The Birth of Zahra

So I've spent the last couple of days getting to know my family and learning the language and lifestyles. It has been challenging, exhausting, and intensely fun. Getting to know my community and its surroundings has been enjoyable. My CBT group and leader went on a few walks, one through the community and one down by the river, which was absolutely beautiful. I don't have pictures just yet, because that walk was on accident due to the wind blowing our door shut & we were locked out of our "school" house.
So, my family!!! I have a younger brother, who's 7- his picture is below- who has been my savior at home. He has been so patient with me and has been more than helpful with teaching new words. Though as soon as he teaches me, I think he expects me to remember them and is surprised when I don't. I enjoy watching his facial reactions when I'm trying to pronounce a word. After drawing an array of different things and having him teach me them, I wrote them down in English for him- then I taught him tic-tac-toe!! Which he seemed to really enjoy and wouldn't stop harassing me to play!

 

My Mom is a sweetheart. She's quite, but is so excited to help me learn. She's making sure I'm doing okay and is very kind. I can tell she is so proud when I finally can speak the word, even though I forget it 10 seconds later and make her repeat it. She's finally allowing me to help her, I made chicken kebabs with her last night for dinner. Or, for an appetizer- jeeze louise they eat a lot over here!! (though I'm pretty sure I've lost a little bit of weight, thank you no alcohol policy!)
I have and Aunt and a Grandma who are funny and constantly force me to eat. My Grandma is a sweet old thing, who just keeps talking to me and I think expects me to understand what she's saying. She'll just keep repeating herself louder, as if it helps... it doesn't. But I know she means well.
I also have a father that I just met last night, who seems very nice and keeps to himself, at least for the bit that I met him. I have two sisters also- but I haven't met either. They're a little younger than me so I'm waiting to meet them. I can only hope they'll be as helpful as the rest of their family, which I'm sure they will be.

So! I'm sure you're wondering about the title of the post. The first day I got to my CBT site, my mother gave me the name Zahra, which means flower. Sometimes American names are too hard to pronounce, so we're all given Berber names. A dialect of Berber is the language that I'm learning. It makes me laugh and think, these people will never know me as Caitlin. Just Zahra. My little brother will never think of me in any other way, and I think that's so fascinating.

What else.. hmm... it's definitely been a challenge to adapt to the lifestyle here. New food, new language, hardly drinking water, not showering every day, and all of the volunteers favorite- the turkish toilet. Just all some things that will take some serious getting use to.

Ohh!! My and my female CBTs got some Henna at our friend Joe's house, one of his "sisters" did our hands and feet- here's a picture:

If you haven't realized already, I do not have internet at my CBT site, only at my hub site. So tomorrow (Friday) afternoon, I'll be headed back to my site for 10 days. Lord knows how I'm gonna handle my first bucket shower because I know I cannot go without showering for 10 days. My family knows how much I love my showering, especially Patrick and Conor, so this bucket thing does not sound as glorious as my steam shower back in Wading River. But it is what it is and I heard they're not that bad.. so I'll let you know how it goes.

Ouarzazate

So, I've finally gotten my Community Based Training site. Apparently it is a gorgeous mountain side village with rivers running through it. It also has fig trees, walnut trees, corn, wheat, and is very known for it's roses. There is even a rose festival in May, so that will be insanely cool to see.

Tomorrow myself, and 5 others of will be off to train and meet our homestay families! We are all excited to meet them, see where we'll be living, eat until our stomach's burst, (we've been taught phrases to help us say when we're full) and learn the language. We won't be learning Arabic, well, we will be in the long run, but we're going to be studying a Berber dialect, called Tamazight. My goal is to be fluent in Tamazight, learn Arabic and then brush up on my French. Peace Corps pays for tutors if you want, so I'm definitely going to look into that.

Sorry this is quick, I'm going out food shopping with my CBT (community based training) group and LCF (language coordinate facilitator). They have so many abbreviations here it's hard to keep track!

I'm going to try to upload a few videos that I took on my flip (thank you girls!). The first one I believe is the windy road through the Atlas Mountains from Marrakesh to Ouarzazate. It was amazing and one of the most beautiful road trips I've ever taken. The video does it absolutely no justice. I mean we're talking palm trees one side of the bus and snow capped mountains on the other. There was nothing like it. Plus one car lane roads and a police escort.
The second video is just a view from the rooftop of our hotel. Hopefully I can get them up soon!

Marrakech

Day two in Marrakech. Yesterday was a fog of bus rides after the plan, some meetings, some fantastic food (sorry, I didn't take any pictures), meeting tons more people (and trying to remember their names), and then popping two glorious tylenol PM and snuggling into my sleeping bag.

Today, more meetings!! But by broken up by breakfast, interesting lunch, more meetings, and then TEA AND COOKIES!! First, there are four options for beverages- amazing pulp filled orange juice (however doesn't hit the spot when you're craving some Tropicana), coffee, mint tea with sugar, and mint tea without sugar. Then, an amazing array of cookies, to which I'm pretty sure I've tried every one.
On a more exciting note, we were brought to the Medina in Marrakech today, and got to see all sorts of stuff, (don't worry, pictures will be up soon!). How can I describe this place, it was like.. if ChinaTown and Bryant Park (in the winter) had a baby, and then that baby took steroids. Add in some street performers as well. It was quite an experience. Especially after hearing all these lectures about how we will be harassed and forced to buy things. However, not much more than the usual 'buy this, buy this' and 'where are you from?' was heard. Thankfully. I guess I should prepare myself for some more intense situations.

Tomorrow we are here for half a day and then head off on an apparently insanely windy, bumpy, road to the city of Ouarzazate (pronounced kinda like.. OhWhere'sItAt), where we will be staying for the next couple of days and will also will be what is called our "hubsite". Which is basically the place we'll be going back and forth to from our Community Based Training site (where I'll be staying with my host family & which I'll find out in the next few days). So basically for the next 3 months I'll be traveling back and forth from these two places. Joyous.

So! All in all it's been good so far. Gimme a few days/weeks and I'll probably have my weak moment (but that's what all the movies, robin eggs and chocolates are for- thank you friends!!!)

Until next time!! Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you)... I'm tryin' here haha

Staging

So, getting up at 5 AM is usually a challenge, but when need be- I deliver. And although I was made fun of the night before, (because I was seriously concerned), the parentals and I stopped at Bagel Buddies, got myself a sweet bagel (side of cream cheese, the bagel was too hot), and we were off.

After a quick bag check and life lessons from Mom & Pop, I headed to the security line. And being myself, I completely forgot that I had put a pocket knife in my toiletries bag, so what happened? Oh, yeah, Laguardia security staff ripped open my bag, throwing everything this way and that- I was actually handed multiple things from strangers- and disheveled my bag. So, while trying to put everything back in my bag, and in a rush, what do I do- oh that's right, I shove my hand into my bag and gauge my finger on my razor. Yes folks, only me. So, now I'm gushing blood on the security bag check thingy, looking at the lady, (cursing her in my mind, because obviously it's her fault), and in pain. So she goes out of her way and gets me a tissue, followed by the head lady getting me a tiny bandaid. THANK YOU SECURITY GUARDS.
Needless to say, I spent the next half hour pressure holding my finger instead of eating my glorious everything bagel. Only me.

So, once on this tiny little plane, I start to relax- I have a cute Canadian sitting next to me, (though the 15 passenger plane I was on was clearly not full & he could have moved- I like to think it was me), and we have a gloriously short plane right to Philly.

Finally, I arrive at my hotel after a confused cab driver, I check in, and I hit the bed, hard. NAP TIME! I have meetings all day in about 2 hours, so some serious shut eye is needed. My roommate comes in right as I'm about to rest, we exchange hellos, she goes to smoke (I don't see her again to right before we head down). I don't care, I'm tired.

I'll skip a little bit through my staging meetings. Chalk it up to, I met a lot of cool people, I'm not the only one going crazy and completely nervous, and I'm insanely pumped to finally go.
After it all, and not eating for 7 hours, I am STARVING, along with about 10 other girls, so we all decide to go across the street to TGI Fridays for our last meal. Which all in all, probably a mistake, due to the lack of service. But after 2 large beers (for everyone mom & dad, not just me), we all had a great time, getting to know one another and exchanging stories.

I'm only skipping so much because I'm absolutely exhausted! But, it's only the first day- there are a lot more stories to come.

BED TIME - MOROCCO TOMORROW!!

Let the Countdown Begin

So I have about a month left until I leave for Staging- which is in Philadelphia. Right now I'm just trying to figure out what to pack!! I keep being told all these different ideas and frankly, I don't know which one to listen to. I think when it comes down to it, I'm just going to bring what I would want. And then hopefully I can just buy whatever I need in Morocco.