Happy Birthday, Ellen!

21 years ago today, I lost my only child status. Ellen Renee came into this world as the newest member of the Whitton clan. And today, she turns the big 2-1.

The last 21 years have seen new additions and difficult losses. Through it all, she was there—whether I liked it or not.

She is currently putting the finishing touches on one phase of her life because a new and exciting phase waits in the wings. Today is for celebrating, though. Enjoy it [responsibility].

As your big sister, I wish you a very happy birthday!

We Are What We Read

"We're all what we read to a very considerable degree."
-David McCullough, Boston College commencement address 2008

Through the powers of amazing other volunteers who forward articles as much as I do, I came across this quote a few days ago. I read it and then reflected on it.

The books I read this month:
When Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris (humor)
Short Stories by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Southern gothic/cracker)
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (inspirational/motivational)
Pathologies of Power by Paul Farmer (medical anthropology)
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (classic)

That is quite an eclectic group.

David Sedaris' humor is something every volunteer needs in their life. Dad shares my love of Southern literature, especially early Florida stuff. He graciously passed the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings along. Mom left me The Last Lecture giving me a little insight into its phenomenon. Pathologies of Power and Invisible Man were both passed on from other volunteers with must-read recommendations. Oh, and I can't forget, all the old New Yorkers I have read this month.

This has been the most difficult month. Combination of no family after so much family, the heat with its negative side effects, and all the community issues.

To deal, I have turned inward. This month has been all about personal development; trying to get back in shape and expanding my mind. Browsing news websites and downloading anything that looks interesting. Writing up my opinions and forwarding them along to my Dad (whether he likes it or not). Discussing current events with another volunteer and even a Moroccan. Researching grad schools. Learning about website development. And reading an eclectic mix of books.

Happy Things

As I mentioned in the below post, it has been a frustrating week. For most of the week, I was mad/angry/pissed off and all the other adjectives that fit into that category. I turned inward to make myself happy again. Happy Volunteer = Successful Volunteer. So here is a list of what has made me happy this week:

• A playlist full of newly-acquired music. Stevie Wonder, Amos Lee, and Ben Harper make beautiful music.
  
• Discovering NBC Nightly News and Meet The Press (in their entirety) and the Today show (first hour only) via podcast. This marked the first time I seen a clip of President Bush speaking. It was like I had forgotten how [insert own adjective here] he can sound. On Al Jazeera International, CNN International, and the local Moroccan channel, they just talk over his voice.
  
• Watching the Daily Show. I really think this made my week. Doing some errands around town yesterday, I ran into my host brother who told me to come to the house later. I did but Naima was just leaving for the hammam. She told me stay anyway, watch TV, and just close the door when I left. And as I started to flip channels, I hear "Welcome to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart." It was amazing. Beyond amazing. The only funny news commentary I get is from other volunteers.
  
• Running, crutches, and yoga stretches
  
• Finding a great reading/studying place in Timahdite. The auberge where Mom and Dad stayed is run by two of the friendliest men here. I went last week and asked if I could just sit here and read for a few hours. They said I was welcome anytime. I went again yesterday. Upon walking in, the guy told me that he knew I had a not-good week and just to sit, relax, and read. And I did just that.

The Way To A Moroccan’s Heart

…is sugar cookies, inshallah. This week has been one of the most frustrating of my time here. Due to circumstances out of my control, my reputation here took a big hit. I can't go into why on this blog (but if you want to know, send me an email and I would be happy to vent). So I needed to in some way try to repair it. Damage control. Taking the advice of another volunteer, I decided to bake cookies for people in the community. I baked 5 dozen sugar cookies and passed them out to my neighbors, little girls, and others in the community who have been helpful to me recently. Inshallah, this works. If not, I am prepared for backup—brownies, chocolate chuck cookies, and snickerdoodles.

 

Summer Season

I know I begged for summer. I begged for its warmth, its sunshine, and its familiarity. I take it back. I take it all back. I don’t like summer here.

In summer, I must deal with an increase in shady Moroccan men. This warm weather encourages them to be more “friendly.” I have come to some sort of acceptance with the verbal harassment. It was always present in the winter but compared to now, winter harassment season is mild. In summer harassment season, I must deal with explicit French and English phrases; being touched (re: grabbed, which has now reached into the double digits); and the obvious staring (and staring).

Sooner or later, the harassment (or I) is going to reach a tipping point. But for now, I have accepted that it is going to get worse before it gets better.

Friday Morning :)

I went running today!

Up at 6:15.
Out my door at 6:30.
Back in my house at 7.
Drinking my coffee by 7:15.

I doubt I can keep this 6:15 business up too long but I am going to try.

Running With Dad

I went running. With my Dad. In Morocco.
And it was one of the best things I have done here. It was my first run in 10 months. A month or so ago, I sent Dad an email telling him to pack his running shoes; we were going to try to run in Fez. We were all set to do it but with like everything else here, there was a little hiccup to our plan…Mom and Dad’s luggage arrived a day after they did.
We finally got the opportunity to run in the last few days of their stay. In a chill beach town on the Atlantic coast, we strapped on our shoes and set out to explore the town. One foot in front of the other. Sweat dripping down my forehead. Raising my heart rate. It was a glorious feeling. And sharing the experience with my Dad was even better.
While here, I have been lazy in working out. Partly because it has been easy to be that way and partly because no one in my village does any sort of outside exercise especially women. Women work in their homes and take no delight in doing anything outside.
After dropping the family off in Casablanca, I returned to my house with a new resolution. I am going to go for a run.