I got my 'Fantasia' in Casablanca .....

I came to Casablanca with anticipation trepidation of dark-haired women with dreamy eyes and moist red lips knocking on my hotel door with their black magic wands charming me into forgetting my lovely wife and fall head over heel in love with them instead. Afterall, such was the reputation. And such was also the conviction in LiL's mind that long before I traveled she already hinted about coming along. An Arab friend's wife with whom we had dinner on the night of my departure did not help the situation when she repeatedly told stories about Arab males who have second, third and fourth wives in Morocco.I played it all down, but quietly was quite excited about the adventure to Casablanca for the first time.

The first night I arrived, I went to bed early due to an early meeting the next day. I was awoken by persistent ringing of the room telephone. I picked it up, and was surprised by the giggling of more than one female voice on the end.

"Hello...." Said I. My eyes widened, and my watched showed time to be half past one.

"Ouiii..." Replied one of the voices, giggling.

"Hello..." I straightened up in my bed.

"*%$3%&& more french word sepatah haram aku tak faham @&*%"

I hanged up the phone. Then it rang again.

I picked up and said, "Call room 917 please" I was being mischievious giving the room number of one of my colleagues, a recently divorced man of mid forty.

Then I left the phone receiver off the hook and drifted back to sleep - with a smile on my face.

Next morning at breakfast, my friend was complaining about phone calls from *according to him* some crazy girls. I asked what did they want?

"Some damn children were left alone in their room by their parents who went partying and were playing the fool - they wanted to teach me speaking French, the blarddyyy fools. It was well past 2am" He said seemingly very annoyed. I chuckled and had to swallow my laughter - and quickly excused myself to go to the buffet table.

The next two days I was kept busy with meeting schedules and official dinner. However, I kept my eyes and ears attuned to my surrounding - waiting for a dark-haired woman with dreamy eyes and moist red lips to appear with her black magic wand to charm me. Every woman I met was scrutinized by my suspicious eyes well hidden behind my dark glasses. A few actually fit the description except that they didn't even hint about being friendly enough to encourage as much as a "Hai I am from Malaysia, and here to be charmed by a Moroccon Woman" greeting from me.

On my way back from work today, I asked my colleagues from the office to take me to an Arts gallery. One of my hobbies is buying paintings from famous local artists in new cities I travel to. I was not dissappointed. There in the first gallery we walked into were many beautiful work of arts. I fell in love with one of them the moment I set my eyes on it - love at first sight in this case can be costly. After some flirting haggling for price with the owner of the gallery, cash and the "Fantasia" exchanged hands.

Posing with Safiya the gallery owner and the Fantasia painting I purchased.

Picture with Mr J and Ms A, both are colleagues from my Casablanca Office

Three nights in Morocco, not a single knock on my door!