Strike! I came into my cyber town yesterday for my usual Wednesday outing, and went to the taxi area to go home at 3 p.m. (I have a 4:00 English class I teach at the neddy) and there weren't any taxis to be seen. After a half hour, I realized something was up, and got a text message from my tutor that there was a national taxi and bus strike going on. I knew my friend who lives here was gone to Rabat for a meeting, so I texted her and got the ok to stay at her place. I spent much of the night catching up on emails, reading online, skyped with my daughter Marci in Chicago, did not sleep much. Funny how home is home no matter where you live. It was nice to be able to use the internet a lot, but like my own little nest. If the strike isn't over with this morning, I can likely catch a transit back. That is a large ugly old van in which they pack about 10-20 people. Yes, transporation here is quite an adventure. That's a nice term for it. Like saying, "yes, she/he/that was very 'interesting'."

I am sure I have mentioned before that living here is like camping out. I get a real shower about twice a month, when I go to Marrakech or other cities. Otherwise it is a bucket bath in my house...which means heating up a kettle and/or pan of water to boiling stage, add cold water to it in a big bucket, and that's it! I don't know how women with long hair manage, having enough water to rinse it well when they bathe. Hair only gets washed every 5 or so days at this point in time. When the weather gets hot, I'm sure the bucket baths with cool water will be welcome and often. But it hasn't been warm enough in the house yet for that to happen, although it is warm enough at times to go around slightly clothed. That's the thing I think I miss more than anything...the ability to control inside temperatures. Most towns have a hammam, or public bath, but there is none in my town, which is very unusual. Quite a few people have their own little hut/room where they build a fire underneath for the hot water and create the steam room, in which they sit and scrub on their body for 30-120 minutes straight. I'm not lying. My counterpart (mentor) has one at her house which I used when staying with her son for two months, but it was quite small, and I guess I like my own bucket bathing just as well.

Many people in my area also speak "Berber" which is the language of the rural people. Moroccan Arabic is not like regular Arabic. It is called Darija, and that is the language I am trying to learn. Then there are three dialects besides which are quite different from Darija. One of them is Tashelheit which is spoken in my area. So even when I learn Darija, some of the peopl in the surrounding villages may not be able to understand. However, most do speak both. Children who go to school begin learning the Arabic language/alphabet and French in the first grade. But many current adults did not go to school when that was in the curriculum.

Speaking of schools, my tutor is an English teacher in the high school and started in October. She has yet to be paid. So if we think our government/school systems are full of red tape...! She is very happy to receive compensation from me for her tutoring, I think!