When my parents announced to me that they had bought plane tickets for Morocco and really would be visiting me here I asked them what they wanted to see while they were here. I had grand ideas about trips up to Fez and Sefrou or across the Atlas to the Sahara so they could see Ait Ben Haddou or ride camels across the dunes to spend the night in nomadic Berber tents. When pressed as to whether they would prefer camping in the dunes or hiking in the Atlas my parents replied they really just wanted to see me. Given how my parents have spoiled and doted on me for the past 25 years that answer shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did. I decided I wanted them to see my town, then I ... read more

Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes time. Vision with action can change the world." ----Joel A. Barker This workshop and subsequent trip up to Fez was a great excuse to go visit my host family from training in Sefrou. I took the train up to Fez on Friday and ran into a couple other volunteers in the train station. Bart, who was in training with me, happened to be in Fez with his parents also, so we all met up in the old medina. Begin used to Marrakech, Fez seems so clean and calm. I think Marrakech has a wild side to it that Fez is just too stately and scholarly to possess. It had been a long time since I had been in Fez and I stared open-mouthed at ... read more

Today was the second day of the VSN training, which I hosted at my house. I was dreading the end of camp and having to return to the molten interior of the Shergie (the wind from the south that is painfully hot and carries sand from the Sahara into your eyes and makes food gritty and everything constantly covered with dust). I knew I had gotten spoiled going to the beach every day and living with other volunteers. The close quarters got on my nerves at times, but after the loneliness I had experiences in June and July, I knew I had it good at camp. So I was excited when the Volunteer Support Network coordinator contacted me about hosting a training at my house the weekend after I got back from camp. I have wanted ... read more

The best possible escape from hot sandstorms of the Marrakech region is the breezy Atlantic coast. I got to spend the two weeks with fourteen other PCVs and four JICAs (Japanese International Co-operation Agency) in a camp close to downtown El Jedida, and only a five minute walk from the beach. There are lots of camps sponsored by the Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports, but four are billed as English speaking camps, of which this camp was Session 3. English Language camps are partly staffed by PCVs from the Youth Development sector; there are also professional Moroccan staff and some Moroccan volunteers who work with us. A typical day breaks down like this: breakfast at 8:00. National anthem and announcements at 8:45. English class 9:00 to 10:40. Beach from 11:00 to 12:30. Lunch at 1:00 ... read more

It has been too hot and I have been too lethargic to do much of anything when I’m in Kelaa, especially drag myself to the internet café and post a blog. One a month seems like being an over-achiever at this point. Anyway, I have managed to escape town a few times this month. For my Sunday/Monday weekend before the 4th of July I went with fellow volunteer Rebecca up and over the Atlas to celebrate with a group at Nada and Michael’s house in Ouarzazate. I knew it would be more than the typical PCV get together. Nada and Michael have a pool. It’s technically an inflatable kiddie pool, but anything involving water is luxury for us. For the record, it is the biggest kiddie pool I have ever seen and could easily fit ten ... read more