tangiertelegram

Leisure Time

2008-01-27T07:49:00.003-08:00

Leisure Time
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Salon near Plaza del Toro

Leisure Time

2008-01-27T07:49:00.001-08:00

DSC_0677
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Club Generation

Landscape (2005)

2008-01-18T16:30:00.001-08:00

This image comes from a group of images I exhibited at Galerie Mohamed Drissi in Tangier December 2007-January 2008 called "Invisible Hands." More images from the show are available on flickr under the set drawings/collages/photographs. http://www.flickr.com/photos/simoblog

Our christmas treat

2007-12-23T16:25:00.001-08:00

Our christmas treat
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Invisible Hands Exhibition!

2007-12-23T16:23:00.001-08:00

Invitation_Mains invisibles
Originally uploaded by simoblog

life runs down

2007-12-23T16:22:00.001-08:00

000016g
Originally uploaded by simoblog

life runs out

2007-12-23T16:21:00.001-08:00

00007p
Originally uploaded by simoblog

The fate of all sheep on aid el kebir

2007-12-23T15:42:00.001-08:00

F1000016
Originally uploaded by simoblog

I love this chick

2007-12-23T15:41:00.001-08:00

DSC_0770
Originally uploaded by simoblog

grazing on the new lawn

2007-12-23T15:40:00.001-08:00

DSC_0777
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Grazing in the new public park

2007-12-23T15:39:00.001-08:00

DSC_0767
Originally uploaded by simoblog

fashion

2007-10-24T18:08:00.005-07:00

fashion
Originally uploaded by simoblog

fashion

2007-10-24T18:08:00.003-07:00

fashion
Originally uploaded by simoblog

flowers

2007-10-24T18:08:00.001-07:00

flowers
Originally uploaded by simoblog

cat food

2007-10-24T18:07:00.003-07:00

IMG_7239
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Cats ate well during Ramadan. People ate vicariously through them?

fisherman

2007-10-24T18:07:00.001-07:00

fisherman
Originally uploaded by simoblog

He showed us the way

tire treads

2007-10-24T18:03:00.001-07:00

tire treads
Originally uploaded by simoblog

2007-10-24T18:02:00.001-07:00

IMG_7371
Originally uploaded by simoblog

2007-10-24T17:59:00.001-07:00

IMG_7345
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Looks harder after you look back--just another reason not to look back

the gods

2007-10-24T17:58:00.003-07:00

IMG_7366
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Clandestines

2007-10-24T17:58:00.001-07:00

IMG_7331
Originally uploaded by simoblog

(by Faycal Algandouzi)

european dead people card catalogue

2007-10-24T17:56:00.001-07:00

DSC_0284
Originally uploaded by simoblog

man with manequins

2007-10-24T17:06:00.005-07:00

man with manequins
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Cafe scene Cafe Dahlia

2007-10-24T17:06:00.003-07:00

Cafe scene Cafe Dahlia
Originally uploaded by simoblog

singing man

2007-10-24T17:06:00.001-07:00

singing man
Originally uploaded by simoblog

the port

2007-10-24T17:05:00.001-07:00

the port
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Saudi style (back)

2007-10-03T15:06:00.001-07:00

DSC_0216
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Saudi style

2007-10-03T15:04:00.003-07:00

DSC_0220
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Meriem’s sister went to Saudi Arabia because they were in need of talented hairdressers there, and Morocco, she admits shyly but proudly, is known for its beauticians. She brought back a Saudi get-up to wear to parties. Here it is fashionable to wear, she says. Everyone loves the sleeves, that are subtle but shiny with beads and delicate lace. Just then a Saudi soap opera became noticeable the way TV does in a silence, and she laughed and pointed and said, there even the men wear headscarves.

A nice hairdo, a Moroccan specialty

2007-10-03T15:04:00.001-07:00

DSC_0210
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Does anyone know what these pink, wild looking Tangier flowers are?

2007-10-03T15:02:00.001-07:00

DSC_0194
Originally uploaded by simoblog

The open door party

2007-10-03T15:00:00.001-07:00

The door party
Originally uploaded by simoblog

The rose party

2007-10-03T14:59:00.003-07:00

The rose party
Originally uploaded by simoblog

The new Casa Barata and Mohamed Hmidouche

2007-10-03T14:59:00.001-07:00

The new Casa Barata and Mohamed Hmidouche
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Near Casa Barata

2007-10-03T14:58:00.001-07:00

DSC_0222
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Tanger --Tratados Codigos Leyes y Jurisprudencia

2007-10-03T14:56:00.001-07:00

DSC_0179
Originally uploaded by simoblog

The first volume of the International Zone "bible"--a book of laws and regulations.

Hot ballerinas on pointe to help you break your fast

2007-10-03T14:51:00.001-07:00

Hot ballerinas on pointe to help you break your fast
Originally uploaded by simoblog

the rainbow enters

2007-10-03T14:50:00.001-07:00

the rainbow enters
Originally uploaded by simoblog

woman sleeping

2007-09-23T19:22:00.003-07:00

woman sleeping
Originally uploaded by simoblog

earnestness

2007-09-23T19:22:00.001-07:00

earnestness
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Boulevard Mohamed V - titanic

2007-09-23T19:21:00.005-07:00

Boulevard Mohamed V - titanic
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Boulevard Mohamed V - genie

2007-09-23T19:21:00.003-07:00

Boulevard Mohamed V - genie
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Boulevard Mohamed V - brooklyn bridge

2007-09-23T19:21:00.001-07:00

Boulevard Mohamed V - brooklyn bridge
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Boulevard Mohamed V - overpass and palm trees

2007-09-23T19:20:00.001-07:00

Boulevard Mohamed V - overpass and palm trees
Originally uploaded by simoblog

2007-09-23T12:21:00.001-07:00

Morocco Palace
Originally uploaded by simoblog

The best music. The most mediocre belly dancing.

Morocco Palace

2007-09-23T12:20:00.003-07:00

Morocco Palace
Originally uploaded by simoblog

Grand Socco at Break Fast Time

2007-09-23T12:20:00.001-07:00

Grand Socco at Break Fast Time
Originally uploaded by simoblog

cinematheque cafe during ramadan

2007-09-23T12:19:00.001-07:00

cinematheque cafe during ramadan
Originally uploaded by simoblog

looks like the cinema is doing good business-everyone wants to sit at the new outdoor cafe right on the grand socco. Too bad they can't order anything. It's ramadan.

2007-09-23T12:18:00.001-07:00

DSC_0050
Originally uploaded by simoblog

dusty palms

DSC_0043

2007-09-23T12:17:00.001-07:00

DSC_0043
Originally uploaded by simoblog

I like the apple symbol because it reminds me of teachers and knowledge. But the bright red apple also reminds me of snow white and that poisonous apple. In general I am a fan of the bold symbols like the lantern, key, and crescent moon. All this writing I can't read doesn't mean anything to me--and I can just imagine most of the population here saying the same thing--unfortunately.

2007-09-23T12:15:00.001-07:00

DSC_0035
Originally uploaded by simoblog

lantern and key

2007-09-23T12:11:00.001-07:00

DSC_0033
Originally uploaded by simoblog

islamicist party sign

2007-09-23T12:10:00.001-07:00

DSC_0116
Originally uploaded by simoblog

When people realized it was him in the slicked out, waxed up black convertible they started a stampede. But he was gone as quickly as he had come.

2007-09-23T12:09:00.001-07:00

September 19 2007 (2)
Originally uploaded by simoblog

September 19 2007--the King rolls through the grand socco, presumably assessing the work of the Wali who recently joined us in Tangier from Marrakech.

2007-01-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

This reminds us that it could have been worse. By all appearances this pile of shoes is the detritus of whole families that perished in the flame...

2007-01-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

A pile of rubble where I used to do all my clothes shopping. The fellows on the mount are having a town meeting in which they decide to continue selling in order to put pressure on the authorities to help them reclaim the land and get more permanent shops. The fire meant 600 people lost their jobs and more than hundreds of others directly affected who depend on these wholesale dealers for a part of their merchandise.

2007-01-27T12:07:00.000-08:00

This is where the clothing section of Casa Barata used to be. Tuesday night there was a fire at about 10:30 at night and the entire second-hand clothing souk burned down. Almost everyone is saying it was done on purpose by the people/person who owns the land (even the story of who owns the land differs from person to person.) My friend Mohamed, who is a merchant at the market, says he lost 10000DH worth of merchandise, the equivalent of $1,000.

2007-01-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

For more photos of the cinematheque de tanger go to: www.cinemathequedetanger.com/photos.html

Letter from America--it's not so far away

2006-12-19T13:51:00.000-08:00

"Tonight on television American Cinematography Actor Event was dedicated to George Clooney.
He was getting a Life Time Achievement Award and many Movie Stars were there.
One of them, Matt Damon, was shown in Tangier and was praising George standing in front of Cinema Rif selling movie tickets to the locals, talking to George from the screen and arguing with Moroccans at the same time.
It was so great for me to be at your place so unexpectedly all of a sudden hours after we talked.
I really take it as a very good sign, toward your future stay, making the best of Tangier's spiritual atmosphere."--Dada Schneider

2006-12-19T13:23:00.000-08:00

Mohamed, the official cinematheque shoeshiner, gives the thumbs up but does not stop shining. December 13th, the cinematheque de tanger opened to the public with the movie Indigenes, a film about Moroccan mercenaries during WWII, and with the first DocMaroc documentary filmmaking workshop.

2006-12-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

get your photos for visas here--but he's watching you so you better not leave for long...

2006-12-19T13:15:00.000-08:00

2006-12-19T13:13:00.000-08:00

The priest comes in from Spain every Sunday.

2006-12-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Arabic above the pulpit

2006-12-19T13:09:00.000-08:00

The congregation today

2006-12-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

fresh kill

2006-12-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

The scissor in the stone

2006-12-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

guardian of the gates--of paradise? He was very handsome...

2006-12-19T12:58:00.001-08:00

like soldiers all lined up in a row

2006-12-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the St. Andrew's Church and Graveyard. I had the pleasure of visiting with one of the documentary film students who are here for two weeks doing films all around Tangier. The ideas for the films came from us and the things we have been wanting to cover for a long time. Here are some stills of the site I took while I was there scouting for the students.

2006-12-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

2006-12-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

We're open!

Details details...

2006-10-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

I'm sooo relieved they have cold showers, I'm so sick of hot ones and you can't find a cold one anywhere.

"Club al Madina de Musculation"

I should make some new tea. Or cast some kind of spell.

This is organic.

The stairs up to Fuentes Cafe in the Petit Socco are thin as paper from human drops of water lapping away.

Strange visitor

This was planted on the beach by some of the stowaway hopefuls. A friend explained it "They're just kids you know, they have to have fun too." But look at this thing, it's pointy, jagged, sinister and skeletal. It looks like some superstitious gesture, or a dedication to a friend departed.

The Cinema!

2006-10-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

At Dusk

At Night

The Cafe

The Cafe Hallway and Bar

Library

Ramadan at 6pm

2006-10-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

During Ramadan stores close from 5:30-8 and the streets empty out. Breaking the fast happens between 6 and 6:10 shifting everyday according to the lunar calendar. Between 5:15 and 6 are the absolute worst times to drive, risky business. People are not only the hungriest they'll be all day but they are rushing home towards a meal. Nothing will stop them. Here is the Grand Socco at 5:55.

New Pictures of the Grand Socco

2006-10-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

Tangier is also undergoing serious change. They put a gaudy St. Petersburg style fountain in the middle of the main square. It's a bit much and people complain that the palm trees they put around it don't like it there and are dying. They also give no shade. I guess they put in one square and the king drove by one day and didn't like it, so they had to take it apart and start from scratch.

This view from the cinema shows the trucks that are here as part of the Bourne Again crew. Part of the many part Bourne series, a huge movie crew has taken over Tangier. More pictures above.

The fountain is nice from one side of the square. But since square is on a slope, you get a strange view from the downhill side. At least the cinema peaks out.

The fountain from the cinema's projection room.

Poetry

2006-07-27T02:59:00.000-07:00

Also you can see a poem of mine here:
http://brooklynrail.org/2006-06/poetry/faith-is-a-marionette

2006-07-27T02:20:00.000-07:00

I'm in St. Petersburg for the summer. If you like this blog, visit http://whitenightsblackhumor.blogspot.com- 22 hours of sunlight serves to illuminate the dark crevices of this foresaken city.

2006-05-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

One of the winter roads of Kiarostami

2006-01-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

Hotel Life. When all you can see from your hotel is the word hotel, you know you're a serpent eating your own tail. I'm a serpent eating my own tale. Five star hotel life is nice, Hunter S. Thompson style (RIP).

2006-01-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

Hotel bar

2006-01-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

Peacocks were pruning at the parties.

2006-01-02T22:31:00.000-08:00

Preparing for the festival...laying down the sand.

2006-01-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

Ooooo aaaaa films

2006-01-02T22:22:00.000-08:00

2006-01-02T22:21:00.000-08:00

The festival world--The world of the festival.

2006-01-02T22:20:00.000-08:00

Marrakech red. This is the picture I was waiting for in Tangier for days. Waiters in Morocco serve like they're in olympic competition. Makes for an interesting alternative to the egg races of yore.

2006-01-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Sorry I've been MIB (Missing in Blogland lately, I left Tangier for New York, only to be sent back to Morocco, but to Marrakech this time, for a program through Tribeca Film Institute and the Marrakech Film Festival. The blog I made for Marrakech is not exactly about the city, but about the program, and about the festival. You can see that blog at mtfe.blogspot.com. I also visited the Cinematheque de Tanger in Tangier and there has been loads of progress on the construction front. See pictures at http://cinemathequedetanger.com/chantierdec/ (not by me.) The opening date is set for May 29th, after the Cannes Film Festival.
(photo by youssef barrada)

Abbas Kiarostami during one of his master classes

2006-01-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

Scorsese during the master class

2006-01-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

2005-10-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

from 57th street

2005-09-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

the window comes in for bedtime

2005-09-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

snow shovels in defile, ready for the ghost arm of winter

2005-09-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

Paint, Paste, Paper Push

2005-09-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Where I take my lunch break, hudson and N. Moore.

2005-09-27T18:15:00.001-07:00

speckles of light

2005-09-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

now you don't

2005-09-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

now you see it

2005-09-27T18:13:00.001-07:00

Breakneck ridge vine tangle

2005-09-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Dragon Fruit from Chinatown

2005-09-05T17:48:00.001-07:00

If you like my blog, I recommend you check out the Fall 2005 issue of Bidoun, a both hip and insightful magazine on Middle Eastern Culture and Arts. They really have their pulse on contemporary Middle Eastern politics and art. Also, in this issue you can see "A project by the artists Yto Barrada and Simona Schneider looks at the iconography of local economies, here in the form of the exchange of cigarettes in one Moroccan town (Tangier). " Unfortunetly this content is not online, but other articles are so you can get a feel for the magazine and those will hopefully inspire you to want to see more. Happy reading. http://www.bidoun.com/