DOWN ON THE FARM

The various sectors of the Peace Corps program staff, along with other PC staff, continually explore potential sites for volunteer placement. I recently attended a meeting in Rabat to represent VAC at a SBD Site Development meeting, to learn the process, as well as potentially offer beneficial input. It was a good experience.

On the way home, I stopped over to spend a night with my Arabic tutor. Here are some photos of my visit. The first is of her husband’s family. My tutor is the first woman on the left. The man in the middle with the yellow slacks is her 36 year old brother-in-law, who teasingly told me to help him to find a wife. He doesn’t want to come to America, as many do.

The presence of a couple of Massey Ferguson tractors and other farm machinery, as well as their home, would indicate to me they are likely upper middle class economic level. Here are some haystacks, (rectangular bales) near the cow pen. The bulls are, at this time, kept in a shed. Her husband took me in the "pet" them. They do not neuter animals here, so there seemed to be nearly a bull for every cow. The cows are all pregnant, so there wasn’t any homemade butter or fresh milk available during my stay. They also drink buttermilk, freshly churned.

They have a good farming operation, primarily potato growers. The picture shows the remnants of the last harvest; spuds they will eat themselves. They sell to companies that make French fries, as well as to wholesalers who sell them at souks. They also have some pretty good sized onions, as you can see. Most of the onions, as least in this part of the country, are red.

Here is Zhour’s family. Her mom is sitting next to me, to your left. She makes the best whole wheat bread, which she bakes in a little mud (clay)oven in back of the house. The other photo is of her father and his little grandson. I practically ate non-stop for about 24 hours while I visited the two homes and families. Great food!I left with pomegranates and huge wonderful green grapes freshly picked from trees/vines in the yard.

It is so good to be able to meet these simple, hard-working people. I say simple, but that only refers to their lifestyle, compared to ours. Several do have college educations, but no jobs are to be had. But they prosper, anyway, in more aspects than just financially.

CASCADES d'OUZOUD. A little R&R with friends. Had a nice weekend w/another PCV.
The night I arrived two of her friends and I all feasted on wonderful spring rolls, chicken and rice, and a Moroccan lemon meringue pie!

The next day we took a day trip with another nearby volunteer to a place called Cascades d'Ouzoud. The drive there in the taxi was rather spectacular, but mostly uncomfortable. It was quite hot, the driver had the native music playing very loudly, and it was hairpin turns in and out of mountains for a couple of hours. But the place, once we got there, was quite pretty. I think it must be very beautiful early summer. Mostly Moroccan people there, many kids (mostly boys, of cours) enjoying the cool water, lots of folks brought picnic lunches, blankets, and just spent the day in the shade.


We had tagine for lunch and made friends with a mama cat and two of her kittens who were quite pleased to take the chicken scraps from us.
Another day we went to the other volunteers town and meandered around, had a great tagine for lunch, saw lots of very old buildings/homes. Then back to her home for another walk around, cold drink with one of her Moroccan friends. Last night we just chilled, watched the movie "Fast Food Nation" (it will be awhile before I eat another hamburger), had popcorn, and got to bed early for my 6:30 a.m. departure to go back home. Am headed back to Rabat Thursday for a meeting, then stopping near Casa on my way back to stay overnight with my tutor and her husband. She lives there during the summer, but has an apartmeNt in my town during the school year. Tough deal for them to be apart, but not uncommon when both spouses want to work.

Random/Rambling Thoughts. I was suffering from great homesickness the other day, missing my own comfortable culture a great deal, along with longing for family and friends, even having just seen many of them so recently.

The weather has been lovely, about 74-84 in my house, and not overbearingly hot outside, so no complaints there. I just wanted to be able to run out to the store in my t-shirt and shorts instead of having to change into more acceptable attire. Also, it didn’t seem like anyone really needed me here, that I had not accomplished anything, etc. etc. A pity party was in great progress in my little apartment! Part of the problem is that there is a great lack of work activity during the month of August, and I hear that many PCVs in small business development sector are suffering from similar feelings.

Then I went for a morning walk, and realized that most all the men I met were saying “Good morning, how are you?” to me (in Arabic, of course) before I spoke to them. These are the same men that a few months ago generally made brief eye contact, then ignored me, or said “Bon Jour” if they were the more friendly type. But now they know I am an American (not French) who can speak and understand at least simple greetings, that I am a woman who believes exercise is a healthy thing, and that I am here to help the women and others in this village. I realized that these things alone indicate progress, and a beneficial cultural exchange. My own high expectations continue to plague me!

A PCV friend in my cyber town related to me these thoughts that are worth sharing.
She said perhaps there could be a few young men in our towns who might be tempted to commit acts of terror for the big money (that would go to their poverty-stricken families). Possibly, because they have met one American living here as one of them who is pleasant, is trying to learn the language and help their villages, that they will not succumb to acts of violence. Who knows? She could be right.

I went to the lobby of the Sofitel Hotel in Marrakech recently to meet a volunteer who was staying there with his father who was visiting from the U. S. The PCV will be finishing his service soon and I went to get some DVDs from him. The Sofitel is a VERY upscale hotel. As I viewed the workers in their “costumes,” and the guests coming and going (many in their scanty pool wear), I wondered how many tourists stayed only at places like this and thought they were really seeing Morocco. The hotel reminded me a bit of ones I stayed in when on business trips in DC and other cities with Tom. I was strongly reminded how very rich we are compared to most people in other countries.

Enough philosophizing for this day! Am going to be sending this from my friend Margaret’s place north of Kech where I am fortunate to be spending several days during a Moroccan holiday long-weekend. I think we both are excited to be with a good friend during this lonely month.

PEACE CORPS OFFICE IN RABAT Here's yours truly in front of the Peace Corps headquarters in Rabat,where I recently attended a VAC(Volunteer Advisory Council) meeting. The grounds are quite lovely, as you can see. Grass is something we don't see out in the rural areas.

As mentioned before, I am the rep for the group of SBD (Small Business Development) that came Sept. 2007. There are first year and second year volunteers, and four sectors, so we have eight on the council. We meet quarterly to discuss concerns of PCVs and PC staff. There are lots of issues on both sides, and we are to be advocates of the PCVs yet intermediaries. The meetings can get quite interesting! Sometimes fun, sometimes not so fun, just like organizations at home. We even get to review the by-laws; guess I prefer studying Darija to studying by-laws!

A couple of questions re: Morocco came up during a presentation I did while in Billings, and here are the answers I did not have on the top of my head there. The average life span here of men is 69 (US 75) and women 73 (US 81) Infant mortality (at birth) here is 40 per 1,000 (US 6.5).

PIGGED OUT on my trip home, both figuratively and literally! Had a wonderful trip, wish I could have spent more time, seen my daughter and her family in CA, and more friends, but it was great nonetheless. The first day back was difficult, realizing it would be an even longer absence from those I love. But I guess I knew I was "home" when hanut(little store)owners asked me where I'd been.

And, I beat the heat, at least some of it. It was 120 degrees all week one of the weeks that I was gone. That type of weather could return in August, but it is now only about 105. It continues to be usually 90-95 in my house, cooling to about 85 at night. It's pretty quiet here this month as there are many weddings and vacations, all the teachers have left town, and my neddy is closed. So a big month of studying language, writing grant proposals, and planning trips for visitors who will be coming to see me! Perhaps an overnight to a seaside town as well. Blog will likely spare as well. Blessings to you all!