I’m just being melodramatic, it isn’t dysentery, it’s more like the ultimate colon cleanse once a week or so. Eh, it keeps me young, I’m sure.
Well it has been yet another highly adventurous month so another fairly long blog, be brave dear readers. I have learned that, as far as packages go, smaller gets to me faster. My parents sent me a box with my dresses so I can survive the summer in comfort and a few days later they sent an envelope of pens (the pens here are very sad indeed) I have the pens but I’m still waiting on the dresses; I’m sure they will get here soon it’s just a matter of patience.
In other news I have finally found a house to rent and moved in, glorious saints be praised! It’s a two room smallish duplex (I was so shocked they have those here, but yes my friends I live in a Moroccan duplex) Of course it’s made out of mud brick, thank heavens; the only other thing it would have been would be concrete and that’s no good b/c it’s super hot in the summer and super cold in the winter. I really love my house and I’m super lucky b/c I have electricity, running water, and a bathroom all inside my house. Nearly all PCVs have electricity, probably half, at most, have running water, and while it’s rule that we have real bathrooms a lot of the time the bathroom is in a separate building outside the house which is only annoying b/c you have to change out of your PJs and put on real clothes just to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It’s also a pain for female PCVs because it’s shameful for women to have wet hair in public so you have to wear a hat, or towel, or head scarf after washing your hair just to get back to your house. (That’s only the rule in conservative areas so some girls don’t have that annoyance) Also, my landlord’s super nice; before the house only had electricity so he but a bathroom and water in the house so I’d be more comfortable. Wahoo.
Moving in was really wonderful b/c the fabulous PCV I replaced, let’s call her Ariel, had a whole bunch of stuff that I bought off of her using the allowance I was given during training. She didn’t have a ton of stuff for most of the house (not that I need it, just ponjes (those are the pads we sit on instead of chairs and couches) but she had lots of kitchen supplies, so all I needed to buy w/ my settling in allowance was a set of drawers and a mattress. The PC gives us a decent amount of money b/c some ppl don’t replace PCVs so they have to buy everything they need for their places. Since I have so much stuff already I used my allowance to buy a laptop so I can do my Peace Corps / Moroccan Gov paper work in a timely and affordable manner. Also, enchallah, I will get internet soon so I will be able to talk to you guys more often. Won’t that be lovely?
As I was unpacking all the stuff Ariel gave me I came across all the teaching supplies she had inherited from the PCV she replaced. WOW! I have everything! Before I had been planning on teaching some sewing and knitting to the women, and having a health class at the school, I’ve also been toying with the possibility of offering first aid classes to anyone interested. Looking through her stuff though, I have fully drawn out lesson plans for English classes and health classes for both women and children and all sorts of women’s health pamphlets. Holy Cow! It’s like I was given everything any teacher could wish to have. I am so excited. Alright, to be honest I’m terrified too b/c I have the vocabulary of a three year old but it isn’t going to get better if I don’t try right?
I recently went off on a very grand adventure to one of our coastal cities called Essouara; there is a huge music festival there every year so the PC Vs in the Health sector work with one of the Moroccan SIDA (AIDs) NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) to have a booth where we can teach Moroccans (and any foreign tourists interested) about SIDA and offer free HIV testing. I didn’t help much b/c I hadn’t been able to make the training; this time I was there more to observe and learn but I’m super excited to came back and be more helpful next year. One of the other new PCVs who organized the new PCVs being able to come at all had the great idea that we possibly set up a blood pressure booth at some event. We also did some recon into that possibility. The festival is called the Gnaoua (sp) Music Festival and it’s huge. I believe both Jimmy Hendricks and Bob Marley played there back in the day. It was on my way to this grand adventure I was able to pick up my computer. There aren’t any buses from my souk town (and consequently my bus station) to Essouara. So I caught a bus to Marrakech (alas, there is no express train but one day I will take the express from Casablanca to Marrakech, mark my words) and had just enough time to buy a cheap laptop and grab some grub from Pizza Hut (OMG they have a Pizza Hut here!) Then I was off on another bus to Esso. Phew let me tell you, travel is exhausting but travelling in a foreign country where you chwia (little/ sort of) speak the language (my dialect is quite different from the coast and most ppl in Kech just speak Arabic and French) leaves you feeling half dead. Still it was a great experience and I’m excited to do it again next year.
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Well watch out for that duplex situation! There is drama to come! I know this because I can read the future; you wrote it for me in the past :) (if you are scratching your head right now then you are probably reading my posts out of intended order. Read the comment above this, then the one above that then come back to this one:) that sorta brings up an interesting idea.. go back to your very first entry and think about what comment you would make on that. what would you tell yourself to do if you could? If I get elected commander of everything, in next year’s election I will make sure that comment gets to you. speeking of getting to you watch for some stuff in the mail from South Dakota. I was going to send it to you in one small is box but sounds like several smaller boxes would work better. Love you, stay safe. I know you hear it a lot but it just so I can say I told you so later… watch for wolfpoo!
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