Monday, March 14, 2011

6 months already...where has the time gone?


TGIF…syke…everyday is Friday for me.  Well, not really…I only have weekends “off” but every day is like Friday because I never know what the next day holds.  It is Friday, March 04, 2011.  Got back to site this week, Monday, and have been dealing with a stomach bug.  Most likely from drinking the local water up north that my system is not used to.  Nothing unusual… just cleaning out
my system, also a good weight loss solution.  The locals tell me the local water is difficult up north.  One even asked me if I was recovered…when I told her yes she said because you are back here, our village is medicine.  Tuesday, I was tired and not feeling well and had a wonderful day staying in the house and actually only had 1 knock all day.  Wednesday, I didn’t go to souq because they had doctors coming to do eye checks for my village and surrounding ones.  They used our association building for the doctors to set up.  It is so interesting in this country.  The people are very diverse economically/socially but seem” divided.”  For example, the doctors spoke some English and one asked me why I speak the Berber language and not Arabic.  It’s not about the question itself it is the
manner in which it was asked.  I explained that I live in this village and he let back a little…but it was as if he was looking down on me that I didn’t know the Arabic.  Another one just came out and asked “what are you doing in this neck of the woods.”  Again, I said I live her and he said WOW. Neither of them meant any harm but it just reinforces the presence of the divide in status/development in this country.  I went down out of the mountain yesterday to use the internet in hopes to set up my flight to Barcelona.  I am going on a long weekend to see my aunt and I am so excited…this is a much needed trip.  Flights to Europe are super cheap from here so I will hopefully get to take some more short trips in my time here.  Found out that my wonderful teacher, Malika, will be coming to my site for CBT when the new group of volunteers arrive.



So it is now Sunday March 13, 2011….definitely fell asleep on that last part and I am just now getting back to update you all.  I am going to Barcelona!! I have never been to Europe and I am pumped.  Thanks to my wonderful sisters and my aunt and uncle this has all become possible.  Going in the middle of April for a long weekend!  Back to the CBT (community based training) coming to my site.  The new volunteers arrive in Morocco on Wednesday the 16th…have training for a few days
then head to their CBT/Training sites.  As I did when I first arrived, spending the first 2.5 months in training at a different village before coming to my permanent site.  I am really excited to meet the new volunteers, being able to help them with their transition from America to their own Peace Corps experiences and even better their LCF (Language and Culture Facilitator)/teacher was mine as well. In fact she has spent some time in my site for developing host families.  We got to spend this past
Monday together and it was great.  She had me exploring areas of my site I had not yet explored.  We walked all along the other side of the river and climbed the mountain ridge behind my house.  Last weekend, I joined my counterpart with a trip up the mountain to her sister’s house. It was about an hour transit ride.  Had a great time…spent 2 and a half days meeting new people, drinking tea, eating dates, drinking tea, eating dates and some.  It was fun…Moohou had to make her rounds so I was by her side the whole time.  They have an association of weavers up there, and boy they are good.  They are just so far away from access to markets and selling opportunities.  Tourists don’t come to that area…and if they aren’t a co-op they don’t find out about craft fairs, plus their quality requires a higher price than the locals can afford.  They are definitely a hidden treasure.  I was up so far that I was told if I hiked for about a day I would cross into the Azilal province and then
descend down the north side of the High Atlas Mountains.  I may do it one day, if I can get someone to go with, it would be too dangerous to go by myself! Plus there is a gorge up there as well as waterfalls.  It is amazing up there, the higher you go up the mountains the more visable the
Berber traditions are.  You know, I didn’t take pictures and I don’t know why, sorry next time.  My neighbor had a baby earlier in the week so there have been a few “tea” parties with the women and either tonight or tomorrow there will be a “baby naming ceremony.”  This happens on the seventh day after birth.  The baby was born through the night last Monday to Tuesday.  I hope they consider
the “7th” day tomorrow, Monday, so I don’t miss it.  On this day they will slaughter/sacrifice a
sheep, maybe 2, depending if the family can afford it.  The sheep will be eaten by the guest of the
ceremony, which can last all night.  If there is a 2nd sheep, it is strictly for the woman who gave
birth.  The night will consist of drinking tea, eating skewers of fresh meat, drinking tea, eating a main course (of meat), drinking more tea and plenty of Ahaydus (traditional dancing)…this
is my favorite part!  We had 2 days of rain, finally, Thursday and Friday, and the village was basically dead.  It is like when we have snow storms in Ohio and people can’t go out because they can’t drive.  On Thursday I was supposed to start my English classes but I was told at the last minute no one was going because of the rain.  However, yesterday I went to the association and a few of my girls asked me where I was on Thursday…I felt really bad.  I explained to them how a few girls told me no one was there.  It is interesting because it is a small village and that is how word gets around, by mouth, and I don’t understand why a few girls told me no one was going.  Friday, I started drawing classes with the young girls of my village.  It was raining all day so I wasn’t sure if they would show up, but they have been asking for a while to come.  Sure enough, only two ended up coming and we had a great time.  I decided to introduce them to the alphabet of the Berber language, Taffinagh.  I am glad I did because they didn’t know what it was.  I have heard that the King has pushed to bring it back into the education system at the primary level.  Now, I am down in my souk town for a few days
to get some work done.   Met with my tutor for the last time today because he is an LCF for Peace Corps and he has to report for the new group of trainees this week.  Tomorrow, I am going to the local commune to try and get help in finding my women a teacher in Arabic.  Wish me luck…I will keep you posted!  This upcoming week will be busy making sure my house is ready, so I can be a good example for the new volunteers.  I am setting it up little by little (imik s imik), but now I have to make sure it is ready for them.  Oh yea, I took pictures of my place because I have had so many special request.  This is good because now you all will see before and after pics.  Well time is gone…Thlla g ixfinun! (Take care of yourselves)



Here is my wonderful friend and teacher, Malika, with my village in the background.



Thats me with the fields...not sure if you can tell from last pic of my fields, but they are turning more green by the day!
This the view of the other side of the ridge we climbed...that is the road out of the mountain to my souk town...it wraps and winds for about 18K which takes 25-30 minutes on transit.
I am not good with angles, so excuse me...this is from the entrance of my house, into the courtyard.  That is my new garden with spinach and green and red leaf lettuce sent from America.  Can't find that here and I miss it!  That is the door to my "salon/shanbray." In English...living room.
That is my bathroom/bitlama in corner and the other is the door to my bedroom.
Entrance to my kitchen is to the right with a little storage area straight ahead. 
My kitchen...make shift shelf from the box of my stove.  That is a Buta gas that you have to turn on to light the stoves here. 
Food storage for now until I get more shelves and a fridge.  I wouldn't get a fridge because they are expensive, but in summer it will get so hott and I don't have access to food, dairy and meat in site.  My stuff will need to keep for atleast a week from going down to souq to get it.
 This is walking into my living room and looking right.Here is me entering and turning around to see the other side.  Again, this is storage until I get shelves for my room.
This is my toilet/shower hole. It is wet from water...
There is my camp shower...the best thing ever...I have a nice system going...plus the water heats in the sun so it is free!
My bathroom rack...exciting...
This is my bedroom...with a view of the window.
This is the view from just stepping in the door...yea you all see I brought my Cleveland love to Morocco