Hello from Ouarzazate !!!!

I just returned from my first CBT phase……6 days in the country, or the “bled” as Moroccans like to say. It is great to be back at the Training Site, with hot water, western toilets available, and showers!!!

My CBT experience was great. 5 PSTs (Meredith, Kathy, Doug, Brian, and myself) went with Doha, our Language and Culture Facilitator (LCF) up into the mountains for a week of intense language and culture immersion. We each stayed with a host family, who will be our family for each CBT phase until May.

My host family is GREAT. There are 2 brothers who work in Casablanca, and 3 sisters in their 20’s. I saw my host dad maybe 4 times, because he spends most of his time off working in the fields.

Each day, we had classes from 830am through 6pm….a mix of language and cross-cultural training. There is so much to say I do not even know where to begin, so I will highlight a few moments from the week

#1 In our clay house, the women of the family hang out in the same room they eat in and they sleep in. Each night after class, I helped my host sister, Hajiba, and host mom prepare dinner, while “chatting” in Tashelheet. Chatting usually consisted of me saying a word I learned, getting corrected, and then saying it wrong again, which caused an outbreak of giggles. For example, one night my host mom was trying to teach me kitchen vocabulary.

Imma: (points to a pot) Tatskoort
Erin: Teetskoort?
Imma: Oho, TATSKOORT
Erin: Waxxa, tatskoort?
Imma: Muzzein! (good, and we go back to peeling potatoes)
Imma: A few minutes later, points to the pot)
Erin: uhhh…..tafunest?
Imma: (needs to put down the knife as she laughs uncontrollably. Tafunest is “cow” in TashlHeet)

All of the women ate dinner together- sans utensils and sitting on the floor…….however, I would only go so far as to share food. When they pulled out the communal glass of water I had to put my foot down. I brought in my Nalgene bottle and just said it was special water for me so I don’t get sick. Hey whatever works.

After dinner and clearing the dishes, one by one, each women grabbed a pillow and blanket and lied down for the night. I got up, stepped into the hall and headed to my room. On the way my sense of smell would be flooded with animal. In the house, the people live on the second floor, and the cows, goats, horse, and 30 sheep live on the first.

#2 My host sister Hajiba is my favorite. She is 24 and teaches at the local pre-school. She is fascinated by the fact that my sister is also 24, and also teaches pre-school. I learned how to say "my sister teaches deaf people" in TashelHeet, and I am pretty proud of that! When I was having trouble communicating with someone in the family, Hajiba and I would use French to break down the communication barriers. Thursday was a Moroccan religious holiday, so the night before, I got henna!! Hajiba did an amazing job, quickly drawing elaborate flowers on my hands, like a pro! The only problem was going to bed....since I had wet henna on both hands I couldnt do anything. Consequently 2 of my host sisters helped me to bed and arranged the covers over me so that I could sleep with my hands in the air. Too funny!

#3 Classes went really well- Doha is supposedly the toughest of the LCFs and my group is grateful for that. We are learning language at an accelerated pace, and doing so much else as well! There is currently a PCV in the village, so we went with her to her Women's Association, and met the women who make cheese to be sold in the big city. We also visited the sbitar (health clinic) and learned that the village has one of the best clinics in the region because it has a doctor.

#4 I am sick of getting sick. Something about getting sick in the same hole you brush your teeth into, you do your business into, and you "shower" into is not so appetizing. I guess it shows how wonderful my experience was....I was sick most of the time and can still honestly say it was one of the best weeks of my life!