Just a quick update. :) It is Wednesday and the strike is still not over. I went with my friend Doug to another friend's house from Saturday until Tuesday. Now I am back in Azilal hoping the strike will be over tomorrow....we shall see!
As of writing this entry, I have been in Azilal, a small, sleepy town, for one week. And I can’t get out. Every morning, I wake up and go downstairs in my hotel to ask if the “idraab” (strike) is over yet……and every day it is. Which means another day of few food options, and literally nothing to do. This was slightly entertaining for the first two days, but now being in Azilal House Arrest is just getting old! I want to go home and see my cat! Also, I have now been out of my site for over two weeks.
Looking back about three weeks ago, Steph and Adam came to visit! It was a phenomenal trip, and I was just so happy to see them. They arrived in Marrakech on the 22 of March after two full days of traveling. Chicago to Nashville to Miami to Madrid to Marrakech! I am honored they went through all that to come visit me in Morocco. Since we only had a few days together, we were always moving and active seeing the sights of Morocco.
Sunday we hung out in Marrakech, and they were amazed/overwhelmed by the exotic atmosphere: monkeys, snake charmers, and infinite leather slipper and carpet shops. I really think they were in a bit of a dream on the first day, and I could barely understand that I was getting to see my sister and Adam in Morocco!
Monday we spent most of the day in Marrakech, taking in the many interesting aspects of the city. In the afternoon we took a bus to Essaouira, my favorite beach town, and then got to ride camels there the next morning. It was a very entertaining experience, and very cool. It just hurt our legs. A lot. Tuesday afternoon we took various transportation to Tiznit, stopping over in Agadir for some ice cream. Apparently I didn’t prepare either Stephanie or Adam for the experience that is riding in a taxi with 4 people in the backseat for three hours. However, they handled it very well. After that trip we decided to buy out the fourth seat in the back of our taxis for a little more room.
We spent Tuesday night in Tiznit, hanging out with my friend Hanneke, who was happy to meet Steph and Adam. We spend so much time talking about our families back home, it is nice when we have the opportunity to put faces to names. Wednesday morning we did some shopping in Tiznit, including stopping at the silver souk, for which Tiznit is famous. Steph and Adam both got nice silver rings made in my region. For lunch we met up with Meredith to eat at the beach. There is a small beach town 5 miles from Tiznit, and I swear we didn’t see a single other person while we were there. It was just us, enjoying our beachfront tajines.
Wednesday afternoon we went to my site! We had tea with my host brother Omar, my host dad Abd, and his brother. Then we drove up to my douar to get settled in my house and meet Chandler. The next day we hung out in my house and then lunch with my host mother, Ijjou, and my host sister, Najma. They dressed Steph and Adam up in traditional Berber clothes, which I found VERY entertaining. Usually I am the one who is dressed up like a doll in people’s houses. By the last night, Stephanie was really embracing my lifestyle, using the Turkish toilet, bucket bathing, and everything! I am thoroughly impressed.
Friday we went to souk (after a mishap with my host dad’s car. We were hoping he would take us since we had all the luggage, but his car broke down and we had to walk half of the 3 miles before a pick-up full of men going to souk stopped and let us ride the rest of the way), and started our trek back to Marrakech. We were able to stop in Agadir at my favorite Lebanese place for lunch, and then completed our trip. In Marrakech we did some shopping and enjoyed a nice dinner on the terrace of a restaurant overlooking Jma lFna, the famous Marrakchi square. The next day I was so incredibly sad to say good-bye to them, after spending a great week together. Fortunately I was distracted from thinking about missing them because I had to travel back to Agadir for a week of English Immersion Spring Camp.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports sponsors Spring Camps throughout the country to Moroccan youth to attend. There are Moroccan volunteers (mostly teachers, some college students), who run certain activities and handle the logistics of the camp, and there are Peace Corps Volunteers who teach English and various other activities. Our camp in Agadir had 96 participants, between 13-17 years old. It was truly amazing to spend a week with city kids, since I am so used to kids from my rural area. We had an absolutely phenomenal time. The Moroccan volunteers made our camp what it was. It was inspirational to see them get the kids so excited, sing songs with them, while at the same time keeping them under control. And of course, our camp was in Agadir, so the climate was perfect. We were able to take the kids to the beach for games on day, and spent a lot of time outside.
After the camp was over on Sunday, I spent 8 hours traveling to Azilal, where the new group of Peace Corps Health trainees are spending there training time. My boss had called me up a few weeks prior to see if I could come speak to the trainees about the health education work I have done thus far in my site. I was very lucky to arrive on Sunday night, because by Monday morning the strike had begun.
For some reason, the local taxis were not striking on Tuesday, so the trainees were able to get to Azilal from their CBT host families. The Health Education Workshop went well, and the trainees had a lot of questions for us. It was definitely surreal to be back at training after a year. I really feel like that was me like last month!
On Wednesday I was planning to go visit my friend Doug’s site in the region, but the strike was back on. Today is Saturday, and there is no transportation going in or out of Azilal. Some of the local restaurants are even closing because they can’t get food delivered from Marrakech. Rumor has it the strike might be over on Monday, but we’ll see.....
So, word to the wise. If you live in Morocco, and your sister is coming to visit, and you want to clean your cat, DO NOT try to blow-dry him too. Last week, I successfully bathed Chandler. Although he didn’t exactly love it, he put up with the water and being shampooed and everything. But then I thought, he might get cold with wet fur. So I turned on my hairdryer. Not the best idea ever. Actually, probably one of the worst ideas ever. Chandler became very afraid and tried to get away. I tried to restrain him, so he responded by biting my arm, and then my hand. Needless to say, he did not get blow-dried.
I didn’t think this was at all a big deal…I mean Chandler was vaccinated against everything in December. SO I went about my business until that night when I noticed that my hand had swollen to twice its normal size. The next morning, I called my PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer), thinking that he might suggest I get antibiotics or something. Instead, he told me to come to Rabat! Rabat!??! Being 13-15ish hours away, that’s not exactly an easy trip to make. So I told him no. I said I could go to Tiznit or Agadir for medical attention, but Rabat???
Well I lost the argument. I promptly left for Rabat. 30 hours later, I arrived in Rabat. Now, I need to make it clear that I love Rabat. It is a great, modern city that offers a blend of much-appreciated luxuries, and traditional Moroccan culture. However, this was not the most convenient time to go.
Since there is a 48 hour gap between the 2 post-exposure prophylaxis injections, I had almost 3 days to spend in Rabat. Turns out one of my other Peace Corps friends was bitten by her cat too, so we spent the time together. The highlight of my time was St. Patrick’s Day. When packing I didn’t realize I would be in Rabat for St. Patrick’s Day, so I didn’t have anything green, but we were able to celebrate nonetheless.
The US Embassy has a restaurant called the American Club, where Americans can go and enjoy food and drinks not found elsewhere in Morocco. We called the restaurant on St. Patrick’s Day, and it turned out they were having a party! So I got to spend this St. Patrick’s Day eating corned beef, drinking green beer, and hanging out with about 50 Americans, 1 Irish family, and a British couple. It was a great time, complete with “Kiss me, I’m Irish” necklaces and St. Patrick’s Day napkins. We ended the night by singing Irish folk songs led by the Irish family.
This morning I was lucky enough to finally get in touch with my Tashelhit language instructor from training, Doha. She is currently working in Rabat, so we had lunch together today. Who would have thought my surprise trip to Rabat would go so well!
Now, I am heading back down to site, and should arrive tomorrow. I am counting down the days until Steph and Adam’s visit…….4 days!!!!
Happy one year in country to me! ☺ March 4, 2008, I arrived in Morocco. This week, 60 new trainees arrived, beginning the journey I began a year ago. It is crazy how fast time flies! I haven’t had much time to celebrate, but I hope to do so this weekend with my PCV friends in the region. In fact, we are planning a 24 Season 2 marathon, complete with salsa and nacho cheese from America. ☺ I know everyone back home was hooked on 24, so I thought I might as well give it a shot. Dad sent me Seasons 1 and 2. This week when the weather was too awful for me to walk to the town center, I stayed at home, watching hours upon hours of Season 1. It literally stole my life from me for 3 days. As much as I tried to convince Chandler to make me stop watching, he just wasn’t very persuasive.
With regard to the Women’s Center, I am waiting approval from my office in Rabat. According to my programming staff, it has been approved by one of the two people whose approval I need. As soon as I have PC Rabat approval, it will be sent to Washington, where it will be posted on the Peace Corps website. At that point anyone back home can go online and donate. The girls in my village are extremely excited that things are moving along, and we can’t wait to start construction!
This past Sunday was our region’s AIDS Skit Competition. Brooke, a Youth Development volunteer had been organizing the event since November, but unfortunately it kept being postponed. Finally, we decided to have the event on Sunday March 1st. On Thursday, my local nurse came to “play practice” with my students, and helped them make their skit more accurate and informative. On Friday, I confirmed travel arrangements with the teacher and guardian who would accompany the students to Tiznit. There is a mailman who travels between Tiznit and Tafraoute every day delivering mail to the post offices along the way. Brooke sent travel money for my students with the mailman, to drop off at my site on the way to Tiznit. So Friday I went to the post office early in the morning to wait for Ahmed. Unfortunately, he passed right by me and kept on going. I had to get up and run down the street chasing him and calling to him before he stopped and remembered to give me the money. I must have been quite the sight, running down the street.
Saturday, Brooke, Brian (a volunteer from another province who helped out), and I met in Tiznit to confirm arrangements with the people there. Things were looking good until Saturday night at 7pm, when we got a call from the doctor who was supposed to judge the competition. Apparently he wasn’t going to be able to make it. And then at 9pm the principal of Brooke’s youth center called to say that the students from her site weren’t coming. As we went to bed Saturday night, none of us was expecting a successful event. In fact, there was talk of just not showing up and going to the beach instead.
Well, Sunday morning I got a call from the doctor who bailed. Apparently he felt bad and had called another doctor to take his place. Thank goodness! So, although we didn’t have Brooke’s students, we still had a phenomenal event. I was so proud of my students I thought I would burst!!! These kids rarely get the chance to leave the mountains and spend time in the city. They also don’t usually have the opportunity to hang out with kids from Tiznit. Overall, the day was extremely successful, with plays by students from my site and Tiznit, dance numbers, an AIDS talk by the doctor, AIDS discussions, AIDS activities, and an awards ceremony. 
Here is the stage with our banner advertising the event
Brooke leading a true/false activity about AIDS 
Me, the teachers, and the students from my site who attended. I may get in trouble with PC for posting this picture.....but we'll see :)
And then we went to Agadir and celebrated our success, American style. :)
You know how you never really appreciate something until it is gone? I had such a moment today in Rabat. I knew there was a church in Rabat, and I decided to attend mass this weekend. Yesterday, I went to the church to check out mass times, and I was interested in the asterisk next to Saturday mass times. It said, “Messe en anglais un samedi sur deux.” Mass in English? What? When? So I called the church and sure enough there is mass in English every other Saturday! Today I arrived at the church a little early, and a nice gentleman escorted me to the sacristy, where the priest was speaking with a parishioner. In English. In American English. Now, to fully understand the profundity of this, you need to know that Morocco is full of foreigners. But French foreigners. Or even British foreigners. But Americans? Not so much. Turns out the priest is from Philadelphia, and has worked in Morocco for 17 years now.
Mass was incredible. There were about 15 people in the congregation, and about half were American. One woman is married to a US diplomat, and comes to church each week with her son and daughter. One family is passing on business. 2 other American men work for the govt. in some capacity. The other members of the congregation were African, from Christian English speaking countries. What a great group, and what a lovely mass.
It is hard to describe how meaningful it is not only to attend mass in a country where Christianity is illegal for nationals, but to attend it in English. I could barely hold myself together. I just wish Rabat was closer than 13-15 hours from my site!
On top of having the opportunity to go to church, today was a celebratory day of taking the GRE. This morning I took the GRE with about 10 Peace Corps Volunteers, 1 Peace Corps admin lady, and 15-20 Moroccans. Now the GRE sucks for Americans, but can you even IMAGINE trying to take the GRE when English is not your first language?? YIKES. Every time that I got stressed out during the exam, I thought of how lucky I am to naturally understand at least a portion of what’s on the exam, just from speaking English my whole life. But to be a Moroccan student and have to decipher the GRE? WOW is all I can say.
We celebrated this afternoon by going to TGI Fridays for lunch, where we can enjoy free refills and an American atmosphere.
And now, I have to make the long trek back to site. But it was a good stay in Rabat. Like always.
Although this year's Valentine's Day was slightly different than last year's (no flowers, nice dinner, chocolates, and of course, boyfriend), I STILL had a very enjoyable day.
It started on Friday night when I made heart shaped cookies with frosting and pink sprinkles. 
then, on Saturday I met up with the local girls to spend the day hiking, hanging out, and having a picnic on top of one of the mountains near our village. We had a lot of fun, and naturally, since it was Valentine's Day, we talked about boys. :)
Unfortunately, I have a train to catch, so I can't write much...time to head up to Rabat for the GRE. How fun. :)
Well, in a surprising and very ecxiting phone call I received from Steph Sunday night, I discovered they were on the search for tickets to Morocco. And on Monday morning I learned that they will visit March 22-28. I CAN'T WAIT. For REAL.
I also thoguht I would post some of my most recent cooking adventures.
A Moroccan food, mismin, that we eat with tea in the afternoon sometimes. My host sister's mismin looks a lot nicer than mine. :) 
Homemade tortilla chips. A lot of work, and very fried, but very good! (I made them for the Superbowl