my trusy boots and Grandmothers shall... I never leave home without them

So in one day, there was a new language presented to us: Tamazight. (8 out of the 63 – now 62- volunteers are learning this language) A new terrain: picturesque mountains with olive tree filled rocky terra cotta land; a combination of watercolor blues streak the sky which changes all day long. My host family: Itto & Mohammed, a married couple and their 11 year old daughter Amal. Food: another change. Break-fast: 7pm, fresh baked breads, mint green tea, chicken/potato stuffing for the bread, honey, olive oil, almonds, tomato chick pea soup…deliciousness. I never made it to the next meals (lunch & dinner) which were at 11pm and 4 am; too full, too tired. I found coziness in my new room, a long thin mattress on the fuzzy carpet covered floor. Warm blankets, a window, a table, a light bulb…perfect.

A PC Volunteers essentials... Pepto Bismol, lotion, camera, toilet paper, vitamins, water and apples (BRATT diet, look it up for a good laugh)

New experiences yet with a familiar taste…

Similar to my experience in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic...when you’re heart is good and you are around good hearted people, you are family. The day I arrived here, as chock full changes as it was, hearing the word family come out of my host mother’s mouth was enough to know that the next 2 months here will be spectacular. The warmth expressed through peoples eyes and actions will surpass anything that can be communicated with words. At this point, I feel confident using a handful of words in Tamazight and somehow I’m able to communicate with my host family and community comfortably…plus, a smile goes a long way. Already I’ve been told that, I’m known to be the volunteer who is always smiling… I’ll smile to that.



Exhasted but excited... I took a walk during our luch break. I didnt realize how tired Ive been, looked and felt until I stopped in front of this twisted tree and took a minute to take it all in.

I can’t help but think about my experience in Guatemala by being back in the mountains, in a small town, within a new culture. There are many differences, such as the process of learning a new foreign language versus a handful of new Spanish vocabulary or Guatemalan slang. The isolation of “Walking in a painting” is different than that of where I was in Guatemala… here, I have to walk up the mountain for 20 minutes to get to a main road, then try really hard to find an empty seat in a taxi (or a donkey; but Peace Corps does not allow us to ride on donkeys, perhaps for security reasons? l.o.l! I have to get use to a bunch of new rules!) to ride for 30 minutes to the closest “big” town which would have internet access, stores, and a market.

Giving Amal a chance at using the camera... In our living room, Itto, Kathy and I.

I’ve accepted the idea of not having easily accessible internet for the next two months. I’d like to write and share as much as possible and am certain that if there’s a will there’s a way and at some point, inshallah (God willing) it will happen. Speaking of God, we had a whole session of class dedicated to God phrases. It was great! These phrases and words are incorporated into most of the Tamazight and Darija daily dialogue. From greetings, goodbyes and everything in between, God is in the conversation. It’s incorporated in a way that doesn’t make a non- Muslim feel uncomfortable or strange about saying it. Very similar as to how you may use God willing, God bless you, thank God… it’s part of the culture, which is very much influenced by the religion. Little by little I’m starting to understand Islam through culture, not necessarily through religion… it’s very refreshing and respectable as an outsider looking in, or and outsider who has been welcomed “in”.

September 23, 2009

The Small Business Development (SBD) volunteers were split up into 5 groups. I’ve learned that our site, “Walking in a painting” is the most rural of the 5. The other sites have internet and definitely more than 30 houses… I’m starting to doubt that there are even 30 houses here; looking forward to take some free time to hike around and “investigate”. The Youth Development volunteers are all in cities or small cities, with all of the common amenities like indoor plumbing, internet, restaurants and shopping.

Said and our school

What I’m leading to is something that I’ve been thinking about since I’ve arrived…the idea of disconnecting from 2009, from comfort, from day to day technological and “normal” life. Meaning…my response to most of the questions I was asked by Peace Corps was, “whatever”, “I’m down for whatever”. With the exception of being placed somewhere extremely cold, I would be down for whatever, bring it on! So her I am in “Walking in a painting” with 2 other female volunteers, (the male left) living life…Out of the 63 that arrived here a couple of weeks ago, it’s us 3 who are in the most rural, disconnected place and lifestyle…we are healthy, we are happy and somehow I feel a bit closer to heaven…literally in these mountains, it doesn’t feel so far away.

Said [ and Jamal ] carrying his suitcase to his new home, for our LCF= Language and Culture facilitator; this is a new home as well

Feeling doughy…

If you are what you eat, then I have become bread. The body type up here in this mountainous region is similar to what I saw in Guatemala; slender limbs and a round torso. With all the walking up and down the hills and long distances I would imagine a more muscular bulid, but in general, people are long and lean and if anything a but a bit round in the mid section. Although I have not seen many “fat” or any obese people, I also haven’t seen any focus on a balanced diet. Similar to the idea of eating rice beans and spaghetti together (what I experienced in the Dominican Republic) here you are served bread at every meal. Don’t get me wrong, it’s homemade, fresh and delicious; but 3 times a day? Even if I was a bread person, 3 times a day of a lot of bread or sometimes only bread with some olive oil or honey to dip it in, is too much for someone who is not use to it. Bread with potatoes, bread with rice, bread with cous cous and then bread during tea time which is twice a day in addition to breakfast and dinner tea. In Guatemala it was tortillas, I was considered weird because I didn’t eat them at every meal, and although I liked them very much…it was just too much.

Suk Su - Cous Cous, a special lunch prepared by Fatima our beloved cook (in school

Here in Morocco, the bread is used as a spoon in many meals. Their usually isn’t any silverware or plates, you eat the bread off the table and the meal is shared by everyone…the meal is placed in the center of the table on a big plate and you eat from your triangle of the plate. This occurs with most meals, specifically tagine or cous cous. A tagine is a terra cotta cone shaped vessel with a circular base/plate as the bottom. Food is cooked inside (usually meat & vegetables) by placing the tagine on the stove or in an oven. Then it is taken to the table and everyone eats from it. There are a set of rules; Moroccan table etiquette that we have learned little by little from Said. They have come in handy, and prevented us from looking like complete fools in front of our host families (just partial fools!) It’s great to learn from your mistakes, especially when you’re in good hands and not being judged or frowned upon. Last night I want to ask if I was eating lamb or beef (they are prepared the same way most of the time and really taste similar). I couldn’t remember the Tamazight word from either of them so I asked if I was eating “bahhhhh or mooooo”. My host family burst into laughter, we all did, and had a blast communicating the answer. I told Said what had happened and he explained that there is a verb that expresses the sheep sound, referring to a human sounding like a sheep, meaning they are saying nothing. Interesting…it made me think of my reference to Charlie Browns teacher…you know she was there talking, “wa, wa, wawa, wawa wa wa”, but who knew what she was saying.



What to do, what to do…

Amal a.k.a. little sis and baby ulli (sheep) at our house

I think I just hurt my little sisters’ feelings. Somehow with the morsel of Tamazight that I know and feel confident in using + facial expressions + hand gestures + body language and random Spanish and English words that I hope they will recognize because of their French as a second language background… I can communicate with my host family. Through laughter and me definitely making a fool of myself, pretty much everything can be expressed. But how do you tell an 11 year old, who gives the Energizer Bunny competition, that you need alone time?
The concept of alone time here doesn’t really exist. A closed door is considered rude, if you’re not interacting with the others in the house something is wrong, if you’re in your room it’s because you’re getting dressed or sleeping…why else would you be in there?

My closet - post organization with Amal

Then she brought her closet into my room, we had a blast organizing

Today I came home determined to express my need for alone time in the best way possible. Not because anything is wrong nor do I feel a desperate need for it, but if certain routines and behaviors and aren’t understood in the beginning of a relationship, what ever kind of relationship that it may be… boundaries will be broken and misunderstandings are bound to occur. Spending hours at a time amongst guests in the home speaking Tamazight at first is exciting. I try to see how many words I can pick up from their conversation; observe behaviors between family members of different ages and sexes and interact as much as possible, even if I sound and look ridiculous to them. After a while, the excitement dies down and I’m left to think about all of the other things I can be doing with my precious time left here on earth… it takes me back to my ultimate struggle of living in the moment or focusing on the future and what’s to come. In trying to find or create balance in everything that I do, I don’t feel as if it was wrong to ask for some alone time (which was explained as reading – finger running across words in a book, writing – an imaginary pen writing in an imaginary notebook, and focusing – making a motion with both hands from head to imaginary paper….this is all a lot funnier in person) I was in school from 8am - 6:30pm, stayed in my room from 7 – 9 pm and then came out for company and dinner. 2 hours should be enough time to write, read, focus, pluck my eyebrows, organize my suitcase, stretch, and sew the hole in my shirt, but I’m starting to understand that it won’t be…another cultural adaption, another reason why living in the moment makes more sense… I have two months to share with this amazing little girl, she is brilliant, energetic, fun, caring and willing to spend every second she has with me… I can read when I find myself living alone, I can write notes here and there while I’m in school, I’ve always struggled with my eyebrows, and a messy suitcase doesn’t offend anyone…but a closed door might.