On Graduation

Before I delve into my thoughts about life and current events, let me first say congratulations to Katherine. My little sister graduates from high school today—congratulations! Last year, she came to Morocco and spent a month with me. Not many 17 year olds would have done that. She adjusted to the turk, lack of reliable running water, and the harassment remarkably well. Not afraid to reach outside the box, she handled Morocco’s ups and downs with grace. Now, she heads off to college for more adventures, more ups and downs, and more exploring.

Since it is graduation season, there is so much talk about public service whether it is from congressmen, celebrities, or our President himself. The writer Paul Theroux recently wrote an article about how his Peace Corps experience has affected the rest of his life. Not too long ago, I read Dark Star Safari, a great travel writing memoir about Theroux’s adventures traveling from Cairo to Cape Town. This was his first return to Africa in more than 30 years and throughout the book, he reminiscences and reflects on Africa, Peace Corps, and development in general. Several of the points he made struck home with me and this article hits even closer: http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/500616 I do take issue with one point though. Today’s PCVs cannot call home whenever they want. It still does not work like that. And for what it is worth, I have met several returned PCVs who say it is harder to be a PCV now because we grew up in a world of increased communication and to suddenly be away from that is more of a challenge than disappearing for 2 years like back in the 60s.

And, finally, today starts the 6-month countdown. In 6 months, I bid Morocco goodbye. I have come so far and yet not far enough. Just in the last couple of weeks did I get the courage to attempt running in broad daylight in my conservative Berber village. With the local government’s permission, I have begun to conquer the trails behind my house. And it feels so good. With 6 months to go, the work projects are winding down and the travel is about to start up again. I am feeling increasing pressure to cross items off my “Morocco To Do” list. I have done a lot but there is still more to do.

Summer Is Just A Part Of The Cycle

Well, folks, it seems like summer is quickly approaching and I am trying really hard to not have a repeat of last summer. Those months were the worst part of my time here. They should have been great because my parents and sister came for an extended amount of time but the harassment and lack of work was almost unbearable. This time around, I am determined not to let summer's evils get me down.

I have such conflicting notions about summer. On one hand, I like that each passing day means I am closer to seeing my family. On the other hand, I am not excited about the steadily-increasing harassment.

On one hand, I am closer and closer to my fabulous European vacation with my previously-mentioned family. On the other hand, it's hard to stay positive during wedding season.

On one hand, I inch closer to my COS date (November 20, 2009). On the other hand, I am nearer to the day that I must say goodbye to the place I have called home and the people who have taught me so much the last almost-2 years.

Yes, time is bittersweet.

Right now, though, there is so much to enjoy. The ground is soooo green. So green, in fact that at times, it looks fake. The computer literacy classes that have been my main focus the last 5 months are going extremely well. The women are enjoying themselves and going beyond their pre-defined limits. In my entire time here, this is the one work project that has given me the most excitement. It is what sustains me and will continue to sustain me for the next 6 months. Without the classes and these incredible women, I seriously doubt I would still be here.

Last year at this time was when I started to have my first feelings of cynicism and bitterness towards Peace Corps and Morocco. Since then, these feelings have followed an up and down cycle. Truthfully, it is good for me to show a bit of cynicism and speak with a hint of bitterness. This means I have truly lived in another culture: the experience of the honeymoon phase with all its ignorance, the gradual loss of that ignorance and the internal conflicts it creates, the sloooow acceptance of the cultural norms and customs, and the difficult job of achieving the balancing act necessary to solve the internal conflicts. Some days, I find the perfect balance and some days, I do not.

On the surface and in books, it seems like all these cultural ups and downs are parts of a cycle and eventually, everything will come full circle. In reality, there is so much more to the circle. You cannot go back to the beginning. That would be like forgetting all the trials and tribulations, the triumphs and disappoints of my service. This is the thinking I take into summer while continuously trying to remind myself that summer is just another part of the cycle so take the good with the bad and smile along the way.

FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!

I love food. Yeah yeah yeah, I know that is no shocker to my family and friends but this may be: I am increasingly eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Actually, more vegetables than fruits but it sounds better when I group them together.

A large reason for this is all the fresh food available to me. This is, in addition, to the high cost of meat. A kilo of kefta is 80 dirhams vs. a kilo of chickpeas at 12 dirhams or a kilo of potatoes at no more than 5 dirhams. Since the majority of my food comes from souk, its fresh, local, and I like to think, organic. And what a difference freshness makes!

I have always enjoyed cooking but, here, because there is no such thing as sauce mixes, microwavable food, or take-out Thai :(, I have to cook almost everything I eat. Shortly after arrival in-country, Peace Corps gave each volunteer a cookbook. Of all the manuals I was handed, this is the only one I have devoted a significant amount of time too. While several of the recipes require tweaking, it has a significant repertoire of yummy food recipes—alfredo, lentil soup, hummus, fajitas, falafel, quiche, and so much more!

As Peace Corps countries go, Morocco is tops in food. I am not being smug or presumptuous. Marrakech was rated as the number one food destination of 2009 by The New York Times. One of my favorite things about this country is the plentiful spices. Let’s face it, I live in spice heaven.

The longer I live here, the more my palette increases. The more I like, the more options I have to cook. As a result, my cooking skills have improved significantly. And it is easier to cook when dealing with fresh garlic, peppers, and onions.

This is all a roundabout way to talk about my recent food adventures. I spent last weekend in Bri’s site. Bri is a great cook and, recently, started a food blog. Well, Bri found some spinach (!) and cooked a delicious spinach lasagna, focaccia bread, scones, and cake. So much of my excitement here revolves around food--for good reason. Food has such a healing power. It is amazing how rejuvenating a good mac and cheese or homemade pizza can be.

The Numbers Game

In Peace Corps Morocco, it’s all about numbers. At one time or another, we have counted down until our COS date, days in site, dates until special occasions, etc. The simple act of counting gives me a little bounce. So here are some of the numbers rumbling around in my head at the moment:

Days until I Become an RPCV: 226
Days I have Been in Country: 576
Cost of a kilo of chickpeas yesterday: 10D
Number of shampoo bottles I have finished in country: 1 (just last week and if this doesn't say something about my hygiene habits here, I don't know what does)
Number of times I showered last week: 4!
Unlistened-too podcasts: 40 (I got lots of catch up to do)
Days until I see my family in London: 80

Put On Your Running Shoes

"So do you all want to run in the 5K race for women tomorrow?"

This proposition was given to me and other volunteers when we arrived in Meknes two weekends ago for spring camp. We looked at each other and exclaimed, "yeah!"

So on Sunday morning, we woke up and headed to the registration area at the appropriate time. In true Moroccan fashion, the run did not start until 2 hours later. No matter though, we moved around trying to stay warm and dry as it had started to drizzle. Soon enough, the banner was waved and off we went. Some of the girls were hard-core runners. I was impressed but most were like me—just happy to be out exercising.

The opportunity to participate was a pleasant surprise and running through Meknes with other women and girls was a great feeling.

A 5K run is one of the big city pleasures that I enjoy and was the best way to kickoff a very successful English camp!

 

Note: Even though, my camera battery is out of commission—it froze—other volunteers have been kind enough to take photos for me. I have lots and am in the process of uploading them to Flickr. Happy viewing!

The Desert Sky

“In North Africa, the earth becomes the less important part of the landscape because you find yourself constantly raising your eyes to look at the sky. In the arid landscape, the sky is the final arbiter. When you have understood that, not intellectually but emotionally, you have also understood why it is that the great trinity of monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—which removed the source of power from the earth itself to the spaces outside the earth—were evolved in desert regions. And of the three, Islam, perhaps because it is the most recently evolved, operates the most directly and with the greatest strength upon the daily actions of those who embrace it. For a person born into a culture where religion has long ago become a thing quite separate from daily life, it is a startling experience to find himself suddenly in the midst of a culture where there is a minimum of discrepancy between dogma and natural behavior, and this is one of the great fascinations of being in North Africa.” –Paul Bowles, Their Heads Are Green and Their Hands Are Blue

Well, I finally journeyed to the Sahara. Almost every volunteer I know says that a camel ride among the Saharan dunes--the base town is named Merzouga--is a must-do thing. It only took me 18 months (wow, have I really been here that long) but over the recent long holiday weekend, I finally set foot in the Sahara sand. And it felt so good.

One of the best parts of my training outside Ouarzazate was being able to sit in my host family’s courtyard and stare at all the stars in the night sky. There, on the cusp of the Sahara, they were a sight to see. My mountains’ stars just do not hold that same beauty. So it was a pleasure to be back under the desert sky.

I had such a wonderful time. After arriving in the heat of the day (temps in the 90s!), sitting back to enjoy a cup of tea and soak up the warmth, the camels were loaded and the 2 hour camel trek began. Eventually (the camel trek was just a few minutes too long) we came to our evening accommodations—a large tent surrounded by dunes.

Enjoying not sitting on the camel’s hump—in case you are wondering, they just have one—we tried to go for a little hike. I was practically raised on sand but living in the mountains has made me weak. Walking in the soft Saharan sand was difficult. We struggled. I have so much admiration for the camel guys (ours was awesome), walking out and back all day long. Whew.

Settling into our tent, reading, and writing, dark came quickly. The stars came out but unfortunately, the almost-full moon took away some of their brightness. But still, sitting outside staring up at the sky, 2 hours away from electricity and running water, it was nice to be away from it all.

Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain

"Rain.
Rain, rain, rain, rain
Beautiful rain
rain, rain, rain, rain
Beautiful rain
Oh come, never come, oh come, never come
Oh come to me beautiful rain"
-chorus to Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain by Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Today, March 19^th is the first day my little town has experienced a thunderstorm since September. That’s right. The last 6 months, it’s been nothing but snow.

While I would much rather prefer sunshine for the next 3 months—it can rain in the summer—it is a little bit comforting to know that the long, cold mountain winter is nearing an end. I am sure that there is more snow ahead but right now, it is nice to be able to enjoy the rain and the beginnings of spring. The fields are starting to bloom with wildflowers, cherry trees are starting to blossom and everything is bright green. Oh, beautiful spring.