Pictures of Guilmima

Here are a few pictures from my visit to Guilmima with Hafida. I talk about this visit in my May posting. Read that paragraph to better explain. Hugs to all, Linda

April's News

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEB SITE ARE MINE PERSONALLY AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY POSITION OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OR THE PEACE CORPS. Since this site is public, specific details are not given so email me personally if you’d like more information.

4/22/10 - It’s official – spring is here!!! The wind still howls from time to time, and it can still be quite chilly, but on the whole the weather has turned and it is lovely. In fact, so warm that the flies and mosquitoes are waking up and buzzing around my house already. I’m in the process of getting some screens made for my windows since I can’t stand the pests. I won’t keep them out entirely, but this will help. I waited three days last week for a carpenter to come measure the windows, finally I ran into him at the thanut (local grocery mart) and we walked together to my house. Maybe next week I’ll even get them put up? I brought a piece of screen with me from the US, but obviously not knowing what, if any, windows I might have I do not have enough. I have screened my kitchen & bathroom windows, but have three others to do. Our quality is much better and easier to work with, so thus I am soliciting help with the others.

Remember the tea I was trying to organize to celebrate International Women’s Day – well it finally happened in late March before I left for camp. 35 women came and I was thrilled. They enjoyed the treats that I baked and there was lots of chatter and laughter. I talked about the importance of good health and the need to take care of themselves because so many people depended on them. When I showed them some simple stretching exercises, you should have heard them. I kept reminding them – “hey I’m 60 and if I can do this, you can too.” Everyone went home with a new toothbrush in hand. (I’m beginning to think that oral hygiene may just be my project…… , the dentist I worked for so many years ago would be soooo proud!)

English immersion camp was fun, albeit exhausting, but I’m glad I participated. What a beautiful location (picture attached) It really did take about three days to get to the northern coast of Morocco and I traveled by taxi, bus and train. It could be done quicker, but when you have to coordinate schedules, it takes longer. My English class consisted of eight teen-age boys (picture attached). Yep, they were boys….. and I was told that I handled them very well and probably better than any of the other volunteers could have done. Perhaps it was helpful having had experience with Chris and his friends over the years! Actually they were quite dear and even the “too cool for school” guy participated as time went on. I had a different group of kids when I taught about Kenya and that was a mix of language abilities and ages. I found physical activities were a much better tool than an actual classroom setting with them, so we made masks, I cooked a Kenyan staple and we taste tested, drew Kenyan flags and ran long distance on the beach (ummm, they ran more than I did), etc. When the day came that they had to leave, you should have seen the tears – everyone was crying. They were either a very emotional group or we made more of an impact than we realized. There were six of us PCVers (beach picture attached) and we stayed in a dorm like setting. The Moroccan staff was great to work with. We went down to the docks on our last day there and purchased fresh fish from the boats and had them cooked for us. Yummm, delicious (picture attached)! Then we began the trek home…. on a day that happened to be the conclusion of a Moroccan holiday. Everything was full and there was standing room only on trains and buses. We should have just stayed on the beach for an extra day or two and then began the trek since the travel home would have been much easier. It was good to get home.

A National Geographic tour group stopped in my village again in April for morning tea in a Berber home. I think a good time was had by all and they found the experience interesting and fun. Another group will visit in May. I’ve decided that at least some of the stipend I am given for the visits will be spent on cleaning/hygiene products for the preschool, school and association. I am in the process of collecting baskets to organize toothbrushes, soap, bleach, scrub brushes, towels, toilet brushes, etc. I’d also like to buy the supplies to paint a world map on one of the walls of the school. Now, I have no artistic ability whatsoever, but I’m told we have a grid available to us, that will help with the process. Hopefully both of these projects will be helpful to the community.

A Moroccan PC representative from the small business sector came for a visit this month and we had the opportunity to sit down and talk with my counterpart – finally. Since I’m not fluent in this Tashlheet language, I had some very basic questions I wanted asked and answered and I greatly appreciated her assistance. I really wanted to know what the my counterpart’s expectations of me are and how I can help. As I’ve said, this cooperative has been up and running for quite some time. Basically it was decided that if we could diversify our cheese product that would be most helpful. I also commented on their embroidery work and the products they make. The work itself is beautiful, but no one I know would buy what they make. Hopefully we can make some modifications to their handiwork and make it sellable. Nothing, let me repeat, nothing happens fast here. Don’t expect to hear exciting news of great sales in the immediate future. Maybe before the time I leave we will see some results?

Addressing the need for cheese diversification, I came prepared….. I had played with cheese in my kitchen prior to this visit. I brought with me to this meeting four variations. My favorite was mint and honey – I called it Moroccan Mint Cheese. It is yummy. My second favorite was a spicy olive cheese. I think of both of these are “Moroccan” since both are dominant in this culture. I also made a parsley & chives cheese and a garlic cheese. My counterpart was very receptive to these variations and she really liked the spicy olive cheese. In fact, she is off to an expo in Meknes (near Fes) soon and she’d like to take a sampling of all four variations with her for taste testing. She’d like me to come too, but I haven’t decided if I’ll do this yet or not. It would involve two days of travel to get there, five days at the expo and two days to get home. That’s a lot of “together” time. There are so many other variations to the cheese I can think of, I’ll have to continue to experiment. I was delighted that my counterpart reacted as she did.

I did a quick trip into Marrakech a week ago. Went in on Saturday and came home on Sunday. A number of PCVers and their artisans had organized a craft fair there for the weekend. I didn’t have any artisans participating, but I wanted to see the fair and the products. Nicely done!! Annie, one of my PC friends also had family visiting from the states and a few of us were invited to their hotel for cocktails and conversation on Saturday night. A good time was had!

In so many ways living here doesn't feel that much different than being in the US. Maybe it only feels that way when I am in the comforts (if you will) of my own home? Being out and about is sometimes stressful, but when I am rested and feeling well, not such a big deal. Very hard to explain. I keep waiting for the time when I will feel bored. So far that hasn't happened. I have many things on my "to do" list and I'm still waiting for that time to do them. I think I used to accomplish more in a day than I'm doing now, but maybe not? Everything here is basic -- I wash clothes by hand and hang them out. I buy fresh and cook on/with devices that are not at the standards we are used to. I like to bake, but no hand mixer or even a suitable bowl and then you bake in an oven that doesn't have a temperature guide, so you are constantly turning and checking. My mattress rests on the floor, so getting out of bed some days is a challenge (but I'm so lucky to have a mattress), etc. We take so much for granted in the US, this is good for me and it is indeed a reality check.

There are three young girls (12ish) (picture of the girls on a recent hike is attached) that constantly ask that I make pizza for them so I recently did just that. One of them I know quite well since she is a neighbor of my host family and I saw her often when I was living with them. Another is rather quiet and shy but sweet and I like her. The third – not so much…. Well surprisingly, the third young woman was eager to eat pizza and was willing to dive in. She thoroughly enjoyed herself finishing the meal off with jello and cookies that I had baked. The young woman that I know well, took one bite of the pizza and wanted no more. Did I have a tagine (kind of a stewed meal)? That is what she is familiar with. She took one spoon of the jello and spit it out. She even picked the raisins out of the cookies. The shy, timid one was in the middle with her response to the meal. Interesting reactions and a bit unexpected. Since our lunch, the problematic girl has become my best friend and wants to taste anything that is considered American. She may be the one that has the most potential? Perhaps her unwillingness to just accept “whatever “ is her way of wanting and getting more?

With spring temperatures I have my windows open more now. Several donkeys are frequently tied in a field near my home. One in particular brays constantly. I’m told by the locals that when a donkey brays he is seeing the devil. We must have a lot of devils here!!! Personally I think he’s in need of something. Maybe water? I try to walk a pail of water down to him (actually a pail for each donkey) during the day. It seems to help. I could become an animal advocate here, although this area isn’t as bad as the area where I did my initial training and this could probably be said of all developing countries. But still I see too many animals in need of a good meal. It breaks my heart. I have to hold myself back. But, if they lose their survival instinct, how will they survive when I eventually leave? And, because a hungry animal is dangerous, I’m told they are poisoning some of them now to decrease the number of them that roam freely. I really can’t think about this too much.

The new volunteers that arrived in Morocco in March will soon be heading to their permanent sites. The five that are training nearby are coming for lunch on Sunday to celebrate the new adventure ahead of them. All are leaving this area to parts of Morocco unknown to me. I see more travel in my future  A new volunteer will be coming to a town near me. Perhaps I’ll have a new friend? She is coming for lunch and a visit so that we can set up her post office box, visit the gendarmes (police) and the local government official.

Tired of reading? Okay, enough for now. I hope this finds you all well and enjoying spring to the fullest. Until next time – take care. Linda

Happy Spring!!! March Recap

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEB SITE ARE MINE PERSONALLY AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY POSITION OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OR THE PEACE CORPS. Since this site is public, specific details are not given so email me personally if you’d like more information.

3/20/10 – Dare I say this ??? I think “spring has arrived” !!! The past ten days or so have been lovely and spring like. I’ve been told that anything can happen in March though so I am trying to keep my excitement under wraps – it might just snow tomorrow. Not a lot different than Michigan’s March this year I’m told. So I’m feeling right at home.

Time is flying – can’t tell you where the days go? Seems like I am busy and doing something all the time, but what am I accomplishing? Let me start where I left off.

I did attend the cheese making workshop and it was good. One of the second year volunteers taught the workshop. We had a bit of difficulty with getting the cheese to set up correctly, and several of the recipes took a couple of attempts, but we did make yoghurt, ricotta, feta, neufchatel, and gouda cheese. Lisa (the instructor) couldn’t determine exactly what the cause of our problem was – perhaps the elevation we were at, the milk we were using, temperatures in the kitchen, etc.? Making cheese (at least these cheeses) is really quite simple but it does take some time. I made ricotta last week and it turned out great. Doubt that I will really make cheese at home often, but I now understand the basics of cheese making at least. The workshop was held in a town near Boumalen which is located in another part of the mountains, east of Ouarzazate so it took me to a new part of Morocco also. (There are lots of caves in this area and nomads live in them) The workshop was primarily offered to the local women. The volunteer in that site wants to expose them to new things that they can do and she and two other volunteers received grant money to offer workshops to expose them to cheese making, soap making and how to make confiture . Ten women gave up two days of their time to attend the cheese workshop. They remained attentive and seemed interested in learning about this. After the cheese was made, we did a lot of sampling and we then incorporated some of it into recipes that we later ate. Lots of laughter and hugging was shared throughout the days we spent together too!!

Back home for a few days and then I was off again. I was invited to sit on a panel of volunteers to chat with the 71 new volunteers that arrived in country in early March. We were told to “tell it as it is” and I think we did a pretty good job of it (right down to how to use the Turkish toilets like the locals do). I was the only one from my volunteer group and I was the only “older” individual on the panel. Being so new myself I could really relate to the questions and concerns that they had. Five of these new volunteers are now at a training site near my home. They walked the 14k to my home on March 14th and spent the afternoon with me. They are experiencing the emotional roller-coaster of training and I think they needed an American mom’s hug. We sat on my rooftop and ate the banana walnut bread I baked and big bowl of popcorn that I popped and washed it down with kool-aid, while we soaked up the sunshine and rejuvenated our spirits. I assured them that life does get better once you are through training and you are in your own home.

After my time with the new volunteers, I met up with friends and we headed east of Ouarzazate on the souq bus for a day of travel to the Aoufouse area where we stayed at Emily and Sean’s house for the night. Emily is a great cook and she fed us well, complete with fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Sunday morning. What a treat!! They live in a beautiful part of the country and palmeries (groves of palm trees) were abundant. We had a nice walking tour of their small town and then headed towards Merzouga which is located right on the edge of the Sahara and you can see the Algerian border in the background. We then joined a small tour group and hopped on our camels for a trek into the desert. We all named our camels and I named mine – Cecil (picture included). Not only did he look like a Cecil to me, but that was my dad’s name and I think he would have so enjoyed this adventure. Cecil was quite well behaved, but Princess Sara had an attitude. She balked and threw quite a fit. Guess she wasn’t in the mood for a walk that day. We rode camels for about two hours and watched the sun set over the Sahara that night. We camped in Berber tents (picture included) that evening and a lovely dinner was provided. We attempted to climb the dunes that evening, but didn’t make it very far, but we so enjoyed the night. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a clear, star studded sky before. It was truly beautiful. After breakfast we boarded our camels once again and headed back. It was a trip well worth taking and I would recommend it if you should come visit me.

We then headed to the Tinerhir area where we spent time walking in the Gordes of Todra (picture included). A lovely area also where many hours could be spent hiking, but unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of time to do this. Definitely worth the stop and glad we made time for it. Lucky for us, Wes, another volunteer lives in the area and he graciously invited us to spend the night with him, so we crashed at his home that evening. Wes is one of those really outgoing guys and he works with youth development. I swear he knows everyone in his town and his town isn’t that small. We had a nice visit and it was great to see his site also.

I only had an afternoon at my site and then I headed to Rabat for a follow-up on some medical tests the next day. The tests were okay and I only had to spend a day in Rabat. Since we now have more hours of daylight, I decided to make the trip to and from Rabat a day trip only. Of course that meant 14 hours of travel on buses and trains each day, but it was sooo good to be home again.

On March 14th I had a National Geographic tour group (16 people) stop in my village for tea in a Berber home. Amy, the volunteer before me somehow got connected with this group and I was asked if I would like to continue. Of course I said “yes”. Anna (my site mate – she lives in a town near me) and Abdellah (one of my tutors) also helped. The host home put out quite a spread of goodies for morning tea and they seemed to enjoy having guests very much. It really involved very little on my part (I just had to meet, greet & hug – something I ‘m a natural at) and it was a win-win for all I think. The family was reimbursed for expenses plus $$ and I was given a stipend to spend in the community as I saw fit. What a great group of people and I think it was both educational and enjoyable for them. Two more tour groups will visit this spring, one in April and one in May.

The days at my site have been spent at the association. Can’t remember if I told you this, but we have a new baby’s center and restaurant to open. Government funding paid for the facilities and my counterpart Bia was instrumental in getting it done. She has been working very hard. Actually, the baby’s center opened March 9th and the restaurant opened March 17th (picture included). Both are beautiful and have such great potential. I’m not of the opinion that they should be opened quite yet, since there is still some basic work to do, but what do I know? Hopefully we will have water soon to flush the toilets and a driveway and parking lot. I spent time showing them how to set up the rooms and make beds. Moroccans typically don’t use sheets on their beds and instead wrap up in blankets, so this was new to them. I scrubbed toilets, sinks and showers and they were sparkly clean when I finished with them. Explained what food should be kept in the refrigerator, etc. The baby’s center has beds for eight moms and their babies (picture included) and we have had four already use it. We have a small hospital in the village and they will have their babies there and then they will move to the baby’s center for a few days of recuperation. It was primarily built for those women who live in the surrounding towns and hills so that they have a place to stay after giving birth. Looks to me like the mom’s family helps with the care, cooking and cleaning of the center while they are there. I spent yesterday picking up around the sites and then burning the pile of rubble. Interestingly, the young girls made the comment to me of “shame on you” for doing this kind of work. I replied that no work was shameful – everything needs to get done by someone. Perhaps in time they will follow my example? They are not to blame – culturally this is what they’ve been taught and small things like garbage being strewn about have very little significance and quite honestly they don’t see it.

I have been trying to host a morning tea for ladies to celebrate International Women’s Day, and have yet to get that done. I have a date planned and then it has to be changed for one reason or another. I hope to do it on Monday, March 22nd. I plan to make a pineapple upside down cake and oatmeal raisin cookies. Popcorn seems to be a real treat too, so will make a big bowl of that. I intend to talk to them about taking care of themselves and the importance of hygiene. I would love to give them all a toothbrush and maybe I’ll spend a bit of that stipend from National Geographic and do just that. I also have some simple stretching exercises I would like to show them. They work extremely hard and their bodies take the toll from it. A few minutes of stretching would make them feel so much better. Hopefully it will be fun too – fajiji as they say here in Morocco.

I will leave my site on March 25th and head off to volunteer at a spring camp for teenagers. It is a Moroccan government sponsored camp and the PC has been asked to help with it. It is an English immersion camp and I will be teaching English. As part of the experience, we are all assigned to teach about an English speaking country as well. I will be teaching about Kenya. Now what do I know about Kenya?? Not that much, but I have been googling and trying to prepare myself. Thank goodness for this laptop and my satellite connection. The camp I will be at is located east of Tangiers on the Mediterranean coast. It will take me about three days to travel there. The camp lasts until April 4th and then I will head home once again. Looks like Easter will be spent on the road this year. For many years I have hosted my family for the Easter holiday weekend in Kalamazoo. I will miss doing it this year, but will fondly remember all those fun times we had.

Well my friends. I have much to learn about Kenya, lesson plans to write and other things to do, so best get with it. I hope all is good with you, that you are well and that spring has come for you too. Happy Easter. Until the next time. Hugs, Linda

February Update (Finally)

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEB SITE ARE MINE PERSONALLY AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY POSITION OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OR THE PEACE CORPS. Since this site is public, specific details are not given so email me personally if you’d like more information.

2/20/10 - I was away from site for 21 days in total – great to be home again. I had hoped to return to my small mountain town and find that spring had arrived. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Rain/snow and cold temperatures greeted me. Luckily the mountain pass (tiska) was open and buses could run and I made it home okay. The weather has continued to be winter-like since my return and for some reason the cold seems more intense now. I’ve even pulled out my down sleeping bag for sleeping purposes since I can’t seem to get warm. Let’s hope for an early spring.

I left my site on January 28th and met up with my friend, Donna in Kech. Seems I can’t go anywhere north that doesn’t go through Kech. We spent the afternoon exploring more new places and had dinner at an African restaurant - the name of which escapes me at this moment. Seasoned chicken and vegetables served over rice. It was great!! Not a late night for us, since we needed to be at the bus station for a 7 hour bus ride early the next morning.

We head northeast of Kech with the destination being Khenifra. Our friend Annie lives here and we plan to spend a day and a half with her at her site. The town itself is nothing special, but it is very nice and has everything you might need. They have a Sam’s and a Costco (not really, but they have nicknamed several stores these names since they are so well stocked) . Remember those pictures of my cement house – you should see Annie’s. Lovely painted walls and tile work throughout. Even marble countertops in the kitchen. She has it rough!! Guess that is one of the advantages of living in a small city. We visit her hammam on Sunday morning. It’s new and very clean. (The hammam in my town is hot, but looks dirty and lots of mold. Kind of creeps me out when I go there.) FYI - the hamman is a public bath. Your underpants are generally left on, but everything else is removed. There are three rooms, each one being a different temperature. It is steamy and hot. Buckets of hot water are available to pour over yourself. Once you are really sweating, you scrub yourself (sometimes other women want to help scrub you too – maybe I look that dirty?) with a very rough textured mitt. Old skin does roll off when you use one of these mitts!! I think it could draw blood. I can’t say that a hammam is refreshing, but it is relaxing and we certainly felt clean when we left. Annie was a wonderful hostess and a good time was had.

Now for the purpose of this trip – we have two weeks of post-PCV training. The entire group of us that came in September is together. We have lost nine people already for varying reasons, but most were voluntary early terminations. We are in the Middle Atlas Region and on one side are cedar and pine forests and on the opposite high meadows. It is a relaxing spot to unwind. The area is particularly known for its Berber carpets. The hotel is in a quiet, wooded spot, with a beautiful garden, just a short walk from the town. We obviously share rooms, but we have private showers with hot water, and towels, soap and toilet paper are provided. We are living high!!! This training was on the whole great. It was energizing and inspiring. We shared stories of our sites, frustrations and expectations. Most presentations were from current volunteers so they had great relevancy. They gave us suggestions, directions, advice and just plain “how to do”, hands-on experiences to relate to. We all left it thinking/believing that - we can do this too. Another good thing to come of this training is that I passed that darn language test. I am so glad I am over that hurdle. I still have a lot of learning the language ahead of me, and I will continue to meet with tutors, but that pressure is off. Whooo Hoooo.

We were given the weekend off between the two weeks of training and some of us went to Fez for that weekend. I have posted several pictures of Fez. See that rather close-up photo of Donna and me, see if you can read the sign behind us. Fez is said to be the spiritual and cultural centre of Morocco. Did you know that Morocco created the world’s first university (Kairaouine Mosque & University) centuries before Oxford and Cambridge? This mosque is also the largest mosque in Africa. The medina draws you in – narrow lanes, covered bazaars filled with aromatic food stands, craft workshops, mosques and a continual parade of people. Blind alleys lead to squares with fountains or they are filled with the hammering music of copper beaters. Getting lost in Fez is easy and that is part of the fun. You can’t visit Fez and not visit the tanneries. As you get deeper into the medina, just follow the stench of hide and dye and you will arrive in the leather district. Pits are everywhere filled with different colored dyes. Men are working in these pits stomping on the hides (as you would visualize stomping on grapes) - gosh what an awful job to have. Not only does the job REALLY stink, but to be that wet every day. Hides are drying on rooftops and hanging on walls. I’ve posted a picture of this. Interesting to see, but not where you would want to spend a lot of time. We had lunch one day at the restaurant talked about in the book “A House in Fez”. It is called Clock Café, although it is not called this in the book. That was fun since it was the book I read just before I left for Morocco. I love Fez and look forward to going back and spending more time exploring in the future.

Training ended on February 12th and a few of us traveled to Meknes on the 13th. I’m told you will either love Fez and hate Meknes or vice versa. Gotta say, I’m staying with loving Fez. Meknes is billed to be a smaller version of Fez, more laid back and with less hassle. It’s okay, just didn’t excite me too much. We did stumble across a wonderful carpet store though where the owner was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I fell in love with a carpet of Fez colors (aqua, yellow and cobalt blue). I might just have to return to Meknes one day.

Just north of Meknes are the Roman ruins of Volubilis (picture posted). It is a wonderful archaeological site with many beautiful mosaics still preserved on the site. This site was settled by Carthaginian traders in the 3rd century. We just wondered at will, but next time I’m back I’ll take the tour to hear more of the stories. I know that this is a place that my son, Chris, will enjoy when he comes for a visit.

Everyone else headed home and I headed into Rabat for a GAD (Gender and Diversity) meeting. There are three of us new members joining the group. We visited the Association Feministe Autonome center one afternoon. They work with and help women in many ways (i.e., counseling, legal advice, finding refuge from dangerous home situations). They have three offices (Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakech). The meeting was conducted in French and it was translated into English for us since we have all learned different Moroccan Arabic dialects. It was an interesting meeting and it is staffed with dedicated individuals. International Women’s Day is March 8th and we as a committee are encouraging our sites to recognize the work that women do and the contributions they make to the world. I am planning to host a morning tea for the women at the association and for the girls that attend classes there. I’m feeling pretty inspired and ambitious at the moment, and would like to later host something for the ladies that live near me. I’ll have to see if that mood continues.

On Wednesday, February 17th I began the trek back home, via Kech, of course. I had the company of a couple of other GAD members, so we just bummed around the afternoon and ate our way through the medina. Boarded a bus early on the 18th and I was homeward bound. Contracted a bit of a bug somewhere and felt quite miserable by the time I actually arrived home, but did arrive without making a mess on the bus. Literally dumped my wet stuff out of bags and went to bed. Slept eighteen hours with the exception of a few bathroom breaks, and now feel back to normal, thank goodness.

I am planning to attend a cheese making workshop later this week. It is a two day workshop, and it is being taught in English by another volunteer. I figure I need to know and understand the basics of cheese making before I even attempt to make recommendations to my association. I have ideas to propose, but need time to experiment and play a bit before I share them. Unfortunately, the workshop is a five hour bus trip away, so I’ll be away from site for another four days when you consider travel time.

The Peace Corps has three goals for its volunteers – briefly they are – (1) help people in meeting their needs for trained men and women, (2) help promote a better understanding of the American people to the peoples served, and (3) help promote a better understanding of the people you are living with to Americans. So far I haven’t done much with goal number 1, but I have thoughts and ideas and I think I’ve done pretty good with the other goals. It is easy to get frustrated and wonder what you are accomplishing. I have to remind myself that the date/nut bread that I baked this afternoon that I intend to share with lots of other people tomorrow is part of the purpose of my being here.

Hopefully the next time I write I will say “spring has arrived”. Until then stay safe, warm and take care. Bslama and Hugs, Linda

Life in Morocco, Jan, 2010

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEB SITE ARE MINE PERSONALLY AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY POSITION OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OR THE PEACE CORPS. Since this site is public, specific details are not given so email me personally if you’d like more information.

1/20/10 I have been in my own apartment for almost a month and I am loving it. I pay 600dh ($75) a month plus utilities, which I’m told will be about 20-30dh ($2.50-$4) per month although I’m expecting mine to be a bit more since I have the refrigerator. Now, I know that this sounds inexpensive, but remember I’m not making a lot of money here. Okay to live on, but not a lot of extra. I’ve posted some pictures of my apartment and they are never in the order that I load them, so guess you’ll have to figure out which is which and I’m sure you can do this. My apartment is much bigger and nicer than I ever expected it to be. I have a window in each room. I live on the second floor of a cement house that was built ten years ago or so. Two young women (late 20’s) , Nadia and Hafida live on the floor below. Both are here on government contracts and they get paid at the end of the contract in June. Their families support them in the meantime. They will both go home when their contracts are up for the summer and it is uncertain if they will be back or not? Nadia went to the university for three years and has a degree in English education. Unfortunately she has never had anyone to really practice the language with. She is one of my tutors for Tashlheet and I give her lots of opportunity to speak English. She works at the association (a/k/a cooperative and even though I know they are not the same they are referred to as one or the other depending on who you talk with). I’ll chat a bit more about her job later in the blog. Hafida did not go to college but she runs a daycare of 32 children single-handedly. I’m thinking this is kind of like our beginner kindergarten because not a lot of mom’s work outside the home so why the need for a daycare?? They both came from a town southwest of this town about six hours. I will miss them and hope they’ll return in the fall. They want to feed me and include me in anything they do which is very nice. I worried that they would invade my privacy and I think they would, but I have tried to set boundaries and explain in a nice way that I value and treasure the privacy my home gives me and to please not be offended because it isn’t anything personal. Do they totally understand this – NO, but they are trying hard. In Morocco there are often several generations of family living together. There can be 2-6 women in the house. I have yet to determine how they decide the hierarchy because it doesn’t necessarily follow age. The women gather and work and talk, talk, talk (sawl, sawl, sawl). Now I’m a talker, but I think they can out talk me!!

Apartment: Okay, back to my apartment. I bought about half my furnishings from Amy the volunteer I replaced. Amy didn’t necessarily like to cook, so the kitchen (l-kuzina) was pretty bare. I don’t have nearly the stockpile of food that I had in Michigan, but I do have most of the basics. I have the cooktop sitting on top of my oven sort of thing. It’s really like the broiler/toaster that I had in the 70’s, only larger. It seems to have one temperature, although you can kind of adjust the gas. You have to watch things closely or they burn. I have a buta tank of gas that I turn on/off as needed. You never leave it on and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woke up or went back to the house to double check if I have turned it off. I’m sure it will become second nature as time goes on, but for now I must remind myself to “turn it off”. The kids from my family and neighboring kids have made me pictures that I have posted on the kitchen wall to make it cheery. The kids are so proud to see their artwork displayed – something that doesn’t seem to be done here.

My parlor (tamsrit) was pretty well furnished. I’ve moved things around a bit, but I didn’t need to do much. Alone, I seldom use it (maybe I’ll use it more when it’s not so cold?) but I can comfortably sleep three guests if you don’t mind sharing a room.

My bedroom (bit n-n3as) pretty much had a mattress on the floor, and thankfully it is quite comfortable. I like to read in bed (and sometimes it’s the only warm place to be) so I bought a lamp and stool. I also bought a couple of plastic storage cabinets (dressers) for my clothes, etc. I have hooks nailed into the back of my door and this is my closet.

My dining room (l-bit nlmakla)was empty so everything you see I hauled up the hill. It’s a pleasant room and I usually sit here to work on the computer and study (when not in bed). Note the small sink in the corner. This is just outside my toilet area and is the bathroom sink, if you will. If you are lucky enough to have two sinks in he house (one in the kitchen and one for hand washing), it seems to always have this placement. I now have a big map of Morocco on the wall where I’m tracking the trails I travel. On the other wall is a map of the world. People get a kick out of seeing this and they have little concept of where Morocco is in relation to anywhere else. I haven’t decided where I will put my Michigan map yet.

Last, but not least is my bathroom (bit l-ma). It is very basic and functional and much cleaner than most I’ve seen in Morocco. At the far end is the Turkish toilet. Thank goodness I have good knees, but my stance must be lopsided because I frequently have wet crocs (my bathroom shoes that are easy to wash). I hope to perfect this in the next two years. Amy put in a shower and a hot water heater (you turn on the buta gas and it heats on demand – must remember to turn it off). I stand in the tub to better control the water flow and frequently wash a few clothes with the gathered water when I’m finished. Waste not, want not. Heck it’s cleaner than the water I used for the first three months here. I am very lucky to have a hot shower, most do not.

One of my favoritist spots in the house in my rooftop (azur) and I don’t even have a picture of it. Most Moroccan houses have flat roofs and we dry our clothes up there. My roof is cement, pretty clean and there are snow capped Atlas mountains surrounding me right now. If the wind isn’t blowing I frequently sit up there to enjoy the sunshine and the view. I foresee sun bathing and summer evenings don’t you?

So my friends, as you can see my living conditions are really pretty good. Much better than expected or hoped for and not all volunteers can say this.

Weather & Travel: Several weeks ago winter hit with a vengeance. It was gloomy and the wind howled for days (my windows are not necessarily a good thing when this happens). It snowed and accumulated. We didn’t receive too much in my village, but the higher elevations got lots and the main road between Kech and Oz was closed. I was friggin freezing. Can’t tell you how many layers I had on, but my top layer was my knee length down coat and this was while I was in the house. I couldn’t quit shaking one afternoon. My best friend became my hot water bottle. I took it everywhere with me. Time to get out of Dodge!!! Actually this coordinated with a planned trip to Rabat for the week of January 11th, so it worked well. I traveled 1.5 hours to Oz by taxi (25d-$3) and then boarded a bus (90dh-$10+) to Agadir (southwest of me, on the Atlantic Coast) to meet up with some friends for the weekend. I arrived around 7p for a total travel time of eleven hours. We basically played the tourist for the weekend. Splurged on the hotel and paid 100dh-$13 each, but we had a private bath and shower. What luxury and it felt like the Ritz! It had a small balcony which was perfect for happy hour and the pub we found later topped off the evening. Agadir was pretty well destroyed by an earthquake in the 80’s and many people died. They bulldozed the rubble and the bodies together into a mass grave making a mound. A sign is now on this mound, kind of like “Hollywood” in LA. Agadir was then rebult so it is new, very French and very lovely. I enjoyed my time with friends and had lots of chuckles and laughs.

On Monday I road the bus for four hours to Kech. Making connections work here is nearly impossible, so spent the night there in a great little hotel. It had quirky tile and bright, colorful paint throughout. My single room was (60dh-$7), but of course the toilet and shower were in the hallway to be shared by all. It is located very near the market square though so lots of activity going on.

I boarded the train for a 5 hr trip into Rabat on Tuesday ( 138dh-$17). I bought a senior citizen discount pass last September so I can ride 1st class for about the same price as others travel on 2nd class. The cabins are clean and comfortable. Rabat is a city, albeit a clean city. I stayed in a hotel very near the train station so that was convenient. I spent the afternoon exploring thy market and came upon a really cool cemetery overlooking the ocean. The head stones were tiled, or painted and just old. What a wonderful resting place and what a view!! The purpose of the trip to Rabat was for a couple of follow-up medical exams so I spent the 13th running around Rabat in taxi’s. My eye pressure is my “normal” and I’m expecting the lab report to be normal too. I will return in six months for my next follow-up.

Back on the train to Kech on Thursday. I found the Artisant Center that afternoon. This structure houses different cooperatives and associations products from around Morocoo. All items are for sale and at a fair price. Best thing about this center is that the money goes directly for the crafts person and not to the middleman as when it is sold in the market. I saw many things I liked but resisted. After all, I’m here for two years.

Friday I boarded the bus for home. Couldn’t wait to get here, however humble it may be. I arrived mid-afternoon. Schedules have no relevance or importance here. Fun to be away, but oh soooo good to be home. I luckily arrived to lovely weather. Sunny, warm and it has remained so. Can’t believe it is here for good, it is still January, but I’ve been outside and taking advantage of it whenever I can.

Language: I continue to struggle with the language. I tutor with two tutors for a total of about five hours a week. Obviously I am making progress and I know a lot of words, but verbalizing it and understanding the spoken words is where the problems come into play. So many subtle sounds and all the throat and tongue stuff – eeeck. I function fine and get what I need. People respond to me, my smile and my hugs. Why does the PC need me to really converse??? Because…….

Cooperative: My counterpart at the cooperative is a strong, independent, illiterate 47 year old woman. She has done some very good things for my small town. She is not well liked and her management style is a bit rough, but she does bulldoze through and get things done (albeit ever so slowly because that seems to be the way it is done here). I have been with her several times since I’ve arrived, but have purposely kept a bit of distance til my language skills are better. I’ve been told she will “eat me alive”. Amy was 24 years old when she left here and she requested a “mature” replacement so they sent this 60 year old. I actually have a lot of applicable experience (obviously business, but also restaurant/health department, comfortable in kitchens and quite a seamstress in my day, experience with children and young adults) so eventually I do think I can make a contribution (if they (she) will listen) I wanted a firmer stand before I really dove in. This is not abnormal actually for volunteers to do. Most are not involved for the first six months at the site and in the second six months they begin to get their feet wet.

I decided this week is the week I would begin to learn some of the process, so on January 18th I went to the cooperative. This is the day when the milk is gathered from women. I learn that because of a draught in the last few years a lot of the goats died and the cheese is now a blend of goat and cow milk. This compromises the cheese and it is not nearly as “special” of a product. Everyone is illiterate, but they have their own method of keeping track of who brings what. They have heard of accounting systems and would like one, but I don’t know quite how to do that will the background they have at this time. Cheese from the previous week is weighed and wrapped in saran wrap. I get the saran wrap detail. Gosh how I hate that stuff, it is always sticking to something it shouldn’t! I have my fill of saran wrap and move to dish detail (YES FAMILY – DISH DETAIL), except we don’t have any water. The faucet is broken and it must be hand carried in a bucket from next door. We don’t have soap or bleach for that matter. I heat water in kettles and wash with something? This is crazy – the health department would have a hayday here! Tuesday I go and package the cheese to be sold. They use a white paper stamped with their logo and date stamp it out fifteen days and then more saran wrap (I might be good at this in time). I tell my counterpart that she needs to call my host dad, Hussain, because he is a plumber (and her brother) that the water faucet (robini) must be fixed. She says she will do this. I know that money is an issue, but isn’t this a necessity?

On Wednesday they deliver the cheese to Oz and I’ve been asked if I’d like to come along. One woman is planning to take a large cooler and another container by herself. I say okay (waxxa) and today I am in Oz with her. I am at the cooperative at 7a to get the cheese from the refrigerator into coolers. We empty one refrigerator and I notice that the freezer door won’t close because of the frost. I think it’s been years since it was defrosted. Since it is empty, I unplug it and open the doors. Yes, there will be water on the floor, but the freezer door may close tomorrow. We first stop at what looks like a wholesalers where I think they take 10 (kilo’s?) We then walk to the two supermarkets in town. The date stamp has smeared because of the moist cheese and the first market will only take those packages that can be clearly read. The others store doesn’t seem to mind they take some and we finish up at a pre-school where they take everything we have left. So far for Mon-Wed of this week one woman has done it all (not my counterpart). Of course, this week I was there to help her. We worked pretty full days the two of us. How many hours would she have worked alone? Is this an unusual week or the norm? I’ve been told that the women take turns and rotate months. They are fully responsible for the process when it is their month. Some women are better at this than others. I’ve been asked if I can come tomorrow to help with the cheese again. I will probably do so since I want to see how a full week works. I don’t mind helping and it’s important for me to see the process, but I am not here to be cheap labor so I’ll not make a habit of always being available to lend a helping hand. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions at this time, but will late until a later time to expound on them.

There are other parts of the cooperative that do embroidery, weaving and non-formal education (this is where Nadia, the girl that lives downstairs fits in). She runs a classroom of sorts teaching language, math, etc., and computer skills to young women who did not continue their education. Typically 1-7 girls attend class. My town has a primary school and most children attend through grade 6. If they want to continue beyond this they must go to the next town and most do not. In fact only a few boys continue on, although they are more likely to have the opportunity.

A bonus for the day is that we have lunch at the woman I’m with, sister’s house (what an awkward sentence – sorry). Her youngest daughter is also living with this woman because she is one of the lucky ones and is going to high school. I didn’t totally figure out who all the women were, but there were nine females who had lunch together. Some were teen-age girls. What a great lunch -- they had this eggplant and tomato hot dish – yum, and a huge salad of beets, carrots, potatoes, cucumbers all arranged around a pile of cold rice. Not only was it artistically arranged on this platter, it was good too. Of course lots of bread was served. Some sort of frothy fruit drink was served and we topped off the lunch with oranges. Unfortunately, it was about 3p when we were about to leave and it’s not a good time to catch transport back to our town. We waited about 1.5 hours (and I wrote this, longhand, and later put it on the computer) for a local bus to come along. I see lots of trucks pass by with room in that passenger seat for me. I remember them to be a good ride and I used to be good at this. They can’t see my age, only my blond hair from their truck’s vantage point. Bet I could get there faster my way. No, don’t worry I won’t do that and besides PC forbids it!! My day began at 6a and I’ve been up, out, about and traveling for twelve hours. I’m tired. Much time in Morocco is spent waiting. I hope I become better at this.

On January 28th I will leave my site until February 18th. The group of volunteers that arrived here together in September have post training in a town quite a ways north of here for two weeks and then I’ll travel for a GAD meeting immediately following it. I’m uncertain if I’ll take my laptop with me, so I might be offline until I get back so don’t worry if I don’t respond immediately. So until I write again – take are everyone and Happy Valentine’s day to you. Bslama and Hugs. Linda

January 5, 2010 - Add'l pictures

Ooops, perhaps an explanation of the picture of me with my hands in the air is in order. I brought along with me several cassettes entitled "101 Silly Songs" -- I am showing the kids how to dance the Hokey Pokey. Don't you wish you were here!! I also realized that I forgot to attach the picture of my "glitsy" present. Will attempt to do so now. Hugs everyone.

January 5, 2010

THE CONTENTS OF THIS WEB SITE ARE MINE PERSONALLY AND DO NOT REFLECT ANY POSITION OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OR THE PEACE CORPS. Since this site is public, specific details are not given so email me personally if you’d like more information

1/5/10 – Happy New Years!!! Wow can you believe another year is gone and here we are in 2010? Make it a year of good memories……

I hope to post pictures of my host family, Christmas pictures, and pictures of my host father working in the fields. We’ll see how that goes!

Yes, I am moved and thrilled about it. I moved out new year’s eve afternoon leaving my host family and neighbors crying as I walked away. Stay, stay, stay… stay for dinner, stay one more night, etc. Eee gads, I’m only about a 15 minute walk down the hill and I’ll be here for two years. I think I’ll see them again and I have……. I will pos t pictures of my apartment on my next blog update, not this one.

My Christmas was different than I’ve ever had before, but not in a bad different way. I did make a tree by wiring several branches together. My host kids helped me make decorations and paper stockings for everyone. They were so excited to be involved and making these things. We all woke up Christmas morning to find the stockings stuffed and a present under the tree for everyone. Unfortunately, this was just another day for my family since Christmas is not celebrated in the Muslim religion, so they had school and work as usual. We waited until dinner time to open our presents and the suspense was killing the kids. No different that our children in the US. I spent Christmas afternoon walking around plates of cookies that I made to people that have been particularly nice to me. I even took some to the police department because they guys have been very helpful. I swear the Chief has me on radar or something. He seems to show up wherever I am to insure that I am being treated fairly and getting the best deal possible. I also thought it couldn’t hurt to butter these guys up. Never know when I’ll need them to vouch for me  !! I made pizza for Christmas dinner. Was it the best pizza I’ve ever made – NOT, but they were good sports about it and now they can say they’ve eaten pizza. Goat cheese is the only cheese I can find here in my town. I luckily found gouda cheese in the next nearest city which is 1.5 hours away. It didn’t melt particularly well, but I think it was probably better than goat cheese. We even had a Christmas centerpiece for our table. My family gave me a gift too that they are confident Christopher will love. I’m thinking it’s a bit “glitzy” for our tastes, but I will proudly display it in my home for the next two years unless one of you wants me to bring it home as a gift for you. Just let me know and I’ll do so.

I had hoped that my first weekend in my home would be my time to hide and hibernate – you know kind of rejuvenate my soul. No so. Come to find out, my host family and my counterpart (woman I will work with at the association) had a relative getting married this weekend. I HAD to go to the celebration on Friday night. I actually know the bride and like her, so once I found this out, it wasn’t so bad. Besides there were other recognizable faces, making it more fun for me. Lots of drums, loud music and we didn’t eat the chicken, beef, s-sffa (small noodles sweetened with powdered sugar and cinnamon) and l-limons (clementines) until near 11p. The walk home after midnight was a bit chilly. Okay, so the wedding was out of the way, I still have the rest of the weekend – I don’t think so…. I HAD to the wedding party on Saturday night. It was almost another repeat performance of the previous night and another late night for me. , I could still hear drums beating Sunday morning when I was catching a taxi to head to my tutor. Moroccan weddings are a 3-4 day affair. Friday night I saw the bride, but she was hiding her face behind a red scarf for the entire evening not even her eyes were showing. The groom was not to be seen. Saturday night, the bride was elaborately dressed and made up in a bright green dress and spent the first part of the night having her feet and hands henna’d. (I’ll try to post a picture of the bride) The groom was not there. After our 11p dinner, the bride was dressed in a white dress (unfortunately the camera’s battery died and I didn’t get any pictures of her), and the groom was finally present. He looked like a nice-enough guy, and I understand he is a tailor in Marrakech. The bride is 34 years old. Kind of old for this culture to be marrying for the first time. I asked how they met and was told that a relative in Marrakech introduced them on the telephone and they’ve been chatting ever since. I asked if they had ever met in person and I was told that it is believed that they did meet at least once. Can you imagine marrying someone you don’t even know? I wish them many years of wedded bliss! After tutoring and arriving home Sunday afternoon, I got into my flannel pajamas, ate some split pea soup that I had made and watched a movie on my computer. Finally some time for myself. That my friends was my New Years weekend 2010!!! Oh yeah, to further add to the excitement, I decided it was in my best interests and health to purchase a small refrigerator. It was delivered on Saturday. Most households do not have refrigerators, but I’m not very comfortable eating food that has been sitting out for sometimes days. This justified the purchase for me.

Monday is a Moroccan holiday and we have off, so I intend to take advantage of the three-day weekend and I am traveling by bus to Agadir on Saturday to meet up with another PCV friend. Agadir is south and west of me and I’m hoping for a bit warmer weather. The city is located on the Atlantic and I understand it’s quite beautiful. I shall give you the details in my next writing. I will go from Agadir to Rabat since I have routine medical tests scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th. It’s 1.5 days of traveling by bus to get there and of course to get back. I’m not intending to take my laptop, so I will be offline for about a week. So, no worries if you don’t hear from me. I am fine, just traveling

I’m sure I have much more to tell you, but honestly I’m freezing to death.. I’ve been sitting at the computer for quite some time doing lots of things and now I need to move. I am currently dressed in four layers on my top half, two layers on my bottom half and wood socks and slippers. I just put on my knee length down coat because I couldn’t quit shaking and made myself a cup of tea. I don’t think it’s really that cold outside, but the wind is howling and it makes it seem probably colder than it is. Thank goodness the sun is shining. So until I write again, take care everyone, stay warm, and be healthy and safe. Hugs to all, Bslama, Linda