Blog.ma & Blog.com

It's almost 2 a.m and it's been maybe 5 hours that I'm just reading blogs of Moroccans in Morocco, Moroccans abroad and foreigners-mostly Americans- in Morocco. I love these blogs. You know, just like small windows in people's minds and hearts. I am fascinated by the eloquence of those young Moroccans, their crazy ideas, their irreverent sense of humor, their will to bring some change in that land.
On the other hand, I am amazed by the foreigner's experiences. I admire the Peace Corps volunteers, for deciding to go to this exotic weird country, just like that, to help, to see, to live something different. But most of the time, they have more than a moderate dose of exotism! They end up in some obscure villages in some unknown places. They live the modest lives of modest people and just try to adapt to the endless bizarre situations and social "things" (don't know how to call that).
Of course, if they were staying in Casablanca, Rabat or Marrakesh, things would have been different. But somewhere, I envy them...

My pride

www.cnstv.org
It's been a great year, quality work, team spirit. The February 8th show was definitely my favorite. I enjoyed being a producer, a reporter and an editor. Looking forward to next year, same great crew, different stories.

Friedman and the truffles

Thomas Friedman and Maureen Dowd from the Times came to my school. They were both on a conversation with Cynthia Gorney and Mark Danner, it was really interesting. Although I have my opinions about Friedman and I certainly don't agree with his positions, I think he's smart and has good taste for Italian shoes. I have a smile on my face when I recall the days when I used to read him on Asharq Al Awsat, and I still do sometimes. It intrigues me how this guy has three Pullitzer prizes. But that's another story...
As for Maureen, she's really hot, I understand any source in D.C. would be more than happy to give her information for her column. She has this sarcasm that I particularly like. Her speech for our graduation party yesterday was well-written but she hits too much on W. Mistake: on ne prêche pas des convaincus; surtout à Berkeley...
Both talked a lot about journalism, ethics, careers, etc. Made me think about my own choices.
Nothing's wrong with all I am taught here, although it's a little bit obvious. The only thing is: how do I see myself using this in the future? When I see Aarchane and how he behaved with Driss, I just realize that good journalism is like truffles...for dunkies.

Cheesecake factory, Union Square, SF

Hamdulillah

Jehan, finally this prelim is behind you. I'm proud of you, doctoura. Much love.

Blood connection

So, today, we have an open house at the J-School. A lot of relatives, proud parents, happy girlfriends and boyfriends and..great food, hehe. It made me think that it's really the end of the 2nd years' school life. It made me sad. I am also very sensitive to the family stuff: parents looking at projects, listening to radio reports, admiring some pictures. There was some great work, amazing, really.
"So, yes, this is what I'm doing after all the money you spent to raise me"
OR
"This is why I'm taking all this loans"
OR
"Every single word I wrote is gratitude to you"
OR
"Wherever you like it or not, it's me, in my excellence and mediocrity"

Many left careers in business or in engineering for this job. Nobody can tell if it was worth it.

I remembered one of my friends, a reporter from Morocco, who told me: "my mother has never been to school, she can't read me but she puts my stories under her pillow and sleeps".

Tomorrow, at the real graduation, I will cry.

The untrustworthy

I'm so ashamed of myself, I don't know what to say but that I'm really, really sorry.

Fiesta time!

Fiestaaaaaaa!!! At the same time, dozens of J-schoolers prepare themselves for Gosia and Michael's party! The last with the 2nd years....
Weiiiird. Saaad. I hope people will have fun without too much damage (you know what 'm talking about). I'm looking forward to some party self-forgetness :-) ( najlae,where do you come up with these words?). Report about the partiii just after (if I can keep my eyes open coz I'm REALLY sleepy).

The show must go on

Last Tv class :( with all of us together. The 20 television musketeers will be divided next year between doc and Tv. I can't help it, it makes me sad. We had this great team work, I have to say and our shows were really fantastic and creative.
(Big sigh)
For our last class, we have these 3 guests, brilliant producers for Discovery Times Channel (Discovery Channel + New-York Times). One is really, really annoying. Maybe his mom didn't show him enough affection. Or the opposite. God, when are we gonna have real models?

Soon, my nephew will come (almost) the same way.. 

Emily's little one

So, tomorrow, I would like to shoot a short film in honor of Emily Taguchi and her baby-to-come. I love Emily. I love Japan and I love Japanese people. Emily has the grace. She has the heart. And I admit I'm often stupid with her, saying silly things and behaving like a baby. Anyway...So I hope she will like the idea, she said she wanted something creative and no gifts. So, I'm thinking about people of the school talking about her, about the fact of having a baby, I'm also thinking about music that could go...And images, of light blue and pink. I'm so happy for her. We'll see how that can be said in images.

Deadli(n)es

Joan's email saying we don't have class tomorrow made me think. School is, somehow, an involvement in something, a community. Without the school, things become a little bit hmmm unsure for me, at least as long as I don't have an internship. I'm completely independent but I hate having nothing to do. I realized that today at my Spanish oral exam, I was surprised to hear myself saying that. I'm complaining about being too busy sometimes but I just love to get a lot of things done. It makes me happy. I'm glad I finished the 6 classes I took without any major incident :-)
I still have this stupid book review to write and these blog entries. I'm definitely going to give myself 2 or 3 days before going back to the freelance work, I have to admit: I love deadlines.

Future J-school alumni 

A hairy situation

The guys graduating this year decided to grow moustaches. That's really funny, especially if they take the picture in black and white. A few guys decided not to grow that moustache, just because they are hairless! They wait for weeks but no moustache, just some blonde color on the face. That's hilarious, we wouldn't have this problem back home. Hehehehe.

Post-happy hour

The butterflies of the other day flew away and here I am again with these thoughts, the same thoughts that kill me...I was just starting to feel happy and I'm diving again in the cranian magma.
The school is getting weird, more people who smoke, more people who date (i hate this word, i hate it), more projects, thesis, more stress and then less stress. Because for half of the school, it's the last effort before the huge unknown. And for us, first years, it's a summer of uncertainty before another year of deferment (don't know if it's the right word).
I know what I need. Some rice with Maggi. Soon..

In the J-School's courtyard 

Happy hour

The picture above was taken a couple of days ago in the courtyard {Copyright: Peter Orsi}. I think this place is one of the things I will miss the most about Berkeley when/if I leave. It's just so fresh. I like to see people eat, smoke, lie in the sun, talk and gossip. It's the true J-School.
Everytime you feel suffocating in the newsroom, you just push the door. And suddently you are in the smoothie and Camel world.
Roya in in the background of the pic in an endless phone conversation, sipping a berry smoothie. I am -as always- looking at my phone (I should change that). Lubna is talking to Tristan, who will probably be a famous photographer. This guy is really talented.
I was very impressed by the quality of the presentations of the storytelling class. I don't know when I will find the same -or different- quality in my country. We have so much to talk about, we have talent, so what's missing?

Tatami mood

Today, I'm happy :-) I have butterflies in my heart. I can't remember when was the last time that happened. But who cares. Life is short and I wasted too much time just persuading myself I had to be sad to be fair. Who cares about that? Carpe diem, I used to tell myself. Yes, today more than ever.