Ali Baba

I haven't shaved in a while. Yesterday, heading to the Medina, an old man approached me muttering things I didn't understand, but as I walked away I picked up "Ali Baba."A Moroccan we were with confirmed I had heard correctly. It was a common thing to be called if you had a beard. Moroccans will often call you by one particular thing you look like. If you're Asian you will get a lot of "Jackie Chan" or "Jet Li," and if you're black you might get "Chris Brown." Sure enough, I heard "Ali Baba" several more times.

When I told my host mother about the new moniker I had earned on my day's adventures, she had not heard of this habit of "Ali Baba"calling, and did not seem to think it made sense. "He is like Mickey Mouse," she said. "Not real."

This afternoon, as I went to write this post, I decided to play some of the music I have downloaded this week, some 1500 rap songs. I went for Rhymin' and Stealin', the first track on the Beastie Boys album Licensed to Ill, not knowing the lyrics...


Because Mutiny on the Bounty's what we're all aboutI'm gonna board your ship and turn it on outNo soft sucker with a parrot on his shoulder'Cause I'm bad gettin' bolder, cold cold gettin' colder
Terrorizin' suckers on the seven seasAnd if you've got beef, you get capped in the kneesWe got sixteen men on a dead man's chestAnd I shot those suckers and I'll shoot the rest
Most illingest b-boy, I got that feelin''Cause I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Shh! Snatchin' gold chains, vikin' pieces of eightI got your money and your honey and the fly name plateWe got wenches on the benches and bitties with tittiesHousin' all girlies from city to city
One for all and all for oneTakin' out MC's with a big shotgunAll for one and one for allBecause the Beastie Boys have gone A.W.O.L
Friggin' in the riggin', man, cuttin' your throatBig bitin' suckers gettin' thrown in the moatWe got maidens and wenches, man they're on the aceCaptain Bligh's gonna die when we break his face
Most illingest b-boy, I got that feelin'I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'
Ali Baba and the forty thievesAli Baba and the forty thievesAli Baba and the forty thievesAli Baba and the forty thieves
Ali Baba and the forty thievesAli Baba and the forty thievesAli Baba and the forty thievesAli Baba and the forty thieves