LIKES AND DISLIKES. Here are a few...

What I like best about being here? In no particular order: the simple lifestyle (upscale camping?!) which includes simple meals, no make-up or daily hair styling, simple/few clothes; learning about a totally different culture; the pleasure of helping girls learning basic computer skills; starting on my project; (it's really happening, just now!)my beautiful area of the country; my new Peace Corps friends; time to read lots of books, watch lots of movies on my computer, and I am so happy to have learned how very much my family and friends all mean to me!

What I dislike? Public transportation, the inability to control the temperature inside my house, not having an American toilet/shower/tub, my lack of anonymity. The last one is because everytime I go out my door, I walk into the role of half- celebrity/half-freak. Because I am older, it isn't nearly as bad for me as it is for the young female volunteers. Depending on their towns, some of them have a very difficult time of it. I try to think of it this way: If a woman walked down streets of Fairfield, Montana with a jellaba and headscarf, would she not be considered peculiar by many? Especially kids? So I try to understand how I must seem to them, but yet, I do want to share culture, and to me, that is part of it. Many of them do see American films on TV, and lots of tourists, so my dress isn't terribly foreign.

I do miss a variety of places to walk/work-out, and live theatre/concerts/shows. Didn't realize how much I had come to enjoy those aspects of my life!

OVER THE RIVER and through the mountains. The first photo is about 25 miles from my town, and the other, about 50. Lots of S curves in and out, up and down mountains. When riding on the bus on this road, the driver passes out plastic bags, and you can count on several being used.

My village is located right on the highway between Marrakech and Ouarzazate. This is one of the main routes to the south; one of the main attractions is the desert with huge dunes, and camel rides if you wish. There is also a town renowned for its roses, and they have a huge festival each May. There is also a beautiful valley that many people travel to to hike. So, getting back to my village, we see literally thousands of tourists go through here every month. Most of the tourists in Morocco are from France, which was the last country to occupy Morocco, (and whose language is taught from early elementary grades, and is primarily that of government and university studies. Lots of other tourists; many Europeans rent motorhomes so we're seeing more of those all the time. Most tourists like to buy things to take home, so therein likes our opportunity to sell our handmade goods! The neddy is highly visible next to the road, and with signage (which is included in the project budget), we feel we can capture some of the tourist market in our little store.

I'll be working with a couple of women to show them how to make a brochure, and edit it after I leave, which can be distributed to a few select restaurants/hotels in this area. Next week will also begin the process of teaching how to tag merchandise, keep records of inventory/sales, etc.

I am hopeful that we can get the store up and running by this summer. Getting things done here takes an incredible amount of time. But patience will prevail! One of my newly-learned characteristics. Well, sort of! :)

HURRAY! Thanks to the generosity of friends and family, the funding for my project here is complete! To whose who contributed, a HUGE thank you! I did receive a list of contributors, but only those who gave the okay to be shown, so I know there are those of you who I will not be able to send a personal thank you note; hope you will consider this as acknowledgement of our appreciation.

Here is the area that will have two of the movable partitions with shelves to hold their goods for sale. These will be locally made. They will create a corner in the neddy that will have its own entrance. The other two partitions will be to divide off a classroom area. It will take a bit of time to actually receive the funds, both from America and from local sources for their participation. Then as the actual construction takes place, I can about guarantee you that what would take a few weeks at home will take a few months here to accomplish. Shwia b shwia (little by little)it will get done, ensha'allah! (God willing)

Am blogging from home again this evening, but can't view the photo so hope it is in the right place! Weather has been extremely windy, then none, then cool and cloudy, but not much rain yet. Am hoping for lots, and soon, for the wheat crops here.

TAXI MAN. This is my pal Hafid. He is a kurti, which is the man at the taxi stand who helps fill the taxis with passengers. I was taking photos this morning of the produce hanut; he had just started the vehicle for the driver, and had no reluctance in me taking a picture. He does not drive taxis himself. This fellow has been with me from day one in my village. I arrived late in the day with much luggage, looking for my homestay family, feeling very lost and insecure, and he kindly helped me haul my things to where I needed to go.

By the way, all the "i"s in Moroccan words are pronounced like the French "i" which is "ee".

FOOD Info. A topic of interest to everyone, yak? (that means, do you agree?) When I went to the hanut (small store, pr. "hanoot") the other day, I was reminded how inexpensive produce is here when it is in season. For instance, I bought a kilo (about 2#) of each of the following: cauliflower, beets, oranges, onions, carrots, and tomatoes. Total cost was equivalent to about $3.25. Lots of times I'll buy bananas and they're totally unblemished inside, but they look pretty beat up on the exterior. Some people erroneously believe that all produce here is organic; however, other than small gardens, the farmers do use pesticides.

The village where I live offers the basic variety, but in the "Jewish Quarter" in Marrakech there is a market where you can get broccoli, different types of leaf lettuce, and fruits other than the oranges, apples, bananas. I've seen raspberries and other more "exotic" types there. The town where I get my mail also has more variety. But I do fine with what I get here with an occasional (expensive)treat from the larger towns.
Meats are fairly expensive, so quantity is not eaten here like we do in the U S. Here's the chicken hanut; beef and lamb are sold at a different shop. Chickpeas, lentils, eggs are a major source of protein. And yogurt...tons of different kinds, as evidenced by what you see in the countryside; many discarded containers there. The price for yogurt is a bit cheaper here than it is in the U. S. I buy skim milk in a cardboard container and it is a little over a $1for a 1/2 liter (quart). There are also lots of nut/raisin/date vendors; peanuts are a popular snack item; one rubs the skin off before eating as they get quite dirty. Peanuts sell for about $1.90 a pound.

Keep in mind though, about U. S. prices; we don't live on an U. S. economy,so U. S. prices here means expensive. For instance, McDonald prices are about the same, or even a bit more, than they are in America. That means McDonalds is expensive! It is therefore considered a "prestigous" place to go. (My language tutor who was in New York state on a Fulbright, knew that it was considered junk food there, so her attitude about McDonald's does not match that of the locals.) Other items tend to be a bit pricey. 1/2# coffee is about $1.95. A box of cereal (standard size, like Kellogg's Fitness), is $5.85. In the winter I usually have the less expensive oatmeal or barley cereal.

Bread, (the round flat type) however, continues to be the mainstay of the diet in the poor rural areas like I live in. The main meal is at noon, where there will usually be a tagine (stew type of meal with vegetables) and couscous usually on Friday, which is a special mosque prayer day and the noon "hour" often extends from two hours to three hours.


I'll close this blog with sharing my recently discovered culinary
delight.This time of year is asparagus time! Not many native people eat it, but some do understand that it can be considered edible. Here is where it is found. There are various kinds of "bramble bushes" but only one has asparagus growing in it, and it's the only place I can find it (other than the larger markets in big cities). I saute it in olive oil (made right up the street from me)with diced potatoes, and top it with a couple of eggs over easy and voila! a great weekend breakfast! And much cheaper than American cereal, as well...

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to all my sweethearts, and I am so lucky to have many of you. Those who send me letters, care packages, newspapers, emails, and you who I know keep my in your thoughts and prayers. I appreciate all of you!

There's been a change in the weather. It's moderated considerably and I can now be in my house without multiple layers of fleece and a hat on at all times. It's been about 60 degrees (give or take a couple) instead of ranging from 46-52. The howling/fighting/barking dogs at night were replaced for about a week with high winds which caused my sheet-metal door to my rooftop to bang all night long. So there is something different going on all the time here!

Once again I am unable to blog from the Internet in my house so must do this at the cyber. Hope you enjoy learning a bit more about the P.C. here in the blog below. Next up will be a "special" on foods, soon as I get a couple more good photos to accompany the story.

THE P. C. ORGANIZATION. Thought you might like to know a bit more about how the Peace Corps operates here in Morocco, so here goes!

There are about 30 staff members at the headquarters in Rabat, the capital city. Three are Americans and the rest are Moroccans. There are four programs (aka sectors) here: Youth Development (YD), Health (HE), Environment (EN) and the one I work in, Small Business Development (SBD). A new group (called stage, pronounced the French way) of YD and SBD arrive each September and EN and HE each March. There is usually about 30-40 in each group. All go through three months of training, followed by the actual 24 months of service.

Each program has a Moroccan manager and assistant. There is quite a bit of difference in how each program is managed due to the variance in types of work performed. The Moroccan government is also involved with our work, and, as a matter of fact, provides some funding on a monthly basis for each volunteer’s living cost. So the volunteers not only work with/for the U. S. government, but the Moroccan government as well. Aren’t you envious?!

Just like corporate America, and government, we have goals for our individual sites, and also reports to complete on a regular basis. It often can be a frustrating juggle between achieving the cultural exchange goals (subjective) and accomplishing the technical/training/teaching goals (objective). The culture itself can be a deterrent in making much progress with the technical goals. For instance, some women know and understand they can make products to sell, but the culture in their home and/or locale may not empower them to travel where they need to buy materials, or finish school, learn the country’s language, leave their homes, etc.

Safety and security are huge issues here, and the restrictions placed on volunteers are often met with great resistance. We are not allowed to come and go as we please; far from it! So that has been and continues to be a big issue. On one hand, we are grown adults and should be responsible to look after our own safety, but the Peace Corps also has a responsibility, as does the Moroccan government, for our safety. The Peace Corps evacuated Morocco in 2003, and would prefer not to have to do that again, but of course will if there is a critical threat to the lives of the volunteers.

The Volunteer community itself has several committee opportunities for those who wish to become more involved. There is a SIDA committee who work on AIDS projects, the GAD (gender and age differences) committee, and the VAC, volunteer advisory council, which works with the Staff on various issues that arise. All stages elect their representative for these committees. I have the privilege (I think that’s what it is!) of being the rep for my stage, and was just elected chair, which position I will hold for six months. We meet every six months: two times a year in Rabat and two times wherever the new stages are in training, so we can explain to the new groups who/what we are before they elect their reps. Here is a recent VAC meeting held in the conference room at the P. C. headquarters in Rabat. (I am not in photo but busy keyboarding minutes on that laptop you can see)

Volunteers can leave at any time they wish during their service, but there are numerous benefits in staying. One of the main ones (for me, anyway) is the ability to serve on the Peace Corps Response, which are “retired” Peace Corps volunteers who may get called up to help with crisis types of situations anywhere in the world. Sri Lanka was one of the more recent places, and I hear from unbiased sources that the Peace Corps did a great job there.

We are given a monthly stipend to pay our rent, as well as reimbursement for other living costs. I find that I can generally live on what they allow; when I desire to travel for fun or eat out in a bit more “higher” style, I often need to take out of my own pocket. Our medical needs are also taken care of; we have two doctors and a p.a. on staff and a great dentist in Rabat.

So that’s that slice of my life!

MY HALF-MARATHON. It wasn't intentional, but the week following the Marrakech Marathon I ended up doing my own 22k walk out in the country. One of the women who is on the board of the neddy wanted me to come and visit, and since the neddy was closed due to a school holiday, I took the opportunity of gorgeous weather to walk out and see her. I had recently walked there with my counterpart, and knew it was about 7k on a very rocky, hilly road. Here are some views of my walk. It is interesting how one side of the road/land is very barren, and the other, great soil for their wheat.



Here is her house.

Naima had tea ready for me when I arrived, and we visited a bit. She speaks a bit of English, and would like to know more. Next was lunch. Many people here have tomato and onion and/or cucumber salad. The vegetables are finely chopped, not only by hand, but in the hand, quickly and deftly. A very interesting activity to observe. We also had lamb and prune tagine, which was a special treat, and very good. She proposed we walk to the river, so we set out with her 5-yr old niece in hand, and after we walked a bit, I could see it was probably about 4k there.


I suggested that was a bit far, considering the walk I had ahead of me to return home. She assured me there would be a transit (an old van used to transport people, etc.). We chatted with some women washing clothes, and here is also a photo of their ponj (sofa-like furniture) covers drying on the bushes. She seemed to have thoughts of crossing over the river when I suggested it was time to head back, and of course, no transit.




The little girl was quite tired by the walk and not exactly a happy camper by the time we got half-way back to their house. I declined the offer of afternoon tea, drank a bunch of water, and walked back, quite tired myself at the end of the day.

But I loved being outside, and it IS beautiful countryside, and was quite content to be here this day, instead of frigid Montana!