Morocco's Popularity

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/travel/11foodie.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

In today's NY Times: Marrakech is the number one foodie destination of 2009. I must say, though, the food in people's homes is much better than restaurant food. That said, the best restaurant meal I have eaten here was in Chefchaucen with Mom, Dad, and Katherine.

Panama City

I think these images accurately portray what is awesome about my hometown (minus my family and friends, of course):

These Are The Times You Wish For Global Warming

Time stamp: Monday evening

As I write this entry, it is snowing outside. More accurately, there is a f****** blizzard outside.

I never thought I would say this but I am tired of snow. In just the last 6 weeks, over 6 feet of snow has fallen. In a country that has no heating mechanism other than to build a small fire, I am bitterly cold. At the moment, I am wearing 3 pairs of pants, 3 pairs of socks, and 6 top layers. I am too cold to type or write much of anything. I haven't posted a new blog entry because I haven't done anything recently except watch it snow.

The snow makes the mountain roads dangerous; transportation in this part of the country has virtually been shut down. I got stuck in Azrou for 4 days a couple of weeks ago. The short 30 km mountain pass to my site was closed. It took 4 days before it was open again. Last week, all the stores in my town ran out of milk because the supply trucks couldn't get through the snow. This morning, I was literally snowed in my house. My door was frozen shut.

It is hard to describe just how cold I am. I shouldn't be complaining though. This time next week, I will be in Panama City, Florida where yesterday's high was a balmy 73 degrees!

It’s the little things in life

 

In honor of Thanksgiving (or the holiday of turkey as it is known here), here is a list of what has made me smile during all the ups and downs of the past year:

-all the family visits! First Twinkle came, then Katherine spent a month experiencing bled (country) life, Mom and Dad came for 10 days, and just this month, Ellen visited!

-letters and postcards in the mail! Without fail, I receive a piece of mail every week from someone in the States. Seeing a card, letter, postcard, and what not in my box, makes me bounce right out of the post office.

-the pictures on my walls! It is fact that I have more pictures of my walls than any other volunteer in the province. I recently counted and the total was over 200!

-my host family! When I have a bad day, I go sit in their house. When I tell them about my frustrations, they just shrug their shoulders and say "poor thing, this is morocco. Not America" And every time I hear this, it makes me realize how lucky I am to be an American.

-a new president! I have already written a lot about this so I don't think I need to write anything more.

-Humor! Usually it is David Sedaris but occasionally it is other people. When I see something I disagree with, when something bad happens, I turn to things designed to make me laugh.

-the other volunteers! There are not enough words to describe my fellow Peace Corps volunteers. They are optimistic in the toughest of times; idealistic when they shouldn't be; gracious to everyone; inspiring to me; and all around some of the most amazing people I have ever met.

-podcasts, books and magazines! NPR is now my favorite (I never thought I would say that). I spend more than ever reading books. Another volunteer passes along The New Yorker, which is quickly becoming my favorite magazine. Each week, The Economist shows up in my mail box and I quickly read it to get caught up on the news of the world.

-Finding the best Moroccan version of a cozy little coffee shop—one in my site and one in Fez!

None of these things seem like big things but here, the little things become the big things. I have always been told that it's the little things in life that matter; that is so true.

 

 

Still Living That Election High

Oh so much as happened since my last post…

First and foremost was the election. This post is not political but I want to say that I have been holding my head just a little higher. Moroccans come up to me and offer congratulations. They say it with this bewilderment; like they are still processing everything Americans were able to do with a simple checkmark on a flimsy piece of paper.

Right after all this glory, Ellen came to visit! We spent most of our time in Essaouira because we both needed a beach fix. Essaouira is this really chill beach town that made us feel a little bit at home. After relaxing there for a couple of days, we were a little overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. Soon thereafter, we parted ways. Ellen went to the Casa airport to fly back to London and her city environment; I headed back to the mountains and the simplicity of village life.

I didn't get to stay in the village long. My annual physical was in Rabat so I packed my bags once again and hit the road. The rest of the SBD volunteers I arrived with were all in Rabat; it was great to see everyone and enjoy Rabat.

Some more good news: Work opportunities have increased exponentially! I am now involved in a women's computer literacy class. This opportunity is huge and has the potential to keep me busy until the end of my service, lhamdullah.

Time seems to be flying. In September, I posted that it felt like I had been in Morocco a year. Now, 2 months later, I can't believe that November is half-over. I am now considered a second-year volunteer (prestige comes with the title); I am in a little bit of disbelief. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, Leid Kbir is 3 weeks away, and my arrival in Panama City is 5 weeks away. I feel like I am going to wake up in January and ask myself 'where did the time go?'

Obama’s Newest (and Youngest) Fan

In previous posts, I have alluded to the fact that it has been raining a lot in Morocco for the past couple of months. This has led to lots of flooding and entire villages have been wiped out. Some volunteers have seen people lose all their possessions and occasionally death. Lots of rain (and snow) have fallen upon my town but nothing major has happened.

Yesterday, it started snowing heavily. So I did what I usually do when I don't want to be in my house along; I went to my host family's. I sat around the fire and read a book. After a couple of hours, I turned on the TV. To my surprise and pleasure, the Daily Show came on. Ali, the now 15-month old, started pointing to the TV when the guest, Barack Obama, appeared. I wish my camera had been with me.

Just this week, Ali said his first word, 'Baba,' which is oh-so-close to 'Obama.' For about an hour, I practiced the word 'Obama' with Ali. But there was no luck. Maybe with more time, it will become his second word.

you know…

So much of my life has become routine. The day-to-day is no longer exciting; it is hard to find interesting things to write about. But, you know, there are some things that stop me in my tracks:

-Walking into a Hshuma shack (code name for the L***** Store) and not only being the only woman but also the only white person among 100 Moroccan men
-Lounging on cozy couches with a cup of good coffee and using the free wireless (what I am doing at this exact minute)
-Hearing that the GRE is in the hands of Allah (will the grad schools think that is an acceptable answer on my application?)

I been bad about updating; I apologize. I promise to be better.