exercise, and most importantly, how many calories I burned. When I had finally crashed and burned and wound up in rehab, I had to delete these apps and throw away the scale. I learned that my happiness does not have to rely on these. My body appearance does not define me.

Eating disorders come in all different sizes, genders, races and ages. It doesn’t discriminate. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any other mental illness. Nearly 20 million women will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life and 10 million males in the United States will suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some point in their life. This isn’t just about an app on a cell phone. This is about the pressure to be “healthy”, or really, what our country considers “healthy”. Being healthy is about the nourishment we give our bodies, the outdoor activities we love to do in the sunshine or rain, and the positive messages we feed our minds. It shouldn’t be about how many inches our waists are wide, what the scale yells at us every time we step on it, or making sure we don’t eat “that” because there’s too many carbs in it. We should all feel comfortable in our skin, no matter what size we are. Women and men. People in general. The whole human race.

So, as wonderful as I think “Health” is for so many, will following the norm require us to report to an app on our phones for it? Can’t I opt out to record my measurements, weight and nutrition without social disapproval? Some will say, “Just don’t use it” or “Switch to a different phone.” That’s not the problem… myself and others in recovery won’t use it, but it’s still there. It’s still on our phones, acting as a trigger for so many.

I feel like we need to come together as a country, change the way we think we look and learn acceptance of our appearances. Our media strives for perfection, and reflects it upon all of us, with the constant pressure to be something that isn’t real. Reality isn’t the photoshopped models in the magazines at the checkout line, or the ridiculously low calorie diet that so many are prepared to live on for the rest of their lives just to maintain America’s standard of “beautiful” and “healthy”. In this life, we only get one body. Let’s learn to appreciate our bodies for what they do for us, rather than criticize how they look. Beauty is size-less.

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