May Musings

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.

5/12/11 It’s fall in South Africa, but the days have been beautiful with sunny, blue skies and pleasant temperatures. Most days a t-shirt is enough, but a light jacket feels good in the morning and at night. Weird to have leaves falling, when in my mind it’s spring and the trees should be budding and spring flowers should be plentiful.

As you know I had knee surgery on that torn meniscus on April 8th. While in there he also shaved off arthritic spurs from the inside of the knee cap. I’ve been seeing an physiotherapist named Adrien, several times a week. The actual meniscus repair has gone well. Biggest issues we are dealing with now is the damage to the ligaments and tendons and the bursitis and osteoarthritis that the knee also suffers from. Adrien has been using electrode and ultrasound therapy and dry needles (kind of like acupuncture). Obviously I’ve been given a bunch of exercises to do several times a day too. I’ve made great progress we think, but as she says the knee is being very stubborn and it is not pain-free at this time. I’ve expressed to her that I am concerned most about the long-term health of my knee, since I have so many places yet to go….. If returning to my site in Morocco stops or slows down the progress I’ve made so far, then maybe this is not where I should go. I am relying heavily on her opinion as to what I should do since I feel she knows my knee better than anyone else at this time. If I were returning to a desk job or a terrain that was not hilly with gravel/rocky roads to traverse, there wouldn’t be a problem. On Friday, May 13th, she will give me her recommendation as to where I should next go and I’ve decided I will abide by that. I will update this blog after I know what is happening and add a paragraph at the end letting you know what I’m doing. You will also note that I am adding a lot of pictures to this blog basically because it is easier to do so while here. When I am at my site, it can take me 3 hours+ to upload ten pictures and I can grow quite frustrated.

I have been more than pleased with the care I have received in South Africa. The doctors and staffs I have been dealing with have been extraordinary I feel. I have also been staying at a lovely guest house that has provided me with comfortable accommodations and a lovely atmosphere to rehabilitate and rejuvenate. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and make new PCV friends from all over the African continent too. I can feel guilty at times that my days here have been so pleasant – almost like being on holiday! Obviously, I’ve had a lot of down-time since physical therapy has been basically every-other day and felt it would be a shame if I didn’t see some of South Africa while I had this opportunity, so I have done just that. I couldn’t travel far, but I have visited a few attractions that are within an easy drive from Pretoria. There are driving services you can hire by the hour/mile and we have utilized them. We couldn’t rent a car since PCVs are not allowed to drive a motorized vehicle while in service. Let me tell you about some of my adventures.

Mari is a PCV from Uganda that was also in Pretoria for medical reasons. We both had mobility issues, but decided we could manage a “ride & see” one-day safari quite well. With the help of KG, our driver and tour guide, we enjoyed a wonderful day riding through the Pilanesburg National Park. This park located about two hours of Pretoria and it is huge (550,000 hectares or 1.35 million acres). Obviously, we didn’t see the whole park in one day!! And, unfortunately, rainy weather preceded us, thus washing out many roads, so some were closed. We were not allowed to get out of our vehicle for any reason, other than when we stopped for lunch at the lodge. Truly, some animals came very close to our vehicle. The park ranger told us that many animals have retreated to higher elevations and are up in the trees to get out of the rainy weather . He also reminded us that we are going into winter here and many animals are in search of warmer areas to spend the winter. But, nevertheless, we saw lots of animals in their natural habitats. Some of the animals we saw were: herds of wildebeests, a/k/a gnu’s. Many different kinds of antelopes including the tssessesebe (fastest antelope in SA), the hartabeast, impalas (nicknamed McDonalds since they are seen everywhere and have a big M on their butts); spring bok (distinctive white face & belly), eland (largest antelope in SA) and the water bok (which has a big circle on the butt). Elephants, giraffes, zebras, wart hogs, ostriches, New Guinea fowls, and baboons are just some of the other animals we saw. Supposedly, we just missed seeing a leopard. An interesting tidbit re the elephants - there is a particularly large one in the park that KG has nicknamed “Steroid”. KG saw this elephant put his tusks under a car one day and flip it over. Needless to say, KG is scared of “Steroid” and I think elephants in general. We did see “Steroid”, but we kept our distance from him. If you remember from my trip to Zimbabwe last September, I mentioned the Big Five of South Africa consisting of the lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard and named as such as they are said to be the most dangerous of all animals when they are hunted. Of them, the buffalo is said to be the most dangerous since he can slow his heart rate and you think he is dying, but in the meantime, he is circling around to get you. Supposedly all of these animals are in this park, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any of them except for the elephant. We had a wonderful day nevertheless and we were both so glad that we had a chance to do this.

KG was also an interesting young man. We had great discussions during our day with him re life and attitudes in South Africa. He says the best part of his job is meeting people who accept without prejudging based on stereotypes and prejudices. I’ve made the broad generalization that South Africa can be compared to the 60’s in the states.

Mari and I also took the opportunity to visit an elephant sanctuary that is located about an hour north of Pretoria. We hired KG again as our driver and tour guide through the Backpacker organization. The Elephant Sanctuary provides a “halfway house” for young African elephants in need of a temporary home. It is the only operation in South Africa that provides for elephants in this way. It is their vision to release all the elephants into an environment where they can be more independent once they are older.

The Elephant Sanctuary hosts a unique and fully guided educational program that sets itself apart from anything else that South Africa has to offer in terms of elephant interaction and touching elephants. Visitors can learn more about elephant habits, behavior, different personalities and anatomy through up-close and personal interaction. We had the opportunity to touch, feed and even walk trunk-in-hand with these magnificent animals. The main focus of The Elephant Sanctuary is to educate people about all aspects of elephants and elephant husbandry. If the elephant’s ear was discussed, for example, we had the opportunity to actually touch one and to get a closer look at the smoothness of the skin on the back of the ear compared to the rough skin on the outside.

We were each allowed to have one-on-one time with an elephant. Obviously the elephant’s trainer stayed near in case of problems. My elephant was named Mvusu and he was a twelve year old male. Mvusu was referred to as a typical male teen-ager and he is known to be mischievous. One of his trainers stayed on his back at all times – just in case he should decide to show off. Mvusu is trained to give a kiss on command. Wow, kind of like holding the vacuum hose on your cheek – he has a powerful suck!!! Not very romantic, but oh so fun…… I really wanted to ride Myusu, but because of my lame knee, they wouldn’t let me – darn!

Here are a few fun facts re elephants that you might not know: The elephant’s foot is constructed in such a way that the animal is virtually walking on tip toe, with a tough, fatty pad of connective tissue forming the sole. Elephants tusks are overgrown incisors protruding from the upper jaw. They grow at a rate of 15–18cm a year, depending on their diet. The skeletal frame of an elephant allows the animal to stand upright on its hind legs. Elephants wear down 6 sets of molars in a lifetime. Elephant herds consist of females, who are usually related, calves and young bull calves. The eldest female, called the Matriarch, most often leads the herd. Bull calves get kicked out of the herd when they reach about 12 years of age to join the bull “bachelor” herds or to become a solitary bull. Bull herds will only join a female herd when it is mating season, or at a waterhole. Elephants are known to display a deep sensitivity and awareness of death and will return repeatedly to carcasses and skeletons of deceased herd members, running their trunks gently over their remains as though paying their respects. Elephants spend as many as 18–20 hours a day feeding and drinking. Like man, elephants are usually left or right “handed” and will use one tusk almost exclusively. Elephants have a highly developed social structure, with family bonds, love, loyalty and intelligence. Elephants use a wide range of sounds to express their moods and feelings. The gestation period in female elephants is 22 months. The bone structure of an elephant is similar to that of human beings, for example they too have a wrist joint in the front legs as well as knee caps and ankles in the back legs. Even the shoulder blades are positioned in the same place as in humans. The elephant’s memory surpasses that of humans.

Mari and I also had the opportunity to visit The Freedom Park in Pretoria with Rob, another PCV, and his South African friend, Arthur. The Park is situated in the capital’s city centre, The Freedom Park stands as a memorial to what South Africa has ach ieved as a nation. The Freedom Park tells the nation’s stories. It honors the efforts of heroes and heroines, that died in the struggles for humanity and freedom. The park is divided into different areas: (1) Isivivane is a spiritual place – a resting place for those who died fighting for freedom and liberation in South Africa. (2) Sikhumbuto is the memorial telling of the most important conflicts in South Africa’s history and honors those who died fighting for humanity and freedom during these conflicts. This memorial consists of several elements consisting of the Wall of Names where names are inscribed who have died fighting for humanity and freedom. The Sanctuary is a quiet place where you can go to think or to pay respect to a loved one that passed on. And, the Eternal Flame is for the heroes and heroines that died without their names being recorded. The flame always burns to remind us that there are names that will never be known.

South Africa really celebrates the Easter holiday. Most businesses were closed from Friday thru Monday for the Easter holiday. And, even though I rarely attend church, it just felt like the thing to do so Gail (another PCV from South Africa) and I went with Mari to St. Wilfrid’s Anglican Church for the Easter service. It was a lovely service actually and the music was most enjoyable. They had a person playing the drums, someone on an electric keyboard, two guitars and two singers leading us in song. The music was very happy and upbeat and you should have seen the priest/minister(?) rockin-on. Walking out of the church into a warm, pleasant morning just felt right! To celebrate the day further, Mari, Gail and Rob and I grilled steaks and enjoyed a nice Easter dinner together. Yes, some of my customary traditions weren’t part of the day, but a good day was had nevertheless.

On Easter Monday, since it was still a holiday, one of the doctors from PC, called us and asked if the four of us would like to go with him to Groenloaf Nature Park. It is on the outskirts of Pretoria and what a beautiful park it is. Lots and lots of bicyclists and people walking the trails. Unfortunately, because of the terrain, I was not able to join the group on the three hour hike, but I walked some of the flat surfaces and saw some beautiful wild flowers. In the meantime, the group saw a herd of zebras that was very close to them, and giraffes, impalas, wildebeest and ??? Oh well, my nap in the sunshine was nice too!!!

Mari and I visited The Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg one afternoon. It was really quite spectacular. It is huge, and most of the displays require lots of reading. You really could spend about two days there to fully get through it and appreciate it. After several hours, you are simply exhausted because you feel like you can't read and absorb any more. We stayed about four hours and even though we didn't get through the entire museum in depth, we skimmed everything towards the end. Just a little bit about it. From a brochure it says, "The basic principle behind apartheid was simple - segregate everything. Cut a clean line through a nation to divide black from white and keep them divided. You will come to understand that any form of racial inequality leads to destruction. The award winning and internationally acclaimed museum communicates this by using dark images, sounds and atmosphere prevalent in that troubled era. It attempts to present a balanced account of 20th century South Africa" The museum itself is stark and is supposed to bring to mind images of detention, oppression and division. It begins with segregation, the cornerstone of apartheid and goes through race classification, 150 acts of apartheid, detentions and the oppression of the nationalist regime. There is a small rectangular room which has a ceiling filled with hanging rope nooses depicting political executions and detention without trial in rooms where prisoners were held in solitary confinement. There was a very large Mandela Exhibit where they tell of his life and how he came to follow the path he chose. Although I did not see any signs prohibiting the taking of pictures, and I did take a few pictures, I was told that taking pictures was prohibited, so I had to stop :-( I think you really have to visit it to appreciate it . I am attaching a few pictures since I think you'll like seeing them.

I did one last adventure with Nicki (Madagascar) just this past week. We visited Ukutula, a privately owned lion reserve about an hour’s ride away from Pretoria. We were lucky, and KG was again our driver. They have about 100 lions on this reserve and the object is to one day turn them out into a wild game reserve. They are currently working with the University of Pretoria and a veterinary university (sorry can’t remember the name) on a research project involving the white lion. We had a young woman as our guide while there who was very informative and helpful. She definitely loves her job and is working on her qualification as a certified field guide. Ultimately, she hopes to teach animal husbandry for wild animals at the university level. While there we got to play with the three month old lion cubs, who were every bit as playful and mischievous as playing with a kitten in your home, albeit they were just a tad bigger!! We then got to bottle feed the seven week old cubs. OMG – what fun!!! We had personal contact with a one year old cheetah, who purred unbelievably loud. We then observed many other lions, both brown and white ranging in age up to ten years, plus a couple of tigers. All were absolutely beautiful animals – definitely a highlight of my stay here. Here are a few lion facts you may not know. A few months ago, 80% of the lions in Kruger National Park and Kenya were infected with tuberculosis. Today 90% are infected. At this rate, they will be extinct in these areas in ten years. Research is being conducted as to why TB is so growing so fast and how to save the lion. All lions in Ukutula are TB free. In the wild, a male lion lives to about the age of 9-10 years since it is then when a younger male forces him out of the pride. In the reserve, the male will live until 15 or so. Lions sleep approximately 20 hours per day. In the reserve, the adult lions are fed red meat once a week or if they are fed chickens, four chickens per lion are fed , twice a week. A male lion devotes himself to one female when she is ripe for breeding for 2-5 days. They will mate every 20 minutes during this 5 day period with the hopes of impregnating the female. The gestation period for a lion is 3-1/2 months. Typically 4-6 cats are born in a litter. The cub is blind for the first four weeks after birth. Females are the primary hunters, although the male gets to eat first. Lions stealth and ambush. Their preferred method of killing their prey is with a powerful bite delivered to the base of the skull, which breaks the neck of the prey. Tigers are solitary hunters between sunset and dawn and they bring down their prey by going for the throat and/or windpipe. The cheetah hunts in the early morning or at dusk. The cheetah is the fastest cat and can run at the speed of 60-70 miles per hour, but for only a sprint. He uses the momentum of his speed to knock down his prey and then usually tries to suffocate his prey by going for the windpipe. The visit to Ukutula was even better than expected.

As I said, I left spring in Morocco and I’m now back to fall since I am south of the equator and in a different hemisphere. I ate my dinner on the back patio last night and it was strange indeed to see leaves falling. Even smells like fall and the air is crisp and cool too. The area I’m staying in is beautifully landscaped and some of the high walls surrounding homes are impressive (see attached picture). Perhaps this is an “old” neighborhood, but I have yet to hear a child playing or in fact, even adult voices on my walk abouts. Everyone seems to stay within the confines of their homes. The locked, remote controlled gate is opened, the car parks in the garage, doors are closed and no one is seen again until they once again leave. Twenty percent of the South African population controls the economics of the country. There is a very large gap between the “haves” and the “have nots” it seems.

Some words/expressions/observations I’ve heard/seen here that I have found interesting:
It’s my pleasure -- rather than saying “you’re welcome”
Come back -- “repeat please” or “excuse me”
Calming area -- a street sign meaning “slow down”
Eish - describes disgust, surprise, or frustration.
Braai – barbeque
No complaints – response to the question of “how are you”, rather than our typical “fine”
Geyser (pronounced geezer) – electric hot water heater, up on the roof
Kombi – a van – frequently used as a taxi service
GoGo -- what they call the grandmothers (I love it, don’t you - I think I want to be called this one day)
I saw this sign -- breasts, hips & bum enlargement – not often do we see this wish do we?
Most homes in the rural areas have the main house, a small building in the yard and an outhouse. When asked why,
I was told that the small building is usually rented out to either supplement the income or is sometimes the main
source of income for the family

Along with Easter, we’ve had several holidays while I’ve been here in South Africa. April 27th was Freedom Day and May 1st was Worker’s Day. Most businesses and the schools were closed on these holidays. The guest house has also been quiet and I found myself alone for one weekend, since all other volunteers returned home too. Angie (a staff person) and I were the only ones here. I made guacamole one day and Angie and I enjoyed eating it one afternoon and she talked about her life. She was a nanny for a South African family in the late 90’s. One time she traveled with them to Scotland and commented on how different everything tasted, but how exciting it was for her. Unfortunately they decided to move to England and even though they invited her to move with them, she decided she couldn’t leave her husband and daughter in South Africa. Had she not had these responsibilities, I’m sure she would have gone with them. Another morning Angie talked with me while I drank coffee. I wanted her to join me and have a cup of coffee too, but she declined. Hopefully she truly doesn’t like coffee and didn’t decline the offer because I am a “guest”. This particular morning she talked about her daughter, Mavis, and her granddaughters Kholofelo (meaning “hope”) and Mpho (meaning “small gift”). Mavis did not want English names for her children and instead she chose traditional South African names. Mavis went to the university and is a chemical engineer, although she is a stay-at-home mom now. Mavis’s husband is a manager at the Checker grocery store. One night when it was just the two of us at the House, I had a small knock on my door and in Angie walked with a typical rural South African dinner on a tray for me. It consisted of boerewors (kind of like bratwurst), smothered in a tomato & onion gravy and maze meal (kind of like cream of wheat, cooked dry and solid enough to cut with a knife). How very sweet of her!! Wanting to reciprocate, I cooked dinner for Angie and Martha too. I shared my tales of growing up on a farm in Michigan and told them that the meal I would serve would be like a meal I grew up eating. I made scalloped potatoes, baked beans, meatloaf and fresh homemade applesauce. I made triple chocolate cookies for dessert. I insisted that this meal was my event and that they were not allowed to help cook or clean up and being as bossy as I am, they eventually listened to me. Even though they have cooked similar dishes, my version was different than they were used to. They commented that they always ate the same meal every night and having a change was very nice. I think the biggest surprise for them was that a white woman could cook. The white women they’ve had contact with can barely boil water. They were impressed!!! And, it was great fun for me to share this experience with them. Angie would like to take me home with her to her village in rural South Africa. Unfortunately, I doubt that her days off and the days I have free from physical therapy will coincide and make that possible. I have been helping Maria, another staff person, learn how to maneuver the internet. She sends me many “test” messages to test her skills.

My physiotherapist also had several food suggestions that I really must taste to say that I’ve been in South Africa. She herself baked me rusk (kind of a biscotti sort of thing), that should be dipped in coffee or tea. She also said I must taste koeksusters (really, really sweet pastry, coated in a sticky sweet syrup), melktert (custard like pie), biltong and droe wors (both similar to our jerky). I bought enough to bring back to the guest house to share with the other PCVs that are here, so that they didn’t miss out on the experience either. It was a fun taste testing.

I took walks while in Pretoria and frequently ended up at a shopping center. Now granted I love food and I like to cook, so this isn’t really as weird as you may think, but I frequently wander into a grocery store. In South Africa, the big supermarkets chains are, “Checkers”, “Pick & Pay” and “Spar”. Once there I can walk the aisles, pushing a trolley (shopping cart), puzzle over unfamiliar junk food and focus on the creative labels of items I found. So how does the South African deal with household pests? What flavors of ice cream do they have? And, since all supermarkets are fairly predictable, having aisles, trolleys and checkouts, it is a pretty stress-free walk-about and people just leave you alone to wander and shop. It gives you wonderful insight into the lives and homes of the locals you are visiting. If you’ve never done this before, give it a try….. it’s fun!! Here is a little test for you – can you guess at what food this is -- assorted luncheon loaves, soft citrus, polony, mince, biscuits, orange squash, loaf cake, chocolate slabs.

I visited one morning with another guest here at the House and he told me about the ostrich ranches near his home. You know how you’ve seen herds of cattle grazing in the fields, well he says here in South Africa they have herds of ostriches. He says the ostrich is one of the few birds that almost every part of the bird is used. The meat is eaten, feathers are used for decorations, the hide makes beautiful leather goods and even the toes are used for key chains and gadgets of other sorts.

D (decision) day is here and it has been decided that I will return to Morocco probably on Tuesday of next week (May 16th). No, the knee is not pain free, but soft tissue is so slow to heal, it may be months before it actually feels almost normal. With osteoarthritis, it may never be totally pain free and a knee replacement is probably in the cards down the line. Yes, this may accelerate the need for a replacement some, but we'll never know how much and does it really matter? The PC doctors really seem to want me to return to Morocco and advised me to continue to take it easy for a while. If the knee begins to hurt more, then I will just have them medically separate me from PC at a later time. So, I will return to Morocco, lay low in my apartment for a while and continue to rest the knee and before I know it, it will be November and officially time for me to return to the states. I think I really thought I would return to the States and can't decide if I'm disappointed or excited about this decision, but guess I'm okay with this and just hope the knee continues to improve. I don't think I'll unpack. I'll just sort of live out the remaining time in Morocco in a half-packed mode.

Whew….. this ended up being a really long update. My next note to be written in mid-June will be from Morocco once again. Stay healthy, be happy and take care of yourself and those you love. Hugs, Linda

April in South Africa

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.

4/15/11 Tax time folks – that glorious time of the year!!! Hope your taxes are filed and that you are getting a whopping big refund!! Lucky for me, since I am working out of country, I am granted an automatic extension to June 15th so mine will be filed in a few months.

Some of you know this, but my plans changed dramatically. Since the US government budget issues lingered on and on (and maybe are still lingering??? – I’m really out of the news loop), rather than having me continue to sit on “stand by”, I was offered the opportunity to travel to our regional medical location in South Africa for surgery on that torn knee meniscus. Since all this waiting to see what tomorrow might bring was making me a bit crazy, I decided – why not? South Africa is purported to have a top-notch medical care system. I left Morocco on April 3rd and flew to Johannesburg, South Africa via Cairo, Egypt. I had a three-hour layover in Cairo, and all was quiet (I could picture a few worried faces when I reported this.) Upon my arrival, I was met by a shuttle service and brought to a lovely guest house in Pretoria which will be my home away from home for a while. There are other volunteers from all over the African continent (Zambia, Yuganda, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania and the country of South Africa, itself) staying here while they seek treatment for and recover from medical problems. I am the first volunteer from Morocco to visit. We have private rooms, most have private baths, complete with televisions, and breakfast is provided to us. Nice breakfasts too -- I think I’ve eaten bacon (kind of a Canadian bacon/ham type) for breakfast every day since arriving. But please remember, Morocco is a Muslin country and we don’t have pork products in the country per se, so this is a real treat. We also have kitchen privileges here at the guest house where we can prepare our own lunch and dinner. And, we may use their washer and dryer for our clothes – such luxuries! The house itself looks like an English Inn and the garden surrounding it is well landscaped and full of flowers. I’ve attached a few pictures of the guest house and staff. Gosh I particularly like this bathroom -- note the western toilet -- ahhhhh!!!! The doctor in charge of this program said he wanted a place for volunteers to stay that was conducive to good healing for both the body and soul and restful . He found it!! I went to the grocery store upon my arrival and saw many products that looked familiar to me. I’ve fixed myself pork chops, baked potatoes, corn, beans & franks, kettle corn popcorn, spinach salads with feta cheese and a variety of fruit. I even bought ice cream so that I can have it whenever I want it. I will put that weight back on if I don’t watch it 

I had surgery on Friday, April 8th and it went very well. The knee surgeon cut out the tear on the meniscus and shaved arthritic spurs off the bones. He said structurally, my knee looks great and it should feel much better than it did before. Actually, it feels better already!! The physical therapist came in Friday night and had me actually walk a short bit for her. She then returned on Saturday morning and gave me some simple exercises to do. They initially had a tube in the knee for drainage, but removed it before I left the hospital on Saturday. My knee is wrapped, but I am walking (slowly) on it without crutches. I am supposed to rest it, elevate it and keep it iced for now. I am to continue these simple exercises for 7-10 days. I have an appointment on April 19th to see the surgeon and physical therapist. I suspect that this is when the real physical therapy will begin.. At this point in time, I don't have a clue what physical therapy will entail or how long I will stay here. I was told that there were about five issues involved with my knee (ligaments, tendons, etc.) but only the meniscus required surgical procedures, and I guess the arthritic spurs once they were in there. They are still saying that it could take up to six months for the tendon to heal entirely, but uncertain if that would keep me from returning to Morocco? No one is really saying where I will go from here and my guess is that they might not know yet since it will depend on how physical therapy goes. In the meantime, I am sleeping when tired, reading and giving my knee the rest it needs at this point in time. I’m also becoming better acquainted with the volunteers staying here and you all know how I like to talk!!

I must make a couple of comments regarding my hospital stay. It was a private hospital and looked very similar to the hospitals we are accustomed to. I was in a six-bed ward, but only my bed and another were occupied. My roomie was named Estelle. Estelle is an attorney and a divorced mother of three children. I had the good fortune of meeting two of them. (Side note re Estelle’s sons. Both worked in Maine one summer at a golf camp and later sold encyclopedia’s in Texas, near the Mexican border. Not their favorite job and both hope to never do something like that again, although returning to the states is something they would like to do). The operating rooms are called “theatres”. I asked Estelle if she knew why they were called this, but she didn’t. I’m thinking most patients are not likely that entertaining, but maybe the doctors/staff are??? Nurses are called “Sisters”. At first I thought we were talking about Catholic Sisters, but later learned the real meaning of the word. I wasn’t given a “call button” and wondered just how I was supposed to get their attention should I need it – hmm, South Africa is different! Estelle and I later learned that there were indeed “call buttons”, we just didn’t receive them. Perhaps we looked problematic?? A few interesting staff names were -- Surprise, Patience, Norah, Lizelle and unfortunately I just can’t remember all the others. Most were kind, attentive and helpful. I learned that I should have brought my own towel and washcloth to the hospital with me, but they did find one for me to use. Hospital food really doesn’t taste that good, regardless of the country you may be in. On the whole my experience was good and I was well taken care of.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that I’ve seen much of South Africa. From what I’ve seen here, it is very similar to the surroundings we are familiar with, but I know that the remote areas are not as fortunate. Peace Corps has volunteers in rural areas, and the conditions sound challenging. I’ve seen beautiful homes here in the city, all surrounded by high walls, and topped with electric fencing. Security systems seem to be the norm not the exception. I heard the ice cream truck in the neighborhood. Unfortunately I couldn’t run fast enough to catch it! Since we are located south of the Ecuador, it is fall here and we are heading into winter. The days have been partially cloudy and probably around 70 degrees. I’ve had the windows open at night in my room, but the locals think it has been chilly at night. (Ummm, they should have visited me a couple of months ago.) I’m told their winter days are frequently around 32 degrees, with occasional black ice, but rarely snow. June is typically their coldest month. Depending on my mobility as time goes along, it would be great if I could see a bit of not only this city, but of the country itself. There are some one-day safari treks and it would be fun if I could do one of these while here. I’m told it is mostly a ride and see trip, so it wouldn’t be hard on my knee I’m told. I’ve also just learned of an elephant sanctuary that is nearby. I recently read “Water for Elephants”, and I have a new-found fascination for these large, sensitive, gentle animals and I would love to visit this sanctuary if possible.

I mentioned in my last blog writing that I was working on a graphic/visual cheese cookbook for the ladies of the association I work with in Morocco since they are illiterate and unable to read the written version. I completed this before I left and gave it to my counterpart. I used the colored measuring spoons Elaine brought me as the devices to measure and I downloaded pictures of mint, olives, almonds, etc., and pasted these pictures near the appropriate spoons so that they would know the ingredients. Not that the picture I’ve attached is great, but I think it gives you an idea of what I’ve done and it is self-explanatory don’t you think? Lately, my counterpart has showed more interest in flavoring cheese and I hope this is helpful to her and the association. What I’d really like to see happen is to incorporate it into the restaurant, if we ever have a going restaurant business. I visualize the restaurant as being a showcase for the products of our association. We could have a small herb garden off to the side near the entrance to the restaurant. We could sell the customer plain cheese and ask them if they would like to add some seasonings. They could then pick out the fresh herb(s), or other makings. We could give everything a whirrrrr in the blender, and the customer themselves could do the mixing at their table to enjoy it as an appetizer as they are waiting for their tajine. We have a few carpets that the ladies have made and I think we could drape them over curtain rods where they could be seen and hopefully sold. The carpets would also provide colorful art for the walls of the dining room. As it is now, they are in the back room and if asked for, they are shown, but who would think to ask? We also do some embroidery and sewing that could be displayed and hopefully sold. There are so many possibilities to pursue, but uncertain if anything will ever materialize. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut!

It is customary to have henna applied before any trip or big event in Morocco. My leaving was just such an occasion. Khadeja decorated me the day before I left my site. I gave her a pretty free rein and told her to do anything she’d like to do. What do you think? I, of course, visited with my host family and their nearby neighbors before I left and they loved the henna. I told them that I hoped it would make the surgeon operating on my knee go “ooooh la la” and the ladies particularly liked this idea. I’m not sure the surgeon was impressed though  , but the physical therapist did notice and she loved it!

It was spring in my site when I left. Fields were greening up, trees were blossoming and baby animals of all sorts were scampering about. I had the chance to enjoy my morning coffee on my rooftop once again and watch the village wake up. Before I left, Anna and I visited our friend Angelica in her site, which is nearby, but off the beaten track. Angelica lives in a gorgeous valley and even though she is remote, her village is well equipped with everything, much better than mine is. Remember the puppy, Lily, that I babysat late last fall, well this is her home too. The home itself is a bit more rustic than I am accustomed to and I’m grateful for the luxuries I have. Angelica had been telling us about the rodent problem she has been having this winter. Well while we were in the kitchen, something caught my eye. Didn’t see anything at this time, but we heard rustling. Later, a louder noise caught our attention. Now I must tell you, I hate, really hate, mice and rats, I’d rather deal with snakes. Anna retreats to the salon, I’ve left the kitchen and I’m standing in the courtyard watching the kitchen door. Angelica is in the kitchen banging a stick……. We must have been a funny site! Finally a large rodent (rat) about 6-8 inches in length comes out of the kitchen – eeeeck! At this time, I start jumping as best I can since it was trying to decide the direction it should run – please not towards me…… and luckily it does head the opposite direction and goes up and over a nearby wall. Ummm, Lily is nowhere to be found. I presume she was scared to? What a watch dog!

I met up with one of the village teachers in Ouarzazate before I left. I had been given a gift of money to be used for art supplies for the school. Abdajil (the teacher) and I went to a large bookstore and we purchased paints, markers, crayons, paper , etc. and activity workbooks for the younger classes. I visualize happy, busy children creating art masterpieces now. We also investigated photocopiers while there since the school doesn’t have a copy machine and it would be ever so useful. Stipends previously given to me enabled me to give them the funds to purchase a copier for the school too. I later spent the night with a Moroccan friend named Chafia and her family in Ouarzazate. They kept insisting that I eat, eat – I don’t think I look hungry, but they must have thought I was. They had me sleep in the parlor that night and Chafia asked if I would be scared alone and offered to sleep with me. This is just another example of the typical Moroccan’s hospitality. I woke up to the sounds of roosters crowing & chickens clucking, cows mooing and a donkey braying. I’m thinking – what the heck – we’re in a house in the city. I was told that they keep animals on their roof (how did they get them up there?) and that they bring them tuga (grass) from family members’ homes in smaller villages surrounding Ouarzazate.

On my way out of the Morocco, I spent the night in Marrakech and met up with Mary & Gerry, volunteers in the Essaouria area. We explored the Jewish quarters in the afternoon and traveled together as far as Rabat on the following day. Mary & Gerry are “mature” volunteers like myself, married, work in the health sector and have been in-country for about a year. They too have had many memorable experiences. Actually one of their sons has just begun a new job with a NGO here in South Africa and they are traveling to the area next week for a visit and we might meet up again while they are here. Also, while in Rabat, waiting for my Sunday flight, Annie, Donna and Hanna came into the city and we spent Saturday night together. Annie bought a hat in Fes to add to her collection. We all had to try it out – I don’t think I should give up the day job do you? It’s kind of like working a hoola hoop.

Well my friends, this is about all I can think of to write for the moment. Rest assured I am well and on the road to recovery. From where I’ll next write is yet to be determined. Whatever is to be – will be, and I’m okay with that.
Enjoy the spring flowers that must be emerging and Happy Easter to you. Hoppy, Hoppy Spring to all. Hugs, Linda

March Madness

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.

3/20/11 Well my son, Chris has come to Morocco and gone already. It was great to have him visit and to see him. We did a whirlwind tour of Morocco traveling as far south as Mhamid, complete with a trek into the Sahara on camels (gosh I love camels, don’t they look aristocratic?), staying overnight in a Berber tent, and then worked our way north through Marrakech, Meknes & Volubillis, Fes, Chefchauouen and finally Tangiers. Unfortunately, Chris got sick towards the end of the trip and totally missed Chefchauouen since he spent the day there in bed, but was able to make the trip home to Chicago okay a few days later. We visited my first village and host family that I lived with when I first arrived in September, 2009. I had not been back for a visit and promised them that I would bring Chris if he came. The kids have grown and the new baby is beautiful. They were delighted to see me and to meet Chris. Of course, staying only a few hours was not enough time and they wanted us to stay days. We also visited the other four families that hosted volunteers while we were there. Chris commented that he has never drank so much tea in his life since we had to have tea with everyone and even had to eat two lunches, since a tajine was brought out while we were at one of the houses and we were expected to eat at my host family’s too. We then traveled to my current village and only had one day to spend unfortunately since we had too many people to meet for that length of time. Chris plastered on a smile since he couldn’t talk with anyone, and off we went. We had a nice lunch with my host family. Obviously, we didn’t have time to meet everyone that would have liked to meet him, and I’ve received a few shuma’s (shame on you) since we neglected them, but we did the best we could do. Chris had a few girls ask if he would marry them and take them back to America with him, all of which he declined. While we were in Fes, Chris was offered 5,000 camels and a donkey for his mom. I think he was a bit tempted to take him up on the offer, but then wondered just what he would do with so many camels in Chicago? Personally I think I’m worth more – maybe two donkeys, rather than one  ?? Chris had a chance to meet a few volunteers on our travels and Sarah, a friend and fellow volunteer traveled with us for the last five days. By then, Chris and I needed a break from each other and Sarah was a great diversion. Chris and Sarah bought new leather coats in Fes, nice don’t you think? It was wonderful to have him visit and I think he now has a better understanding and appreciation for the adventures I’ve experienced.

In mid-February, before Chris arrived, two fellow volunteers and myself organized and hosted a women’s leadership workshop in Ouarzazate. We worked with a women’s organization in Ouarzazate and they provided us with three facilitators that basically conducted the workshop in Dareja (Moroccan Arabic) for us. It was designed for twenty rural Moroccan women in the general vicinity to attend. It was geared for those 15-30 years old that showed some leadership potential. They arrived late Friday afternoon and returned home after breakfast on Monday. We had grant money to fund this workshop, and they incurred no expense to attend. It was even more successful than I imagined. After the initial awkwardness of getting to know each other, they participated and seemed to enjoy becoming acquainted not only with the concept of leadership, but with each other too. One of our previous volunteers prepared a documentary (titled “You Can Dream”) wherein she interviewed six women who have stepped outside the normal realm and became leaders in their communities. We showed this film and had great discussions since each woman’s experience was very different than another’s. During the workshop they developed a vision and a plan to achieve that vision. There will be a one day follow-up workshop in May to see what progress has been made. The women left energized and enthused and commented that they never even thought that such things were possible. It was exciting to watch them and their reactions. It was also fun to observe just how much we are all alike. After dinner each night, the young ones headed out of the hotel to “see the town”. Granted they were back in by 10p, unlike some of our American youths would be, but they too wanted to experience it all. Some of them had never stayed in a hotel before, let alone without their parents or adult supervision (I guess we were the adult supervision), but they were given a pretty lose rein by us and no one abused it. One of the girls I took with me from my village is actually a bit more adventurous than others. She is one of the lucky ones here in the village and she attends the university in Agadir. While in the village she is very conservative and quiet. She is proper in every way. When I went to get her for the trip into Ouarzazate, she came out of the house dressed in sexy jeans and looked very chic. Her long hair was washed and swept up into a swinging pony tail. She was as cute as a button. And, later when given the opportunity, you should have seen her dance. Nothing shy about that girl!! I would not have known it was the same girl that I’ve known for the past 1.5 years. Not that she did anything wrong, because she didn’t, she was just so different. Yet, if asked what her future holds, she will likely tell you that she will come back to the village to live. Hopefully this workshop will motivate her to put her education to good use in the village at some point in the future.

Since Peace Corps is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, we also celebrated it at our workshop. Everyone involved with the workshop including the hotel staff joined in the celebration. A cake was ordered from a local bakery and the creation was all their doing. What do you think? Quite the cake I would say!!!

After leaving the workshop I went to the home of Nadia’s family for lunch. Nadia is one of two workers at our baby’s center and she has wanted me to come for lunch for a long while, but seems like her days off and me being in Ouarzazate never seemed to coincide. Well this time it worked out and a lovely lunch was shared. She invited five other young ladies to join us, all either from my village or at least familiar with my village, and a lively conversation was had. A lovely cake was prepared in my honor, since my days in Morocco may be limited. I was touched by their thoughtfulness.

I met with the individual classes (grades 1-6) at our primary school and talked about oral hygiene. We watched a cartoon-like movie in Tashlheet that I have that reinforces good dental care that the kids seem to enjoy. Teachers also commented that they also learned something new from the lesson I taught. Everyone went home with a new toothbrush and most with a small tube of toothpaste in hand. I forewarned them that I would ask them when I see them whether they have been brushing their teeth and you can bet I do this. Almost everyone says “yes” and sometimes not only can I see that they have not, but their faces clearly show me that they have not been doing so. Obviously, I show my displeasure in this. Perhaps if I make myself out to be such a nuisance, they will just brush their teeth to make me stay away.

The kids and teachers seem to just like me popping in from time to time and I definitely do this, almost every day since I walk near anyways. I might only stay a few minutes, but their smiles warm my heart and make me feel good and hopefully they benefit too. I was pleasantly surprised to notice sparkling, clean bathrooms the last time I was at the school. It seems that they have taken my suggestion of assigning different classes – bathroom duty and both boys and girls are involved in the process of cleaning. I raved and made quite a fuss about how impressed and pleased I was. Everyone seemed very proud. They actually listened to me – I am tickled – it made my day!!

I also noticed while showing Chris the association and the place where we make cheese that in the refrigerator was a tray of cheese that had been flavored with (?) (maybe rosemary. Who knew??? I didn’t think that this was going anywhere and obviously someone must be buying at least some of it. And, this past week, my counterpart asked me to come and (I thought) show her how to make some of the flavorings I created. Well, she definitely wanted flavored cheese, but I don’t think the intent was for me to show her how to make it – she wanted me to make it. Which I did, but I also brought her over to watch while I made each new batch. When asked where she was going to take this cheese, she indicated that there was a demonstration and I presume she meant there was going to be a taste testing somewhere that she wanted to participate in. Regardless, I am just thrilled that maybe, just maybe, they have taken my suggestions to heart. Since almost everyone involved in the association is illiterate, even though I have the recipes written down in English, French and Arabic, how do you read them if you can’t read? I’ve now put the recipes in graphic form. Elaine brought me some great colored measuring spoons when she visited last October. I’ve used those colors to indicate the quantities needed in the recipes. I have each recipe in a plastic page saver complete with the graphics and written recipes. If they have questions, hopefully they will find a younger woman who can marginally read to help them.

I’ve now taken my tooth brushing campaign door-to-door. If they will take the time to let me give them a short tooth brushing demonstration, everyone in the house will get a new toothbrush. Again, since I really struggle with my language, my demonstration is probably quite comical. I usually get a lot of laughs and hugs and promises to brush their teeth twice a day. Hmmmm

We had a National Geographic tour group come by this past week for a visit to my village. We trekked up the back way to my host family’s home for tea. Not only does this trek give a different and unique view of the countryside, but it also gave them the opportunity to admire my painted door!! My host family is warm, welcoming and simply charming in an innocent way. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity for this experience.

Just before Chris arrived, we were enjoying spring like weather – it was lovely and I was sure that spring had arrived. Well, I returned to a village that was miserably cold. We had snow, winds and winter-like temperatures for about a week mid-March. My house was again sitting at 40 degrees. Downright chilly to comfortably live in. Luckily, we’ve had sun for the past couple of days and with a little luck, maybe spring is just around the corner. This morning I drank my coffee on my rooftop and it was lovely to watch my village wake up. A pile of cement blocks had been dropped below my apartment and I watched a donkey haul four blocks up the hill at a time. This animal worked with little supervision. They would load the carrier on his back and he would automatically start up the hill. I will never understand why the donkey is viewed as one of the lowest creatures in Morocco? What would we do without them?

Peace Corps has decided to bring me to Washington DC for surgery on that torn meniscus. I’ll have surgery at George Washington University Hospital. I will stay in Washington for at least a bit of the physical therapy that follows surgery, but it is possible that they will move me to my home of record, which is my sister’s address in Michigan. I almost went for surgery this past week, but with the US government’s budget issues, it was decided to put me back on hold until it is resolved. I suspect once things are settled, I will go soon. I am now told that they think I have a bit better than 50/50 chance of returning to Morocco after surgery. Of course it all depends on how surgery and physical therapy goes. I do have to be back to 100% in forty five days though to return. Can I do that? This has rather complicated my leaving. Do I pack to leave or come back? As it is now, I have everything that I want to return to the states with me packed in suitcases. If I don’t return, they will have to be shipped to me. I will just travel with a small bag for surgery. I have not disposed of my apartment furnishings, since I will need them if I come back. I have found homes for most things and I’ve left a list in each room as to what goes where. Unfortunately Anna and Angelica will end up bearing the burden of actually getting rid of things should I not return. I’ll be glad to have this all behind me. I’ve never been very good at not knowing what to expect. Initially, I was very disappointed that I would be leaving Morocco before my planned return date. Then I adjusted to this thought and I was getting excited about the prospects of being stateside sooner rather than later. Now I don’t know what I’m hoping for? Do I say good-bye or not? Guess I will just take what I get – huh?

Since I’ve sort of said good-bye to lots of people, I have had invitations galore to come share tea, a meal, or just a few minutes of time. Everyone wants to express their best wishes to me in some way. Again, their kindness overwhelms me at times. This is an extraordinary country in many ways.

Well that is about it for this update. When I next write I will likely be in the states recuperating somewhere. I hope you are enjoying spring like weather and that winter is behind you too. Take a minute to appreciate today and hug a loved one. Thinking of you and missing you. Til next time. Hugs, Linda

Frosty February

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.

2/14/11 I'm sorry, but I give up on uploading any more pictures. It has taken me over 2.5 hours to load the ones I have done so far and I really must do something produtive today. Sounds like many of you have been blasted by some nasty winter weather lately. Brrrr, it’s cold here too, but luckily no snow for my village. The higher elevations have a nice layer of the white stuff, and I hope it stays up there. My house does not have a heat source and it has averaged 40 degrees for the past couple of weeks and the drafts coming in the windows can raise a rug. It’s a bit chilly to just sit back and relax and I find that I go to bed earlier and earlier, just be warm. It’s okay – spring is right around the corner – I just know it!

My friends, Donna and Gail, and I set off seeking some warmer weather in January and we traveled south . Of course, since Donna lives in the Taroudant area, she wasn’t really in such need of a break from the cold, and we started our travels at her site. Taroudant is known as little Marrakech and what a nice little city it is. A new, modern city in many respects, but it has some lovely old Moroccan areas too. This area is also known for having argan trees. The argan is a relative of the olive, a twisted, tortured-looking tree whose fruit is eaten by the local goats. The goats have become adept at climbing into its branches to graze. I did see goats grazing, but unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera ready to take a picture  Really fun to see a goat in a tree though!! One of the things that Donna’s association does is that it makes argan oil. They are not a big organization or producer, and it is a labor intensive product requiring many hours of labor to produce a small quantity of oil. Argan oil is touted to be one of the best beauty products available. They also have an edible oil that is light, nutty flavored and wonderful for bread dipping. We then headed down through Agadir, stopping for lunch at a café on the beach. The sunshine and warmth felt wonderful! Sidi Ifni was our first destination stop, a Spanish colony until 1969, now with a thriving port. This city seems curiously out of place with its art deco buildings and a Catholic Church . We spent a lovely afternoon north of the city at Legzira Plage,a secluded bay with a nice sandy beach and two dramatic natural stone arches reaching over the sea (pictures attached). We then traveled through 100+k of desolate, vacant desert until we reached Tan Tan, where Gail’s friends Auday & Fatima live. This is as far south as we PCVs are permitted to travel. Our documents were carefully inspected before we were allowed to enter. Tan Tan surprisingly has a population of 60,000 and it was far more developed that I expected to find it. We stayed at a beach hotel, but the area was quiet and few people were out and about. Weather was pleasant, but hardly swimsuit weather. Gail stayed on with her friends and Donna and I traveled to the Tata area where we visited Alisa and Courtney at their sites before we traveled back to our respective homes. It was only a few days away, but it was a nice break from the cold, mountain weather I live in.

I had committee meetings in Rabat at the end of January, and I headed in a few days early for medical appointments. I saw an orthopedic doctor while there and he says my knee issue is degenerative joint disease/cartilage degeneration/arthritis of knee, basically all the same thing, just different names to call it. Boils down to the fact that I have aging knees and the right one was pushed over the top with all the squatting I did while painting the world map in August. He advised that I increase my dose of glucosamine and hopefully with time it will feel almost normal. The doctor concurred with my diagnosis of a Baker’s cyst at the back of the knee, but advised that I do nothing with it at this time. With any luck, as the front of the knee improves, this cyst might just go away on its own. In the meantime, squatting is a bit problematic!! I actually head back into Rabat in the near future for another committee meeting and we are going to do an ultrasound of the knee while I am there to confirm the cyst, it’s size and it’s location.

I was told of another association here in my village, but I was also told that they were not active, that they didn’t do anything, etc. Dummy me - I should know better than to just blindly accept someone else’s word. Finally I ventured to the other side of town and found the association. As I approached, I head lots of laughter emanating out of the building. I found nine young 20ish aged women in the building working on embroidery, one was sewing at the sewing machine, and others were painting on fabric. I learned that they have a preschool with fifteen children. The room they use is pleasant with pictures on the walls and their artistic creations were displayed throughout. I asked if there was anything I could do for them and initially I was told “no”. Then after a bit of time passed, they asked if I would just come back and talk with them – a little language exchange as they would like to learn some English. Obviously I said yes I would most definitely do that. I asked if they were interested in doing some pilates with me and they emphatically said “yes”. I also asked about dental hygiene and would they like some instruction. Well, I have gone back and this past week I loaded up my daypack with toothbrushes/toothpaste and off I went (pictures attached). While I was in Rabat I found a movie regarding tooth brushing in Tashlheet, so I took my computer and movie along too. Everyone was excited. Probably watching the movie on the computer was a highlight of my instruction. For whatever reason, there were around nine elementary school children there this day too, some little ones working on embroidery too. So rather than give the instruction and tooth brushes to the young women, I met with the kids instead. I’ll go back another time and meet with the women. I was in the mood to bake the day before I planned to go back, so I made an orange cake and took it along. Guess everyone was thinking of a party mood, since three other women brought cakes too. So after everyone nicely brushed their teeth, we had cake and tea – seems a bit counterproductive doesn’t it?

I have become better acquainted with a 13 year old girl lately. She speaks decent English and says she learned it by watching television (this reminded me of a Polish friend who also learned much of her English by watching television). She likes to come to my house and visit with me. One day I invited her to my house to help me bake cookies (picture attached). Upon touching a hot pan she uttered “shit”. I wondered if I heard her correctly and asked and she said “yes”. I asked if she learned that on television and of course that is where she learned it. I then told her that nice young ladies really didn’t say such things and that perhaps she should say “ooops” instead. She has made great effort to substitute the words “ooops” into the appropriate spots. I learned that this young woman is going to collage (middle school) in the neighboring town. She boards there all week and comes home on weekends. She has dreams of attending a university in America. Not only do very few of the children from my village have the opportunity to attend collage, but to have the dream of an American university!! I recently saw her parents at a school outing and I told them how proud I was of them and of their daughter. Jhssan is smart enough to do this and I keep telling her that she must work hard in school and do well and that scholarships are available for those that really want to do this. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this really happens?

I’ve recently attended several school parties celebrating the end of the first semester (pictures attached). One was quite the gala affair celebrated at our municipal building. Many children participated and entertained the many guests that came to watch. The “who’s who” of the village were there. I took lots of pictures and the school director made prints of them that he is proudly giving out. Earlier in the week I also attended the pre-school party. Can you believe we had four cakes, two plates of cookies and a big bowl of candy for fifteen children. Yeow….. that was a lot of sugar. I listened to “Happy Birthday” for 2.5 hours since that seems to be the favorite upbeat party song. This party was a surprise for me and had I known, I would have taken along my “101 Silly Songs”. Granted they would not have understood the words, but they would have loved the melodies and I could have shown them the many moves these songs invoke. I just stopped by the primary school to tell them of an art project I’ve been made aware of. While there one of the teachers asked me if I could get him any information regarding teaching autistic, dyslectic or children with ADD. He says he almost always has a student or two suffering from this and he has to send them home since he doesn’t know what to do with them. If anyone has information they would like to share with me so that I may share it with him, it would be most appreciated. Thanks.

I haven’t done much with my other association lately. I stop in there several times a week, but nothing is really happening. We have had 145 babies pass through our baby’s center doors though in less than a year and I think that is a real accomplishment in and of itself. I am still hopeful of helping to get the water issue resolved. Unfortunately, nothing moves quickly here, so fast results will not be seen.

I am so looking forward to my son, Chris’s visit at the end of the month. Sure hope he feels like smiling a lot since he won’t be able to talk with many people and so many people want to meet him. My next update may be a bit later in March, since he will be here until the 13th but I hope to do it shortly after that date.

A quick update on my knee - well the ultrasound I had done confirmed that there is indeed a walnut-sized cyst behind the knee. Not sure that we learned much specifically about this cyst really, other than if the front of the knee heals, hopefully the cyst will just go away. Unfortunately, the MRI that was done later in the week confirmed that I have a torn miniscus requiring surgery. Surgery needs to be done soon and I'm told it will be done in the states. I've also been told it is a piece of cake - no worries. The bad news is that the recup/recovery time given to me by this orthopedic doctor is six months. Seems like a terribly long time, although we do have some cartilage to repair and you have to factor in my age :-) In all probability, the likelihood of PC medically separating me is almost certain after 45 days. Since Chris, arrives in Marrakech on February 28th, I have asked (begged actually) if the surgery can wait until April since I want to show Chris some of Morocco. Our PCMOs think this is possible, although it will be PC Washington's decision to make. So looks like I will be coming home, sooner rather than later........

I truly believe that we should finish what we start, and I am so disappointed that I will most likely not return to Morocco. When I know more details and dates, I'll let you know. In the meantime, stay healthy, happy and take care. Hugs to you all, Linda

Jumpin January

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.

1/8/2011 Bonne Annee (Happy New Year) A new year is upon us. Let it be a healthy, happy one for everyone!!!
Hope your holidays were even better than expected or hoped for and that memories were made to warm your heart and make you smile during the coming years.

I know that I just updated this blog a few weeks ago, but I have a few minutes now and thought – what the heck. There isn’t a schedule here and those friends and family just love to hear from me   so write away…….

As I wrote in my previous blog, I baked nine different kinds of cookies and delivered fourteen plates of them around to people in my community for the Papa Noel holiday. I doubt that you fully appreciate what a challenge this can be. Imagine reading the recipe and it says to bring the butter to room temperature. Ah duh ---- the refrigerator, my kitchen, the same temperature here. I would follow sun beams around rooms with butter in dishes, trying to get the butter soft enough to work with. Some of you are thinking, just melt it. If you are a baker you know that this doesn’t really work, since it can really change the texture of the end product, unfortunately. And, I’m attaching a picture of my oven so you can get a better idea of this challenge. Does that look like a 350 degree flame to you? Regardless, the cookies for the most part turned out just fine and they were enjoyed by everyone.

Eight of us gathered on Christmas eve at Hannah’s house , just outside of Marrakech for the Christmas holiday. Hannah inherited a real Christmas tree (well artificial, but 6 ft in height) and she had it beautifully decorated with handmade miniature Berber dolls, complete with twinkling lights. Obviously, I had taken a selection of cookies along too, so the picture was complete. It felt like Christmas !!! The weather was chilly so we huddled/cuddled on the ponges and watched holiday movies Christmas afternoon (picture attached). We did a white elephant gift exchange and that brought about a few giggles and laughs, but mostly satisfied recipients. We had a lovely holiday dinner of sliced turkey breasts, roasted potatoes, cauliflower and homemade apple sauce. Just the pure fact of sharing the holiday with such good people made the holiday special for all of us. We all returned to our respective homes on the 26th, leaving a lonely Hannah behind. Now my tree wasn’t nearly as glamorous, but I forgot to attach a picture of it with my last update, so I’m attaching one now. Pretty special don’t you think?

I’ve made a new friend – Gail. Gail lives in Canada and found my blog and contacted me in early September. Gail had visited Morocco years before and she was returning to Ouarzazate for two months in December. Since we are the same age, she thought I would be a good one to ask questions to about living conditions, what clothes to bring, etc. Well after corresponding for several months, it was nice to finally meet. We clicked and decided we wanted to really celebrate the new year this year and off to Casablanca we went. It was a fast trip – traveled by bus, then train all day on the 30th. Had the day to spend as we liked on the 31st , and then we rode the train, then bus back home on the 1st. Whew……. I had low expectations for Casablanca, as it has been previously described to me as the armpit of Morocco. I came away with a very different opinion.. We only had good experiences with good people. At a friend’s suggestion we stayed at the Hotel de Paris located in the old French quarters. It was in a pedestrian mall and the area was full of cafes, little shops and lots of people (oh yeah, some great ice cream too). The hotel wasn’t fancy mind you, but we had our own bathroom, complete with western toilet, it was clean and the area felt very safe. Gail had been to Casablanca before and elected not to join me for a visit to the Hassan II Mosque (pictures attached) during the day on the 31st. This is one of two mosques in Morocco that is open to non-Muslims. It is located at the ocean’s edge. The 210m-high minaret, the tallest building in the country, is topped by a laser beam that shines toward Mecca. It is the world’s third-largest mosque, accommodating 25,000 worshippers inside and a further 80,000 in the courtyards and squares surrounding it. The prayer hall is huge and elaborately decorated. It is large enough to house Paris’ Notre Dame or Rome’s St. Peter’s. It is blanketed in astonishing woodcarving, marble and stucco and it has a retractable roof. It is amazing!!!

I can’t remember when I was last “out” for new years. Usually I’ve celebrated with home parties. But we decided to go the full nine yards and to bring in the new year we went to Rick’s Café - yes the Rick’s Café featured in the movie “Casablanca.” (pictures attached) Granted, the restaurant/bar was created after the movie, not vice versa, and there have been several renditions of it though the years, but the current owner has had it about eight years now. Albeit, it was expensive, but what a gala affair it was in an absolutely beautiful setting. The wait staff was friendly, attentive and made us feel very special. No one was left sitting in the sidelines, everyone was encouraged to dance and join in. The open bar, fresh oyster bar, courses upon courses of food (we ate almost non-stop from 9p til after midnight) and continuous wonderful music by various musicians was wonderful. One of the very nicest things was at midnight, the entire staff (including kitchen) was on the dance floor to bring in and celebrate the New Year. It was a night we will long remember.

So, yes, I’ve been away from site, but for very short time frames this past month. These fast trips are killers though. As I’ve said before, travel isn’t easy here!! Came down with a bug of some kind on January 2nd and it’s taken me days to finally feel better. So glad I was home and near a toilet when it hit. By the way, the knee in and of itself is better. At least the initial problem, diagnosed as tendonitis, is better. The walnut sized lump behind the knee remains the same and is problematic, but livable. I’m afraid I walk like a tentative “old” woman though and I’m not so fond of that. Hope to check it out with doctors while in Rabat later this month.

I’ve been to Ouarzazate several times this past month to work on the upcoming February workshop and to accompany a young woman with some health issues find a doctor/medical clinic that could help her. Emotionally draining and worrisome for her and must say that it affected me too. She had no one in her camp supporting her and as much as I didn’t want to get involved, I felt she needed someone. The problems seem resolved at the moment, and I’m hoping it remains this way. Sorry to be so evasive here, but for privacy reasons, its best I not go into details.

Earlier this week I visited our preschool with toothbrushes in hand. These happy little 3-5 year olds were excited about my visit and eager to greet me with hugs and kisses. I actually asked another PCV, Angelica, to come with me, since her Tashlheet is much better than mine is, and I thought between us we could better get the message across. The teacher then translated it to Dareja (Moroccan Arabic), which I found to be interesting since Tashlheet is the language spoken here in the village. I left a large tube of toothpaste with the teacher and asked if the children could leave their toothbrushes there at school and if she would help them brush their teeth every day. I said that I would try to come at least two mornings a week to work with them also. I know that this doesn't give them a toothbrush at home to use, but if we can get them into the habit of brushing at least once a day, perhaps we can then move on to twice and even three times. Not wanting the toothbrushes to sit in a cup together, I took a small plastic bag for each child and we wrote their name on each bag. I even had a sticker for each child that I put on their shirt after they had brushed. Now must admit that brushing their actual teeth was a bit challenging for Angelica to personally handle. Most 3-5 year olds are not very neat to begin with and with toothpaste/saliva sliding from their mouths, was almost more than Angelica could bear. When I saw her gagging, we decided I really needed to take over this part (pictures attached). They were happy little campers and oh soooo excited. It was a delightful morning.

While standing on my roof this morning I noticed that the almond tree near my house is blossoming. Isn’t that crazy? I’m guessing this “warm” winter we’ve had so far has fooled this tree into thinking it’s spring. I hope this tree knows something we don’t and that spring is just around the corner. Wouldn’t that be nice? Actually, so far it hasn’t been a bad winter. Yes, long underwear is part of my normal attire, as well as wearing four layers on top and I have my fingerless gloves on as I type this, AND I’ve complained a little, but ……. We haven’t had snow in the village yet. There is snow in the higher elevations, but luckily we’ve escaped it so far. But I’m trying to remember when was it last year that I was really cold. I didn’t move into my own house until January 1st, so it was after that. I’m afraid I have winter days ahead of me yet!

I know that I’ve talked about donkeys before, but this morning while on my rooftop drinking my coffee I noticed a donkey making a real fuss. He was bucking, pawing and most definitely did not want to be hooked up to that plow. I think I noticed it because I think this is the first time I’ve seen one act up. Normally they look so bored, complacent and just sooo sad. Their bray just breaks my heart. I’ve taken to saying, if I come back in another life, please don’t let it be a donkey in Morocco. I am pleased to say though, that the man working with this donkey remained calm, was not abusive and eventually the animal calmed down, although still not happy. On the whole, people in my village are not mean to the animals here. I’ve seen several times men pick up cats and stroke them. Just this past week I’ve seen two teenage boys playing with dogs. Granted rarely are they treated as pets and allowed in homes. They are oftentimes fed food scraps, although there aren’t many food scraps to be had here. Their diet consists of a lot of bread and whatever prey they come upon. Remember my friend Gus from the baby’s center? Must say that I’ve not seen my adopted pet in quite some time, unfortunately. Another dog has taken up residence though and she’s been heavy with puppies. She looks to have delivered and looks exhausted. This dog is a real talker. As I scratch her chin or between her ears, she just talks up a storm to me. I’m thinking her life isn’t very easy and she needs to tell someone about it. At least this is what her face tells me. And, on another note, I know that a rooster’s crowing is good luck, but why do they crow incessantly? There is one in my neighborhood that never shuts up!!

I received a sad text this week from my friend, Nadia, who used to live downstairs. Remember, she was the one who found a man and they were to be married in July. Unfortunately, she tells me that he has died. When asked for more details she just told me that he was healthy, but one day died. It was his turn and we will all have a turn. She hopes that Allah will bless him. I’m sure she is upset and terribly sad about this. If she didn’t live eight hours away, I’d go see her, but the timing isn’t good for that at the moment. Must say that this was one wedding I was looking forward too.

Well I must get ready to head out to teach some pilates and I have a group of girls that want to come by my house later to visit. Everyone is curious to see the American’s house, so I’ve been allowing small groups to come from time to time. I’ll likely make some popcorn and perhaps teach them how to play dominoes. It seems to be an easy game to learn and they all enjoy it so much.

Enjoy winter’s weather, stay warm and healthy. Until I write again – take care. Hugs, Linda