I love this. The picture is courtesy of Danielle (daniellesotherblog.blogspot.com).
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Rainbows, Rainbows everywhere.
Since moving to Morocco I have seen six rainbows. Yes, six. That is exactly 6 times the number of rainbows I had seen in real life before moving here. Apparently Morocco is where God (and the sun) hides all his rainbows. Awesome.
Just a few examples!
Just a few examples!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
A Brain Workout.
I have been out of college for a year and half now and in Morocco for 9 months, needless to say my English vocabulary is going. In an effort to regain some of this "lost" knowledge I have been diving into more academic papers, intellectual books and cranking through my LSAT prep.
I wanted to share with you some vocabulary words I have learned recently in both Tashlheet and English that I find amusing.
English:
apex: the top or highest part of something, esp. one forming a point. The highest level of a hierarchy, organization or other power structure regarded as a triangle or pyramid.
archipelago: a sea or stretch of water containing many islands.
cacophonous: a Harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
eschew: deliberately avoid using; abstain from
fervor: intense and passionate feeling.
fulcrum: the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which is pivots. A thing that plays a central or essential role in an activity, event or situation.
guise: an external form, appearance, or manner of presentation, typically concealing the true nature of something.
heed: pay attention to; take notice of.
inexorable: impossible to stop or prevent.
nascent: (a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.
persnickety: placing too much emphasis on trivial detail; fussy.
ruminate: thing deeply about something.
salient: most noticeable or important.
sinuous: having many curves and turns.
swath: a row or line of grass, grain or other crop as it lies when mown or reaped. A broad strip or area of something.
trepidation: a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.
welter: a large number of items in no order; a confused mass.
Tashlheet:
drunkard: askayri
generalize: smun kulshi (literally translated to 'collect everything')
day before yesterday: assfan
day dream: tiwerga
to flirt with: t'brram f
lame: abiDar
There are days when I feel so daunted by the task of learning (and understanding) Tashlheet and then there are days where I learn the word for the 'day before yesterday' is assfan and I have to giggle.
One final note, the way my villagers say 'Oh my God' is "wak, wak". Yes, wak, rhymes with quack. When all of the women do it, they sound like ducks on a pond. Amusing for sure.
I wanted to share with you some vocabulary words I have learned recently in both Tashlheet and English that I find amusing.
English:
apex: the top or highest part of something, esp. one forming a point. The highest level of a hierarchy, organization or other power structure regarded as a triangle or pyramid.
archipelago: a sea or stretch of water containing many islands.
cacophonous: a Harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
eschew: deliberately avoid using; abstain from
fervor: intense and passionate feeling.
fulcrum: the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which is pivots. A thing that plays a central or essential role in an activity, event or situation.
guise: an external form, appearance, or manner of presentation, typically concealing the true nature of something.
heed: pay attention to; take notice of.
inexorable: impossible to stop or prevent.
nascent: (a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.
persnickety: placing too much emphasis on trivial detail; fussy.
ruminate: thing deeply about something.
salient: most noticeable or important.
sinuous: having many curves and turns.
swath: a row or line of grass, grain or other crop as it lies when mown or reaped. A broad strip or area of something.
trepidation: a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen.
welter: a large number of items in no order; a confused mass.
Tashlheet:
drunkard: askayri
generalize: smun kulshi (literally translated to 'collect everything')
day before yesterday: assfan
day dream: tiwerga
to flirt with: t'brram f
lame: abiDar
There are days when I feel so daunted by the task of learning (and understanding) Tashlheet and then there are days where I learn the word for the 'day before yesterday' is assfan and I have to giggle.
One final note, the way my villagers say 'Oh my God' is "wak, wak". Yes, wak, rhymes with quack. When all of the women do it, they sound like ducks on a pond. Amusing for sure.
A Love of Reading.
As I child, I loved to read. I think this was due in great part to my mother's constant encouraging (pushing) of us to read, even going so far as to require "reading hours" after our homework was done and before the TV ever got turned on. Since my mother was a stickler for our TV watching, just as she was for our after homework reading, (I never saw a Friends episode until I got to college), it was probably better that we read instead of being frustrated by the lack of "approved" channels and shows.
When I was about ten or eleven years old, I shoveled our entire driveway after a big (for St. Louis anyway) snow storm. It took me the better part of an entire day to complete the daunting, uphill task. My reward, a book. Yes, I shoveled snow all day for a book and trip with my Dad to the bookstore. (I don't need to be reminded of how nerdy I am, this story says enough).
I share this somewhat embarrassing story with you to make a point. Reading is a luxury and we are lucky that we can. If you are reading this right now, you are a part of a very lucky, very small percentage of people worldwide that can read. That is a gift, something we should be grateful for.
This point hit me hardest when I was visiting my host family for lunch a few weeks ago. I brought with me the book I was reading at the time (Packing for Mars) because everything in my host family's world takes hours to complete, even simple tasks such as lunch. At some point during the long process, I usually get bored of watching my host sister cook and run out of things to say in Tashlheet, so I head to living room and crack open my book. After the Cous Cous was served and the dishes piled, my host sister, Khadija (Ha-de-ja) joined me in the living room and started questioning me about my book.
In the best language I could, I started explaining all about NASA, the race to the Moon, America and Russia in the 1960's and what it would take for people to go to Mars. After the glazed over look appeared, I asked her if she enjoyed reading. Mind you, she told me when I first moved in that she graduated high school, when indeed she did not, she did complete the 9th grade, but that was all. Weary of her not always truthful answers, she started going on and on about how much she loved reading and how after seeing me read so often, she started reading instead of watching TV. Ecstatic, I asked her to bring down some of the books she had been reading.
When she came back downstairs she had a pile of French magazines, these were her "books". She doesn't read French and cannot speak more than basic vocabulary, but yet these magazines were her "books". Most of them were cooking magazines, some were gossip type pieces, all sent from her aunts who live in France.
It was in that moment that I realized what different playing fields we were on, I might as well have been from Mars asking an earthling. Her "reading" comprised of looking at pictures. How could I ever share with her my extreme love of books and reading, when her reading was so far different from my own? How could this key part of my identity be so misunderstood despite our strong friendship?
I often wonder if the children here will ever know the real joy that comes from reading. When my youngest sister Maddy moved into our home nearly 8 years ago she didn't posses this love of reading that was instilled in the rest of my family. She struggled at it and hadn't yet discovered the pleasure that books can bring. Eight years later, books are all she can talk about. From the newest Twilight book, to the Harry Potter she just finished, or the novel she was assigned to read in class and fell in love with, reading has enveloped her life. I think she is better off for it.
It seems worlds away in my small village in southern Morocco. Parents in America are reading their unborn child "Baby Einstein" books and finishing every day with a bedtimes story, long before the children can even talk.
In my village, the children do not even have access to books to read. There are no public libraries nearby and my local high-school has a library room that doesn't contain a single book. I have heard so many times that knowledge brings power, yet how can the children here attain "knowledge" with nothing to read? How can they expect to learn about the world and themselves when their only information source is the TV?
During my time in Morocco I have embraced the pliable work schedule and ample free time. I have filled this time with books. Books provide enjoyment, knowledge and most importantly the opportunity to practice English so I do not return home with worse language than when I left. I often wonder how village Moroccans fill their time without books since reading comprises a great portion of my day. I only wish they could read and enjoy the stories as I do, if only to serve as a temporary escape from the day-to-day reality of life in the bled.
Reading has brought so much excitement and happiness into my life. I love the stale smell of a library full of books. I am entranced by a hardback book with crisp pages and the way it feels in my hands. I am captivated by the stories told and topics learned. Most of all, I cherish this breathtaking gift I was given, the ability to read.
P.S. I just finished reading, Packing For Mars; the Curious Science of Life in the Void, a witty and intelligent book by Mary Roach about life in space and the affects space has on the human body. I laughed the entire way through it. I recommend this non-fiction masterpiece to any space junkie interested in what life is like outside of the Star Trek/ Star Wars universe.
My newest book is Where the Wild Things Are; Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators by William Stolzenburg about the relationships keystone predators play on ecosystems all over the world. I am 100 pages in and cannot put this book down. This is a great book for anyone interested in general ecology and the effects of predator/ prey relationships (aka Miss Natalie Rada). It is sort of like the General Ecology course I took in college, minus the boring mini-themes.
When I was about ten or eleven years old, I shoveled our entire driveway after a big (for St. Louis anyway) snow storm. It took me the better part of an entire day to complete the daunting, uphill task. My reward, a book. Yes, I shoveled snow all day for a book and trip with my Dad to the bookstore. (I don't need to be reminded of how nerdy I am, this story says enough).
I share this somewhat embarrassing story with you to make a point. Reading is a luxury and we are lucky that we can. If you are reading this right now, you are a part of a very lucky, very small percentage of people worldwide that can read. That is a gift, something we should be grateful for.
This point hit me hardest when I was visiting my host family for lunch a few weeks ago. I brought with me the book I was reading at the time (Packing for Mars) because everything in my host family's world takes hours to complete, even simple tasks such as lunch. At some point during the long process, I usually get bored of watching my host sister cook and run out of things to say in Tashlheet, so I head to living room and crack open my book. After the Cous Cous was served and the dishes piled, my host sister, Khadija (Ha-de-ja) joined me in the living room and started questioning me about my book.
In the best language I could, I started explaining all about NASA, the race to the Moon, America and Russia in the 1960's and what it would take for people to go to Mars. After the glazed over look appeared, I asked her if she enjoyed reading. Mind you, she told me when I first moved in that she graduated high school, when indeed she did not, she did complete the 9th grade, but that was all. Weary of her not always truthful answers, she started going on and on about how much she loved reading and how after seeing me read so often, she started reading instead of watching TV. Ecstatic, I asked her to bring down some of the books she had been reading.
When she came back downstairs she had a pile of French magazines, these were her "books". She doesn't read French and cannot speak more than basic vocabulary, but yet these magazines were her "books". Most of them were cooking magazines, some were gossip type pieces, all sent from her aunts who live in France.
It was in that moment that I realized what different playing fields we were on, I might as well have been from Mars asking an earthling. Her "reading" comprised of looking at pictures. How could I ever share with her my extreme love of books and reading, when her reading was so far different from my own? How could this key part of my identity be so misunderstood despite our strong friendship?
I often wonder if the children here will ever know the real joy that comes from reading. When my youngest sister Maddy moved into our home nearly 8 years ago she didn't posses this love of reading that was instilled in the rest of my family. She struggled at it and hadn't yet discovered the pleasure that books can bring. Eight years later, books are all she can talk about. From the newest Twilight book, to the Harry Potter she just finished, or the novel she was assigned to read in class and fell in love with, reading has enveloped her life. I think she is better off for it.
It seems worlds away in my small village in southern Morocco. Parents in America are reading their unborn child "Baby Einstein" books and finishing every day with a bedtimes story, long before the children can even talk.
In my village, the children do not even have access to books to read. There are no public libraries nearby and my local high-school has a library room that doesn't contain a single book. I have heard so many times that knowledge brings power, yet how can the children here attain "knowledge" with nothing to read? How can they expect to learn about the world and themselves when their only information source is the TV?
During my time in Morocco I have embraced the pliable work schedule and ample free time. I have filled this time with books. Books provide enjoyment, knowledge and most importantly the opportunity to practice English so I do not return home with worse language than when I left. I often wonder how village Moroccans fill their time without books since reading comprises a great portion of my day. I only wish they could read and enjoy the stories as I do, if only to serve as a temporary escape from the day-to-day reality of life in the bled.
Reading has brought so much excitement and happiness into my life. I love the stale smell of a library full of books. I am entranced by a hardback book with crisp pages and the way it feels in my hands. I am captivated by the stories told and topics learned. Most of all, I cherish this breathtaking gift I was given, the ability to read.
P.S. I just finished reading, Packing For Mars; the Curious Science of Life in the Void, a witty and intelligent book by Mary Roach about life in space and the affects space has on the human body. I laughed the entire way through it. I recommend this non-fiction masterpiece to any space junkie interested in what life is like outside of the Star Trek/ Star Wars universe.
My newest book is Where the Wild Things Are; Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators by William Stolzenburg about the relationships keystone predators play on ecosystems all over the world. I am 100 pages in and cannot put this book down. This is a great book for anyone interested in general ecology and the effects of predator/ prey relationships (aka Miss Natalie Rada). It is sort of like the General Ecology course I took in college, minus the boring mini-themes.
There's No Place Like "Home" for the Holidays
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas has always been my favorite. The 24/7 Christmas station, the relentless hours at Bath and Body Works encompassed by the fragrant smells of the season, the frantic dash to buy the perfect gift that embodies your feelings for a particular person and the ceremonial decorating of the Christmas tree.
The year, the season feels different. No chilly wind, no snow predicting forecasts on the nightly news, no holiday fragrances, no Black Friday or computers for two hundred dollars, no Christmas music filling the airwaves and no sense of "holiday cheer".
The biggest holiday in the Islamic year just happened. Eid El-Kebir. It was fun, filled with family and featured plenty of food for sure, but lacked that special 'something' I was hoping for. There was no holiday decorations, no signs all over town and no special music to celebrate the occasion.
While I realize most of this "Christmas" cheer I long for is commercialized, I love it regardless. I enjoy the mall decorations, the Wal-Mart Holiday display that spans the entire store and the music, written just for this holiday. To be frank, I miss it. I miss it a lot.
In a valiant attempt to recreate some of the commercial cheer in my home, I put on Christmas music, baked some cookies and decorated my little trees. On my way back from Thanksgiving in Essaouira I stopped at Marjane (the Wal-Mart of Morocco) to find a somewhat small but welcome Christmas display complete with chocolates, string lights, giant teddy bears and even Christmas trees. It was a nice attempt on the part of an Islamic hyper-marche. I purchased a small tree, some garland, a package of small ornaments and a stocking complete with a photo of Santa Claus. Excited about my new holiday cheer, I headed home and prepared my day of celebration.
When I got back I headed to the post office to find my mother had mailed me a box with sweaters, Pumpkin flavored mixes and a tiny Christmas tree. I felt like the tiny tree, tiny ornaments, tiny garland, tiny tree skirt and even a tiny manger scene were made in America for people like me, Americans abroad missing the feeling of Christmas.
The entire next day was filled with the smell of baking cookies, hot chocolate, christmas music, tree decorating and some favorite Christmas movies.
While my little display is by no means ideal, it is perfect. My friends in the village stop by and ask about my tree, my stocking and my manger scene. I explain to them all about the culture of Christmas at home, while leaving out the part of Jesus' birth. (Trying to convert someone out of Islam will land you in jail here in Morocco. I cannot even imagine what sort of hell lies behind the walls of a Moroccan jail). It is a great way to share culture and customs of America. I even baked them some cookies to share. They women of my co-op were extremely grateful.
While my holiday season has not been filled with as much cheer as I would have liked, I think I am doing a good job creating it on my own. The most exciting thing about this holiday season is the arrival of my sister Claire on December 21st, just in time to celebrate Christmas in a land of Islam. It should be an adventure.
For now I am watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, Holiday Inn and The Grinch on rotation, just to make my rock house feel like a little more like home. After all, there is no place like home for the holidays.
The year, the season feels different. No chilly wind, no snow predicting forecasts on the nightly news, no holiday fragrances, no Black Friday or computers for two hundred dollars, no Christmas music filling the airwaves and no sense of "holiday cheer".
The biggest holiday in the Islamic year just happened. Eid El-Kebir. It was fun, filled with family and featured plenty of food for sure, but lacked that special 'something' I was hoping for. There was no holiday decorations, no signs all over town and no special music to celebrate the occasion.
While I realize most of this "Christmas" cheer I long for is commercialized, I love it regardless. I enjoy the mall decorations, the Wal-Mart Holiday display that spans the entire store and the music, written just for this holiday. To be frank, I miss it. I miss it a lot.
In a valiant attempt to recreate some of the commercial cheer in my home, I put on Christmas music, baked some cookies and decorated my little trees. On my way back from Thanksgiving in Essaouira I stopped at Marjane (the Wal-Mart of Morocco) to find a somewhat small but welcome Christmas display complete with chocolates, string lights, giant teddy bears and even Christmas trees. It was a nice attempt on the part of an Islamic hyper-marche. I purchased a small tree, some garland, a package of small ornaments and a stocking complete with a photo of Santa Claus. Excited about my new holiday cheer, I headed home and prepared my day of celebration.
When I got back I headed to the post office to find my mother had mailed me a box with sweaters, Pumpkin flavored mixes and a tiny Christmas tree. I felt like the tiny tree, tiny ornaments, tiny garland, tiny tree skirt and even a tiny manger scene were made in America for people like me, Americans abroad missing the feeling of Christmas.
The entire next day was filled with the smell of baking cookies, hot chocolate, christmas music, tree decorating and some favorite Christmas movies.
While my little display is by no means ideal, it is perfect. My friends in the village stop by and ask about my tree, my stocking and my manger scene. I explain to them all about the culture of Christmas at home, while leaving out the part of Jesus' birth. (Trying to convert someone out of Islam will land you in jail here in Morocco. I cannot even imagine what sort of hell lies behind the walls of a Moroccan jail). It is a great way to share culture and customs of America. I even baked them some cookies to share. They women of my co-op were extremely grateful.
While my holiday season has not been filled with as much cheer as I would have liked, I think I am doing a good job creating it on my own. The most exciting thing about this holiday season is the arrival of my sister Claire on December 21st, just in time to celebrate Christmas in a land of Islam. It should be an adventure.
For now I am watching The Muppet Christmas Carol, Elf, Holiday Inn and The Grinch on rotation, just to make my rock house feel like a little more like home. After all, there is no place like home for the holidays.
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