The final days of training.

Wow, the time has really flown by. I am hoping this is a trend that continues through my service, but training has gone really fast. On March 1st I left America for Morocco and its already the beginning of May, I cannot hardly believe it.

The summing up of training is quite a process and that process began yesterday with our language exam. It was about a 20 minute conversation in our target language (Tashlheet) and all in all, it went well. I am hoping I pass, so I can get sworn in next Wednesday, then I will officially be a volunteer.

The other part of the closing up is the party we are throwing for our host families as a thank you for all they have done. As with most things, the party throwing has been quite a process but hopefully we get a good turn out. If nothing else, I know we will get good food!

I am super sad to leave my host family because they have really become like my family here in Morocco. They have taken me in and treated me as one of their own, and for that I am eternally indebted.

I will be back to internet on Sunday and will post something more formal but life is going great here (except for some stomach issues I have been having related to unclean water) but Im moving along and looking forward to swearing in.

Love you all, miss you tons.

A new address.

So after some experiences and another adventure, I have a post office box in my town. Yeah!

This means you can send packages, letters, anything you like and I will be able to get it. If you have already sent something to the Rabat address it will still get forwarded along, don't worry.

I am looking forward to your letters and packages!

Sending packages:

Shipping: I suggest sending packages via USPS's Flat Rate Shipping Boxes. As long as the total package weight does not exceed the given amount, I am told these are the most cost effective means of sending goodies.

Customs: When sending a package, and in the majority of cases, regardless of the contents, claim the package as a GIFT and list the contents as books, magazines and candy.

Inventory List: I strongly suggest that after compiling a package you create an inventory list of everything in the package. Print two copies and put them in the package, maybe one on bottom and one on top. This will help to deter Moroccan Customs Officials from using the five-finger discount when inspecting package contents.

Green, eco-friendly gifts: There is no recycling in Morocco, nor are there healthy, sustainable efforts at waste removal. Please choose gifts with little or no packaging, and when possible, remove all wrappings and tags before sending (i.e. the plastic packaging of toothbrushes).

(This was borrowed from a good friend who also posted this on her blog, but it fits my needs perfectly. Check her out at http://www.urbanpeacegirl.blogspot.com/)

Here is what I would be most grateful to receive:

Candy: Mostly licorice, good and pleantys and hot tamales. I can get none of these in country and I miss them. This also includes gum, the gum here is bad and I would appreciate some non-bad gum for a change.

DVDS: Any old movies your done watching, any burned downloaded TV shows or movies. I have quite a stash but I will also have lots of free time at night, so watching a good movie or TV show is a great way to pass time. I am super interested in watching LOST, so if you have a downloaded copy of the seasons you wouldnt mind burning or sending, I would greatly appreciate it.

Magazines or Books: Basically, anything you have already read and think might be interesting for me to catch up current events, science, ect I would appreciate. Books are great so if you have read one and think it might be fun or good for me to read, pass it along.

For my Bath and Body Works ladies: I would love some pocket bac and any travel sized products you have gotten and arent in need of anymore. We dont have a lot of lotion here that is of any quality at all, so I would appreciate some Body Cream, if you have some extras.

Cosmetics: Nail polish would be nice. Any color will do. Deodorant, since we dont have any here and my stash is getting low. I am also in desperate need of some nice smelling perfume and body splash. I brought non which was a big mistake.

Food: Any sort of sauce or packet that is easy to mail and cook with limited resources. Ie gravy packets, kool-aid packets, crystal light, muffin mix, ect. Be creative.

Letters: I love getting updates of life, ect so send them along.

Pens: Some really good black pens would be nice. I also like Sharpie pens!

Music: Any mixed CDs of music that is relevant and good. I am already getting tired of my library.

Other than that, we can get lots of stuff in country but it is just not as high of quality as we can get back home, so if you see something and think "If I was living in Africa, I would like to have this" than go ahead and mail it along.

Please email me if you have any questions :)

Love you all.

Welcome to my new reality.

I have been doing a lot of thinking over the last few days in relation to my "new reality". I guess in a sense, everyone is in a new reality all the time, but this one just seems so stark and contrasting to my old reality. In my old reality I had hot running water on demand, everyone spoke a language I understood and I pretty much had the social customs figured out. In my new reality, none of these previously understood assumptions exist, yet it doesn't feel that foreign. That is the part I have a hard time understanding.

While my new reality is so starkly different, it feels so natural. Maybe that is a testament to the human spirit and that you can actually get comfortable anywhere. I dont have hot running water and 99% of every day is spent trying to figure out what people are saying to me, but yet its not that difficult. I dont find myself struggling with the differences as much as I expected I would. Yes it would be nice to shower in a clean shower and eat some food that isn't a tajine, but all in all, I am liking the strikingly different reality.

I guess the point of this is to say that you can really come to accept and appreciate anything. I haven't even been in Morocco for that long (only 2 months) yet I find comfort in this new reality. Its quite awesome actually.

I also wanted to point out that you can derive pleasure from even the smallest of things.
For example:
A soda with ICE at McDonalds in Agadir
Dave giving me little pieces of his chocolate bar
A funny text
Anyone understanding what I am saying in Tashlheet
Seeing an english TV show or movie
Listening to a great song
Meeting up with fellow Americans who have figured this Peace Corps thing out.

I guess what I am saying is that life is really not nearly as dramatic as it used to be and its quite nice that something as simple as ice can change my whole outlook on life.

A trip to Agadir.

Today we headed out of our villages and towards Agadir. Sami, Dave and I met up in Tiznit and grabbed some breakfast with a local environment volunteer before grabbing a cab with some Health traninees to Agadir. Agadir is a beautiful place and was designed as a tourist friendly city after the earthquake in 1961.

I never knew I could find so much enjoyment in simple things, but today we visited the Marjane. It is essentially a cross between a mall and a Walmart Supercenter. It is amazing. Sami and Dave had little intrest in going but they accompanied me regardless and enjoyed themselves immensely. Basically the Marjane had everything we had been missing. The familiar glow of neon supermaket lights, shelves of products just ready for the buying and some old familiar favoirtes we cannot get normally like good cheese, French bread, cookies and candies. I bought some gifts for my host family including some new cups, a strainer, some coloring books and I almost bought a soccer ball for my brothers, but that will have to be something I get in Orazazet. We also picked up some techy gifts for our Traning Coordinator and savior, Hoda and our Language and Cultural Facilitator, Said. I think they will them a lot. Most importantly we got a towel for Martin in case he looses his again and I regained some sanity I had lost in recent weeks. This day has been super comforting simply because it doesn’t feel so foreign. The city looks like most coastal western cities, the Marjane feels like most large stores in the states and we even got some McDonalds for dinner. Agadir is home to the only McDonalds and Marjane in the region and we hit them both up today.

McDonalds was not something I anticipate eating much in the states (sorry Danielle) but here it was such a welcome relief from the constant tagine and cous cous we experience. It was a little overprciesd but worth it just to have a soda with some ice! I didn’t realize how much satisifcation I get from a cold soda with ice in the states but I started feeling the satisifaction today.

I also got to watch my first sunset over the Atlantic Ocean and I hope it is the first of many. I really liked the beach front area and look forward to some weekend get aways in Agadir to escape from the newness of everything else.

Tomorrow we head out quite early for our bus back to Oraz. This time we payed the little extra for some extra comfort and an ontime schedule, I cannot wait.

Welcome to my post.

We started our site visit adventure at 4:30 in the morning last Saturday. Sami, Dave and I were the only volunteers serving in the Tiznit region so we embarked on our long journey to Agadir together, very early in the morning. We had been hoping all along to take a nicer bus but that was just not an option, so we got to the souk bus stand at 4:45am. Our bus did not arrive until 6 am, apparently it was on Moroccan time, then we were off. It took us about 8 hours to get to Agadir from Ourazazet. Most of that time was spent stopping to either pick up people or drop them off. The greatest challenge was restraining the urge to eat or drink. There were no stops at rest stops and without a lot of language or experience, we didn’t exactly know what the procedure for bathroom breaks were and didn’t want to get left behind. When we finally got to Imzgan, which is the hub city for travel into and out of Agadir, it was insane. I now know that it has a bad repuation for harassment and haggling, but boy was it intense. Sami, Dave and I had been on a bus for 8 + hours and we were exhausted. The volunteer that was supposed to meet us was stuck trying to get a place for her parents to stay, since the ash cloud prevented them from leaving Morocco that day. We were super hungry having eaten nothing all day, so we headed to a pastry shop and sat down for a minute. Lots of stares and some cat calls later, we headed out to find a taxi to Tiznit. There were about 500+ taxi’s in this parking lot and we didn’t even have a clue of where to start. Finally we asked a man in a sort of official looking uniform for help. Turns out he works for tips, we didn’t know this at the time. We did eventually find a taxi and just decided to rent the entire thing out instead of hastling with luggage ect in a crowded taxi for an hour and a half. The ride was actually super enjoyable since we had lots of space in the taxi and the scenery was beautiful. When we got to Tiznit, some of the current volunteers met us at the taxi stand and we headed to the hotel. There is a nice, small hotel in Tiznit that all the volunteers in the region use, so the rooms were clean and ready for us when we got there. I am eternally indebted to the current volunteers whom coordinated the rest of the evening for us. I was pretty emotionally drained and it was nice to just do some talking to Americans. It helped calm a lot of fears and aprehensions about the looking days. We then walked around the area for a little bit and then headed to a volunteer’s favorite café where we chatted some more about life in the providence, ect. We then met the other traniees at the taxi stand (the health traninees traveled separately) and then planned the evening. We took a visit to all of the local hot spots that volunteers like including a huge super market that contains tons of American and imported products that made it seem a little more like home. There was even a restratuant with some western style food that was actually good. Pizza, burgers and sandwiches were on the menu as well as some Moroccan favorites. It was nice to eat some food that reminded me of home. The next morning we met as a group for breakfast and talked some more about the region, working, and other volunteer related things. I cannot express gratitude for the current volunteers and even those who are finishing up, they were a signifigant help and Maggie even took me to my site. I would not have been able to find it without her.

When we got to my site, Maggie called out point of contact and the President of the Women’s Association and my 17 year old host sister met us in town. I am going to put up some pictures of my town but basically its awesome. It was everything I could have asked for and more. The local weekly souk (market) where EVERYTHING for the area is sold is located in my town. There are about 50+ shops selling all kinds of household items, food items, mechanic shops and even a pharmacy. We also have a health clinic, the Kalifa (regional govenor of types) and a post office in my town. It is literally awesome. Oh and I forgot to mention, we are a taxi hub, so it wont be hard to catch a cab and there is an HOURLY bus to Tiznit. That’s right, I can get to one of the biggest cities in the area on an hourly bus.

We then walked down to my house. It is located in a compound on the side of a hill. My neighbors house is unreal, even by American standards. All of their children live in France and send money to them, thus they have an amazing house and location. My family’s house is also located inside the compound is large to say the least. I would say at least 1700 square feet, mind you most Host Family’s house durning traning was about 300 square feet. I have a massive room with a queen size bed in it and my own bathroom. The bathroom is nothing fancy but at least I don’t have to walk outside at night in the dark to get to it. This host family is definetly more well off than any family in the village I did traning in. We have multiple TV’s, DVD players, thousands of kitched appliances and even a laptop computer. Mind you the computer is a little outdated, but wow, really. The family consists of a father, mother and their three kids. A son named Mustapha, 21, a daughter and my savior, Hadija, 19, and a daughter Khalia, 17. The father is a blacksmith and does all metal related work for the town and surrounding areas. Mustapha is his apprentice of sorts. The mother is one of the coolest ladies ever. She is so full of personality and life. She is one of the organizers of the Women’s Argon cooperative I will be working with. Basically in a society that is supposed to have conservative and defined gender roles, my mother breaks them all. She is strong, indepedant, funny and super fun to be around and her daughter Hadija is exactly the same. Hadija has been my savior theses past few days and I am debtted to her as well. She has basically taken me as her tag along and shown me the ropes of the town. She told me where the men go, and where the women go. How to open a post office box and even how to pass the days. The youngest daughter is still in high school but shoul be finishing up soon.

The first day I came to my village, my family took me in with open arms. I ate way way too much food and spent all evening hanging out with the classy women of the village. A few days before I came, a relative in France had died and friends and family were coming over to the amazingly nice house to pay their respects. I was asked lots of questions I didn’t understand and drank lots of tea before the night was over. The women were so welcoming and anxious to learn about me, a feeling which is well appreciated over the alternative. Again I cannot mention enough how awesome this house it, the entire house is tiled they have tons of spare bedrooms, a huge kitchen with hot running water and even a large western bathroom with a shower. I enjoy spending my time there. The mother is very nice and welcoming, all of her children live in France and send money back to their parents, thus the nice house.

I didn’t end up getting to bed until way late, like almost 1 am. I set up my room a little bit and hit the sack. Luckily there was no rush to wake up and get moving in the morning, so I didn’t leave my room until about 10am. We did breakfast at the neihbors house and then headed to the Women’s Cooperative. I will be doing quite a bit of work with them and I think it is the perfect job for me. They are super motivated and enthauistic. They have a local shop, sell their products at tanhouts all over the area and show up every day without fail to make cous cous, argon oil for cooking and beauty products and to make my personal favorite item, Amalou. It is essentially peanuts, almonds, argon oil and sugar ground up and used for dipping bread. Wow. It is so good and it makes breakfast and snack awesome. Most of the women at the Women’s Cooperative are either divoriced, widowed, never married or their husbands just need the additional income it provides. I am seriously very impressed with the women and their work ethic. They have set up such a great operation with little guidance or resources. It should be awesome to see what help I can provide them to make their busniess even better.

The rest of the week we did lots of walking around the village, sitting at the cooperative, having tea at neigbors houses and checking out the local hotspots. My host sister helped me open a post office box in town and even took me to a neigbroing town to meet with the Gendarms (the local authority) and let them know I am living in the village. Their role is to basically provide me any support needed in relation to my safety and security and they seemed more than willing to help out, which I appreciated. Again, my language limitations popped up in the Gendarmery when the only man who spoke any English spoke basically none. Regarless, we got the job done and the patience of all those around me was of great help. On our trip we ate some bad tajine and we even aquired a stalker for the afternoon, following our every move. It was quite an adventure and having my host sister and our friend Maria there was of great help and guidance. It was nice to have a local show me around the hot spots, places to avoid, ect.

One of the cooler things we did this week was take a hike to this amazing valley about 15 minutes away from my house. I had no idea where we were going and I was pleasantly surprised when we got there. There is a waterfall into the valley and an amazing view. The valley itself is beauitufl and green with Argon forests and very old rocks, all of which was extremely interesting to the science nerd in me.

All in all, I was pretty sad to leave my site and anxious to start the next two years. I even found a local high school teacher who is fluent in English and offered to help me with any thing I needed. She is a young women who lives in Tiznit and commutes into school every day to teach high school kids. She expressed intrest in helping me start the environmental club at school and seems like a great contact to have. It will be nice to have one English speaking person around when I need her and I am sure she will appreacite having someone around to practice English with.

For now I am headed back to the comfort and familiarity of life in our small village outside Ourarzazet and my host mother, Fatima’s, delicious cooking. I am also away from the queen sized bed and house and back to sleeping on the floor but it will be really sad to leave my host family behind. They have become a very important part of my life and will continue to be for a while. I cannot wait to come back in a couple of months with my improved Tashlheet skiils and enjoy a delicious dinner witht the Maali clan.We will be back at our sites permanently on May 5th or 6th and then the real adventure starts.