As some of you may have noticed, I am having trouble making a decision about how I want to communicate general information home. I like the blog, but I prefer the settings to be private but I am having trouble adding readers. You may have received more than one invitation, as my setting page indicates that I have only added 13 people. I will continue to try and add readers as we go along. Please let me know if you have not been included :)
A few weeks ago I arrived in Ribat El Kheir, an olive harvesting community at the base of a mountain called Buey Blan. It is a small and beautiful community of about 20,000, but if feels much smaller because it is very spread out. Everything I need to go to is within a few blocks. I will be here until May 19, and then I will return to Rabat to be sworn in as an official volunteer. After that, I will recieve my final placement for the next 2 years.
I am staying with a wonderful family that is very kind to me. Luckily, they have a good sense of humor to deal with the language challenges. We often have conversations that look like this:
Tania: Sun!
Family: Yes, it is sunny outside.
Tania: Cold!
Family: Yes it's cold.
And an hour later . . .
Tania: Sun!
Family: Yes, it is sunny outside.
Tania: Cold!
Family: Yes it's cold.
Right now they are all sitting around me arguing about where I got my modem, I think.
As you may have gathered from my emails, it is also very cold here. Everytime the sun sneaks through the clouds, everyone in the room turns to look out the window to try and get whatever fleeting warmth is available. There is no heat in most of the homes here, so often times it is colder inside than outside. I can see my breath right now, and I am wearing the same socks and long johns I have worn all week. It is too cold to take them off to wash them. Most of the pictures I took are from the sunny day.
Bathing is always an adventure. The first week I was here, I went to the hammam (public bath) with my host sister. This is the most popular way to bath in rural areas. It was surprisingly confortable and WARM. I have only done this once, as women can't go to the hammam after 5:30 and I always have language class until after 6:00. So, that means bucket bath. Today I was going to take one but the electricity is out so we have no way to heat up the water. Maybe later today if the lights come back on. Earlier this week, I was taking a bucket bath and the water on top of the bucket was hot and underneath it was cold. Discovering the cold water on the bottom of the bucket as I am pouring it over my head was the officially the saddest moment of my life.
During the day, I meet up with 6 other volunteers and a teacher and study Moroccan Arabic. I am really enjoying learning a new language, and I hope by the end of the training I will be able to get around on my own. Inshahalah.
I have yet to fully embrace the Turkish Toilet experience. I would be happy to share this adventure individually if you are interested.
A few weeks ago I arrived in Ribat El Kheir, an olive harvesting community at the base of a mountain called Buey Blan. It is a small and beautiful community of about 20,000, but if feels much smaller because it is very spread out. Everything I need to go to is within a few blocks. I will be here until May 19, and then I will return to Rabat to be sworn in as an official volunteer. After that, I will recieve my final placement for the next 2 years.
I am staying with a wonderful family that is very kind to me. Luckily, they have a good sense of humor to deal with the language challenges. We often have conversations that look like this:
Tania: Sun!
Family: Yes, it is sunny outside.
Tania: Cold!
Family: Yes it's cold.
And an hour later . . .
Tania: Sun!
Family: Yes, it is sunny outside.
Tania: Cold!
Family: Yes it's cold.
Right now they are all sitting around me arguing about where I got my modem, I think.
As you may have gathered from my emails, it is also very cold here. Everytime the sun sneaks through the clouds, everyone in the room turns to look out the window to try and get whatever fleeting warmth is available. There is no heat in most of the homes here, so often times it is colder inside than outside. I can see my breath right now, and I am wearing the same socks and long johns I have worn all week. It is too cold to take them off to wash them. Most of the pictures I took are from the sunny day.
Bathing is always an adventure. The first week I was here, I went to the hammam (public bath) with my host sister. This is the most popular way to bath in rural areas. It was surprisingly confortable and WARM. I have only done this once, as women can't go to the hammam after 5:30 and I always have language class until after 6:00. So, that means bucket bath. Today I was going to take one but the electricity is out so we have no way to heat up the water. Maybe later today if the lights come back on. Earlier this week, I was taking a bucket bath and the water on top of the bucket was hot and underneath it was cold. Discovering the cold water on the bottom of the bucket as I am pouring it over my head was the officially the saddest moment of my life.
During the day, I meet up with 6 other volunteers and a teacher and study Moroccan Arabic. I am really enjoying learning a new language, and I hope by the end of the training I will be able to get around on my own. Inshahalah.
I have yet to fully embrace the Turkish Toilet experience. I would be happy to share this adventure individually if you are interested.
