A few have asked more about my diet, etc. Most people here drink coffee in the morning, and it's strong, so they drink it with milk, and that's whole milk. So there's some added calories. And I've mentioned how bread is used as a fork for the meals. Actually, the noon meal is the biggest, and often the evening meal is just bread and served with butter (real) or olive oil and jam sometimes. Inspite of all that, I have lost a bit of weight, but not much. I have found a place in Ait Ourir that sells skim milk (by the box) and sugar free, fat free yogurt. So that is good, and combined with the weekly farmer's market called "souk" with fresh vegetables and fruits it will be easier to get back to my usual healthier eating habits. I continue to walk about an hour 5-6 days a week, and it is always uphill one way. Oh, a man who lives along the road where I walk has asked me to tea. He's actually pretty good looking, often wears a flashy peach colored jogging suit, and has all his teeth (although I suspect they may not be his own). His invitation may be one step away from a marriage proposal. I'm not kidding. This country is kind of like that. Of course, I would never go with him to his house. I am not that naive.

One of my friends asked me if so much sugar (they put a ton of sugar in their coffee and tea) and white bread is so bad for you, why are so many American women obese and very few Moroccan women are. Good question! Moroccan women, at least those in rural areas, work in the home like women did 50-100 years ago in America. No dishwashers,vacuum cleaners, washing machines or dryers, etc. etc. Not that all are thin...many are plump, but I haven't seen a real obese woman yet.

The money system here is difficult. It is based on the dirham, and right now 9 dirham is about equal to $1. But, when shopping, they often give the price in ryals, which is 1/20. Nearly everything is sold by the kilo, not by how many, and if you try to buy 4 apples, they act like you're nuts! You buy 1/4 or 1/2 kilo, not so many. Then they tell you it's 200 ryals, which means it's 10 DH a kilo. But since I'm white, they often give the number in French, not Arabic. So you can see it makes the purchase quite interesting. And this all is on top of the mandatory bargaining in most places. So much to learn ande get accustomed to!

From "The Alchemist", A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget about his sheep."