mini update: sorry for the delay

HEY!

Blogging: This blogging thing is more difficult than I assumed it to be. Not having a regular email connection is the most difficult because once I do have an active connection blogging is the last thing on my mind. It seems to be so time consuming and I don’t feel as though I have much to report about. I sometimes get annoyed with every irrelevant detail in some blog posts, but then I realized that is what blogging is about. It should be complete randomness about every small detail in my daily life. It may not be interesting to me, but it may be interesting to others. Just as I start off each other blog post, not much is going on.

Feelings: Actually things are going wonderful in Morocco. I don’t have many complaints. I am still struggling with language, but I believe I may be my worse critic. Some people say my language is good, but I believe it sucks. Ramadan ended September 11 and I went to celebrate the end of Ramadan in Agadir with some other PCV’s. We had an amazing time. I am happy, stress free, and enjoying my vacation. This doesn’t feel like all work. I sometimes feel as though I am on an extended vacation. Never in my life will I be the one to set my schedule and do what I want when I want without someone verifying it. I am embracing my downtime instead of complaining about it now.

Ramadan: I did not fast the entire Ramadan. It was difficult for me not eating or drinking from sunup to sundown 5am-7:30pm in 125 degree weather. I could have done it, but I don’t believe I wanted to. Many people questioned my reasoning behind fasting. Some encouraged me to fast, while others reminded me I am not Muslim so why fast, someone even told me that it does no good to fast if I am not praying. Praying once a day is not enough. I have to pray 5 times a day and dehydrate myself in order for the fast to count. So I considered everyone comments and concerns and agreed totally and made the decision after two weeks to not fast anymore. I began drinking water only. I still did not disrespect the religion by eating or drinking outside my house. One day I had some orange Tang on my tongue and someone called me out on it and I felt bad because I had an orange frozen drink before I left my house that day.

Work: I taught a few lessons on tooth brushing and those children drove me nuts. I don’t particularly love children, but I know education is important. I don’t like to teach and don’t want to pursue teaching as a career, but I will continue to do small activities on tooth brushing and hand washing. I am starting to appreciate life in America a lot more. You don’t realize how we are taking advantage of daily activities and resources until you get away and go without for so long. It has always been natural to me to wash my hands and brush my teeth daily, and it is something I am trying to educate people in my community about. I don’t pass judgment or believe that I know what is best for their hygiene. I just make suggestions, offer soap, tooth brushes, and toothpaste and leave the decision up to them to utilize the things. I am currently working on a project to get bathrooms put into two local schools. It blew my mind when I realized that so many people are living without a place to use the restroom and without a water to wash their hands. That is the root of the problem. I am targeting the young population because they are the future. I am doing an assessment and will write a grant to begin installing bathrooms in the school and then I could do more lessons on proper usage and the importance of hand washing. I am also in the works of making reusable always pads out of old material. Once I make a few by myself and get good with the vocabulary, I will go out and teach the women how to make the glad rags out of things they already have.

House: My house is coming along great. I am comfortable and I like it. I painted my bathroom and will soon get to paint my kitchen and my room. I am decorating my office. I will buy a book shelf and a desk soon hopefully. I have a television, but no satellite. I will soon buy a satellite and hope that I could watch Grey’s Anatomy when I get it!! I doubt it will be available, but I still have hope. I am still having problems with rodents, bugs, and scorpions. I have not yet got a kitten because I am not sure if it’s what I really want. I will keep thinking about it. I may get a cat to keep me company, but I would much rather a dog to protect me. I was locked in my house a couple of weeks ago. Not locked OUT but locked IN. My lock would not turn and I was stuck inside for about 4 hours and my landlord was traveling. My host sister eventually came and let me free haha.
Overall things are good and I am excited to now have an agenda and be working towards something. It is making me feel more useful these days.