July Madness

Disclaimer: the following content is solely my personal view and in no way reflects the point of view of the United States of America nor the Peace Corps.

Warning for the squeamish_there is a picture of a butchered goat.

So much has happened recently that this is going to be a two month installation of my blog. I think I have finally realized for better or worse this is going to be my life for the next year and a half or so. I feel like I have finally found the rhythm of life here which makes understanding the language and why people do the things they do here so much easier. Now I am just trying to figure how I will put my new ideas for projects into that rhythm. Take for instance the recent elections here. I was trying for the longest time to have a meeting with my counter part with Water and Forestry and my duwar’s association for the longest time. I had been rescheduled 3 times and was starting to get really pissed, but then I found out that it was because the president of the association wasn’t even in town. They make them leave during the election so as not to have money changing hands for favors (if only it was that easy in America). My president (aka Rice) was re-elected and so there was a huge party which was really exciting and made me forget about being rescheduled so much. The day it happened I was reading in my room so as to try to not be involved in the election process and through my window I heard a large group of women “yoo yooing” and another large group of men chanting! I knew that meant it was all over and who the winner was. I run out side to see the flood of people down the main road in town and my host grandma is yelling at me to hurry up. I go back in my room and grab my drum and my camera and head over to the Rice’s house were everybody is congregating at sunset. It was really neat to see everybody in the same place because it made me happy to see lots of familiar faces-people I drink tea with, people I have helped working in the fields, families I’ve had lunch with. It made me appreciate what all this time had been for. And so I was welcomed right into the middle of the crowd of women with my drum. I learned how to play from sifting grain: the same swirling action they use to sift out the flour from the corn meal is the same beat for drumming and a lot of times they put some waxed paper like material over they’re sifter and just use that as a drum. This old lady, Aicha who has got to be pushing 90 years old (whenever I ask they tell me, “oh I think she’s probably 60” haha) grabs me and hand in hand we do this soul train dance in the midst of all the chanting. I can’t help, but laugh and clap looking around and thinking about how what it took for me to get here and glad that I am finally IN the Peace Corps. At night fall I move the drum circle inside and am dancing again (I’m not sure I ever stopped) and I look behind me and I almost slip from being startled…they slaughtered a goat 2 feet away from me! I decided I have probably danced enough and just kind of watched them prepare the goat for the feast. I hand over my drum to help my friend Suhyla make bread for everybody-I counted at least 2 dozen loaves. It isn’t until 2am that we start eating and women are waking up there children for the feast. They may night have alcohol, but Moroccans know how to celebrate.

Work-wise, I finally do get my meeting with the association and it worked out wonderfully. While I was waiting I had time to translate all my questions and plan a few activities to find the assets here. I definitely have to throw away my plan and roll with it, but in the end we circle around an idea I had about a community woodlot. Ideally it would be a social gathering place, encourage community responsibility and local knowledge, provide fruit, and provide vegetation to be used to help erosion…and on and on. Basically I am pretty sure we are getting some fruit trees and I think that this would make them go the farthest, but for now I just know that there was some very lively discussion about it. I learned so much during that meeting and in the end it was well worth the wait. Recently, there was an end of the year celebration for all the kids, teachers, and Water and Forestry employees involved in the Environmental Clubs in the schools. Representation from the German embassy (zee Germans give a lot of money for projects here), the Director of the Education in my region, the Director of the Water and Forestry in my region, and some other fairly important people were there and out of nowhere Aziz, my counterpart, says that some people have been asking if the Peace Corps could get up and say something and so he asked if I could say a few words. At first I was really excited because I enjoy public speaking, but then I realized I would have to do it in another language! I was mulling over in my head what I wanted to say in English and then thought about if I knew how to say those things. Oddly enough I did know how to say all of those things and when I got up in front of all the representatives and students it just kind of flowed. I even cracked a joke haha! I don’t know how accurate I was because I kind of zoned out after that, but afterwards I shook a lot of hands and was thanked for coming so I think it went ok.

After a job well done it was time to just hang out, be myself (and not a volunteer), and take my first real vacation. For the 4th of July a bunch of us from “Peace Corps Algeria” (those of us living north and east) meet along the Mediterranean coast. The first night I stay in a town called Saidia so close to Algeria that I can wave to the people on the other side and see the mountains. It is cool because I don’t think I saw more then a handful of tourists the whole time and for my first time being swimming in the sea I took full advantage of the cool, crystal clear waters. A friend of mine is a history buff and kept talking about the Romans, the Greeks, and the other great quests crossing these very waters. The next day the rest of the group meets up with us in the next even smaller beach close by called Ras El Ma/Cap d Lo (French). We rent out this apartment on the beach which makes it really cheap plus we talk the staff their to cook us a fresh seafood food one night which is a great change from fava bean and chicken tajine every damn day haha. I wake up early each day to play and swim on the beach and stay there until I can see the stars. As the sun sets towards the U.S. a few of us toast the soldiers and our families we’ve left behind and start in on the most horrible rendition of the star spangled banner ever haha. A friend of mine sent some novelty American flags so I plant them in the sand to claim a new embassy and enjoy a big crackling bonfire on the beach underneath the stars. Never in my life did I imagine I would hang out for days on the Mediterranean beach. The coolest part about it is that I am probably going to do this a few more times in my life because it really isn’t too far, there is always someone who wants to go, and I got nothing but time.

After getting burnt all to hell I was actually looking forward to getting home. I am finally settling into my very own place! No crying babies or little kids looking in my windows. For those of you who are curious: yes I have electricity (most of the time) and no I don’t have running water. My place is kind of like an apartment on top of this old couple’s house. I have a small courtyard where I hang my laundry and enjoy the stars and the view of my duwar below (I’m on top of a hill) that leads to the doors of my three separate rooms. I have good sized yellow and white room with windows facing fields and a craggy mountain peak that I am going to climb before leave here. My kitchen is fixed the just the way I like it full of spices, herbs, vegetables, and gear. I almost have everything I need; I have a pressure cooker, a giant bowl for kneading bread, an oven. I just need to buy a stove and a huge butagaz and I will be “fully operational” (I’ve been watching Star Wars recently). I even have my own bathroom and it is bigger then any I have seen in anybody’s house so I feel very blessed that in my tiny duwar this was even available for $69 rent and utilities (this place beats the hell out of the double wide I lived in working for the parks in the states haha)!! I am still decorating and it will keep me busy for awhile. I found some kick ass fabric that reminds me of the Flaming Lips. Mrhaba bikum if you want to come visit. I always have an extra sadari for you.

Next week is my technical training in the most beautiful part of Morocco I have seen so far and it is also the coldest part so it will be lovely to escape the heat. Some of us are meeting up in Fes again before heading to the hotel where we will all be learning about tree planting and projects for two weeks and then I will stick around to help with a summer camp before heading back to my site at the end of August for Ramadan. If you read all of this blog you are my hero haha the next blog will probably be much shorter and full of complaints about fasting for the high holidays so until then…take care (telefarsk)!

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Part of trip: Peace Corps Morocco

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