it's been a while

Hello All,

I have been in Morocco now for four months over 130 days and I am having a feeling that I have accomplished nothing. Although, two years remain and I have just completed the training process, I am ready to help my community. While still in the language learning process I cannot communicate effectively the major health needs in the community, therefore, I want to start with trying to bring in resources for the children. Things such as book, toys, sports equipment etc. I need to develop something sustainable that will be able to continue after I depart from country. I am taking things one day at a time. If anyone knows of any organizations that are willing to help me by donating supplies, equipment or money may you please send me their contact information. The things do not have to be new.

Since my last update. Everything at site is going well. I constantly tell myself at the end of each day that I will type what I do so I could give a nice detailed blog about what I am doing. It doesn’t seem like much is getting done. I helped another volunteer do a field day at the school in her site. It turned out to be a success. My language is definitely improving a lot but still not where I want it to be. I been to the Sbitar to talk with the doctor about possible projects related to health and I was pleased with the discussion. I have a lot of ideas just taking things day by day before I make any big moves. Right now I am just teaching English to those interested at the local association.

I found an apartment!!! It passed safety and security, rental agreement forms are signed and I will be moving in on July 1^st!! It’s so exciting to be preparing to move on my own. For the last 5 months I have been living with people and the last 5 years I was living alone and I cannot wait to be in the privacy of my own home. I love Moroccan hospitality, but I am ready to eat when I want, wear what I want, sleep where I want and all around do what I want on my own time and I am not constantly being watched or questioned about my actions. I pretyped this blog, but I am not in my apartment!!!!!!!!! It is in the decoration phase but I am excited to be on my own! I am afraid of the free time, but excited that I could be as Hshuma as I like because it's my place.

Highlights of last two weeks: I got busted in the shower twice, questioned on why I was showering so often and dropped my brand new bar of dove soap down the bitlma hole lol… That bitlma and I have not became best friends yet haha. I got harassed by a drunken official guy who works at the commune, touched by a school director and invited to tea and lunch by a potential tutor that declined signing my tutor agreement unless I had lunch or tea. Then he agreed to sign it at a later date and suggested I pick it up later on in the night. All those things are unacceptable in Moroccan culture yet so common amongst the female PCV’s. So on the search for a new tutor I went, I found another tutor and language tutoring will being July 1. I hope that goes well. Most of the people in my community that knows English well enough to tutor me are males.

My host fam almost made me cry again. They are not the nicest people, but not the meanest people either. It’s just really frustrating that they are not patient with me. They don’t try and help me in the language process. They just talk about me and give up on me after one word. It’s sometimes uncomfortable in the house because they don’t talk to me because they just chuck it up as “she knows nothing so why try and talk to her”. I get most of my language practice outside the house. There are some really nice women in my community and I cannot wait to be able and communicate with them properly where they could help me out and let me in on all the scoop in the town haha. All they do is gossip. Not much is very different between women in Morocco and women in America. Everywhere you go women are moody, argumentative, gossipy, and nosy.

I braid my hair often in cornrows and now I cannot walk anywhere in the community without someone asking me to do their hair. To prevent everyone asking me to do their hair I let someone do my hair! I got individual braids and I really like the outcome. It is a blessing not to have to deal with my hair now. The best part is I only paid 6 US Dollars to get the braids which are awesome!!!!

Sometimes it is still hard to believe that I am in Morocco because there are so many similarities. Although I miss washing machines or laundry mats, fried chicken, ice cream, and pickles lol. I know I am a fatty. I have been doing a lot of walking and I think that I may be losing weight a bit. I gained so much weight during training, but I am a tad bit more active and it’s so hot in Tata that I am sorta slimming down haha. Probably only in my eyes, but my eyes are the only eyes that matter!

Things that I missed since the last update were two of my best friend’s graduations from college, my uncles’ funeral and some birthday. I wish everyone the best and if I could have been there you know that I would have. Love and miss everyone. Thank you Roomie for sending me that great package! It was perfect timing. I had cup of noodles for dinner the first night in my apartment.
Excited about moving! Will post pictures once I am in! Until next time… Peace!

My internet has not been working at all and I didn’t get to post this blog when I intended to so I could add on it daily. I traveled to Tata this weekend only for a couple of hours, spent some time with some current PCV’s internet wasn’t working really well. We just caught up with one another and it’s great that each time we meet we all have stories, but the stories are getting better each time. We are definitely getting use to the place. We are all growing as individuals in Morocco and it’s great. We have been here close to 4 months and we have found houses to rent and starting to develop a vision for work.

Monday’s are souq days. The souq is a weekly outdoor market that I attend to buy produce and small household items. It is full of people and sometimes chaotic. I can tell I am getting use to the place because the crowd doesn’t bother me anymore and people are starting to recognize me. The program staff came for a visit this Monday. We sat and talked for a minute regarding plans for the summer and how things have been going at site. It was also a wedding at my site. Weddings in Morocco usually last about three consecutive days. I knew it was going to be a big wedding because the last time I was in the fields I was informed that three cows I saw was for the bride. The heads of the cows will be chopped off and served at the wedding. I thought to myself wow three cow heads, man that is a lot of beef. I am not a beef eater so that was definitely not appetizing to me. Also seeing grilled cow head doesn’t appease me. Well thank goodness I was left and didn’t have to deal with the “I don’t eat beef” speech. I was first upset that they left me, but then I got over it and went to bed. The first day of the wedding last til around 2am and I am usually asleep around that time. I started reading Twilight. I never was interested in seeing any of the movies and the books were so thick I never was interested in reading them, but my site mate has all the books and I started reading the first one and it’s a very easy read. I am not sure if I am ready to read about love.

This blog is all over the place and I dont have the energy right now to edit it. I just want everyone to know that I am doing well, I am in my new place, my language is getting better, and I am getting project ideas! I wouldn't trade it for nothing