PCV...That's me.

27 November 2006

Okay, I realize it has been a long time since my last update and I’m sorry but I have been so busy lately! First of all, I want to give a few shout-outs to all the awesome people who have been sending me mail! Thanks to Mom, Dad, Megan, Sara, Grandma B, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Barb, Aunt Brenda, Mike Cook, D’Ann, Mim, and Jana! I know a few of you wanted to be the first ones to send me mail, so I’ll have you all know that Megan won that contest! Grandma B takes the cake for most letters, mom has sent the most newspaper clippings and dad has sent the most Hallmark cards. Sukran to everyone!

Today was just another hectic day in the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer…it’s finally official. I am a volunteer. Last Friday I swore in at the most beautiful hotel I have ever seen and spent the day celebrating with the other volunteers and our CBT host families. The next morning I awoke early to begin my travels south. I traveled with a group of eight to Marrakech and there, we spent the night at a hotel. The next morning we shopped around a bit and decided rather than take the bus to Agadir like we did during site visit, we would take a taxi. The five of us piled into a grand taxi and headed south. Along the way, the taxi driver pulled over at a gas station and got out. We all used the restroom, bought a snack, and returned to the taxi. We waited, but there was no sign of the taxi driver anywhere. Chase took initiative and went searching for the multaxi. She found him, in the middle of what she called “a five course meal” and asked him, “What are you doing?” To which he naturally replied, “Eating. Want to join me?” She said no and came back to the taxi, where we waited for another ten minutes. When the multaxi finally returned, he had brought along his coffee to-go. Only in Morocco, there is no such thing as coffee to-go, so he just taken the glass from the café with him in the car. Maybe forty-five minutes later on the road he offered Dan a drink, but gently, Dan declined.

When we arrived in Inezgane, we were stunned to find that the never-ending taxi stand had vanished from its previous spot. You have to understand why we found this so puzzling: Inezgane is known for its taxi stand. It is the largest of its kind in the country, so for it to disappear and relocate was hard to grasp. We walked skeptically to what we thought might be the direction of the new taxi stand. We found taxis, maybe it was a taxi stand, but to be honest with you, I still am not sure what that place was. I had a difficult time finding a taxi to my site, but with the help of a creepy one-eyed man who later petitioned for money, I got in a taxi heading to a town I had never heard of. I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but I thought to myself, “Wherever I end up, just ask for a taxi going to my town and eventually I will get there.” And that’s exactly what I did. Luckily, the town I ended up in is only a short fifteen-minute drive away from my site.

Coming back to my town felt so comfortable. I was glad to see my new host family and they were so happy to see me again. I socialized a bit, ate dinner and went up to bed, exhausted. Then, this morning I headed back to the dreaded Inezgane. Last week I shipped two pieces of luggage via the bus shipping service and decided yesterday it would be much easier to return to Inezgane at another time, rather than try to haul all my belongings back to my town at one time. Coincidentally, I met up with the other volunteers there and we embarked on \what became a string of mini-adventures. First, we took the bus into Agadir to find a place that sells these tiny stamps that are needed for the carte de sejour we are required to get. Of course, the store was not open, so we walked down to the ocean. I felt like I had walked into somebody else’s life…certainly not the life of a Peace Corps volunteer. I look forward to spending some quality time sunbathing on that beach.

Now, I am back at my site and starting to think of all the things I need to do during these first few weeks. Tomorrow I will find one of those stamps, meet with the local authorities, visit the dar chebab and stop by one of the cybers. That, without doubt should amount to a busy day. I apologize for my lack of correspondence and blog updates as of late, but I can safely assure you that I will have nothing but time on my hands now. Stay tuned.