Yesterday, when we went to print something out, we found the printer full of ants. This puzzled me. We don’t have ants anywhere else in the house. And why on earth would they go to the printer, which is in a sort of hall (the real estate agent called it a “small living room” but it is actually a hall), when there is a functioning kitchen just a few steps away? I will tell you a little secret: the Nomads are not the best housekeepers in the world. We tend towards the “lived-in” look, with books and stuffed animals and shoes left in ever-widening circles around chairs and in hallways. Given the veritable ant-sized feast that could no doubt be found in the kitchen, why would the ants go into the printer? Do ants drink ink?
Today, around noon, we found out that U2 is in Fes, filming a music video. We watched part of it on their site. “They’re in a riad,” I said, and then I read the notes below and found out that yes, they were in a riad, so I had a sense of quiet satisfaction. Only 7 months here and I can already rock the casbah.
Fes is about a 2 ½ hour train ride from Rabat. Could we go? The twins were already at taek-won-do; presumably someone should stay to let them in when they came home. When was the next train? What were the chances that, as we wandered round Fes’ enormous old medina, ears strained to hear the Edge’s distinctive guitar chords, we would actually find them? If we found them, would they let us in after we explained calmly that we were huge fans but not stalkers and technically quite poor and could we just watch and take some photos and maybe get a free signed copy of the new album? I hear that Bono is actually quite short. The Nomad family tend to be height-challenged too; we would be non-threatening, casual, just eager enough without overdoing it.
It was really already too late. The twins had each planned to have a school friend over today, and again, presumably someone should be here to meet them. Parents seem to be reluctant to leave their children outside empty houses, and tend to judge you. Or so I hear.
A friend of mine is heading to Fes today, a young Moroccan woman. I told her to look for them for me. “Try to get me their autographs,” I tell her, and she agrees. She’s never heard of them, so she has no idea.
And really, it’s probably just as well. The landlord is having some more work done. Right outside our second floor living room window (first floor for you Brits and French out there) is a trellis, and a man keeps walking by on it, head down, eyes glancing in, trying to be subtle. It’s not really working for me, especially since we don’t have curtains yet. Maybe that should be our priority, instead of light fixtures.
But then I watched this.
We totally should have gone. I recognize parts of this. We have been in the same places! We could have found them.
Oh by the way, our house totally looks like this. No really.
Ok not really.
A riad, by the way, is the kind of house in the you tube clip. It’s a traditional Moroccan style, and they tend to be in the old medinas of the ancient cities. Now they are being bought up by foreigners and turned into hotels and B&Bs. If you come visit, you can stay in one.
Or stay with us. It’s practically the same thing. Except with ants in black, cyan and magenta.
16 comments
March 21, 2009 at 7:14 pm
LIB
Chris got the new album last weekend and LOVES it. He said, unlike ‘Unforgettable Fire’ he appreciated it’s brilliance right away.
I thought of you, but just as fellow fans–not as someone within touching distance (well almost) to U2.
The setting in that video really DOES remind me of your house! You should post more pictures of your house.
March 21, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Bethany
A friend of mine who lives in Fes actually saw them briefly and Bono said hi to him! My friend is positively gleeful and describes himself as “euphoric” in a video he just posted on Facebook. : ) And according to another friend of his on FB, U2 will be coming back to Fes in a month!! So keep your ears open! Your chance might come yet.
March 21, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Kim
It is our lot in life to miss these opportunities to Meet Important People. Tom Cruise was in London the day after we were there. He is also vertically challenged so perhaps even if we’d been there on the same day we wouldn’t have been able to see him below the crowds.
I did meet Dave Thomas of Wendy’s fame (the fast food restaurant chain). He was also short. But in a nice, rotund kind of way.
While we haven’t met many Famous People, we’ve met some awfully nice ones. Including some who lived in Morocco for a few years; he was principal at an international school. We met them first when we all lived in Uganda. They moved on to Morocco, we moved back to Michigan. I hear they’re now in Michigan and we’re in Argentina. One of these years we might re-connect. It seems our friends are like us, ever “shifting” to new places, our paths crossing at odd moments in unlikely places.
March 21, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Kara
Jason has me trying to analyze their new lyrics.
I love how we come to totally different conclusions about what they’re trying to say.
I’ve heard that if you sprinkle coffee on the ants they will go away.
But I’m not sure that will help much with the printing.
I love that you found ants in your printer :>)
….And I forgot about the “being invisible” super power option.
I still think I’d go with flying.
Love,
K
March 21, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Kara
Why do I get the little scary angry guy with horns next to my comment?
I want the cute pink one with lipstick.
March 21, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Beck
I’ve met lots of famous people, in a way, but never the ones I’d want to meet – although people I know who have tell me that IT IS JUST AS WELL.
I think you should post a lot of pictures of the inside of your house, because I am VERY snoopy.
March 22, 2009 at 12:47 am
Kris
They did a surprise concert a couple weeks ago at a small club that’s just a few blocks from us.
The radio show was giving away free tickets to a “mystery concert” and it was RUMORED that it was going to be U2, but I don’t think much of anyone believed it. And then it turned out it was!
I didn’t find out about it till after the fact. I was kind of bummed.
March 22, 2009 at 1:06 am
Maximusbanged
Wow, nice post, thank for sharing it…
March 22, 2009 at 3:28 am
Kelly @ Love Well
Ants love anything organic. Maybe you have organic ink? Are you THAT green?
On the other hand, if you are, you are cool enough to be in the next U2 video. You should stalk … I mean, visit Fes regularly.
(I’m somewhat impressed your Moroccan friend didn’t know U2. I thought they were a global phenomenon. Is that just a Western media myth?)
March 22, 2009 at 1:52 pm
planetnomad
We don’t have organic ink. We have what’s available to buy in Morocco. Sorry; we’re just not that cool.
March 22, 2009 at 4:40 pm
jean
Go to YouTube and do a search for “ants in printer”. You will discover that you are not alone. When I had printer problems my brother sent me one of the videos and thought it was hysterical. I was afraid to open the lid. Gross. Good luck.
March 22, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Kit
Why don’t you invite them to do their next video at your house, then you could watch them filming without worrying about the kids from the comfort of your own armchairs! And you could show them all the best places in town for free.
March 22, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Mary Witzl
Did you ever work out the mystery of the ants?
Too bad about U2, but we probably wouldn’t have gone ourselves. My kids still can’t get over the fact that Dir En Grey (Japanese band) were in Glasgow and we didn’t go see them.
March 22, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Tonggu Momma
I don’t understand why Bono didn’t seek y’all out. Because he is very cool and seems to surround himself with cool people. And y’all are cool.
March 23, 2009 at 9:27 am
meredith
“Je rit jaune” about the ants…I get them in the weirdest places, but never the printer. I’ve happily had crumbs on my kitchen floor all winter long, but now the ants are waking up and I’ll have to vacuum more. Did you know they can live quite happily in the vacuum? I’ve had them crawl right back out of there…
March 29, 2009 at 10:36 pm
LG
I was once two meters from Julio Iglesias in a temple in Japan, or was it a castle?
Ants love electric wires…. Our ceiling fans in Gabon used to stop working and Ray would take them apart and remove all the dead bodies. The same if the outlet for your blowdryer or razor quits. You just have to take the outlet apart ant take out all the dead ants who chose the electric chair over other ways to go….