Merry Christmas

Okay, so it’s pretty pathetic that it’s taken me until my Christmas vacation to finally write an entry.  But I’ve finally found myself a little bit of time and well, I’m going to take advantage of it as much as I can.

I find myself in a tranquil state- with a tall beer in hand and just have gotten out of the bath. Oh yes, Germany has it all folks. To be honest, I don’t really remember where I left off. So I guess I can start from my most recent events.

I apologize for taking so long- however, I have been insanely busy. In the beginning of November, I decided to change my site (not a much change, as move 30 minutes down the road). The change itself, has been, such a good thing for me. I have a site mate, actual work, and a very welcoming community; I’m actually the 9th volunteer in this town, so they are very familiar with volunteers, what they’re there for and how it works.

My new house!!!

A beautiful wood burning stove and wall of cards!

Along with the move, I had a trip to Spain right before Thanksgiving, Barcelona actually. Which was absolutely amazing. I think that one of the greatest opportunities that I have here is the ability to travel. While I am trying to do my best and help out the country that I’m living in, there’s no reason to take advantage of it’s location and the great deals on plane tickets sometimes.

TAPAS!!

So after my trip to Spain, and after a temper tantrum about coming back to Morocco, my better half and myself went to see some friends for Thanksgiving. And oh, how glorious it was. We had deep fried turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, and whole array of different sides. And while there was none of my Grandma’s broccoli casserole, it still hit the spot and was absolutely amazing.

After Thanksgiving, things got even more hectic. I and my site mate, were holding a Maternal and Child Health Care workshop in our community. So, with that in mind, we needed to go out and recruit about 25 women from the outlining dwwars. The entire process went exceptionally well, except for me, after biking about 25k and not having a nice hot shower- I ended up with a sweet cold. But it was definitely worth it. Every time we stopped to ask a women if she was interested into coming to the training- we would be invited for tea, for lunch, for any sort of hospitality they could offer. Which was great, but there was only so many times we could stop, drink tea, eat bread, and then set off biking again. 

The training that we conducted was with about 25 women, and we went over topics such as female anatomy, pregnancy (problems with this), pre-natal care, hygiene, and a few other things. Which both my site mate and I had actually done a month or two before, so we were a little familiar with what to do.

Beber women from my area in their traditional dress

warming in the sun during our break...

Doing a demonstration on how germs spread... yes, that's me on the far left!

Needless to say, everything went off without a hitch. It was a great workshop, the women were quite receptive and it all ran very well.

So after all this, I had about two days to get myself together, because I had to go up to Rabat for a meeting with USAID for the huge water project that I’m working on- which is putting running water in all the houses in my community (including my own!!). While that was overwhelming and intimidating, I think that this project will be very good and I look forward to working on it- and hopefully it’ll all work out and actually go through.

Alright, so what happened after that... oh yes! Then, I had to haul my behind to a SIDA training. Here, SIDA is the acronym for AIDS. So I went and helped out a friend and sat in on this teaching of teachers training for SIDA. All in all it went quite well and it was a nice send off. Because after this, I had to go back up to Rabat for two days, to get a flu shot. That’s right, Peace Corps paid for me to go all the way up to Rabat for a flu shot. But hey, I’m not complaining. I got to spend my birthday in a nice hotel, with great food, and a had chance to see Rabat for the first time. 

So after Rabat, I mentally checked out. I officially was on vacation. And now, now I’m in Germany for Christmas and nothing could be better. Well, that’s a lie- I could be with family, I could be with friends. But this Christmas I’m spending it was new family, with new friends, in a new place. And while a part of me is crying like a little child because I don’t get to be with my family on Christmas- I’m trying to be a grown up (which is SO hard!!!) and appreciate what I have here, around me. And I do, and I am so happy to be welcomed into such a great family which such great traditions. I am very blessed and very thankful this Christmas. And Mom, as much as I love you and wish I could be there- I am in very, VERY, good hands.

And while the beer & wine keeps flowing, the chocolates & cookies keep getting handed to me, the pretzels are infinite, and the company is so comforting, a part of me is hysterical- because I realize here and there that I will have to return to my real life- or should I say surreal life.

And I do promise to be better with writing and keeping you all updated. You’d think that since I don’t have internet in my house I’d have plenty of time, but you’d think wrong.

Sorry, My Mom Won’t Give Me A Dowry

Well the wedding festival went off without a hitch. All together we checked a whopping 1,557 blood pressures- with 121 of them being women. I don’t want to say too much, but I would put that under the success column. After the first day, we got a really good flow and feeling for what worked best for us. With some people doing crowd control, three blood pressure takers going, and then those around to help educated and tally- I think all together we did a great job. We did have a lot more on lookers than I had anticipated, and a lot of repeats (we’re convinced if they got a higher pressure, they wanted to come back and double check), but all in all... it went quite smoothly. Here are some snap shots from under the tent...

As for the festival itself, unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to really walk around it until the last day. Due to illness, hosting, and working, it was hard to get a chance to sneak away. Just image a huge outdoor garage sale, everyone having their own tent. A flea market, if you will. Of course it wouldn’t be complete without street food and some music. Although, I wouldn’t know about the street food-- after waiting two hours for kebabs, a few who ordered that delicious looking chicken, decided to leave the table and continue on through the festival.

A few of us, however, were able to get a chance to hang out with some camels before they were shipped back off to the Sahara. A little confession: camels look really cool & exotic until you get up close. Once you’re face to face, you realize how... kind of odd they look (at least to me), and how uncomfortable they seem to be if you were to ride on one. But the riding part will come later on. Anyways, check out our little photo shoot: 

This was also my first time hosting at my new house, to which I was quite nervous. Hosting always has the potential to be stressful, but add in being sick, not having running water, and not enough sleeping space. Also, there’s no King Kullen (Walbaums, Stop & Shop, whatever) down the street to run to if I’ve forgotten something. Though, all guests are PCVs, so they’re use to these conditions, it’s still a bit demanding. But with the help of my guests, especially my better half, hosting was a breeze. Every dinner made was delicious; from spicy stir-fry, to fried chicken with mashed potatoes & applesauce... mmmm, amazing!

Cooking here has definitely been something I’ve gotten into to. And while cooking for one isn’t too exciting, when the opportunity presents itself, I’ve really enjoyed baking or cooking for the occasion. Some of these delicious dishes include (keep in mind, everything’s from scratch):

• Biscuits
• Flour Tortillas (used for tacos & burritos)
• French Toast
• Pancakes (apple cinnamon, oatmeal chocolate chip)
• Pizza (a variety, I love pizza)
• Garlic Bread
• Cream of Tomato Soup
• Vegetable Soup
• French Fries
• Hash Browns
• Mashed Potatoes
• Alfredo Sauce
• Apple Sauce
• Burgers
• A Basic Meat Sauce
• Vegetable Dip
• Stir Fry with a variety of sauces (peanut, spicy tomato, butter...)
• Huevos Rancheros
• A Variety of Omelets
• Fried Chicken
• BBQ Chicken
• Brownies
• Yogurt Cake
• Yogurt Coffee Cake (oh my lord, so good!)

I really want to make enchiladas soon, so hopefully that will happen. But alas, cooking here has been a lot of fun. Kind of making things up as I go along too. With time to spare, it’s easy to get carried away with some things, and when getting together with other volunteers- cooking is something everyone enjoys.

Along with cooking, my house is coming together slowly. I’m trying to use a lot of things I’ve found around my house, around my yard, around the area, to my advantage and in resourceful ways. Which reminds me, I have a buttload of plastic bottles, any suggestions on what I can do with them? I’d rather have some project than throw them out, as they would just stay in a landfill. So if you do, please let me know! Anyways, check out some of the updates...

my newer, smaller, yard. with fire pit and compost pile.

...make shift shelves!

Well, I’ve gone on for a while now and I must head out and get some water. Out of the 8 community taps, the two closest to me have gone dry, so I’m off to find one that is actually working, joy.

Bulgarian Burgers

I woke up today to get a 4 am transit down the mountain. I don't know what it is about getting up a the crack of dawn, but it always makes me a bit gitty. I blame my parents, my dad mostly. I can remember setting my alarm clock, if not being woken up by my mom, to get up around 4:30 in the morning and get to the car to go who knows where. Dad loves driving anywhere, I guess that's where I get it. It was always so exciting... our bags would be packed, and my brothers and I would trudge down the stairs, still half asleep, but with a pillow in arm and head to the car. And back in those days, when we had our sweet van, we'd already have our spots in the car picked out, so we would hop in, and make our own little bed. Then, after making sure we had everything, we'd all head out. And usually we'd all conk back out by William Floyd (Mom probably just after we got on the LIE), with the promise of bagels in Queens. "I know just the place!" Dad would always say, he always knows just where to go. I guess that's why I never mind getting up early to travel, I think I'm always expecting to get bagels. So I thank you both for that.


Here's a little different. You hope there's a seat, by the window preferably, and then pray you don't get caught in a vomit frenzy. With still an unknown cause, travel and Moroccans just do not mix. And nothing is worse than standing in the middle of a moving van, with a women on either side of you, puking into a plastic bag. Thank you Man for inventing iPods. I should have thanked you a while ago when I was taking the LIRR home after a Wiggles concert got out. Lord, was that a rough ride. I had my first MP3 player that I still wouldn't be able to figure out, with only 10 Weezer songs on it, but I listened to that baby the entire ride home.

According to local legend, two lovers, Tislit and Isli were children of warring mountain tribes and had fallen deeply in love. When their families discovered their relationship, they refused to allow them to see one another, let alone marry. The couple was so heartbroken that they ran away to marry secretly, and then threw themselves into the mountain lakes that today bear their names.

Devastated by the deaths of their children, the tribes came together and agreed that from then on, no one would be able to dictate who their children were to marry. The wedding festival serves as a yearly reminder of both this freedom to choose and an opportunity for men and women to meet their future spouses. Indeed, it is one of the few opportunities many mountain villagers have to socialize with the opposite sex, and people come out in droves to see and be seen.

According to protocol, women are made up by their families in traditional dress, their single status identifiable by their pointed head apparel. Potential husbands then browse the goods on offer, egged on by their friends, before settling on a potential match. The womens' families still play a crucial role, determining whether or not the suitor is appropriate - if his application is unwanted, a broken handshake indicates he should move on. If, on the other hand, he is successful, his bride-to-be will say the immortal words: "You have captured my liver" and the match will be settled.

Right, back to the point. So, now I'm down here, in Rich, one of the two closer cities to my town, running around getting some shopping done and some serious internet-ing. Which means intense Facebook stalking; no one's safe. I need to stock up on some goods because this week my side of the mountain is playing host to the world renown Wedding Festival. The story behind the festival is this:

Okay, so these days it's more like huge open market, and there's a tent where couple's can get a marriage certificate. It's believed that no one really gets married off these days, but can still happen. I'm told there are marriage ceremonies up by the lakes, so hopefully I'll get to see some of that.

So I get to play host to about 10-15 volunteers in my little house with no running water. These guys will actually be able to have a real Peace Corps experience haha.. it should be a lot of fun. Most people haven't gotten a chance to come up the mountain, so it'll be a good time. And I promise, I will post pictures when I can. 

Work wise, we will be setting up a tent at the festival where we will be giving free blood pressure tests and talking about good pressure vs. bad and what one can do to prevent it. We'll also be talking about the hazards of smoking and the health infrastructure in Morocco and locally so people will know where to go for what. So hope for the best!

Okay, so what exactly have I been up to... not much. I'm still trying to get use to this whole idea of me living here. The language is coming along, as is work. Towards the end of Ramadan, I took a little trip to go camping a bit and then spent a little time on the other side of the mountain, relaxing, cooking up a storm, and just having a good time. Check it out...

Plum Trees, with delicious free plumbs (free if you don't ask...)

A Moroccan house, if you will

Can you find the man in the tree?

absolutely adorable.

pop-up tent and self made fire

Fresh peaches! Yum!

Looking down at Ait-M'Hamed

Enjoying some homemade apple cinnamon pancakes!

Bulgarian cheeseburgers with a ranch topping, my stomach was so happy!

...these ones had a fried egg on top, oh lord.

Weekly souk that serves around 30,000 people

check out those melons!

I realize after posting a lot of these pictures I need to take some more pictures of my own village. I don't know why I just haven't yet. I think it's I don't really think to bring my camera along with me when I take walks, and I apologize. But, I'm on it next time.

Alright readers, I hate to leave, but my ADD is kicking in and I do have some errands to run. A lot of food and other items I need to run around town to buy. There's no Target, no one stop shopping in this town. One day maybe...

Ramadan

Well folks, Ramadan has started. A month where you can actually sit all day and do nothing with the excuse, “well, it’s Ramadan.” Yes, no eating or drinking, or any sort of enjoyment until sunset. Transportation stops, intense labor continues, and everything that you just got use to, has turned upside down. It’s so much fun.

But let’s backtrack a tad bit. Last I left you guys I was head off to Post Service Training. And oh how glorious it was. Actually, it was nice; seeing friends, sleeping in a hotel, food that’s paid for, getting to see the new Harry Potter (oh yeah, don’t think I would have missed that!) no complaints. And at the end of our week of sharing our feelings, experiences, and stomach problems, we ended our week with a Gayla. That’s right gaYla. With a movie (“But, I’m a Cheerleader”) the first night and then a giant dance party (same sex date appreciated) the second to help support our Pride group over here, we celebrated in style...

Ahh date night.

My date for the night, Fatima!

Some of my more appropriate artwork!

This one, not so much, but I tried!

The couples.. and yes, those are my little pink shorts he's wearing. No judgement please.

So yes, Ramadan started last week and it has been a interesting site. Life switches from day to night and it is definitely a time for family. Families travel long distances just to be with each other for the the celebratory month. And right as the sunsets, those fasting are just so excited, (or at least I am). Because it’s at this time when you can finally take that sip of water, taste that soup you’ve been cooking for the past 2 hours, and rip off a piece of fat bread (bread stuffed with onions, peppers, tomatoes, chives, pieces of fat sometimes, depends on the family) and stuff it all in your mouth. It’s like watching an Italian family eat- hands reach for everything, everyone’s talking and asking for things, complete chaos. I know this to be true, I’ve witness an Italian family eat thanks to my last roommate Alessandra (but there’s no wine here with break fast, darn.)

After five days of trying to get out of my site just to get my rent money, I am finally out, sitting on a terrace cafe and full from another volunteer’s host family’s food. I’m having another case of writers block, so I apologize. Not much has gone on since I’ve left post service training. Wish I had some more exciting news for everyone. But the basics: I’m meeting new people every day, I made a garden and fire pit in my yard, I screamed at some kids for banging on my window, the usual for life in Morocco.

I hope to write more and have some more for you guys next week! Sorry about the short entry.