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

Holiday Greetings

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12/20/09 Happy, Happy Holidays Everyone and I hope your New Year is one of the best years of your life!!

I’m still uncertain how my Christmas will actually be, but I will celebrate with my host family. Since Morocco is primarily a Muslin country, this holiday is completely foreign to them. Part of my purpose for being here is to share the American culture, so I intend to introduce them to this holiday. I won’t go into the religion part, because with my limited language abilities, it would be too hard to even attempt. I have a couple of evergreen branches that I have wired together and I have a tree of sorts. The kids and I are making ornaments and stockings and I have small presents for everyone. I’m intending to make pizza for Christmas dinner because my family has never had it, the ingredients can be found in my town (minus the pepperoni) and hopefully they will enjoy it. I plan to make some holiday cookies in the next day or two. Should be all set for “Noel” as they call it. I’ll let you know how it goes the next time I write.

Yesterday I went on a hike of all hikes. Earlier in the week I was asked if I had plans for Sunday and I said “No, I was all theirs “ and smiles broke out across their faces. What was I in for? After breakfast, I was told to put on my sport shoes and it was gestured that we were heading out across those mountains – really? Yep, away we went. The donkey was loaded up (I couldn’t tell what was put in his baskets) and we were ready. I have a friend who is fearful of heights, this would not have been the walk for him. Didn’t have a watch and really don’t have a clue how far we actually walked. We climbed, there were loose rocks, beautiful views, and it was a sunny day, albeit a bit chilly at times, they should have told me to bring a hat! We saw goats, goats and more goats. Finally my host mom indicated that we were heading “over there” - still quite a ways to go and more hills to climb. The kids ran through these hills like the goats we see. Gosh to be young again! My host dad is a plumbee and he drew me a picture some time ago of what I thought were patches of tilled soil and I thought an irrigation system since there are natural springs everywhere. Yep, I was right and that is where we ended up. They had kind of a make-shift lean-to made to block the wind if need be, complete with a tea pot. There were patches of soil that were tilled and a couple of men that I recognized were already there, along with my host dad. These men worked with kind of a pick axe/shovel tilling the ground. Talk about back breaking work! Where was that John Deere when you wanted it? Impossible to get to this site silly girl, what are you thinking? Anyways, my host mom brought along the makings of a stewed meal and we got the fire going and the vegetables cut into the pot and lunch was underway. We then joined the men and we all planted crocus bulbs. If you remember, this is where saffron comes from and it is a cash crop for them. We had three big gunney sacks of bulbs to plant and with all of working it went along quite fast. We then had a great lunch, complete with clementines. It was one of the best days I’ve had here in Morocco. I noticed seedling trees and asked about them and my host dad plans to plant apple, almond, olive and some other kind of tree also in this spot since he can irrigate them. I don’t know if they own this land or if ownership is even possible here or if they just found a relatively flat piece amongst the hills and staked claim, but it seems to be theirs. They said they would call me in the spring when it is time to pick crocus flowers so that I can experience it too and I’m betting they will. It was on our walk back home that I gathered my evergreen branches for the makeshift tree we will have.

My host family keeps growing and growing. After we got home Sunday afternoon, we learned that another of my host mom’s sisters would visit with her family. You could see that she was not particularly pleased with the news, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of planning or announcements, they just come. We were tired!! Anyways, they came and they were a lovely family. I have now met three sisters and two brothers of my host mom and her mother and father. They all live in Ouarzazate (a/k/a Oz). I have their telephone numbers in my phone and I’ve been instructed to call them and to visit. Since I’ll be here two years, I will certainly try to do this.

Several weeks ago Anna (the PCV in the nearby site) and I went to Marrakech (a/k/a Kech) for the weekend. It was a 4+ hour bus trip through windy, mountainous roads. Thank goodness for Bonine, not sure I could have made it without having taken this motion sickness pill. We met up with some other PC volunteers on the bus so we tagged along since we had never been there before. We stayed at a clean hotel for a little over $5 a night. Granted the showers were cold and the toilet was in the hallway and shared by all, but what do you expect for this $$? Hotels I’ve stayed at here (within my PC budget) don’t provide towels or toilet paper for that matter either. Our hotel was very near the “jamaa lfha” or the big colorful square you may have seen pictures of if you’ve ever seen pictures of Kech. This place is hoppin….. There are vendors everywhere, music playing and snake charmers entertaining the crowd. The snake charmers were on the “to see” list so we were delighted when we could scratch that from the list. We later learned that the snakes actually have most of their mouths sewn closed with only a small opening left so that their tongues (if you will) can come out and that they frequently starve to death since they can’t eat. Took some of the “charm” out of them for me. We visited the Margane (sp?) which is a large Wal-Mart supermarket while in Kech and found some things we had not seen elsewhere in Morocco. I thought it was a bit pricey, but it did have some of those hard-to-find things and obviously it wasn’t mean for the typical Moroccan to shop at. Had to catch a bus back in the morning so it was a fast weekend trip. Probably not something I will do too often, and a three-day weekend would make it more enjoyable.

My host family loves music. They are always beating on something to make a rhythm and singing. They are usually smiling and laughing too. Well, you should see my host sister dance. Is this just born in them? She is a beautiful little 7 year old and does she have the belly dance moves. I took belly dance lessons for a year and NEVER had near the grace that she has. She is wonderful to watch – think she can teach me something? Watch out family, Thanksgiving 2011 and I’ll be teaching you some new moves!

If I’m lucky, I will post a few pictures along with this blog. If not, maybe next time?

Again, best wishes for the best of holidays. Til we chat again, love & hugs to all. Bslama Linda

December 13th

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

12/13/2009 Seems like quite a while since I’ve written, but it really hasn’t been that long, has it? I hope you enjoyed seeing the pictures I posted in my last two entries. I will take some of my apartment when I am settled in so that you can it. Where to start ……

Well the “great feast” is over and I can tell you I’ve eaten enough sheep to last me until next year. In fact, next year, I may become a vegetarian! I know I ate testicles, feet and brain, and who knows what else? It’s really best that I not always know what I’m eating. We ate sheep for every meal and very few vegetables or fruit was served during this time. After a few days, I actually got quite sick. The meat is greasy, rich and just too much of it was served. My system couldn’t handle it. My family didn’t quite understand how I could refuse meat, but I switched to bread and unsweetened tea for a couple of days and let the system settled down. One day I laid low and just wanted to sleep. Someone sat with me the entire time and would occasionally wake me up with Meryam (that’s my name in Morocco) – are you sleeping? Ummm, trying, but guess not, maybe later. Sounds like something my mom would do.

The actual holiday celebration lasted about two days, Saturday and Sunday. Family came from Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech to visit. We ate a lot of cookies, almonds and sweet tea. We visited family in the area for more cookies, almonds and sweet tea. Everyone was festive and jolly. Reminded me so much of how my holidays were as a little girl. I grew up in the area where my mom was from. She came from a big family and almost everyone lived in the area. During the holidays the families would visit each other. Kids would play, parents would visit and we would all eat….. and drink. Not so very different really. I met a lot of people, smiled, nodded my head a lot since I really didn’t know what they were saying and kissed cheeks. The children had about a week off from school and my host mom was glad to have them return to their schedule too. I was glad to get back to normal days.

Speaking of normal days – what is a normal day for me? Right now, rather low-key and laid back. PC has told us that the job at hand for the time being is to learn the language. We really aren’t expected to be involved with our businesses until probably February or so. We have a two week in-service training period scheduled for the first two weeks of February in a town in northern Morocco, I suspect when I return from that I will become more involved. Obviously, I have visited a time or two, and when I’m out and about I meet a familiar face from time to time, but basically, I’m greeting and meeting people right now. School for the children here begins at varying schedules, but usually one of the children has to be to school at 8a so the family gets up around 7a. We have breakfast consisting of coffee (actually more sweetened milk with just a hint of coffee) and bread. Sometimes my host mom makes kind of a starchy white, slightly salty soup to have too. It warms you up on a chilly morning. My host mom and I are the only ones that eat it, guess the others don’t like it? I usually then get on the internet for an hour or so, although I get the feeling my host mom really doesn’t like me doing this – perhaps I should be studying Tashlheet? I do then try to study the language for most of the morning outside in the sunshine because it is much warmer outside than inside, but seems like someone is always stopping by to see what I’m doing. Tea and bread is served around 10a. Sometimes my host mom makes fried donuts or crepe like things for this morning snack. The children arrive home from school around noon and sometimes my host dad comes home too at this time. The big meal of the day is served around 1p and usually consists of a tajine (kind of a conical shaped clay cooker) where there is a small portion of meat placed in the bottom and then potatoes, carrots, onion, tomato, etc., put on top. Sort of a stewed meal. It is served out of this dish and each person has a designated triangle of food in front of them that is theirs to eat. This family rarely leaves their triangle, but my previous two host families just dug in and whoever ate the fastest, got the mostest. Silverware is not used and we scoop our food with a small piece of bread. It is eaten from the top down with the most precious being the meat that is served last. If we happen to have fruit in the house, it is served last. We ate a lot of pomegranates for a while and they were delicious. Seems like the only thing available in my town now is clementines and luckily I like them. Vegetables may vary a bit, but the tajine is the most common meal eaten. On Fridays we usually have sksu (couscous), but not a lot of variation otherwise. The kids go back to school at 2p and I’ve been leaving the house then too. I visit the post office, maybe a hanut (really small store) and then I’ve been going to my apartment and cleaning and settling in. I aim to be back to my host house around 5p since that is when the kids get home from school. Tea and bread (yep, one more time) is served then. Depending on the night, I might then get back on the internet for a bit, play tic/tac/toe with the kids or cards (kind of a Go Fish game). The family sits in front of the television from about 6-9p wrapped in blankets. I usually try to join them around 7p because much more of this and I could scream. I didn’t watch television in the US, and to sit in front of the box and watch something I can’t even understand seems nuts!! We eat dinner at 8p in front of the television. It is usually a noodle dish, rice, lentils or if I’m lucky some sort of soup. At 9p everyone is ready for bed, myself included. Ahh, to be warm. My host mom has three wool blankets on my bed. The coverings are so heavy, I can hardly roll over. God help me if I have to get out of bed fast, I can hardly move them, but they are toasty and warm so I’m really not complaining. Whew….. sorry this really was more involved than I anticipated it being, but someone asked how I spend my days.

I had sheep sickness (or whatever it was) and other family members have been sick too. My host brother has been running a very high fever, has had upset stomach and a terrible cold (gosh I hope I don’t get this one). Hope it’s not H1N1.! These parents were every bit as concerned about their child as any parent in the US would be. The mom was really quite upset. The reason I share this is to give you a picture of my host dad. My host mom was sick too. She did the bare minimum during the day and collapsed on the couch late afternoon. My host dad came home and asked if the kids had had a bath since there was school the next day – they had not. He helped them bathe. He then made dinner – granted fried eggs, but dinner nevertheless. He moved everyone along to bed that night. This is soooo not the picture of the Moroccan man I had in my mind. I think he is an exception and I just wonder how he got to be this way? He will clear away the dishes after dinner, he tends to a sick child. He is just a nice guy. This is truly just a nice family!

We were talking (well kind of talking) about me moving to my own house soon. My host family tells me I don’t have to leave. I can stay with them for two years. I am part of the family. When Chris comes to visit, he is part of the family. My host mom cried. I assured them that I would visit and they could feed me whenever (as long as it isn’t sheep).

If the kids aren’t in school they are playing with friends. They are dusty and dirty by the end of the day. Unfortunately they don’t have the practice of cleaning them up before bedtime and they usually sleep in the clothes they have played in for the last day or two or three. Baths are usually taken twice a week or so. I do have the kids brushing teeth with me in the morning and at night – sometimes after lunch too. I am working really hard on getting them to cough/sneeze into their sleeves rather than out into the world. I’m making progress but not there yet. I keep telling them microbes are dangerous. Let’s wash our hands with soap – now. Speaking of playing I watch the kids of the house play with their make-believe car. They have a wheel of some sort stuck on a stick that is then stuck into a pail. They have a piece of wire going out and up from this (I think it’s the antenna). They have a head of an old doll tied on the pole (a passenger?) They play for hours with the sounds of a motor running. Who needs more?

Well, this has droned on much longer than I expected it to. Hope I haven’t bored you to death. I’ll try to write again before the holidays. Suspect you are all busy with holiday preparations. Have fun and enjoy the moment! Miss you, Bslama. Linda

Permanent Site Update

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

11/28/09 (I think. I’m never entirely certain what day/date it is.) I do know that today is l-3id mqqurn, a/k/a as the “great feast”. Today each Islamic family will slaughter an animal. For many it will be a sheep, but for those that cannot afford a sheet a goat or lamb will be slaughtered. The animal is then eaten in an orderly fashion usually starting with the liver, heart, stomach and lungs. Day two we move on to the head and feet, etc. I’m glad I’m a country girl and that my family hunts. The slaughter wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, but uncertain if I’ll be able to eat meat for a couple of days. Once we’re into eating familiar parts, I will probably be fine. Meat is a precious commodity and to think we have LOTS to eat in the next few days.

The family has been as excited about this holiday and we are about Christmas. Family and friends have stopped in for atay and l-kiks (tea & cookies) My host father bought new clothes for the children to wear today. Today they have dressed me in a fancy green kaftan type dress, complete with a black zif (scarf). I’m thinking this is not a look I should adopt for everyday wear! If I can attach a picture of me, I’m thinking you’ll agree that it does nothing for my round face. I don’t know what the rest of this celebration entails, but I’m sure I’ll learn in the coming days. I intend to celebrate a bit of Christmas with them. Uncertain what that will be at the moment, but the cultural exchange is good for all of us.

I really do like this family. They have opened up their arms and welcomed me in. I’m guessing it was an arranged marriage since most of them are here in Morocco, but there is a genuine love and caring amongst the mom and dad. They engage in great conversations and you can see that my mom definitely has her opinions, but guessing in the end she would concede to whatever he wishes. She takes wonderful care of the family and rarely leaves the homestead. Of course, she has animals to tend to, cooking/cleaning/washing to do for the family and none of this is done with the modern conveniences we are so accustomed to. She and I did walk down to the village one day and took lunch to my dad who was working on plumbing a new s-sbitar (birthing center) for the area. You could see how very proud she was of him and she just wanted to watch him work. I think she would have stayed all day. And, he is an involved dad. Almost every night he does homework with the kids. I’m guessing that both my mom and dad went to school through 9th grade or so. My mom grew up in Ouarzazate, but I don’t think she has been back to that area since she married Hussain. Too much to do here is what she tells me – no time. She has received several phone calls from her family since I’ve been here and certainly last night wishing her happy holidays.

Last Sunday I went on a great walk with the children. Had I known it was going to be such a long walk I would have worn my tennis shoes, but the clogs worked just fine. They run over the shrubs and rocks like wild animals. They climb trees like zadood s (monkeys) Eventually other children joined us and they had a real song fest in the shade of a tree. It was quite delightful to see these kids have a wonderful time without the need to have “things” to make it happen. Again, I hope to have a picture of what the countryside itself looks like. I call them hills, they call them mountains surrounding me. Nevertheless, a hike when you’re walking them.

The days here have been sunny and warm. I’m guessing around 75-80. Rain is predicted for Monday and this will be about only the 4th day of rain I can think of since I arrived in Morocco last September. The rain would be most welcome. But, as the sun goes down, it does cool down. By the time I go to bed I’m dressed in about three layers or so and welcome crawling into bed. I have a hard time thinking they really get as cold as Michigan and I can’t imagine much snow either. Let’s hope I’m not surprised and that the winter is milder than they lead me to believe.

This site has had a PC volunteer for the last few years. I think I am the third here. They have a very active association that sells goat cheese and saffron. The president of the association is a 47 year old illiterate woman. She is driven and wants improvement for the area. I’m not certain of the role I will play? She is strong-willed and I’m told challenging. My age will work to my advantage in our relationship, I hope. They have a relatively new, very clean building where they process the goat cheese. They currently deliver cheese to places in the area, but I think they would like more of an on-site retail business. Saffron – what a labor intensive process that is. Saffron comes from a crocus flower. Inside that flower are about three red sprigs that have to be taken by hand out of the flower. I don’t know when the season for harvest is, but it’s not now. I see bags of crocus bulbs sitting around, waiting to be planted I would assume.

Right now I have to concentrate on the language and I continue to find it most challenging. I have found a tutor who I think will be good, but he is very busy and I’m only able to meet with him one a week. There is a young woman living in the apartment below the apartment I will move to in January who speaks decent English. She has some college education and she is here working at the association with young women teaching computer skills, some English, etc. I’ve asked her if she is willing to work with me too and I hope to start sessions soon.

I was lucky and had the opportunity to spend time with the PCV (Amy) that’s been here before she left. She introduced me to lots of people and showed me around town. I am also able to rent the space she has been living in and bought some home furnishings from her. The gray, cement tall building will be my new home for the next two years. Doesn’t look that appealing, but it will be better than the adobe homes that are more typical here. Even though I’m not able to officially move in until January 1st, the landlord has given me free access to the apartment, so I am slowly working getting things settled. Amy was not fond of the kitchen and didn’t like to cook much, so I have purchases to make there. I also bought a table and chairs. If you’re into white plastic, you’d love it!! The biggest problem with buying things is that you have to somehow lug them home with you in the taxi since local business don’t offer much. THEN, since the taxi lets you off in the center of town, you have to lug everything UP the inclimb to my apartment. Hey, I’m a 60 year old woman – not always an easy feat. I did buy a 3-drawer unit at the hanut in town and a young man carried them up for me. Age does have a few benefits I guess.

We have a young man, Nortin, who lives with my family. I’m guessing him to be about 15 years old or so. I’m told that his dad died and he has been living primarily with this family since he was 6. Nortin heads out everyday with the assidun (mule) to gather grass I’m guessing for winter feeding. One day last week he came into the kitchen with a gunny sack folded down and in it a very young goat. The goat’s mother didn’t have milk and he brought it home to be tended to. This goat is the cutest thing I’ve seen. He looks like a patchwork quilt – he’s gray, black and white with little ears that curl up at the edge. I fed him his first bottle of milk. My mom milks the cow and feeds the little guy several times during the day. He has gotten so much stronger and you should see him run and play. Like a puppy with his tail wagging like crazy. He obviously likes people and loves to suck on your fingers. I love him and don’t want to think that someday they will likely eat him! I’ve attached several pictures of my new little friend.

Well, til I sit down the next time guess this is it. Love and miss you all, Bslama