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.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Ramadan Spectacular
21 October 2006
Last night was the best time I’ve had in Morocco yet! I went to the Ramadan Spectacular at the Dar Chebab which was a celebration of the month of Ramadan. As you can see from my pictures, I got the opportunity to dress up in traditional Moroccan clothes. The Friendship Club we started at the Dar Chebab organized a fashion show for the Spectacular and so the Americans got to dress in Moroccan clothes and the Moroccans got to dress in American clothes. I felt bad because the only clothes I had to offer the Moroccans weren’t very “cool” because all the clothes I brought to Morocco are pretty conservative. But, the kids were really creative and wore hooded sweatshirts, backward baseball caps and baggy jeans. They wanted to look “hip hop.”
The day before the Spectacular I had told Mama that I would be dressing up Moroccan and what I thought she had said was that she would give me a head scarf to wear. I guess I totally misunderstood her because that night as I was getting ready to leave, she pulled out this bag filled with beautiful clothes. My family is Amazig (the politically correct term for Berber) and she had the most amazing tkshita (two-piece dress) that she dressed me in. I also wore this really fancy gold belt and another black sparkly belt that they tied around my arms. Chase, another volunteer, came over to my house and did my make-up to look like the kohl that the Moroccan women put around their eyes. When I finally looked in the mirror, I did not recognize myself!
When Chase and I arrived at the Dar Chebab there were already so many people there! We changed back into our plain clothes so it would be more of a surprise for the fashion show. Then, we sat down in the makeshift theater and waited for the show to begin. And we waited. The thing about Moroccan is, that time doesn’t really matter here. So, we waited a long time and then maybe an hour later the show began. There were a lot of singing performances by young children dressed traditionally. There was one group of young kids that marched around while pretending to shoot guns and I’m not sure what that was about, but whatever. Chase and I sat next to the door, which turned out to be a huge mistake. For some reason, there was this wall of fifty kids pushing against the door trying to get in while two or three people held the door closed. The kids were banging on the door, throwing rocks, and yelling really loudly. At one point the doormen let a rush of kids in and it got really crowded, like fire-hazard crowded.
The fashion show went really well and afterward everyone treated us Americans like celebrities! I had a lot of young girls take my picture and made a few new friends. My new friends were two sisters who both sat on my lap for like an hour during the show. Personal space is pretty much nonexistent here in Morocco, so I was sharing half a plastic chair with this older woman and on my lap was an 18 year old girl and her 10 year old sister both on a knee! The younger one was really cute, but she she kind of went a little overboard with petting my face and hair and giving me a lot of neck hugs. Oh, well...
Last night was the best time I’ve had in Morocco yet! I went to the Ramadan Spectacular at the Dar Chebab which was a celebration of the month of Ramadan. As you can see from my pictures, I got the opportunity to dress up in traditional Moroccan clothes. The Friendship Club we started at the Dar Chebab organized a fashion show for the Spectacular and so the Americans got to dress in Moroccan clothes and the Moroccans got to dress in American clothes. I felt bad because the only clothes I had to offer the Moroccans weren’t very “cool” because all the clothes I brought to Morocco are pretty conservative. But, the kids were really creative and wore hooded sweatshirts, backward baseball caps and baggy jeans. They wanted to look “hip hop.”
The day before the Spectacular I had told Mama that I would be dressing up Moroccan and what I thought she had said was that she would give me a head scarf to wear. I guess I totally misunderstood her because that night as I was getting ready to leave, she pulled out this bag filled with beautiful clothes. My family is Amazig (the politically correct term for Berber) and she had the most amazing tkshita (two-piece dress) that she dressed me in. I also wore this really fancy gold belt and another black sparkly belt that they tied around my arms. Chase, another volunteer, came over to my house and did my make-up to look like the kohl that the Moroccan women put around their eyes. When I finally looked in the mirror, I did not recognize myself!
When Chase and I arrived at the Dar Chebab there were already so many people there! We changed back into our plain clothes so it would be more of a surprise for the fashion show. Then, we sat down in the makeshift theater and waited for the show to begin. And we waited. The thing about Moroccan is, that time doesn’t really matter here. So, we waited a long time and then maybe an hour later the show began. There were a lot of singing performances by young children dressed traditionally. There was one group of young kids that marched around while pretending to shoot guns and I’m not sure what that was about, but whatever. Chase and I sat next to the door, which turned out to be a huge mistake. For some reason, there was this wall of fifty kids pushing against the door trying to get in while two or three people held the door closed. The kids were banging on the door, throwing rocks, and yelling really loudly. At one point the doormen let a rush of kids in and it got really crowded, like fire-hazard crowded.
The fashion show went really well and afterward everyone treated us Americans like celebrities! I had a lot of young girls take my picture and made a few new friends. My new friends were two sisters who both sat on my lap for like an hour during the show. Personal space is pretty much nonexistent here in Morocco, so I was sharing half a plastic chair with this older woman and on my lap was an 18 year old girl and her 10 year old sister both on a knee! The younger one was really cute, but she she kind of went a little overboard with petting my face and hair and giving me a lot of neck hugs. Oh, well...
The Night of Power
18 October 2006
Tonight is laylatu l-qadr, which means the Night of Power. It is said that on this night, the Koran was sent down and revealed to the Prophet. From sundown to daybreak, the imam (the prayer leader) reads the Koran and I definitely can hear him right now at one a.m. Tonight everyone stays awake praying because it is believed that their wishes will ascend directly to Allah and be granted. I think it’s kind of cool. I’m not sure if everyone in my family will stay awake the entire night, but I do know my host dad is at the mosque. I plan on going to bed as soon as I finish typing this. Some of us have Darija class in the morning!
Next week is the end of Ramadan and the big festival called l-عid. On the last day of Ramadan everyone will stay up very late until they hear the announcement that the new moon has been sighted and Ramadan and fasting are over. As soon as people see the moon, they start celebrating…..for three days. I’m not entirely sure what will happen, but I’ll bet there will be tons of food.
My four-year-old host brother Walid said something really cute the other day. When I went to Fez he asked his mom if they could start eating again during the day. Because the first day I came to stay with the family was also the first day of Ramadan, he thought I had brought the fasting to his town! He said he was tired of fasting and asked if I could stay at the neighbors so they could fast for a while instead.
Tonight is laylatu l-qadr, which means the Night of Power. It is said that on this night, the Koran was sent down and revealed to the Prophet. From sundown to daybreak, the imam (the prayer leader) reads the Koran and I definitely can hear him right now at one a.m. Tonight everyone stays awake praying because it is believed that their wishes will ascend directly to Allah and be granted. I think it’s kind of cool. I’m not sure if everyone in my family will stay awake the entire night, but I do know my host dad is at the mosque. I plan on going to bed as soon as I finish typing this. Some of us have Darija class in the morning!
Next week is the end of Ramadan and the big festival called l-عid. On the last day of Ramadan everyone will stay up very late until they hear the announcement that the new moon has been sighted and Ramadan and fasting are over. As soon as people see the moon, they start celebrating…..for three days. I’m not entirely sure what will happen, but I’ll bet there will be tons of food.
My four-year-old host brother Walid said something really cute the other day. When I went to Fez he asked his mom if they could start eating again during the day. Because the first day I came to stay with the family was also the first day of Ramadan, he thought I had brought the fasting to his town! He said he was tired of fasting and asked if I could stay at the neighbors so they could fast for a while instead.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Fez
Warning: this post is really long!
16 October 2006
Fès
Yesterday and today were two of the craziest days I’ve had here in Morocco. I went to Fez yesterday, which was really cool. The city is the oldest in Morocco and if you have heard anything about the city or if you can remember the movie Aladdin, it’s everything you’ve ever imagined. I got to visit Fès el-Bali, which is the old part of the city that has the narrow streets that are crowded with people, donkeys, lots of shops, and mosques. It was a little overwhelming at times, especially when we first entered the “labyrinth” because there are these faux guides who want to show you around the medina for a fee. We had this old guy who spoke really good English start giving us this historical spiel about the medina and we just had to walk away. Later on, there were these young boys who would follow right behind you whispering in your ear about all the places they could show you. They were kind of cute and harmless, especially since they usually chose to follow my friend Heather and not me.
At one point, I really needed to use a bathroom and starting panicking about finding one in the maze. Because it’s a cultural no-no for a woman to ask a man where a restroom is, I had to have my friend Dan ask for me. This old guy pointed at the museum that we hadn’t even noticed right next to us and said we’d have to pay 20 Durham just to go inside. While we talked about how that sounded ridiculous and we’d have to ask somebody else about a bathroom, a boy nearby overheard and said he could show us to a bathroom. So, we walked through this giant warehouse where these fancy silver and gold thrones were being made for weddings (I think) and as we walked through he started talking about showing us a rooftop view of the medina. Of course, we followed him blindly and ended up at some guy’s rug shop who took us up an endless flight of the narrowest steps known to mankind. At the top was an okay view of the medina. He talked a lot about how his name was included in the last Lonely Planet guidebook and then brought us downstairs to his rug store. Inside, he insisted on showing us at least fifteen different rugs and after a while we started feeling nervous because it was a really expensive store and he was really informative and nice but none of us had any intention of buying anything. So, my friend Annie, being brave, interrupted his rug lecture and asked if he had a bathroom. It was a little embarrassing because it was pretty much five feet away from where we were standing and the door wouldn’t close, but I managed. What a hassle.
Backtracking a bit prior to the medina adventure, we went to McDonald’s for lunch and it was heaven. Since its Ramadan and taboo to eat in public, all the restaurants in Fez are closed until after l-ftur (when the fast is broken). Well, almost every restaurant… all but McDonald’s. It was so funny when we decided to go there, we got in a taxi and it turned out to be like ten blocks away. We laughed about this and then ran like a bunch of fools toward those golden arches. At first I thought maybe we shouldn’t be eating there because there were only two old American ladies binging on burgers. Well, I guess we were there kind of early at 11 am but by the time we started eating there were other people starting to filter in.
We also got a chance to check out the Walmart of Morocco, called Marjan. It was both beautiful and overwhelming at the same time. I finally got to buy a fingernail clippers (believe me, I was in need) and other stuff, including oreos. At this point, everybody was really thirsty and tired so we headed back to the hotel to chill for a while. When we got there, we found the biggest cockroach waiting for us in the room…later on, we found its life partner searching for the corpse. The really disturbing thing is that the next morning the corpse was gone…where it went, we’re not sure, but we have a few guesses. Maybe a family member carried its dead body off for proper burial, or an army of ants could have enjoyed a cockroach feast, or maybe it wasn’t really dead and dragged its broken and mangled self away. Either way, it was disturbing.
Leaving Fès:
Before I get into the craziest part of my journey from Fès, I must include our last morning there. That morning the training group visited institutions in Fès where juvenile delinquents are sent for rehabilitation. The site I visited was an all-boys facility on the outskirts of the city. Traveling to the facility was easy, but leaving proved to be much more difficult when trying to find six petit taxis in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t pan out so well for us. So, we walked down a deserted road, waiting around for a while and then walked a bit further to a dusty intersection. No taxis anywhere. Finally, we saw a bus coming down the road and all 16 of us volunteers hopped on. The driver was impatient and almost drove off with two of the volunteers on the side of the road, but we managed to grab a hold of them and away we went! The bus dropped us off only a few feet away from our hotel, so that was a bonus. With an hour for lunch break, Annie, Jen, and I hailed a petit taxi and zoomed off to the McDonald’s (yes, again). Returning to the hotel, we had a quick debriefing of our institution visits and then it was time to head back to our CBT sites.
Floyd and I got a taxi and almost lost it to a pushy little Moroccan woman, but we compromised, and the three of us all rode together. Once we got dropped off at the grand taxi stand, the fun really began. My CBT group includes Floyd, Chase, Jeff, Alicia, our facilitator Fatima and me. In the past, the six of us have traveled easily in one taxi with all of our luggage. (Don’t ask me how we’ve managed this, but cramming bodies and luggage in the trunk, on laps, and on the roof seems to work) Today was a different story. The l-Kurti (person who organizes the trips for the taxi drivers) was very stubborn and would not allow the six of us to travel together. He insisted that we had too many suitcases and would be charging us extra for the “inconvenience.” He also wanted three of us to go in one taxi with three random Moroccans also traveling to Safrou and the other three would have to wait at the taxi stand for three more random Moroccans to show up. Fatima was giving the l-Kurti a hard time and trying to convince him to let us all travel together, and at one point she had about eight angry Moroccan taxi drivers yelling and waving their arms in her face. It gets worse. After Floyd, Jeff and Chase had loaded their belongings into the trunk of one taxi and paid their fare, the driver tried to charge them 10 Durham extra for their baggage. Jeff got mad and the driver kicked the three of them out of the cab, threw their suitcases on the ground and drove off. Eventually the six of us made it to Safrou, but in separate taxis.
When we arrived in Safrou, it was nearing l-ftur (breaking of the fast) and there were no taxi drivers willing to take us to Boulmane because of the timing. Keep in mind; it is Peace Corps policy that volunteers do not travel after dark, so we basically were preparing to spend the night in Safrou. Finally, one taxi driver offered to take us to Boulmane for double the price. After a quick call to Peace Corps to see if we could get reimbursed for the extra cost, we took him up on his offer and wrapped up the final leg of our crazy journey to Boulmane. Lahumdullah! (praise allah!)
16 October 2006
Fès
Yesterday and today were two of the craziest days I’ve had here in Morocco. I went to Fez yesterday, which was really cool. The city is the oldest in Morocco and if you have heard anything about the city or if you can remember the movie Aladdin, it’s everything you’ve ever imagined. I got to visit Fès el-Bali, which is the old part of the city that has the narrow streets that are crowded with people, donkeys, lots of shops, and mosques. It was a little overwhelming at times, especially when we first entered the “labyrinth” because there are these faux guides who want to show you around the medina for a fee. We had this old guy who spoke really good English start giving us this historical spiel about the medina and we just had to walk away. Later on, there were these young boys who would follow right behind you whispering in your ear about all the places they could show you. They were kind of cute and harmless, especially since they usually chose to follow my friend Heather and not me.
At one point, I really needed to use a bathroom and starting panicking about finding one in the maze. Because it’s a cultural no-no for a woman to ask a man where a restroom is, I had to have my friend Dan ask for me. This old guy pointed at the museum that we hadn’t even noticed right next to us and said we’d have to pay 20 Durham just to go inside. While we talked about how that sounded ridiculous and we’d have to ask somebody else about a bathroom, a boy nearby overheard and said he could show us to a bathroom. So, we walked through this giant warehouse where these fancy silver and gold thrones were being made for weddings (I think) and as we walked through he started talking about showing us a rooftop view of the medina. Of course, we followed him blindly and ended up at some guy’s rug shop who took us up an endless flight of the narrowest steps known to mankind. At the top was an okay view of the medina. He talked a lot about how his name was included in the last Lonely Planet guidebook and then brought us downstairs to his rug store. Inside, he insisted on showing us at least fifteen different rugs and after a while we started feeling nervous because it was a really expensive store and he was really informative and nice but none of us had any intention of buying anything. So, my friend Annie, being brave, interrupted his rug lecture and asked if he had a bathroom. It was a little embarrassing because it was pretty much five feet away from where we were standing and the door wouldn’t close, but I managed. What a hassle.
Backtracking a bit prior to the medina adventure, we went to McDonald’s for lunch and it was heaven. Since its Ramadan and taboo to eat in public, all the restaurants in Fez are closed until after l-ftur (when the fast is broken). Well, almost every restaurant… all but McDonald’s. It was so funny when we decided to go there, we got in a taxi and it turned out to be like ten blocks away. We laughed about this and then ran like a bunch of fools toward those golden arches. At first I thought maybe we shouldn’t be eating there because there were only two old American ladies binging on burgers. Well, I guess we were there kind of early at 11 am but by the time we started eating there were other people starting to filter in.
We also got a chance to check out the Walmart of Morocco, called Marjan. It was both beautiful and overwhelming at the same time. I finally got to buy a fingernail clippers (believe me, I was in need) and other stuff, including oreos. At this point, everybody was really thirsty and tired so we headed back to the hotel to chill for a while. When we got there, we found the biggest cockroach waiting for us in the room…later on, we found its life partner searching for the corpse. The really disturbing thing is that the next morning the corpse was gone…where it went, we’re not sure, but we have a few guesses. Maybe a family member carried its dead body off for proper burial, or an army of ants could have enjoyed a cockroach feast, or maybe it wasn’t really dead and dragged its broken and mangled self away. Either way, it was disturbing.
Leaving Fès:
Before I get into the craziest part of my journey from Fès, I must include our last morning there. That morning the training group visited institutions in Fès where juvenile delinquents are sent for rehabilitation. The site I visited was an all-boys facility on the outskirts of the city. Traveling to the facility was easy, but leaving proved to be much more difficult when trying to find six petit taxis in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t pan out so well for us. So, we walked down a deserted road, waiting around for a while and then walked a bit further to a dusty intersection. No taxis anywhere. Finally, we saw a bus coming down the road and all 16 of us volunteers hopped on. The driver was impatient and almost drove off with two of the volunteers on the side of the road, but we managed to grab a hold of them and away we went! The bus dropped us off only a few feet away from our hotel, so that was a bonus. With an hour for lunch break, Annie, Jen, and I hailed a petit taxi and zoomed off to the McDonald’s (yes, again). Returning to the hotel, we had a quick debriefing of our institution visits and then it was time to head back to our CBT sites.
Floyd and I got a taxi and almost lost it to a pushy little Moroccan woman, but we compromised, and the three of us all rode together. Once we got dropped off at the grand taxi stand, the fun really began. My CBT group includes Floyd, Chase, Jeff, Alicia, our facilitator Fatima and me. In the past, the six of us have traveled easily in one taxi with all of our luggage. (Don’t ask me how we’ve managed this, but cramming bodies and luggage in the trunk, on laps, and on the roof seems to work) Today was a different story. The l-Kurti (person who organizes the trips for the taxi drivers) was very stubborn and would not allow the six of us to travel together. He insisted that we had too many suitcases and would be charging us extra for the “inconvenience.” He also wanted three of us to go in one taxi with three random Moroccans also traveling to Safrou and the other three would have to wait at the taxi stand for three more random Moroccans to show up. Fatima was giving the l-Kurti a hard time and trying to convince him to let us all travel together, and at one point she had about eight angry Moroccan taxi drivers yelling and waving their arms in her face. It gets worse. After Floyd, Jeff and Chase had loaded their belongings into the trunk of one taxi and paid their fare, the driver tried to charge them 10 Durham extra for their baggage. Jeff got mad and the driver kicked the three of them out of the cab, threw their suitcases on the ground and drove off. Eventually the six of us made it to Safrou, but in separate taxis.
When we arrived in Safrou, it was nearing l-ftur (breaking of the fast) and there were no taxi drivers willing to take us to Boulmane because of the timing. Keep in mind; it is Peace Corps policy that volunteers do not travel after dark, so we basically were preparing to spend the night in Safrou. Finally, one taxi driver offered to take us to Boulmane for double the price. After a quick call to Peace Corps to see if we could get reimbursed for the extra cost, we took him up on his offer and wrapped up the final leg of our crazy journey to Boulmane. Lahumdullah! (praise allah!)
Sunday, October 08, 2006
The Dar Chebab
8 October 2006
After spending four brief days in Immouzer catching up with the other volunteers and getting more vaccinations, I am back with my host family in Boulmane. I could not believe how happy everyone in my family was to see me. My host brother barreled down the hallway and latched on to my neck when I came into the house. It feels good to be back.
This CBT phase we have a packed schedule at the Dar Chebab. The Dar Chebab literally means the House of Youth and it is where I will be working over the next two years. During CBT, we have a chance to work at the Dar Chebab in Boulmane. So, far it has been fantastic. The Mudir (manager) is really organized and open to new ideas and the youth are never in short supply. We have formed a Friendship Club between the volunteers and the Moroccan youth. Within the club, we have formed subcommittees that have started planning future events. I am on the Spectacle Committee. At the end of Ramadan, the D.C. will host a variety show called the Spectacle that will celebrate the end of Ramadan and showcase the talents of the youth. Our Friendship Club decided to contribute to the event by planning a comedy sketch and a fashion show. One of the girls had already written a sketch that is about an American woman coming to Morocco to marry a Moroccan man and the humorous problems that arise. For the fashion show, we decided to have the Americans dress up in the Moroccan clothing, while the Moroccans model the American clothes. It should be a fun time.
Yesterday the youth planned an outdoor game and invited us volunteers to come play. The game was kind of like a scavenger hunt, but much more difficult and tiring. One of the youths had cut out tiny pieces of paper and hidden them around the perimeter of the soccer field and it was our task to find the papers. We broke off into teams and started searching. The easiest papers we found were pinned up in trees, but the more difficult papers were discovered under rocks and crammed into cracks in a stone wall. There are a lot of stray animals around town, so the game became more interesting as we had to watch our every step, as to avoid the droppings. My team named “Team Speedy,” actually tied for first place with another group.
Today is my day off and I couldn’t be happier. I have been really tired the past few days, with all the traveling, busy days of training, and the intermittent bouts of intestinal problems. I planned on doing laundry this morning, but my host sister-in-law beat me to it. There are only so many clothespins, so I will have to wait until later today after her laundry has dried. I also need a bath. I would like to walk around town and explore a little more.
Next weekend all of us Youth Development volunteers are going to Fez! I’m really excited about this. I think we are going to visit a few institutions there designed for youth. I don’t know if we’ll have much free time, but it will be fun to see a new city!
A Note to Everyone:
Please check out the link on the right titled “My Pictures.” I uploaded a lot of photos there for you to enjoy!
After spending four brief days in Immouzer catching up with the other volunteers and getting more vaccinations, I am back with my host family in Boulmane. I could not believe how happy everyone in my family was to see me. My host brother barreled down the hallway and latched on to my neck when I came into the house. It feels good to be back.
This CBT phase we have a packed schedule at the Dar Chebab. The Dar Chebab literally means the House of Youth and it is where I will be working over the next two years. During CBT, we have a chance to work at the Dar Chebab in Boulmane. So, far it has been fantastic. The Mudir (manager) is really organized and open to new ideas and the youth are never in short supply. We have formed a Friendship Club between the volunteers and the Moroccan youth. Within the club, we have formed subcommittees that have started planning future events. I am on the Spectacle Committee. At the end of Ramadan, the D.C. will host a variety show called the Spectacle that will celebrate the end of Ramadan and showcase the talents of the youth. Our Friendship Club decided to contribute to the event by planning a comedy sketch and a fashion show. One of the girls had already written a sketch that is about an American woman coming to Morocco to marry a Moroccan man and the humorous problems that arise. For the fashion show, we decided to have the Americans dress up in the Moroccan clothing, while the Moroccans model the American clothes. It should be a fun time.
Yesterday the youth planned an outdoor game and invited us volunteers to come play. The game was kind of like a scavenger hunt, but much more difficult and tiring. One of the youths had cut out tiny pieces of paper and hidden them around the perimeter of the soccer field and it was our task to find the papers. We broke off into teams and started searching. The easiest papers we found were pinned up in trees, but the more difficult papers were discovered under rocks and crammed into cracks in a stone wall. There are a lot of stray animals around town, so the game became more interesting as we had to watch our every step, as to avoid the droppings. My team named “Team Speedy,” actually tied for first place with another group.
Today is my day off and I couldn’t be happier. I have been really tired the past few days, with all the traveling, busy days of training, and the intermittent bouts of intestinal problems. I planned on doing laundry this morning, but my host sister-in-law beat me to it. There are only so many clothespins, so I will have to wait until later today after her laundry has dried. I also need a bath. I would like to walk around town and explore a little more.
Next weekend all of us Youth Development volunteers are going to Fez! I’m really excited about this. I think we are going to visit a few institutions there designed for youth. I don’t know if we’ll have much free time, but it will be fun to see a new city!
A Note to Everyone:
Please check out the link on the right titled “My Pictures.” I uploaded a lot of photos there for you to enjoy!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Farewell, Turkish Toilet!
30 September 2006
Today something miraculous happened. My day started normally; I went to class in the morning at 10:00 and returned to my host family’s house around 3:00. Normally when I come home, I greet Mama and Somiya and either go up to my room to rest or leave for the cyber or souk. Today, Mama and Somiya began talking to me excitedly about something. They were pointing a lot at the bathroom on the main floor and pointing upstairs saying “n-douche.” I had no clue. I asked them if they thought I needed a shower and they laughed. Then, they walked with me upstairs and opened the door to my bathroom.
In my bathroom, there was a man actually standing inside the Turkish toilet with a huge pile of rubble next to him. Mama and Somiya said some more things and I thought I got the point. Okay, I thought, so I can’t use the upstairs bathroom anymore. To be honest with you, I wasn’t even aware that there were two bathrooms on the main floor. I had thought it was odd that there was a sink on the wall at the bottom on the stairs and thought the small door next to it was probably a closet.
Then, I left to go to the cyber to check email and the souk to buy some food. When I returned home, I walked upstairs and there, believe it or not, was an actual flush toilet sitting where the man had been digging before! What a strange place Morocco is!
At breakfast tonight I will try to ask Mama if I can use this new household technology. I am really excited about the toilet, but I am feeling kind of spoiled. I know none of the other volunteers here in Boulmane have either a shower or a flushing toilet.
1 October 2006
The toilet situation got a little bit stranger today, if you can believe that. I entered the bathroom to find that a long hose had been hooked up to the faucet on the wall and was draped across the toilet seat. I had no idea what the purpose of this hose was, so I continued to use the downstairs Turkish toilet. After dinner tonight I asked my family about the toilet and the hose. Mama said that they had bought the toilet three years ago because her knees had been giving her trouble and they had only recently decided to install it. The purpose of the hose wasn’t as clear. I think we were supposed to use the hose to flush to toilet, but the hose has a hole in it and sprays water everywhere, so we removed the hose tonight. Now, to flush, I will fill the old bucket with water and pour it into the toilet. It’s basically like the Turkish toilet, but now I get to sit down!
Today was our first day without language instruction, so I had the whole day to spend with my host family, relax, and do whatever. It was great. I slept in late, took a bath (sitting on a teeny tiny stool on the floor next to the new toilet pouring buckets of water over my head) packed my bag, visited with other volunteers, played Frisbee with the neighbor kids, and best of all, got to talk with mom, dad, Megan and Sara!
Tomorrow we will leave Boulmane and travel back to Immouzer for more shots and technical training. I look forward to seeing my friends and sharing stories about our CBT sites and families. There are six of us, including our teacher, and I think we are taking only one grand taxi. This should be interesting. The grand taxis are just an average sized Mercedes (why they are all Mercedes, I’m not sure) with no seat belts and drivers who defy the definition of FAST. How will seven people plus luggage fit into one car? I guess tomorrow only knows.
Today something miraculous happened. My day started normally; I went to class in the morning at 10:00 and returned to my host family’s house around 3:00. Normally when I come home, I greet Mama and Somiya and either go up to my room to rest or leave for the cyber or souk. Today, Mama and Somiya began talking to me excitedly about something. They were pointing a lot at the bathroom on the main floor and pointing upstairs saying “n-douche.” I had no clue. I asked them if they thought I needed a shower and they laughed. Then, they walked with me upstairs and opened the door to my bathroom.
In my bathroom, there was a man actually standing inside the Turkish toilet with a huge pile of rubble next to him. Mama and Somiya said some more things and I thought I got the point. Okay, I thought, so I can’t use the upstairs bathroom anymore. To be honest with you, I wasn’t even aware that there were two bathrooms on the main floor. I had thought it was odd that there was a sink on the wall at the bottom on the stairs and thought the small door next to it was probably a closet.
Then, I left to go to the cyber to check email and the souk to buy some food. When I returned home, I walked upstairs and there, believe it or not, was an actual flush toilet sitting where the man had been digging before! What a strange place Morocco is!
At breakfast tonight I will try to ask Mama if I can use this new household technology. I am really excited about the toilet, but I am feeling kind of spoiled. I know none of the other volunteers here in Boulmane have either a shower or a flushing toilet.
1 October 2006
The toilet situation got a little bit stranger today, if you can believe that. I entered the bathroom to find that a long hose had been hooked up to the faucet on the wall and was draped across the toilet seat. I had no idea what the purpose of this hose was, so I continued to use the downstairs Turkish toilet. After dinner tonight I asked my family about the toilet and the hose. Mama said that they had bought the toilet three years ago because her knees had been giving her trouble and they had only recently decided to install it. The purpose of the hose wasn’t as clear. I think we were supposed to use the hose to flush to toilet, but the hose has a hole in it and sprays water everywhere, so we removed the hose tonight. Now, to flush, I will fill the old bucket with water and pour it into the toilet. It’s basically like the Turkish toilet, but now I get to sit down!
Today was our first day without language instruction, so I had the whole day to spend with my host family, relax, and do whatever. It was great. I slept in late, took a bath (sitting on a teeny tiny stool on the floor next to the new toilet pouring buckets of water over my head) packed my bag, visited with other volunteers, played Frisbee with the neighbor kids, and best of all, got to talk with mom, dad, Megan and Sara!
Tomorrow we will leave Boulmane and travel back to Immouzer for more shots and technical training. I look forward to seeing my friends and sharing stories about our CBT sites and families. There are six of us, including our teacher, and I think we are taking only one grand taxi. This should be interesting. The grand taxis are just an average sized Mercedes (why they are all Mercedes, I’m not sure) with no seat belts and drivers who defy the definition of FAST. How will seven people plus luggage fit into one car? I guess tomorrow only knows.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Ramadan
24 September 2006
Right now I am sitting in my new bedroom above the home of my new host family. I have my own room on top of the roof and believe it or not, it is right next to the sheep. As I look out my tiny window, I can see them in their pen. I am also within clear range of their constant bleating, which has stopped because I think they might be sleeping now. The house is very nice and I think I am very lucky to have my own private bedroom and it seems I have my own bathroom as well, but it has a Turkish toilet and I don’t plan on showering tomorrow because my host mom’s instructions on how to use “l-douche” were in Arabic and involved pointing at this air duct as well as a gas can in a little box. There are four pictures hanging on the walls: two of the father of the household, one of the King of Morocco and his baby son, and the other of two babies dressed up very formally sitting on a fancy gold chair. Also on the roof is a separate apartment where my language teacher is living. This is both great and weird. It’s great because she literally lives two steps away and probably will eat most her meals with my family. It’s weird because she’s right there and I will be seeing her all the time!
My host mom introduced herself to me as Mama, so since I’m not sure what her real name is, I’ve been calling her Mama and she seems to be really happy whenever I do. Mama and I watched tv in the salon for probably six hours today…sometimes trying to talk, but mostly Mama napped on the couch. I have also met my host sister-in-law whose name is Samiya and her son Walid. Walid is four years old and adorable. He’s my little buddy now ever since we played cards this afternoon. We made up a game similar to slap jack, except we were using a Moroccan deck of cards so we hit the ones and yelled “Wahid!” (Wahid means one) He loved it and after a while the game just became slamming the cards as hard as possible on the table and laughing.
Oh, and my new name here is Jamila. Mama and Samiya had a hard time saying my name (every time they tried it sounded a lot like Jelly) so they changed it to something easier! They also told me Jamila means beautiful in Arabic. Sometimes when we have problems communicating (basically all the time) they look at me and say “Smitk Jamila!” and we laugh. (“Your name is Jamila!”)
Today was also the first day of Ramadan, which is the holiest month of the year for Muslims. During Ramadan, Muslims fast during the day, which means no food, water, gum, cigarettes or sex until the sun sets. I kind of fasted today. When I woke up I ate a piece of bread and around 5 pm I ate a few cookies that I found in my purse. We broke the fast around 6:30 and had the sweetest meal ever. It consisted of mint tea, mesumen (which are like pancakes, but much bigger and flatter and tasting nothing like a pancake), sugary dates, bread dipped in honey, and this sugary dessert that was like dough pretzels, kind of. I guess after fasting all day the first thing you want to eat is something that tastes really really good. After breakfast, my language teacher Fatima and I walked to another PC volunteer’s house. Floyd wasn’t there because he was out at a cafe with his host brother, but we visited with his host parents and sisters. One of the sisters was getting henna done on her hands and I was invited back to get henna on my hands sometime soon. I am really excited about this!
So, after visiting with the family for about two hours, Fatima and I walked back to our house. I watched tv (The Last Samurai dubbed in French) with Mama, Ba (my host dad), and Samiya until it was time for dinner. We ate dinner around 10:30 and had some kind of beef stew with vegetables that was really tasty. Keep in mind, there is no silverware here, so everything is eaten with your hands. Usually I will break off pieces of bread to scoop up vegetables or pieces of meat. Also, I can only use my right hand to eat, because it is culturally and religiously unclean to use the left hand while eating. Surprisingly, I am doing okay with this.
After dinner I said my first real sentence of the day “Jamila brigt nes” which means “Jenny needs sleep,” and walked up to bed. Mama asked if I wanted to wake up at 4:00 am to eat the last meal of the night before sunrise. I decided that sleep sounded like a better idea, but I think tomorrow night I will try waking up early just to see what happens at this last meal.
Tomorrow is another big day. My training group of 5 volunteers begins our training at the Dar Chebab. The Dar Chebab literally means the House of Youth and is where we will have our language and culture classes and next week we will begin teaching the youth there. I have to walk all but twenty seconds to get to the Dar Chebab, as it is right across the street. Very convenient.
So far, all the Moroccans I have met have been so incredibly nice. I feel very welcome here and every person has been very patient with my lack of language skills, especially my host family. This town seems very safe and today I met the gendarmes (police) who will be looking out for me while I’m here. But, I’m not too worried about this town, because I have noticed all the households let their children run free in the streets without supervision.
So, I hope this message finds all of you well and I will write more soon! Remember, I’d love to get mail!
Love,
Jenny
Right now I am sitting in my new bedroom above the home of my new host family. I have my own room on top of the roof and believe it or not, it is right next to the sheep. As I look out my tiny window, I can see them in their pen. I am also within clear range of their constant bleating, which has stopped because I think they might be sleeping now. The house is very nice and I think I am very lucky to have my own private bedroom and it seems I have my own bathroom as well, but it has a Turkish toilet and I don’t plan on showering tomorrow because my host mom’s instructions on how to use “l-douche” were in Arabic and involved pointing at this air duct as well as a gas can in a little box. There are four pictures hanging on the walls: two of the father of the household, one of the King of Morocco and his baby son, and the other of two babies dressed up very formally sitting on a fancy gold chair. Also on the roof is a separate apartment where my language teacher is living. This is both great and weird. It’s great because she literally lives two steps away and probably will eat most her meals with my family. It’s weird because she’s right there and I will be seeing her all the time!
My host mom introduced herself to me as Mama, so since I’m not sure what her real name is, I’ve been calling her Mama and she seems to be really happy whenever I do. Mama and I watched tv in the salon for probably six hours today…sometimes trying to talk, but mostly Mama napped on the couch. I have also met my host sister-in-law whose name is Samiya and her son Walid. Walid is four years old and adorable. He’s my little buddy now ever since we played cards this afternoon. We made up a game similar to slap jack, except we were using a Moroccan deck of cards so we hit the ones and yelled “Wahid!” (Wahid means one) He loved it and after a while the game just became slamming the cards as hard as possible on the table and laughing.
Oh, and my new name here is Jamila. Mama and Samiya had a hard time saying my name (every time they tried it sounded a lot like Jelly) so they changed it to something easier! They also told me Jamila means beautiful in Arabic. Sometimes when we have problems communicating (basically all the time) they look at me and say “Smitk Jamila!” and we laugh. (“Your name is Jamila!”)
Today was also the first day of Ramadan, which is the holiest month of the year for Muslims. During Ramadan, Muslims fast during the day, which means no food, water, gum, cigarettes or sex until the sun sets. I kind of fasted today. When I woke up I ate a piece of bread and around 5 pm I ate a few cookies that I found in my purse. We broke the fast around 6:30 and had the sweetest meal ever. It consisted of mint tea, mesumen (which are like pancakes, but much bigger and flatter and tasting nothing like a pancake), sugary dates, bread dipped in honey, and this sugary dessert that was like dough pretzels, kind of. I guess after fasting all day the first thing you want to eat is something that tastes really really good. After breakfast, my language teacher Fatima and I walked to another PC volunteer’s house. Floyd wasn’t there because he was out at a cafe with his host brother, but we visited with his host parents and sisters. One of the sisters was getting henna done on her hands and I was invited back to get henna on my hands sometime soon. I am really excited about this!
So, after visiting with the family for about two hours, Fatima and I walked back to our house. I watched tv (The Last Samurai dubbed in French) with Mama, Ba (my host dad), and Samiya until it was time for dinner. We ate dinner around 10:30 and had some kind of beef stew with vegetables that was really tasty. Keep in mind, there is no silverware here, so everything is eaten with your hands. Usually I will break off pieces of bread to scoop up vegetables or pieces of meat. Also, I can only use my right hand to eat, because it is culturally and religiously unclean to use the left hand while eating. Surprisingly, I am doing okay with this.
After dinner I said my first real sentence of the day “Jamila brigt nes” which means “Jenny needs sleep,” and walked up to bed. Mama asked if I wanted to wake up at 4:00 am to eat the last meal of the night before sunrise. I decided that sleep sounded like a better idea, but I think tomorrow night I will try waking up early just to see what happens at this last meal.
Tomorrow is another big day. My training group of 5 volunteers begins our training at the Dar Chebab. The Dar Chebab literally means the House of Youth and is where we will have our language and culture classes and next week we will begin teaching the youth there. I have to walk all but twenty seconds to get to the Dar Chebab, as it is right across the street. Very convenient.
So far, all the Moroccans I have met have been so incredibly nice. I feel very welcome here and every person has been very patient with my lack of language skills, especially my host family. This town seems very safe and today I met the gendarmes (police) who will be looking out for me while I’m here. But, I’m not too worried about this town, because I have noticed all the households let their children run free in the streets without supervision.
So, I hope this message finds all of you well and I will write more soon! Remember, I’d love to get mail!
Love,
Jenny
The T.T.
This little acronym has become all too familiar to us PC volunteers since arriving in l-Mgrib. The turkish toilet. Picture a small hole in the ground with two small grooves on either side for your feet. That’s about all there is to it. To use the T.T. you have to squat over the hole and pretty much hope for the best. I’ve had some pretty ridiculous episodes on that thing! To flush you fill a bucket of water from the tap on the wall and pour it down the hole. To wipe, you just splash some of the water on yourself and you’re ready to go! Megan, thank god for all that hand sanitizer I brought along! As I’ve found out, you can never have enough of that stuff here. Also, I have decided to save my cherished stash of Kleenexes for the really dire times. Oh, and I almost forgot the best part. The T.T. here at my host family’s house has this rock with a handle that you put in the hole when you’re done. Kind of gross to touch, but much appreciated when considering the smell that sometimes wafts out.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Immouzer
19 September 2006
Hello everyone!
So much has happened since I posted last. I am now in the town of Immouzer for training. We are learning the language Darija, which is the Moroccan dialect of Arabic. I have learned basic greetings, numbers, and a few other helpful phrases. My friends and I enjoy trying out what we’ve learned on the locals in town. We have become friends with the local Bolhanut (shopowner) where we buy bottled water, Coca, and regretfully, candy bars.
We are all adjusting to the food here. Most of us have been sick at some point, so we all are in this together! Where I am staying, there are nine girls sharing one flush toilet and two Turkish toilets. There is no escaping the sights, sounds, and smells of sickness. There is also a major scarcity of toilet paper here. The training group split up into two groups yesterday and the girls had a demonstration by the Moroccan women on how to use the Turkish toilet. The previous day I had tried the toilet and the results were hilarious. Now, I am getting better, but it will take some practice before I master it.
Back to the food: there is some food here that I have really liked. We had couscous our first day in Immouzer and it was very delicious. There was a tasty soup the other night that had rice and vegetables in it, that is traditionally served during Ramadan. Of course, there’s been food that immediately you realize was a big mistake as you run for the Turkish toilet. We were all delighted to see the mini pizzas the other day, but the combination of tuna and olives didn’t go over so well. Last night was the most exciting by far. Chicken nuggets. Why? I’m not sure, but I gobbled down five of them.
Communicating with people back home has really been a problem for everyone here. We are in training all day until 6:00 pm. At this point we have free time, but we have an 8:00 curfew, so it is a busy time trying to run errands and visit the cyber café. Some of the volunteers have bought cell phones and so they have an easier time talking with their families back home. I have not bought one yet, but I plan to as soon as I can. Most of the volunteers have not actually spoken with their families yet, me included. Hopefully, by this weekend, I will have a cell phone and you all with have the number.
This weekend we will break off into language learning communities and leave Immouzer to begin our homestay with a Moroccan family. We will be in small groups of 5-6 volunteers and each group will drive with their Language Coach to their new village. We will stay there for I think nine days and then all the groups will come back to Immouzer for more technical training. Until our swearing in ceremony at the end of November, our time will be broken up into language learning/homestay and technical training in Immouzer. I am anxious to see who will be in my small group.
Today we were given our third shot total, and second shot in the Rabies series. There are a lot of stray dogs and cats around here with that glazed over look in their eyes, so I’m willing and happy to have this vaccination. I think by the end of training I will have had nine shots total. This morning we have had self-directed learning while the doctor administered the shots and after lunch we will begin more language learning. Actually, looking at the clock, I think it is almost time for lunch! So, with that, I hope you all are doing well and I must mention this again, please don’t be shy and send me an email or letter!
Love,
Jenny
Hello everyone!
So much has happened since I posted last. I am now in the town of Immouzer for training. We are learning the language Darija, which is the Moroccan dialect of Arabic. I have learned basic greetings, numbers, and a few other helpful phrases. My friends and I enjoy trying out what we’ve learned on the locals in town. We have become friends with the local Bolhanut (shopowner) where we buy bottled water, Coca, and regretfully, candy bars.
We are all adjusting to the food here. Most of us have been sick at some point, so we all are in this together! Where I am staying, there are nine girls sharing one flush toilet and two Turkish toilets. There is no escaping the sights, sounds, and smells of sickness. There is also a major scarcity of toilet paper here. The training group split up into two groups yesterday and the girls had a demonstration by the Moroccan women on how to use the Turkish toilet. The previous day I had tried the toilet and the results were hilarious. Now, I am getting better, but it will take some practice before I master it.
Back to the food: there is some food here that I have really liked. We had couscous our first day in Immouzer and it was very delicious. There was a tasty soup the other night that had rice and vegetables in it, that is traditionally served during Ramadan. Of course, there’s been food that immediately you realize was a big mistake as you run for the Turkish toilet. We were all delighted to see the mini pizzas the other day, but the combination of tuna and olives didn’t go over so well. Last night was the most exciting by far. Chicken nuggets. Why? I’m not sure, but I gobbled down five of them.
Communicating with people back home has really been a problem for everyone here. We are in training all day until 6:00 pm. At this point we have free time, but we have an 8:00 curfew, so it is a busy time trying to run errands and visit the cyber café. Some of the volunteers have bought cell phones and so they have an easier time talking with their families back home. I have not bought one yet, but I plan to as soon as I can. Most of the volunteers have not actually spoken with their families yet, me included. Hopefully, by this weekend, I will have a cell phone and you all with have the number.
This weekend we will break off into language learning communities and leave Immouzer to begin our homestay with a Moroccan family. We will be in small groups of 5-6 volunteers and each group will drive with their Language Coach to their new village. We will stay there for I think nine days and then all the groups will come back to Immouzer for more technical training. Until our swearing in ceremony at the end of November, our time will be broken up into language learning/homestay and technical training in Immouzer. I am anxious to see who will be in my small group.
Today we were given our third shot total, and second shot in the Rabies series. There are a lot of stray dogs and cats around here with that glazed over look in their eyes, so I’m willing and happy to have this vaccination. I think by the end of training I will have had nine shots total. This morning we have had self-directed learning while the doctor administered the shots and after lunch we will begin more language learning. Actually, looking at the clock, I think it is almost time for lunch! So, with that, I hope you all are doing well and I must mention this again, please don’t be shy and send me an email or letter!
Love,
Jenny
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Hello from Rabat!
12 September 2006
Dear Family & Friends,
I made it! I am writing you from Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. I think at this point I have been awake for over 43 hours (including the short 30 minute nap I took before dinner). Yesterday morning I awoke early in Philadelphia to prepare for the big trip to Morocco. Peace Corps had planned on leaving Philly by noon, but due to some misunderstanding, the buses did not arrive until 1:30pm. No big deal, as we had ample time to get to JFK airport in NYC. However, we did not foresee the major delay along the turnpike en route to New York. Lucky for us we had a very back road savvy bus driver who got us to the airport with only 45 minutes until boarding time. Somehow, all 56 of us volunteers made it through security in time and we were on our way.
The plane ride was uneventful as it was very boring and I could not sleep, but fortunately it was only a six hour flight. We arrived in Casablanca at 7:00 am, Morocco time and began our second day of travel. The funniest sight had to have been all 56 of us Americans, each with a luggage cart, wheeling our way through the airport. Many heads were turning! Next, we loaded everybody’s belongings into a very large double-decker coach bus. Because there was not room for the entirety of the group, some of us got to ride in a mini van on our way to Rabat. It was a great way of seeing the Moroccan countryside. I couldn’t believe how many people were just out walking around in the middle of nowhere! It’s the desert and far from any city, and there were people, sometimes families, walking not along roads, but just out there. Also, a lot of donkeys, wild dogs, and sheep scattered the rural landscape.
Once we got to Rabat we quickly settled ourselves into our rooms and made our way downstairs for our welcome session. We met almost the entire Morocco Peace Corps staff and got some information about the program here in general, safety, and communicating with people at home. It was a little rough because all of us were sleep-deprived, but somehow we all made it through the day! We had a nice meal on the rooftop of the hotel overlooking one of the city’s mosques. While eating, the muezzin, the person who calls the Muslims to prayer at the appropriate times, called out to the city and at that moment I thought to myself, yes, I am in Morocco.
I am meeting so many wonderful people and I couldn’t be happier to know I will be spending the next two years side by side these amazing, dedicated individuals. I already have pinpointed a few people who have really clicked with me. I am wishing and hoping that at least one of them ends up in my small training group (5-6 people). It really makes a difference knowing that there will be a group of peers experiencing the same things I will be going through. Already, we are starting to become a very close-knit group. We have traveled so far, we are all a little anxious to begin living with our host families this Friday, and along with that, try and communicate with them with the language we will be learning at the same time. Wow! We sure are being pushed to learn as much as possible, as fast as possible.
So, with that, I have some medical paperwork to complete tonight before training begins again in the early morning. Tomorrow I will get to meet the US Ambassador for Morocco. He is a very close friend to President George W. Bush, but as I have been told, he is different than other Ambassadors because he really does care about this country and especially the Peace Corps. So, with a big day ahead of me, I will say goodnight and take care! I am in good hands here, so try not to worry!
Love,
Jenny
Dear Family & Friends,
I made it! I am writing you from Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. I think at this point I have been awake for over 43 hours (including the short 30 minute nap I took before dinner). Yesterday morning I awoke early in Philadelphia to prepare for the big trip to Morocco. Peace Corps had planned on leaving Philly by noon, but due to some misunderstanding, the buses did not arrive until 1:30pm. No big deal, as we had ample time to get to JFK airport in NYC. However, we did not foresee the major delay along the turnpike en route to New York. Lucky for us we had a very back road savvy bus driver who got us to the airport with only 45 minutes until boarding time. Somehow, all 56 of us volunteers made it through security in time and we were on our way.
The plane ride was uneventful as it was very boring and I could not sleep, but fortunately it was only a six hour flight. We arrived in Casablanca at 7:00 am, Morocco time and began our second day of travel. The funniest sight had to have been all 56 of us Americans, each with a luggage cart, wheeling our way through the airport. Many heads were turning! Next, we loaded everybody’s belongings into a very large double-decker coach bus. Because there was not room for the entirety of the group, some of us got to ride in a mini van on our way to Rabat. It was a great way of seeing the Moroccan countryside. I couldn’t believe how many people were just out walking around in the middle of nowhere! It’s the desert and far from any city, and there were people, sometimes families, walking not along roads, but just out there. Also, a lot of donkeys, wild dogs, and sheep scattered the rural landscape.
Once we got to Rabat we quickly settled ourselves into our rooms and made our way downstairs for our welcome session. We met almost the entire Morocco Peace Corps staff and got some information about the program here in general, safety, and communicating with people at home. It was a little rough because all of us were sleep-deprived, but somehow we all made it through the day! We had a nice meal on the rooftop of the hotel overlooking one of the city’s mosques. While eating, the muezzin, the person who calls the Muslims to prayer at the appropriate times, called out to the city and at that moment I thought to myself, yes, I am in Morocco.
I am meeting so many wonderful people and I couldn’t be happier to know I will be spending the next two years side by side these amazing, dedicated individuals. I already have pinpointed a few people who have really clicked with me. I am wishing and hoping that at least one of them ends up in my small training group (5-6 people). It really makes a difference knowing that there will be a group of peers experiencing the same things I will be going through. Already, we are starting to become a very close-knit group. We have traveled so far, we are all a little anxious to begin living with our host families this Friday, and along with that, try and communicate with them with the language we will be learning at the same time. Wow! We sure are being pushed to learn as much as possible, as fast as possible.
So, with that, I have some medical paperwork to complete tonight before training begins again in the early morning. Tomorrow I will get to meet the US Ambassador for Morocco. He is a very close friend to President George W. Bush, but as I have been told, he is different than other Ambassadors because he really does care about this country and especially the Peace Corps. So, with a big day ahead of me, I will say goodnight and take care! I am in good hands here, so try not to worry!
Love,
Jenny
Friday, September 01, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
My mailing address!
This will be my mailing address during training:
Jennifer Bentley
s/c Corps de la Paix
2 Rue Abou Marouane Essaadi
Rabat 10100, MOROCCO
This will be my address during my first three months of training. I will post my future permanent address when I find out what it will be! Please send me lots and lots of letters!
The mail delivery will probably be quite sporadic, so don't worry if you do not receive my letters regularly. Also, please do not send cash through the mail, as it will probably never reach me.
If you want to send me a package, the brown padded envelopes work the best. Also, I have heard that if you use red ink and label the packages with religious symbols, the package may stand a better chance at remaining unopened. But, who knows! Make sure they have the green customs label and are marked as gifts, otherwise I may have to pay a fee to receive the package.
Jennifer Bentley
s/c Corps de la Paix
2 Rue Abou Marouane Essaadi
Rabat 10100, MOROCCO
This will be my address during my first three months of training. I will post my future permanent address when I find out what it will be! Please send me lots and lots of letters!
The mail delivery will probably be quite sporadic, so don't worry if you do not receive my letters regularly. Also, please do not send cash through the mail, as it will probably never reach me.
If you want to send me a package, the brown padded envelopes work the best. Also, I have heard that if you use red ink and label the packages with religious symbols, the package may stand a better chance at remaining unopened. But, who knows! Make sure they have the green customs label and are marked as gifts, otherwise I may have to pay a fee to receive the package.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Square One.
Hello to everyone who I hope will check in with my adventures in Morocco over the next two years! I will be leaving September 9th for Philadelphia and on the 11th will fly into Casablanca, Morocco. Upon arriving in Morocco, I will participate in a 3 month training program. During training, I'll live with a host family, learn Arabic or Berber, learn Moroccan history and culture, learn more about the Peace Corps, and train for the work I will be doing for the next two years. That work will be youth development. After training, I will be sworn in officially as a PC Volunteer and then I will move to the site I will be assigned to.
At this point I am one month away from my departure date and feel like I'm finally starting to take some steps in the direction of actually leaving. Courtesy of LL Bean, I received my shortwave radio today in the mail. I sat on my bed fiddling with that thing and was amazed to find so many world-wide frequencies, like BBC. So, at least I'll have the BBC if no internet, tv, or phone. But, who knows, I may have all those amenities!
Access to those amenities will also control how often I will be able to post on this blog. It could be weekly, monthly, or few and far between. I am new to the world of blogging, so bear with me as I figure things out. With that, I hope you all tune in sometime in September to hear what new stories I have as I blunder through a different country, culture, and way of life!
At this point I am one month away from my departure date and feel like I'm finally starting to take some steps in the direction of actually leaving. Courtesy of LL Bean, I received my shortwave radio today in the mail. I sat on my bed fiddling with that thing and was amazed to find so many world-wide frequencies, like BBC. So, at least I'll have the BBC if no internet, tv, or phone. But, who knows, I may have all those amenities!
Access to those amenities will also control how often I will be able to post on this blog. It could be weekly, monthly, or few and far between. I am new to the world of blogging, so bear with me as I figure things out. With that, I hope you all tune in sometime in September to hear what new stories I have as I blunder through a different country, culture, and way of life!
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