Last night when I got back from Agadir, I gave each of the girls in my host family a Christmas stocking. At first they smiled and said, “oh, cute!” but then they looked confused and one girl asked me, “why do you give me this small sock?” So, I then explained to them the mysterious wonder that is Santa Claus. They thought that was a great idea. As I was going to bed, my host mom asked me, “where is your stocking?” I said I had one up in my room and she told me I should bring it down just in case Santa Claus would come. I laughed and said okay. This morning when I woke up I came down for breakfast and found that Santa Claus had delivered four small pieces of candy. Sukran, Santa! Later on, Rabyaa, my host cousin, said to me, “I really don’t think there is a Santa Claus. How did he get into our house last night?” I laughed and asked her, “Did you hear him last night?” She said no, she hadn’t heard him and walked off, looking perplexed. That Saint Nicholas and his tricky ways!
Make Sure you check out the new photos I posted! Click on the link "my pictures"
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Mass Chaos with Chase
Sunday afternoon I met up with Chase in Agadir for what we thought would be a totally chill weekend. What we experienced was more like mass chaos. Things started off quite normally. We met up with Dan at Souk l-Hdd in Agadir, did a little bit of shopping and afterward enjoyed ourselves at a nice little Danish pub. Up until this point, everything was mellow. Dan wanted to catch a soccer game on the tv, so we left him there to hit up the Marjan before leaving Agadir.
After Marjan, the cosmos began spinning out of control. We arrived at the taxi stand in Inezgane and waited forever to get a taxi to Chase's site. I was planning on spending the night at Chase’s site, so I was traveling with her. There was one man in our taxi was absolutely insane. He was practically sitting on my lap and was really irritating me because he kept trying to talk really close to my face and it was making me super uncomfortable. Later on, Chase opened a bag of chips while we were waiting and he helped himself to a big handful. We ignored him for most of the ride, although that did not stop him from trying to talk to us.
When we arrived at Chase's site, we got out of the cab and it was shortly after this point that I realized my cell phone was missing. I searched through my backpack and could not find it anywhere. Now, I am not blaming that man in the taxi, but I am pretty sure I had the phone when we got into the taxi, and he definitely had a few screws loose, so I would bet money that he is the person who stole my phone.
For the evening, I decided to forget my troubles and enjoy a nice time at the house of Mandy, Chase's sitemate. We tried calling my phone, but nobody answered and I feared the batteries would soon be dead. We decided to try to track down the lost cell phone the next morning.
The next day started off slowly, but by the end of the day, had spun out of control. After we awoke, Mandy and I walked to the taxi stand to ask about my phone. The multaxi had not seen or heard of a lost cell phone.
At this point, I gave up on finding my cell phone and decided I would need to buy a new one that day. So, Chase and I decided to head back to Agadir. First, we both needed to stop by the post office. I exchanged some American dollars to floos, Chase checked her mail hoping to find a check from Peace Corps. Leaving the post office, a European-looking elderly man in a very fancy car rolled down his window and asked in English if we needed a lift somewhere. He took him up on his offer and got a ride to the taxi stand. He was a 75 year old man from France who drove fast. Next, we flagged down a taxi and away we went to Inezgane. From Inezgane, we taxied to Agadir. In Agadir, we decided to find some pizza for lunch and thought Pizza Hut sounded like a good idea. We got in a petit taxi and told him to take us to the Pizza Hut on the beach. The man did not have a clue, drove us in a big circle and dropped us off one block away from where he picked us up because we saw the Pizza Hut. We decided we weren’t going to pay him the full amount and he was really nice and refused our money.
Lunch was heavenly. I think I might write a letter to Pizza Hut and thank them for bringing their chain to this country. We had pepperoni pizza! Pepperoni! That is major Hshuma (shame) here because it is a Muslim country and people are forbidden from eating pork products. After the Hut, we splurged on a gelato. Then, we did something really silly and paid to take a tour of Agadir on this incredibly cheesy looking train. While sitting on the train, waiting to depart, a man from across the street waved at me and said, “hello, teacher!” It was one of my new students from the Dar Chebab. Great, now he will probably tell my entire community that he saw me in Agadir riding that stupid tourist train. The tour was okay at best. We saw some gorgeous hotels that we will remember for when our families visit.
After the tour, we hailed a taxi to take us to the area near the taxi stand so I could buy a phone. Coincidentally, the taxi driver remembered us from the day before when he took us to Marjan. He was very helpful and drove us to a cell phone store owned by his friend and waited for me to buy a phone and then would take us to the taxi stand. I bought a very nice phone and while we were walking out of the store, Chase’s cell phone rang. It was somebody asking to speak to Jennifer. Chase said, "who is Jennifer?" And I said, "me, Jenny!" I got on her phone and it was my host mom! She said she had called my cell phone and a strange man had answered it. She said she was in Agadir and had my cell phone. Chase went to meet my host mom while I returned to the store to try and return the newly purchased phone. Luckily, the man was very forgiving and let me exchange the phone for the full amount. I doubt a store owner in America would do the same for a foreigner who could barely speak English.
When I met up with Chase and my mom, I found out she did not have the phone yet, but she said the man said he would get off work soon and then we could meet him. She was in Agadir with her parents and sister for a doctor’s appointment. Chase and I decided to tag along to the clinic and kill time until we could meet the man. When we arrived at the clinic, we decided to find some water and walked to the nearest hanut. We sat on the curb, drinking water and eating Skittles (yes, the hanut had Skittles, so of course we had to buy them!) then returned to the clinic. At the clinic, Chase realized she had misplaced her cell phone. This became quite hysterical to us (or maybe just me). I ran outside to look for the cell phone and asked the hanut owner if she had seen it. Nope. I even checked our garbage bag and then returned to the clinic and by that time Chase was really starting to freak out, so she went outside to look for the cell phone a second time. She found a man holding it close to where we had been sitting on the curb. Phew.
By this time, it was time to meet the man who had my cell phone. We called my phone about ten times before he answered it. I told him in my broken Darija, “I want my phone now. Where are you?” He laughed at me and told me he would not give it back to me. I was so mad! My host mom called him and he hung up on her. Then, my host mom’s dad called the guy, tried talking him into giving me my phone back, and he hung up on him too! I guess he said he would give me my chip from inside the phone, but not the phone. Here is what I do not understand. The phone I bought is ugly. It was the cheapest phone I could find. The only thing that I can think of is that last week I recharged the minutes on my phone (it was double recharge, so I bought 100 minutes and received 200) and he found out the phone was full of minutes and wanted to keep it.
So, today I will buy a new cell phone. I will email you with the new number as soon as I get it. Also, I am buying some kind of key chain so I can hook the phone to my backpack or purse. Nobody is ever getting their hands on this new phone. Inshaallah.
Lhumdullah for Chase. Thank you, Chase, for helping me and putting up with my mushkils!
After Marjan, the cosmos began spinning out of control. We arrived at the taxi stand in Inezgane and waited forever to get a taxi to Chase's site. I was planning on spending the night at Chase’s site, so I was traveling with her. There was one man in our taxi was absolutely insane. He was practically sitting on my lap and was really irritating me because he kept trying to talk really close to my face and it was making me super uncomfortable. Later on, Chase opened a bag of chips while we were waiting and he helped himself to a big handful. We ignored him for most of the ride, although that did not stop him from trying to talk to us.
When we arrived at Chase's site, we got out of the cab and it was shortly after this point that I realized my cell phone was missing. I searched through my backpack and could not find it anywhere. Now, I am not blaming that man in the taxi, but I am pretty sure I had the phone when we got into the taxi, and he definitely had a few screws loose, so I would bet money that he is the person who stole my phone.
For the evening, I decided to forget my troubles and enjoy a nice time at the house of Mandy, Chase's sitemate. We tried calling my phone, but nobody answered and I feared the batteries would soon be dead. We decided to try to track down the lost cell phone the next morning.
The next day started off slowly, but by the end of the day, had spun out of control. After we awoke, Mandy and I walked to the taxi stand to ask about my phone. The multaxi had not seen or heard of a lost cell phone.
At this point, I gave up on finding my cell phone and decided I would need to buy a new one that day. So, Chase and I decided to head back to Agadir. First, we both needed to stop by the post office. I exchanged some American dollars to floos, Chase checked her mail hoping to find a check from Peace Corps. Leaving the post office, a European-looking elderly man in a very fancy car rolled down his window and asked in English if we needed a lift somewhere. He took him up on his offer and got a ride to the taxi stand. He was a 75 year old man from France who drove fast. Next, we flagged down a taxi and away we went to Inezgane. From Inezgane, we taxied to Agadir. In Agadir, we decided to find some pizza for lunch and thought Pizza Hut sounded like a good idea. We got in a petit taxi and told him to take us to the Pizza Hut on the beach. The man did not have a clue, drove us in a big circle and dropped us off one block away from where he picked us up because we saw the Pizza Hut. We decided we weren’t going to pay him the full amount and he was really nice and refused our money.
Lunch was heavenly. I think I might write a letter to Pizza Hut and thank them for bringing their chain to this country. We had pepperoni pizza! Pepperoni! That is major Hshuma (shame) here because it is a Muslim country and people are forbidden from eating pork products. After the Hut, we splurged on a gelato. Then, we did something really silly and paid to take a tour of Agadir on this incredibly cheesy looking train. While sitting on the train, waiting to depart, a man from across the street waved at me and said, “hello, teacher!” It was one of my new students from the Dar Chebab. Great, now he will probably tell my entire community that he saw me in Agadir riding that stupid tourist train. The tour was okay at best. We saw some gorgeous hotels that we will remember for when our families visit.
After the tour, we hailed a taxi to take us to the area near the taxi stand so I could buy a phone. Coincidentally, the taxi driver remembered us from the day before when he took us to Marjan. He was very helpful and drove us to a cell phone store owned by his friend and waited for me to buy a phone and then would take us to the taxi stand. I bought a very nice phone and while we were walking out of the store, Chase’s cell phone rang. It was somebody asking to speak to Jennifer. Chase said, "who is Jennifer?" And I said, "me, Jenny!" I got on her phone and it was my host mom! She said she had called my cell phone and a strange man had answered it. She said she was in Agadir and had my cell phone. Chase went to meet my host mom while I returned to the store to try and return the newly purchased phone. Luckily, the man was very forgiving and let me exchange the phone for the full amount. I doubt a store owner in America would do the same for a foreigner who could barely speak English.
When I met up with Chase and my mom, I found out she did not have the phone yet, but she said the man said he would get off work soon and then we could meet him. She was in Agadir with her parents and sister for a doctor’s appointment. Chase and I decided to tag along to the clinic and kill time until we could meet the man. When we arrived at the clinic, we decided to find some water and walked to the nearest hanut. We sat on the curb, drinking water and eating Skittles (yes, the hanut had Skittles, so of course we had to buy them!) then returned to the clinic. At the clinic, Chase realized she had misplaced her cell phone. This became quite hysterical to us (or maybe just me). I ran outside to look for the cell phone and asked the hanut owner if she had seen it. Nope. I even checked our garbage bag and then returned to the clinic and by that time Chase was really starting to freak out, so she went outside to look for the cell phone a second time. She found a man holding it close to where we had been sitting on the curb. Phew.
By this time, it was time to meet the man who had my cell phone. We called my phone about ten times before he answered it. I told him in my broken Darija, “I want my phone now. Where are you?” He laughed at me and told me he would not give it back to me. I was so mad! My host mom called him and he hung up on her. Then, my host mom’s dad called the guy, tried talking him into giving me my phone back, and he hung up on him too! I guess he said he would give me my chip from inside the phone, but not the phone. Here is what I do not understand. The phone I bought is ugly. It was the cheapest phone I could find. The only thing that I can think of is that last week I recharged the minutes on my phone (it was double recharge, so I bought 100 minutes and received 200) and he found out the phone was full of minutes and wanted to keep it.
So, today I will buy a new cell phone. I will email you with the new number as soon as I get it. Also, I am buying some kind of key chain so I can hook the phone to my backpack or purse. Nobody is ever getting their hands on this new phone. Inshaallah.
Lhumdullah for Chase. Thank you, Chase, for helping me and putting up with my mushkils!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
100 New Chairs
Let me describe to you a “normal” day at the Dar Chebab. After my usual hearty breakfast of bread (what else is there?) I leave my house “late,” sometimes as late as ten minutes past 10:00. But, no worries, I am usually the first to arrive to work in the morning. So, I take a seat outside and wait. After a while, Mounir the Moudir rolls in on his wheels, a bike that is. He gets the chairs out of his office, we arrange them facing toward the patch of weeds and dirt and begin the process of watching the hoses. You might be asking yourself, what exactly does it mean to watch the hoses? Well, let me explain this experience as best as I can. Apparently, this aforesaid patch of weeds is in constant need of watering, along with a few budding small trees. We spend a great deal of time arranging and rearranging the placement of the hoses. And sometimes we may even drink tea while we watch the hoses.
Last Saturday, while engaged in the hose process, a very large dump truck backed into the Dar Chebab. Without delay, it unloaded two massive piles of sand and drove off. I thought to myself, could there really be that great of a need for sand here? Previously, I had cursed the sand surplus and now feared the Dar Chebab might be attempting some kind of trendy beach theme in the courtyard. The weekend passed, and when I returned to the Dar Chebab on Tuesday morning (my weekends fall on Sunday and Monday because those are the days the Dar Chebab is closed) I was stunned by what I found inside the gates. The piles of sand had vanished and in its place was a new concrete courtyard. Things were definitely beginning to look up.
The next day, as we sat, we watched more changes begin to unfold. The Moudir hired a group of young men to rake up the patch of weeds and place painted rocks around the small trees. During these days, we turned the hoses off, and watched the men work instead. After observing their work for a while, we would all take a tea break together.
Then, two days ago another large truck arrived, this time overloaded with stacks and stacks of chairs. The hired help unloaded the 100 new chairs for the Dar Chebab. I have to admit, I was getting a little nervous by the excess of all those chairs. How many youth were they expecting to come to the Dar Chebab? Well, my friends, I soon found out.
Yesterday I organized a language test at the Dar Chebab for any youth interested in taking English classes with me. As a youth developer, I can use English classes as a way of attracting youth to the Dar Chebab, and afterwards, begin programs that are of interest to them. I had visited the schools and the Moudir had advertised in the classrooms, but I had no idea how many youth would show up on test day. Coincidentally, come test day there were students lined up inside and outside the Dar Chebab, waiting to take the test with me.
I gave 125 oral English exams.
And today I gave fifteen additional exams. So, that means that 140 youth want to learn English from me. Wow. I will have one class of beginners, four intermediate classes, and one advanced class. Oh, and I will also be teaching one class for adults in the community. So, my plate is full, and well, pretty much overflowing with work here.
Today my Moudir said to me (in Darija of course, so after three or four attempts I was able to get the gist of what he was saying to me) that before I came, he didn’t know what a volunteer was. He didn’t know what the Peace Corps was or why it would send a volunteer to his town. He said he was worried before because he didn’t know what he would do with the volunteer once they arrived. But, now after I arrived, he is the happiest Moudir in all of Morocco because he has the best volunteer. I love my Moudir.
December 9, 2006
Last Saturday, while engaged in the hose process, a very large dump truck backed into the Dar Chebab. Without delay, it unloaded two massive piles of sand and drove off. I thought to myself, could there really be that great of a need for sand here? Previously, I had cursed the sand surplus and now feared the Dar Chebab might be attempting some kind of trendy beach theme in the courtyard. The weekend passed, and when I returned to the Dar Chebab on Tuesday morning (my weekends fall on Sunday and Monday because those are the days the Dar Chebab is closed) I was stunned by what I found inside the gates. The piles of sand had vanished and in its place was a new concrete courtyard. Things were definitely beginning to look up.
The next day, as we sat, we watched more changes begin to unfold. The Moudir hired a group of young men to rake up the patch of weeds and place painted rocks around the small trees. During these days, we turned the hoses off, and watched the men work instead. After observing their work for a while, we would all take a tea break together.
Then, two days ago another large truck arrived, this time overloaded with stacks and stacks of chairs. The hired help unloaded the 100 new chairs for the Dar Chebab. I have to admit, I was getting a little nervous by the excess of all those chairs. How many youth were they expecting to come to the Dar Chebab? Well, my friends, I soon found out.
Yesterday I organized a language test at the Dar Chebab for any youth interested in taking English classes with me. As a youth developer, I can use English classes as a way of attracting youth to the Dar Chebab, and afterwards, begin programs that are of interest to them. I had visited the schools and the Moudir had advertised in the classrooms, but I had no idea how many youth would show up on test day. Coincidentally, come test day there were students lined up inside and outside the Dar Chebab, waiting to take the test with me.
I gave 125 oral English exams.
And today I gave fifteen additional exams. So, that means that 140 youth want to learn English from me. Wow. I will have one class of beginners, four intermediate classes, and one advanced class. Oh, and I will also be teaching one class for adults in the community. So, my plate is full, and well, pretty much overflowing with work here.
Today my Moudir said to me (in Darija of course, so after three or four attempts I was able to get the gist of what he was saying to me) that before I came, he didn’t know what a volunteer was. He didn’t know what the Peace Corps was or why it would send a volunteer to his town. He said he was worried before because he didn’t know what he would do with the volunteer once they arrived. But, now after I arrived, he is the happiest Moudir in all of Morocco because he has the best volunteer. I love my Moudir.
December 9, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Happy Birthday, Sara!
I have been at my site for over a week now! Last Sunday was one of the craziest days here! It was my “day off” but really there is never a day off here because every day that I have to think and speak Darija is a day of hard work! Anyway, I slept in and ate a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs and bread. Always bread. Right after breakfast my host mom (who’s more like a sister because she is only 20 years old!) and I went to a village in the countryside to visit her aunt. We were dropped off on some dusty road where we met about ten other women. We joined them to walk to the aunt’s house. It was a really hot day and most of the women were really fat (and some of them really old) so it took us a long time to walk to the house. We would walk a little ways, and the women would stop for a rest, then we would walk some more.
When we got to the house there were probably a total of thirty women there and all of their children. Where the men were is a mystery to me. Social events are usual segregated, so even if men and women attend, they eat and socialize in separate areas of the house. We sat on the floor in one room and drank mint tea and ate roasted almonds. After a while, it was time for lunch so we all crammed around a table close to the ground. We were served a delicious chicken flavored with something sweet. The way you eat a chicken here is simple. You just take your hand and tear the meat off a bone and put it in your mouth! I have eaten a few chickens here before, so I was accustomed to that. After I ate my fair share of chicken, I thought the meal was over. But, just at that moment, another dish was brought out that was filled with roast beef! So, not to be rude, I had to eat the roast beef, too. After that, I was really full. But as is the custom here, last came the fruit. A huge dish was brought out piled high with apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes. I ate half a banana and half an orange and called it quits. Finally, after we had cleared the table of all the bread crumbs and discarded meat bones, everybody curled up with a pillow and the lights were turned off. Some of the women took a nap.
I was whisked out of the room and taken to another room where a woman was doing henna. Henna is that herb that you can mix with water and with it dye the skin. I think the woman was a professional because the designs she gave me on both my hands and feet were amazing. I will take a picture to show you. During the henna ordeal, we drank more mint tea and were served a snack! Can you guess what we ate? That’s right – more meat. We each had a shish kabob. I was offered a second kabob but I had to say no. After the henna dried and was taken off, it was time to say goodbye. By this point, it was nearing six o’clock and my mom and I had ANOTHER dinner invitation to attend to.
I was exhausted as we drove to our second destination: another farm in the countryside. We got there around 7:30 or so and the festivities started all over again. Mint tea followed by dinner. This time we were served a roast beef dish first and afterwards couscous. I was getting major stomach cramps from all that food! I didn’t eat anything more than a few nibbles, but it was all too much for one day. We left around 10:30 and returned home around 11pm. I went straight to bed, after brushing my teeth of course. All that mint tea makes my teeth feel gross.
Anyway, on Monday I felt entitled to a day without Darija and forced-feeding. So, I took a taxi to Inezgane and met up with a fellow volunteer. He and I walked around the market, ate a light lunch and talked a lot! It is nice to feel like a normally functioning adult, if only for a few hours! Sometimes I feel a little like a lost child here. Because I can only communicate basic things, I don’t really feel like the people here know me, the real me. It is really difficult to be funny or to make a joke when you don’t know the language! Anyways, it is nice to be with an American for a while because you can just be yourself.
The other night, I was telling my host family about Christmas and they seem to think it is a beautiful holiday. They say they think Christmas trees are wonderful and maybe they will get one for me. I was embarrassed and told them I didn’t need one. I think they will probably get one anyway, but I hope not.
Today has been a very good day so far. I went to the Dar Chebab in the morning and talked with the Moudir. He told me some very good news! He is going to the Delegation today to meet with the Delegue (the people who oversee the work of the Dar Chebab) to ask them for both a phone line and internet at the Dar Chebab. He is almost certain he will get what he is asking for. Wouldn’t that be awesome? He said if we get it, I will have my own office with a phone and internet! I doubt there is any other volunteer with those amenities. So, basically, I have the best site and Dar Chebab ever.
I also met with the Moudira of the Dar Taliba. This literally means the House of Female Students. These girls come to town to study at the high school and because they come from villages or farms in the countryside, they live in the Dar Taliba during the week. The Moudir wants me to teach her girls English. This is good news, but a bit overwhelming! I think every person in this town wants me to teach them English!
I will be teaching a class of adults at the Dar Chebab. They are teachers in the schools who do not know English. On Friday, I am giving a test to any youth interested in English classes and depending on how many show up, I could have a very busy schedule. Also, I met with the Moudira of the Neddy Niswi. The Neddy Niswi is an organization that serves women. These women work on handicrafts, like knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, etc. They are interested in learning English as well, so that is another place I will be working at. And I am excited to learn some new skills like embroidery! Also, I have met one woman who is the aunt of my host mom and she is very interested in learning English, but she is not allowed to leave her house, so I think I will plan to visit her weekly.
So, as you can see, I have a full plate here! I am excited to get to work, but a little worried, because I was not trained as a teacher and do not have a lot of the skills a teacher needs. I am worried I will run out of ideas after a month of teaching! I really want to start planning activities, but maybe I can incorporate them into my English lessons.
I am asking everyone I meet if they know of a place to live. I think my host dad might own a house that he would rent to me. I cannot wait to move into my own house! I am so sick of not having any control over my life! I want to cook the food I like to eat and that means NO MORE BREAD! I want to exercise, I want to relax, I want to walk around in a T-shirt and shorts when it’s hot, and I want to decorate it so it will be a comfortable little refuge for myself. I love my host family, but they eat so much food! And as a woman, I don’t really have the freedom to just go for a walk. It’s weird. My host mom worries a lot about my safety, even though I think this is the safest town ever. So, once I am on my own, I won’t have that feeling of guilt whenever I live the house to do things in my free time. And I can’t wait to have the other volunteers and my family (that means you guys!) come visit me!
When we got to the house there were probably a total of thirty women there and all of their children. Where the men were is a mystery to me. Social events are usual segregated, so even if men and women attend, they eat and socialize in separate areas of the house. We sat on the floor in one room and drank mint tea and ate roasted almonds. After a while, it was time for lunch so we all crammed around a table close to the ground. We were served a delicious chicken flavored with something sweet. The way you eat a chicken here is simple. You just take your hand and tear the meat off a bone and put it in your mouth! I have eaten a few chickens here before, so I was accustomed to that. After I ate my fair share of chicken, I thought the meal was over. But, just at that moment, another dish was brought out that was filled with roast beef! So, not to be rude, I had to eat the roast beef, too. After that, I was really full. But as is the custom here, last came the fruit. A huge dish was brought out piled high with apples, bananas, oranges, and grapes. I ate half a banana and half an orange and called it quits. Finally, after we had cleared the table of all the bread crumbs and discarded meat bones, everybody curled up with a pillow and the lights were turned off. Some of the women took a nap.
I was whisked out of the room and taken to another room where a woman was doing henna. Henna is that herb that you can mix with water and with it dye the skin. I think the woman was a professional because the designs she gave me on both my hands and feet were amazing. I will take a picture to show you. During the henna ordeal, we drank more mint tea and were served a snack! Can you guess what we ate? That’s right – more meat. We each had a shish kabob. I was offered a second kabob but I had to say no. After the henna dried and was taken off, it was time to say goodbye. By this point, it was nearing six o’clock and my mom and I had ANOTHER dinner invitation to attend to.
I was exhausted as we drove to our second destination: another farm in the countryside. We got there around 7:30 or so and the festivities started all over again. Mint tea followed by dinner. This time we were served a roast beef dish first and afterwards couscous. I was getting major stomach cramps from all that food! I didn’t eat anything more than a few nibbles, but it was all too much for one day. We left around 10:30 and returned home around 11pm. I went straight to bed, after brushing my teeth of course. All that mint tea makes my teeth feel gross.
Anyway, on Monday I felt entitled to a day without Darija and forced-feeding. So, I took a taxi to Inezgane and met up with a fellow volunteer. He and I walked around the market, ate a light lunch and talked a lot! It is nice to feel like a normally functioning adult, if only for a few hours! Sometimes I feel a little like a lost child here. Because I can only communicate basic things, I don’t really feel like the people here know me, the real me. It is really difficult to be funny or to make a joke when you don’t know the language! Anyways, it is nice to be with an American for a while because you can just be yourself.
The other night, I was telling my host family about Christmas and they seem to think it is a beautiful holiday. They say they think Christmas trees are wonderful and maybe they will get one for me. I was embarrassed and told them I didn’t need one. I think they will probably get one anyway, but I hope not.
Today has been a very good day so far. I went to the Dar Chebab in the morning and talked with the Moudir. He told me some very good news! He is going to the Delegation today to meet with the Delegue (the people who oversee the work of the Dar Chebab) to ask them for both a phone line and internet at the Dar Chebab. He is almost certain he will get what he is asking for. Wouldn’t that be awesome? He said if we get it, I will have my own office with a phone and internet! I doubt there is any other volunteer with those amenities. So, basically, I have the best site and Dar Chebab ever.
I also met with the Moudira of the Dar Taliba. This literally means the House of Female Students. These girls come to town to study at the high school and because they come from villages or farms in the countryside, they live in the Dar Taliba during the week. The Moudir wants me to teach her girls English. This is good news, but a bit overwhelming! I think every person in this town wants me to teach them English!
I will be teaching a class of adults at the Dar Chebab. They are teachers in the schools who do not know English. On Friday, I am giving a test to any youth interested in English classes and depending on how many show up, I could have a very busy schedule. Also, I met with the Moudira of the Neddy Niswi. The Neddy Niswi is an organization that serves women. These women work on handicrafts, like knitting, crocheting, embroidery, sewing, etc. They are interested in learning English as well, so that is another place I will be working at. And I am excited to learn some new skills like embroidery! Also, I have met one woman who is the aunt of my host mom and she is very interested in learning English, but she is not allowed to leave her house, so I think I will plan to visit her weekly.
So, as you can see, I have a full plate here! I am excited to get to work, but a little worried, because I was not trained as a teacher and do not have a lot of the skills a teacher needs. I am worried I will run out of ideas after a month of teaching! I really want to start planning activities, but maybe I can incorporate them into my English lessons.
I am asking everyone I meet if they know of a place to live. I think my host dad might own a house that he would rent to me. I cannot wait to move into my own house! I am so sick of not having any control over my life! I want to cook the food I like to eat and that means NO MORE BREAD! I want to exercise, I want to relax, I want to walk around in a T-shirt and shorts when it’s hot, and I want to decorate it so it will be a comfortable little refuge for myself. I love my host family, but they eat so much food! And as a woman, I don’t really have the freedom to just go for a walk. It’s weird. My host mom worries a lot about my safety, even though I think this is the safest town ever. So, once I am on my own, I won’t have that feeling of guilt whenever I live the house to do things in my free time. And I can’t wait to have the other volunteers and my family (that means you guys!) come visit me!
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