When I first moved to Rabat, I heard whisperings that there was a “pottery village” across the river in Salé and I was intrigued. When I finally checked out Oulja Pottery Village, or as I call it Oulja Artisan Village (because it’s more than pottery), I was gobsmacked. There exists a peaceful complex filled with gorgeous […]
We’re just over three weeks in to our Gap Year in Rabat, and already I’m thinking in percentages. As in that’s 10% of our 10-month tour already gone! First impressions: Rabat seems chill and very livable although probably not the exotic color and spice explosion I’d imagined Morocco to be. It’s modern, clean, and seems […]
Welcome to the first blog post on The Next Dinner Party. You’re at the same old blog, more or less, on which I have been posting since 2012. Back then I called my blog Yemen Em. Then it was The Dame in Spain. Most recently it was Em in Jerusalem. If I were to continue […]
The saying goes that Jerusalem is about 40 miles and 200 years away from Tel Aviv. So its always a welcome reprieve to drive less than one hour from the monochrome ancient city of Jerusalem and to arrive in colorful and modern Tel Aviv, with its beachy vibes, exposed butt cheeks (it’s the year of […]
I recently posted that our next post is Algiers, Algeria, but we just learned before we land there for a two-year tour, we’ll be in Rabat, Morocco for one year! And I am so excited about it. For the food, for the climate, for the chance to explore a colorful new country. And for the […]
It’s finally here: The day when I feel happy enough about the state of our apartment to take pictures and share them with you all! When we first arrived to Jerusalem (almost two years ago to the day), I was in tears when I saw our drab apartment out in the West Jerusalem suburbs, but […]
Readers of this blog know I’m not a big fan of our suburban apartment in Jerusalem. But as we’ll be here for three years, I’ve got to make the best of it. And making the best of it for me is transforming our apartment into a space in which I want to hang out in, cook in, work […]
When we first set eyes on our dreary Jerusalem apartment, located in a complex that abuts a field of trash, we weren’t stoked, to say the least. But that’s the rub with this whole Foreign Service being-assigned-a-house thing: Sometimes you get winners, like our spacious and well-located Madrid pad, and sometimes you get dropped […]
The foyer: It’s the first space that greets you and your visitors when the door opens. And it’s what your neighbors catch a glimpse of when you chase after an escaped fat cat as it jiggles down the hallway. I wanted an entryway that set the tone for the house: Comfy, stylish, and fun. But […]
I’ve had a black coffee table for years. I’ve had cats for years. I’ve learned that these two things are a bad combo. The surface of that coffee table seemed to collect more cat hair than the vacuum. And that’s saying something, because the amount of hair that I pull out of the vacuum on […]
