Amazing isn''t it? These pictures are of Africa, for crying out loud. ...and the ones I took today (and will post soon) make these pics. look like the slums! Ifran is simply incredible! It is a mountain resort that is the absolute antithesis of what most would think of when they conjure up images of Africa. Clean, litter-free, well-kept, beautifully maintained, solid construction, fancy cars, beautiful homes, cute shops, awesome cafes. Unbelievable.
There is an American university (where we send our kids for semesters abroad), and I think I mentioned that the King has his summer home here.
It was simply the luck of the draw that we were placed here for our 8 week "CBT" training. Those of us who are here will be subject to just that much more culture shock when we are sent to our final site (which is pretty likely to be at the opposite end of the spectrum, although there will be a few that end up here or near here).
The downside is that it is frikking freezing and has rained pretty much every day. The other downside is that my residence does NOT look like any of the homes I have posted. I live on the proverbial "other side of the tracks" (I have a few pics I'll post of that, as well). But its all good.
Definitely doing a lot of walking, as everything is a hike, no one has a car, and no one is inclined to take taxis (even though the average taxi ride is about $2). A coffee is about $.80. I bought a candy bar for 1 dirham yesterday (which is about 12 cents).
We work hard studying, but I definitely feel like I'm a tourist at a resort rather than supposedly suffering in Africa.
We had company for kas krot today (I think my host mother's sister, and someone else), and so out came the "fancy food." Fresh bread, tomar (dates), milk with coffee (which is the sh**, by the way; hot milk with instant coffee is my new favorite drink). I've got a major headache trying to participate in any sort of communication. Unbelievably, I actually do understand a word or two now and again, and can throw in a couple of comments, which cracks them up, that I can spreak the rangrage.
My host mother and daughter were somewhere and my host father works, so my lunch (I come home every day to eat lunch) looked pretty bleak, but my host father showed up (they get paid to feed me three times a day, so I sensed that he got dragged back from work), and by blind luck, found his kitchen and whipped up lunch (I sat in there and bit my lip as he stumbled around trying to find something to feed me). We had kfta (ground meat) with beed (eggs) poured over them, a can of Hut (sardines) and.... get ready... bread! It was actually pretty good.
Ten minutes later, my host father was back out the door, and off to work. My site-mates continually complain about how they have no free time and sit around with their host families and friends ad nauseum, but I seem to be the odd bird that has an enormous amount of free-time.
...anyway... there was a point to my story. When my host mother, her shabiat (friends), and I were at kas krot, I quasi-communicated the confusion her husband faced while cooking me lunch, and they thought that was pretty funny. Then they asked me what he cooked, and I was able to understand what they asked and actually say what we had, so it was kind of cool.
We had to present ourselves to the Kumisarria (police station) today, to formally announce our presence and provide our passport. Pretty much a formality, but absolutely required. My ustadda (teacher) said that my host father called her twice to ask her why she hadn't presented us earlier, so he must have been worried.
...so we got to wander around all afternoon and check out the suntur (which is the really cool part of Ifran, pictures of which will follow soon).
...blah, blah, blah... Enough for now!!!
There is an American university (where we send our kids for semesters abroad), and I think I mentioned that the King has his summer home here.
It was simply the luck of the draw that we were placed here for our 8 week "CBT" training. Those of us who are here will be subject to just that much more culture shock when we are sent to our final site (which is pretty likely to be at the opposite end of the spectrum, although there will be a few that end up here or near here).
The downside is that it is frikking freezing and has rained pretty much every day. The other downside is that my residence does NOT look like any of the homes I have posted. I live on the proverbial "other side of the tracks" (I have a few pics I'll post of that, as well). But its all good.
Definitely doing a lot of walking, as everything is a hike, no one has a car, and no one is inclined to take taxis (even though the average taxi ride is about $2). A coffee is about $.80. I bought a candy bar for 1 dirham yesterday (which is about 12 cents).
We work hard studying, but I definitely feel like I'm a tourist at a resort rather than supposedly suffering in Africa.
We had company for kas krot today (I think my host mother's sister, and someone else), and so out came the "fancy food." Fresh bread, tomar (dates), milk with coffee (which is the sh**, by the way; hot milk with instant coffee is my new favorite drink). I've got a major headache trying to participate in any sort of communication. Unbelievably, I actually do understand a word or two now and again, and can throw in a couple of comments, which cracks them up, that I can spreak the rangrage.
My host mother and daughter were somewhere and my host father works, so my lunch (I come home every day to eat lunch) looked pretty bleak, but my host father showed up (they get paid to feed me three times a day, so I sensed that he got dragged back from work), and by blind luck, found his kitchen and whipped up lunch (I sat in there and bit my lip as he stumbled around trying to find something to feed me). We had kfta (ground meat) with beed (eggs) poured over them, a can of Hut (sardines) and.... get ready... bread! It was actually pretty good.
Ten minutes later, my host father was back out the door, and off to work. My site-mates continually complain about how they have no free time and sit around with their host families and friends ad nauseum, but I seem to be the odd bird that has an enormous amount of free-time.
...anyway... there was a point to my story. When my host mother, her shabiat (friends), and I were at kas krot, I quasi-communicated the confusion her husband faced while cooking me lunch, and they thought that was pretty funny. Then they asked me what he cooked, and I was able to understand what they asked and actually say what we had, so it was kind of cool.
We had to present ourselves to the Kumisarria (police station) today, to formally announce our presence and provide our passport. Pretty much a formality, but absolutely required. My ustadda (teacher) said that my host father called her twice to ask her why she hadn't presented us earlier, so he must have been worried.
...so we got to wander around all afternoon and check out the suntur (which is the really cool part of Ifran, pictures of which will follow soon).
...blah, blah, blah... Enough for now!!!
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