I am a Drift Generation poet,fiction writer, and social and political commentator. I left Morocco one summer and have since been wandering around the world. My travels have taken me to Asia and Australia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. Sometimes, I would visit an enthralling place and decide to settle down; few months later, I would pack my bags and move on. I have thus lived in many countries, met wonderful people, left with memorable impressions. Other places, by the sheer intensity of misery inflicted on its people, made me realize that Man is Man’s worst enemy. I trekked with the tribesmen of Afghanistan, and helped an East Timorese family escape from machetes yielding gangs in Dili. I visited families in Iraq and shared their fears and frustrations; I scurried along Baghdad’s dusty roads; I saw the statue of Saddam topple in Al Ferdaws square, and I too kicked it. In 1993, I was in Mogadishu when the U.S. Army Black Hawk came down. I taught Salsa dancing in Nepal. I crossed the Moroccan desert on a donkey. I worked as a farm laborer in Nebraska, a crab fisherman in Alaska; I shoveled snow off rooftops in Utah, and dug mines in West Virginia. I was a lifeguard in San Diego, CA, and a line cook in a flying J in Texas. I fixed bicycles in Hong Kong. I was a teacher, an advisor, and a strategic analyst. In the shear heat of summer, I crossed southern Arizona desert and illegally entered Mexico. I ate a puppy in South Korea (unknowingly) and a kangaroo steak in the outback of Australia. I was detained in Amman, Jordan for coming into the country with two laptops and too many books, and I was arrested in Saudi Arabia for taking a picture of a group of women covered from head to toe. I almost died in Thailand and Iraq. On weekends, I continually sing happy birthday to people with Alzheimer’s disease. I swam with sharks in the Red Sea, but they swam away. I couldn’t see a single cow in Philippines, but I saw a lot of water buffalos; I don’t think they saw me. In one of the small, dusty corners of the world, I found the human rights the Arab world lost. Right now, I am not anywhere nice. People atrociously die here everyday. I hear Ben Harper singing: “I could change the world with my own two hands … I’m gonna make it a better place; I’m gonna make it a safer place.” Right this moment, my right hand is on my computer, Which I have uploaded with all the sacred books of all the religions known to man, and I am swearing that this is the truth and nothing but the truth, so help me whoever.
A. T. B. Copyright © 2008
you are welcome in our Moroccan “Blogoma” which is the moroccan bloguers community. You should maybe add your blog to http://www.maroc-blogs.com which is our aggregator managed by netdur (netdur(at)gmail.com)
Hi,
Thanks for stopping by. Welcome to the Blogma1
i want to say thank you for adding me to your blog roll even if only temporarily…
i have been reading your posts for the last twenty minutes before i saw that mine was listed in your blog roll.
nice surprise. it’s an honor and thank you.
i only wish i had read some of this stuff before my last excursion there in october and november…
next time!
please do keep posting,
pol rosenthal
artofmulata.wordpress.com
Hi Ahmed,
Thanks for the add.. and hats off for your amazing blog. I had the chance to read some of your entries and I truly like the way you describe things vividly. I simply love it.
Beautiful bio! I believe all of it.
Hi Ahmed, really loved this introduction, it made me travel around the world for seconds…and I do believe it was a wonderful journey.
keep up the good work
Hello Ahmed,
I ran into your blog and enjoyed reading a few of your articles. I have recently launched an online newspaper in English about Morocco called Morocco Newsline http://www.morocconewsline.com. I will be happy to publish any of your future articles that fall within my editorial line.
Regards,
Karim Zouiyen
Hello Ahmed,
Sounds like you are a modern day Ibn Battutah!
Look forward to reading more of your posts.
Oh my! How old/young can you be?
Hi Ahmed. Thanks for stopping by my blog and an even bigger THANKS for being the adventurous, curious, questioning world explorer that you are! This planet and all its inhabitants are delighted to have you unveil the many questions we all ponder!
Bravo for you love. Bravo for your strength and BRAVO for you gumption to keep going!
Are you a photographer or a special agent
Anyways, welcome to the blogoma. You`re a great asset to the blogoma.
Sighhh you are amazing, Ahmed! This is the most interesting bio I’ve ever come across anywhere in the blogosphere. I love it!
Dear Ahmed,
How very fascinating you are…When are you coming to Marrakech? We must meet for tea and tales of warlords.
Warm wishes,
Maryam
That was very impressive.
Best wishes for you in your travels.
BT
You have lived a very fascinating life… What I see from you is that.. you have seen some horrific things. Through it all, you still have your humor.
Very talented you are…..
Li
Hi,
I just found your site through an article you posted on Tingis magazine. Wonderful writing! Thanks for sharing with us all. Please visit my site http://www.moroccandesign.com. I would love to have your comments on my writing.
Best,
Sarah
I am equally impressed with your writing. Congratulations!
Please visit our website for more information: http://www.worldstreams.org
Ola Ibn Batouta of our new era
)
Funny! I have been following this blog for couple months now, and just realized there is an “About the Author” section
What can I say, lucky you have all this courage to leave stability and the hardship of moving and leaving people and places one gets connected to… But when you get to see all those places and mix up with different cultures and people, that is a richess in itself.
Good luck with your travel and nice blog…
Wow! When exploring blogs on Morocco came across yours and all I am going to say is what a wonderful life well lived.
Hi,
Since you start this blog i m reading you….you amaze me…
there is a song for you : By “Little joy”, “With Strangers” this song is for you…
Take care wherever you are ….
Hello Ahmed,
I have read some of your articles and needed to know you more because i really like you ideas and the way you introduce subjects to the reader, but when i’ve read the “the word about you”, i was really impressed, but let me share with you what i think about it: if you aren’t already a spy , the FBI and CIA must contact you
Good luck Sir!
Anouar.org
Thank you, sir! If they contact me, I will give them your name.
A.T.B,
Great bio brother. I am looking into reading more of your posts. Morocco misses people with your talents…
Omar E
Loved your Bio.. I stumbled on your blog from a different site, and was intrigued right away.. will be interesting to read some of your articles. Loved the 2 laptops and too many books in Amman.. had to chuckle…
Hi there! I stumbled upon your last blog post via MarocBlogs on Twitter. First, I was captivated by your English, second by the way you describe the affairs that you comment on and third by your choice of affairs to comment. Everything matches my own interests, so from now on I’m one of your (many) avid readers. Keep up the good work!
Hi ATB,
I accidentally heat your blog and stayed for a while… well, more than a while… The language, the writing , the topics, the thinking – all are impressing and enriching. I guess i fully agree with the comment above me. I will come to visit every once in a while and you – keep up the good job and those vivid life! Take care – Amit (Israel)
I have read some of your writings here. Very interesting person, you are. You should add yourself to twiiter.com so more people can read your writing. Kindest Regards, Dari
Brilliant. I want to interview you.
http://themindfulbard.wordpress.com/send-cd-and-book-review-copies-to
Hello,
We have just launched Bloginy Morocco, the new aggregator of the Blogoma (Morrocan Blogosphere) and Moroccans websites. The UI is in French but I’m sur that you’ll deal with it. We would really appreciate that you test it by visiting us on http://bloginy.ma and discover by yourself the available features (by creating a user and adding your excellant blog as a beginning).
- To create a new user : http://bloginy.ma/user/subscribe
- To add a new Blog : http://bloginy.ma/blog/propose
I did not found a contact form or email address so I posted my message here, you can delete it.
Thank you very much, have a nice WE !
Hicham
Ahmed, you have a wonderful blog and your journey is fascinating! I’m looking forward to reading more from you!
Loving this blog already. And the life that you’ve lived, of course.
You just got a new subscriber.
Nabil, thank you for stopping by. Spread the word.
Hi Ahmed,
Congratulations!You won the best of Morocco Blogs News and Commentary category. Drop me an email so I can send you your badge and how to collect your prizes. I’ve displayed your RSS feed on the front page of MoroccoBlogs for all of 2011. Great blog and I hope we get the chance to meet sometime. You can check out approximately where I am at my blog at http://www.vagobond.com – if we are in the same area, I’m sure we would enjoy some chai or coffee together.
All the best,
~vago
An autobiography focusing on your travels and world thoughts would be wonderful reading. Have you ever considered it?….thank you!
Linda
from Ft Worth, Texas (the beginning of the West)
I love the way you describe yourself and how envious I am of your fulfilled life. Keep writing! (And if you ever want to cross to Mexico again illegally, come by our house in East Valley of AZ)
Thank you for reading, Uly! I appreciate the invite, but considering Arizona’s new immigration legislation, I doubt I’ll be crossing anytime soon (joking)
Hi,
This is Sophie, I went through your site (cabalamuse.wordpress.com) while surfing in Google, am very much impressed with your site’s unique informations.
I am a freelance writer as well as a skilled coupon clipper, a Mom, and the resident frugal gatekeeper of my household. I am trying to build up my portfolio and would love to post as a guest on your site. I would be glad to come up with something unique and interesting to contribute to your site.
The post would be about some Financial topic and entirely unique.
Please let me know what you think about it. I look forward to hearing from you.
–
Thanks & Regards
Sophie Kinsella
Hi, it’s great to read your blog. I’m an American living in Tangier, and I’ve enjoyed seeing your perspective on Morocco and learning about the culture. Thanks for writing.
And thanks for reading.
From an American living in Rabat: absolutely love your blog– you express many ideas I think should be very obvious but are not apparent to most Moroccans… I would be more interested to hear more of your thoughts if ever you are willing to share (regarding social consciousness, civil society, development, democratization, etc).
Hello,
I am a Moroccan-American living in the US.
I really enjoy reading your blog! Don’t stop posting