I can speak Darija!

---

Took my language test this morning. Haven't gotten the final results yet but I feel like it went well. All I had to do was sit in a room and talk to the tester for about 15 mintues in Moroccan Arabic, and he seemed pretty happy with my ability so I think they're going to let me stay 😉

We've all been studying pretty hard in the last week to get ready for the test, but, more importantly, in less than a week we depart for our respective sites to begin work! Crazy! Last week I got to see my town for the first time, and I have to tell you all that if you don't come visit me sometime in the next 2 years you will have sorely missed out. Ouaouizeight is squarely placed in the middle of a beautiful valley, completely encircled by the Middle Atlas mountain range. Coming northeast over the road from the city of Azilal, the first thing you see is a huge lake (big enough that it appears on most maps of Morocco) stretching out in front of you. In the midday sun the water is almost royal blue, and as the taxi crisscrosses the mountain road down into the valley, you can begin to see the wind rushing across the surface. Adjoining the lake is a hydro-electric dam that provides about 25% of the electricity for the entire country. After crossing the dam, the road leads up over one more hill and then the town of Ouaouizeight comes into view. Thousands of olive tress, all planted in neat rows, surround a village of one or two story concrete building and mud-brick huts. The sheep and donkeys seem to outnumber the 5,000 townspeople, nearly all of whom are of Berber descent. Those who have mingled with their Arab counquerors over the centuries look much like the urban Moroccans, but the majority have much lighter skin and eyes. Some look so white they wouldn't seem out of place anywhere in Europe or America, and, on rare occasions, a Berber child is born with red hair (an occurence which has contributed to the belief that Berbers may share some common ancestry with ancient Celts or Basques). The people themselves are somewhat more conservative than in other parts of the country, but they're extremely welcoming and generous with their time and property, and I look forward to living amoung them for the next 2 years!

I'm putting up some pictures so that you can all get an idea of the town, but what I have so far doesn't even come close to doing the place justice. I'll try to get some better shots, but you really should all see this town for yourselves if you get the chance.

On my way to Ouaouizeight I took the train to Marrakesh with the other trainees who were headed that way. Sadly my camera battery died when we reached the city, but I promise to get some pictures the next time I go through. Of course this is yet another place that you really have to see to believe. The pale red buildings reflected in the setting sun provide a backdrop to one of the most culturally authentic experiences available in a Moroccan city. The grand square, called Djema LFna is home to snake charmers, fortune tellers, exotic dancers, hundreds upon hundreds of food vendors, and the biggest and most complex s-suq (market-place) that I have seen yet. There they sell jewelry, clothing (Western and traditional), leather and wood crafts, musical instruments, carpets, furniture, and almost anything else you can think of. The shops are laid out in a maze that you can wander for hours without seeing everything, and when you do find you're way out the sound of the shopkeeps hawking their wares follows you all the way back to the hotel. Marrakesh needs to be seen, heard, smelt, and tasted to be understood. Touch at your own discretion 😉

So now we're heading into the last week of training! The folks from Small Business Development (who were with us Philadelphia and Rabat) are coming here tomorrow to join us for the last bit of training and our big Thanksgiving dinner. Then on Friday we go to Fes to be sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers (no longer trainees!) and then life in Morocco truly begins!

---

Comments

[Dave Steadman]

WOW!
Rich - Awesome! Congratulations on coming to the end of your training and best of luck as you head into the real deal. Cottilion wasn't the same without you (tho still a good time)! Dave