Blogs from Ouarzazate, Souss-Massa-Draâ, Morocco, Africa - page 5

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Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate April 18th 2006

Grabbed a grand taxi from Boumalne and arrived in Ouarzazate where I was to spend a couple of days before pushing on to Marrakech. Ouarzazate (I just love saying that word!) is the movie/film capital of Morocco, its main claim to fame is the Atlas Studio Corporation. Films like Jewel of the Nile, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Kundun and Alexander were shot here; it was really cool seeing some of the sets and props while touring the studio. It was my first experience being around movie sets and it was quite funny to see just how fake everything really is, right down to fake rocks! Crazy... Another activity I wanted to do while here was a quad-motorbike tour. Not exactly an "authentic" Moroccan experience but man what a blast! I was fortunate to find a company ... read more
Minaret!
Evel Knievel in the Oasis!
On the Trail IV

Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate April 5th 2006

I had no idea what to expect at camp in Morocco. In some ways it reminded me of camps I have attended back home, though with a lot less structure, organization and planning. I think part of that stems from the fact that the five American PCVs were not really in charge of the campers, we were just supposed to teach English classes and do activities in the mornings. The Moroccan staff had all the real responsibility for counting heads and keeping the kids out of trouble. They were the professionals, the Americans just helped out as best we could when asked. This was spring break for the kids and the Ministry of Youth and Sports put on camps all over Morocco. Peace Corps assigned 5 volunteers to each camp which usually had about 100 campers. ... read more
A real river
Lena and Amina
Up on the kasbah

Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate March 27th 2006

Hi everyone! Not a lot to report today, but I thought I'd let you all know about a fun little adventure I recently had. Last Sunday my young adult class from Jamayat Tawasul decided to take me on the first of their spring picnics! Apparently they do this fairly regularly so this is probably just the first of many such outings. At 5:30 in the morning I dragged myself out of bed, had a quick bite and then went off to meet up with them. As I stumbled towards the meeting place, bleary-eyed and longing for my pillow, I found, to my not very great surprise, that the whole class was talking loudly and excitedly about the day ahead of them. There's something amazing, even endearing, about the way in which people here react to things ... read more
Da Picnic
Karim and Rachid
Breakfast!

Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate March 14th 2006

Unbelievable! Yesterday was the 6 month anniversary of our arrival in Morocco. I've now been out of the US for a full half-year and it feels like somewhere inbetween an eternity and a split-second. On the one hand, each day can seem to take forever, but on the other hand, looking back on everything that's happened since our arrival, I can't believe that we've already come this far. The most startling thing is just how NORMAL this all feels now. Psychologically I am firmly established in the mindset of "Hello, I am a Peace Corps Volunteer!" We were trainees for so long that at times it felt as if we would never actually be doing what we came here to do. All of the volunteers we met during training, even those who had only been here ... read more
I will never see a poem...
We've come a long way since we last shook hands, we've still got a long way to go.
Azilal Outskirts

Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate February 18th 2006

Hi everyone! It's been a really long time since I posted here (over a month!). I've been in touch with many of you by email and telephone but most of you have probably been wondering what I've been doing, or maybe you've just forgotten about me ;) Frankly I can't remember every detail of the past month so I'm just going to hit you with the highlights, and there have been many! When our story left off I was still residing with the family Zahar and gorging on sheep guts. The last two weeks of homestay were filled with excitement as I prepared to move into my own house. This would be the first time I have ever lived alone and I was very excited about the prospect of having a place all to my self. ... read more
God smiles on Ouaouizarht
Last night in homestay
My buddy and me (meet Hicham)

Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate January 14th 2006

Thanksgiving...Moroccan style. This Wednesday was l3id kbir in the Muslim world, and what a l3id it was. The streets of Ouaouizarht, and every other town, ran red with blood as each and every family celebrated by slaughtering its own sheep. The tradition comes from the story in the Koran (and in the Bible and Torah) of when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac, and, seeing that Abraham consented, God sent him a ram to kill instead. The point of the story is, of course, those who practice absolute obediance to the will of God will be favored. Although the sheep population pays a heavy price, the upshot of the whole thing is that all the humans get to party and eat barbecue for almost a whole week. By the way, fresh liver wrapped in ... read more

Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate January 4th 2006

Most experiences have their ups and downs. Morocco (especially Ouaouizarth) has mountains and valleys. My last two blogs were kind of depressing because, frankly, I was a little down. As I've probably told many of you, most of my favorite albums are the ones I hated the first time I listened to them. The more you listen, though, the more you hear, and sometimes you have to listen to something at the right time or after the right experience before it means something to you. Living in a new home, particularly an economically depressed one, can be pretty hard, especially if it's a long way from all your old homes. It's like breaking in a new pair of shoes that seem too small, or, in this case, trying to fill some olds ones that seem too ... read more
After a Hard Fought Football Match at Emme's Dar Chebab
Alyson Grooves on Harmonica Down by the River
The Nearby Village of Tilguit

Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate December 27th 2005

Dear Friends and Family, It came to my attention just before Christmas that Michael Cleary, a member of my graduating class at Hamilton (2003) was killed in action in Iraq last week. Michael was a First Lt. in the Army with a pending promotion to the rank of Captain. In addition to many friends and admirers in the Hamilton community he also had a fianceé whom he was planning to marry this coming February. Although I did not know Mike well I remember him as a kind and intelligent young man with high ideals and strength of character; the type of person I was proud to have graduated with. His death comes as a reminder to me of what I and my fellow volunteers are trying to achieve: A world where men and women my age ... read more

Africa » Morocco » Souss-Massa-Draâ » Ouarzazate December 22nd 2005

(Welcome new people! If you don't know what this blog is all about please check my previous entries for a full explaination.) Well it's official. I've been here a long time, but I still have a loooooong way to go. The first 3 1/2 weeks in site have been incredible in every sense of the word. It's been fun, sad, interesting, depressing, educational, frustrating, satisfying, and most of all exhausting. On an almost daily basis I run the entire gamut of human emotions as my mental state attempts to stabilize itself despite the endless influx of new data to process. Attempting to adjust my habits to fit into the deeply ingrained daily routines of the villagers requires almost constant attention, and on the occasions when I do forget to watch what I'm doing, I can be ... read more
More countryside
Another great view
The river




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