Now I’ve been in my permanent site for… god, is it only two days…?  I was thinking a week!  I’m getting ahead of myself, though.  I and 109 other Trainees were sworn in on Wednesday, and said our tearful good-byes that night and the next morning.  Several of us were on the same train to Marrakesh, because they were either heading to that locale, or were on their way to destinations further south, so we were the last to say good-bye to each other.

I went from staying in a killer hotel in the capital of Morocco, to a town where you can throw a Frisbee from one end to the other.  After 8 weeks in Uber-Euro. Ifrane and a couple of weeks in Rabat, I have found the “real” Morocco.  I think the side roads were once paved, but now decades of dust have made everything dirt paths.  As I type, I can feel the grit on my palms from the dirt on my laptop.

With that said, it certainly could be worse (okay… it probably will be, as the temperature averages over a hundred degrees in the summer months, but we’re at a balmy ninety-something right now J).  For a guy who was just as happy going to a mud hut in sub-Sahara Africa, I sure can complain about the fact that I’m not staying in the Ritz Carlton.

The reality is that my host family house is very nice, clean, has a sink in the bathroom (which neither of my earlier host family houses had), unbelievably delicious food, etc.  …and they are the absolute bomb (two parents my age with 5 children ranging from 10 to 27) and treat me sooooo welll!!!!!  The 27 year old (Tarik) is f***ing believable, treating me soooo respectfully (“Mr. Charley”), taking me around to meet the people of Sidi Boutman (oh yeah… I forgot to mention the name of the town), introducing me to the Mayor (the law in Morocco is that a new resident must report to the “Comissariat” and produce their carte de sejour (resident card), work permit, etc.), and generally being an awesome host.  Now I feel sheepish for even complaining at all!

Tarik and I went to Mroksh (which is “Marrakesh” to you and me, but everything is said with a minimum of vowels in Morocco, so that gives you an idea of how hard everything is to understand) yesterday.  We met his older sister and some friends, and walked around.  What a beautiful city!  The old medina (the walled city from centuries past) is absolutely amazing!  We walked around for several hours, and I don’t think we saw close to all of it.  Narrow lanes and alleys filled with sellers of absolutely everything, just like you see in the pictures and in the movies.  So cool!

Its just a 10 Dirham grand taxi ride (about a buck), so “do-able” anytime.  I have a regional meeting in Marrakesh the 6^th and 7^th of June, so I’ll get to hang there, and see Lee and Ryan, and the other 20 or 30 Volunteers (because of course, in addition to our staj (which is a term for our 2012 class), there are other Volunteers in this region that have been here from 6 months to almost 2 years).

…and I’ve been to the Dar Chabab several times already and have started to develop a relationship with the Mudir, and he’s excited to have me there, teaching English.  Next step, finding a place to live.  My host family wants me to stay with them, so I’m not sure how motivate they will be to help me find a place, but we’ll see.  My host dad showed me his “rental unit” which I wish I had a picture of, because it is a 4-wall cinder block building with no windows, no kitchen, bathroom… well, nothing but four walls actually.  As we walked in to a dirt floor, he made “broom-sweeping” motions to assure me it would be tidied up before I moved in J  His pitch was that he would actually build it out for me, but somehow I don’t see that happening in the two weeks I have available to find a place.  I guess his plan is to have me live with them while its “under construction.”

…did I mention that my best bud Ryan was our valedictorian, being the highest (or tied for the highest) language proficiency of the 110 of us, and was selected to give an approximately 10 minute speech (in Darija) to not only all of us, but to the U.S. Ambassador, the Moroccan Minister of Youth, and a slew of other attendees (including two RPCV’s [which I think is “returning peace corps volunteers] that were in the first group that went to Morocco, in 1962)!  I’m pretty sure it was an awesome speech, but because I was at the other end of the language proficiency spectrum, all I really understood was “salaam alikum” and “bslamma.” 

Okay… enough for now.  There’s tons going on but I’m tired of writing and you’re tired of reading.  More later.

Site-mates on a hike in Ifrane

Posing in the ghaba (forest)

My Ifrane host-family (from l to r, Bouazza, Chaima, Malika  (holding  Malek), Fatiha (with Wi-am in front) and Haja (another sister).

The "boys" at swearing in, Lee, Ryan, and yours truly.

Ryan, Brianna, Lee, Tiara, Mallory, and the old guy.

Marrakesh!!!  I’m heading to Marrakesh!   Actually, a tiny village of 5,000 people just north of Marrakesh.  It’s not on the coast, but is supposed to be one of the most awesome cities in Morocco!  It is a city of approximately 1,000,000 with a rich cultural history.  I’m totally excited about being close to ‘Kesh, although it looks like it may be pretty damn hot in the summer months (which is coming fast).

Living and working in a small town will have both positive and negative aspects.  Basically, I will meet and know pretty much everyone in the town by the end of my first week.  A “white guy” from America will probably be the biggest gossip to hit that village in six years (which was the last time a Peace Corps Volunteer was placed in this particular village).  There will be absolutely no anonymity there. I will have to behave myself 24/7, which means going to ‘Kesh whenever I want a beer or just to get away from prying eyes.

I will be the only PCV at my site, but will have other Volunteers within probably 30 minutes or so.  One plus is that my two best buds, Ryan and Lee, were, against all odds, placed in the same region as me.  That means they will be about two hours away instead of 10 or 20 hours away (which can be the case).  We were stoked by the fact that we’re close to each other.  There are (I think) 8 regions and so for all three of us to be placed in the same region wasn’t likely.

Also, I have the opportunity to integrate in a major way into the community, getting to know the people and working closely with the village as a whole to teach, work on community projects, etc.  The community leaders are anxious to have an English teacher present to help their “Bac” students (students preparing for their baccalaureate exam, which is the entrance exam for university).

On balance, I’m getting my arms around the site.  I pictured being in a larger city (and hopefully, one on the coast), but I think this site has huge opportunity and gives me a balance between working closely with a small community and having a large city nearby to “decompress” when necessary.

We’re in Rabat now, and having fun just being together before we all go off to our individual sites.  We went to the beach yesterday.  There’s a not-so-nice beach within walking distance, but we wanted an adventure, so we took a taxi to the train station, bought a ticket to a town two stations to the south, and then took a taxi to the beach from the train station.  The beach was nice and there was a super-nice resort next door.  We went in to have a beverage, and I ended up spending more for one beverage than I did the entire previous week on everything.  80D for a Corona (which is $10).  Crazy even by American standards, but it gives you an idea of how nice the resort was!

We also went to a bar the night before to watch the finals of the Champions League game.  Of course, we didn’t drink (or drank responsibly, or drank a lot, depending upon what the official Peace Corps rule is on drinking while we’re in Rabat, of which I’m not sure), but had a great time!

Today is Ryan’s (Buckley, not Becker) birthday, so we’re going out once again, to celebrate.  ….it is sooooo nice to be in Rabat with my sahabi!

There is also an internationally acclaimed concert going on here in Rabat over the entire week called (something like) Mauzine, which has international names galore (Mariah Carey, Pit Bull, Evanescence, etc., plus some awesome African bands).  Its also free!  Of course, I haven’t bothered to go because there has been so much going on, but most of the PCT’s have gone and tons of PCV’s have traveled from their sites to attend.

So its off to Marrakesh on Thursday morning!  Amazing!!!  More to follow…

I was emailing my dad, and thought I would post some of it here, because it provides a little insight into this town any my experience here.


First, the weather has been awesome here for so many days in a row, its truly hard to remember how cold and crappy it was.   Its actually been “hot” but I have refused to utter a single complaint in light of how the weather was before.  Today is surprisingly cool, but generally, its been awesome, with nighttime walks a nightly occurrence.  The world of Ifrane walks at night and everyone knows everyone, and its truly a small town atmosphere.  Literally everyone stops and says hello to everyone, and "hellos" are not "hey, what's up" and continuing with their stroll.  It is invariably a 5 minute inquiry into their health, the health of their family, the thanks for a healthy life (hamdullah), and a pleasant good-bye.  You might "walk" for an hour and cover about 100 yards, due to the numerous greetings.

 I probably know one out of 5 people I meet on our walks, with “salaams” and “ki dirs” (how are you) being uttered a dozen times.  Sometimes I’ll walk around with the baby,just the two of us, which is pretty cute. I definitely feel like part of the family when my host “mother” says “hak” which means “here” as she hands me the baby because she needs  a break or has to prepare dinner.

When I walk around with the baby (“Malek”), then about one out of two people stop to say hello, because they all recognize her.  ...and it even cuter because people will invariably stop and chat and want to hold Malek, but she grabs me tight and buries her face in my neck because she doesn’t want anyone else to hold her, and everyone thinks that is the most adorable thing.  I have been with my host family just four weeks, and its amazing how close we are in certain ways.  I know what vegetables my 10 year old (Chaima) and 6 year old (Wi-am) like and don’t like in the salad, who their friends are, when my host sister has a new outfit on, and crazy things like that.  I regret the fact that I haven't been with them the entire 8 weeks (having been with the earlier host family for the first 4 weeks).  I think the bonding would have been even greater (and we all say good-bye tomorrow morning, and move on to our next site).

My family gave me a wallet last night as a going away present.  It is so sweet, with their phone number written on the inside, to remind me to call them :)  I hope I get the opportunity to come back and visit during Ramadan.  They promise me an incredible time!


I'm getting a little nostalgic already, thinking about leaving here.  Its not only leaving the family however.  I've bonded so well with my sitemates (the other 5 people in my class) and the likelihood is that we will all be sent off in different directions, making get togethers much more difficult.  Inshallah, we will be close, with ample opportunities to see one another.  We are so comfortable with each other and have each other to rely on everyday.  Our new sites will involve new people, of course, but not necessarily much connection with other Americans or English speakers.


Inshallah...  A new life begins in just a week, and it will be on to new adventures!

This is a rarity...  Usually I have tons to say and no time to say it. Right now, I'm sitting at the Forest Cafe (which is as Americanized as anyplace in New York), with wifi (pronounced "wee-fee" here), with not much to say, but have time to kill so here I am..

I'm supposed to be studying for the language proficiency test with the two sitemates (Nikki and Martha) that I came here with, but no one feels like studying and we're all playing on the computer, so no one is studying.  It is such an awesome day today.  I've lived in San Diego for 25 years and soooo took the weather for granted, but not here!!!  A beautiful day is sooooo appreciated.  My host family was complaining about the heat all day at the suk (swap meet/farmers market), moving from shaded seller to shaded seller, fanning themselves, etc.  I said to them: " You live in Africa for crying out loud; its 80 degrees and you think you're melting.  Your'e crazy!  Its awesome weather"!

...well actually I said: "weather good!" or something like that, but they were supposed to interpret it the other way...  ...okay... to give you an idea of my language proficiency, I actually was able to say (I think): "You live in Africa and you say its hot."  I love this weather"!  which is "kayskunu f Africa u kaygulu sxun, sxun.  Kayajbini lshums"!  They looked at me like I was crazy!  I want to think it was because they have a hard time believing that I could like the hot weather rather than the fact that what I really said was "your mother eats pig intestines."

I bought my host family a going away gift today at the suk.  They had looked at this silver teapot the last couple of times we've gone, and so I told my host sister (with whom I went to the suk) that I wanted to get it for the family if it wasn't too expensive.  She said "gali bizef" (very expensive).  Then, not long after, the rest of my host family showed up at the suk (I didn't expect that) and my host sister immediately told them about my gift idea so, so much for the surprise.

Anyway, they said it was too expensive, which got me worried.  I asked how much and they said it was negotiable but that it could be as much as 150 dirham.  Several minutes later, I came to the conclusion that it could be as much as $18.  I had to do the math a couple of times, because their faces suggested that I was going to have to take out a second mortgage in order to finance the teapot.

...so anyway... I convinced them that I could actually afford to get it for them, but they said they needed to negotiate for it, because they wanted the "Moroccan" price rather than the "American" price.  Tourists pay probably 2-3 times as much for goods at many places, and convincing a mul hanoot (store owner) that you aren't a tourist and deserve the "local" price is one of the major accomplishments of language learning. I might have been able to do that, but my host family was loathe to have me pay a penny more than necessary, so my host mother negotiated the price (which includes yelling, walking away in disgust, allowing the mul hannot to convince you to reluctantly come back to resume negotiations, looking at a cheaper version, etc.  After about 15 minutes of intense negotiations, the teapot was had for 120 dirham, and everybody was happy.

My family was completely appreciative, with all the requisite gawking and fawning (but genuine), and even another host sister (who doesn't live there) thanked me profusely!  Moroccans are such wonderful people!

okay... that's it for now.  I might actually study if Lex doesn't get her butt out of bed and Skype with me (it 11:15am in Oregon).  Happy Mothers Day to all you mothers!!!

...just have a second.  The last few days have been spectacular, with beautiful sunny skies and temps. in the 70 and 80's.  Its probably the coolest place in Africa right now, and we're loving it.

We're down to our last week in Ifrane!  Amazing!  We have our proficiency language test next week, which everyone is stressed about, because we're supposed to have achieved "Novice-High" in order to be sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers.  That might not sound like much, but after 7 weeks of intensive language training, I can barely remember my name!

Then we head back to Rabat for the last part of training (which hopefully involves mostly drinking and seeing friends we made before we left Rabat).  I think I find out a week from tomorrow where they're going to send me.  That, too, is a source of apprehension (or at least extreme curiosity).

There was a random time change here, so its 8 hours later here than in San Diego.  ...but when Ramadan begins (which is later in the summer), they for some reason set the clocks back an hour for the month of Ramadan, and then move them forward after Ramadan ends.   Not sure why, but it plays havoc with my ability to try to figure out when I can call my family on the west coast.  Basically, with an 18 and 21 year old, my best chance of reaching them is when I get up in the morning,  because it 11:00pm there, and they're just getting to study or go out partying, depending upon the night.


As for Ramadan, it is hugely important here, with mandatory fasting (no food, drink, or sex) from sun-up to sun-down, for the entire month!  I guess, however, that its "game-on" from sun-up to sun-down, and my host family has invited me back for a weekend so I can see how its done!  They're also asking whether I will observe the tenets of Ramadan, and the longer I'm here, the more inclined I am to try it (at least for a period of time).  You're not even allowed to drink water, so there are health considerations when its 130 degrees out (which is not at all unusual, in terms of summer-time temperatures in Morocco).

...gotta go.  More later.  Thanks for checking in!

Hikin' in Azrou

Waterfall along the hike

Ryan-n-me

Hmmar in Ifran

Livestock along the hike

Incredible natural beauty

Headin' back to Azrou

"summit" dancing

Kitties at the host family house

More livestock.  There was an actual shepard (both dog and man) keeping an eye on us and the animals.

Random beauty

Poor beast of burden in Ifrane

Until today, there hasn’t been “bursting-at-the-seams” news/events to blog about the last few days.  …or maybe I’ve just grown more accustomed to the culture shock.   But now, my baby sister (Molly) is planning to come for a visit in the summer, so there’s something super-exciting on the horizon!   …and my daughter (Lex) is making noises about traveling to Spain this summer, which is a grand total of 20 miles from Morocco!  Nothing specific, but it gets me pumped thinking about the possibility!  I won’t be able to plan anything definite until I am established in my new site, but that could be as early as the middle of June.

We had a few nice days in a row, so of course I assumed the weather had finally changed, but the last 3 days have been freezing with freezing rain and hail.  My hands feel arthritic right now as I type, because they’re not functioning properly in this temperature (it has nothing to do with my age!).  My awesome, awesome super-awesome friend Maria sent me a birthday package that contained all the essentials, including chocolate, a poncho, and long underwear.  I thought I was over needing that kind of stuff (not the chocolate, of course), but the cold-weather gear has certainly come in handy lately.  Thank you, Mia!

We’re down to a little over two weeks of training, so the end is hugely in sight.  Then its Rabat for a few days, swearing in, an announcement as to where we’ll locate for the next two years, and the next day, they kick us out of the nest, and we have to find our own way to our final destination (which might involve two days of traveling for some, depending upon how far away their permanent site is). 

My comprehension skills suck, so I’m nervous about our language test, which is administered in Rabat, and we need a certain level of proficiency in order to be sworn in!  Bribes may be in order!  JK.

Not to jinx it, but my best guess is that I will end up in an area outside Rabat or Casa Blanca (which would be great).  I asked for a larger city, and they seem to be available.   Plus an existing Volunteer said that geezers tend to get the sites they want (she might not have phrased it exactly like that).  Rabat and Caza are on the coast, so cooler in the summer, large, so more to do, and are major transportation hubs, which is great for traveling.

As for final sites, there are both “established” sites and “new” sites.  An established site is one where there is an existing volunteer (that has typically been there a year or more, and there may well have been another volunteer at that site before the current volunteer).  That means that the community and kids know about our existence and have participated in any number of activities and projects that have been organized by the current volunteer.  The new volunteer comes in and can “coattail” the on-site volunteer, watch, learn, help the existing volunteer, get his/her feet wet with small activities, and slowly work his/her way up to full-time planning and participation.  Many of the existing volunteers have been in-country 1 ½ years and have approximately six months to go before heading back home.  That would give the new volunteers that six months to get up-to-speed and running things on their own.

…which leads to the definition of “new” sites.  As you may have discerned, new sites are where (at least usually) a fancy, new dar chabab (youth center) exists, but where there has never been a PC Volunteer before.   Typically, there is a mudir (director) of the dar chabab, but they typically don’t have any role in organizing the youth or putting together programs or activities for the kids.  …so in comes the new PC Volunteer, knows seven weeks of language, has had about 2 days of practice with how to teach, has never met the mudir or any of the kids or others in the community, and is suddenly thrust into the role of meeting kids and other members of the community, encouraging participation in the dar chabab, and of course then needing to create programs and activities for them to participate in!

…I’m guessing I’m going to fall into this latter category (simply because I will be perceived as having the maturity and experience to handle a new site).  Pretty damn daunting!   And of course all the above has to do with getting started work-wise in a new site. !  Obviously, I first need to find a place to live and furnish it (which might include having to buy a refrigerator, stove, bed, etc.  Having an existing Volunteer with a lay of the land would certainly be helpful.

The way it works is that the PC has established host families in our new sites for us stay with for approximately two weeks, so that we have a place to stay while we look for an apartment.  We try to utilize the host family to help us, with (undoubtedly) varying levels of success.  We have a very limited budget for both rent and our “settling-in” allowance, so we have to negotiate our rent.  My understanding is that it is difficult to do, because everyone assumes an American is made of money, so trying to explain (with 8 weeks of Darija) the nuances of the Peace Corps and the volunteer work we do is a challenge.  And I’ve heard that rent in the bigger cities is expensive and so even though Volunteers placed in bigger cities get a “bump” in their monthly allowance, its typically not sufficient to cover the additional cost (which means that we have precious little to spend on all the other things we need).

I’ll put together another blog on how much we are going to get as our “allowance”  and how much everything costs, just as soon as I figure it out myself.  I still struggle to figure out how much I get.  Because there are about 8 dirham to the dollar, I keep thinking I have all kinds of money.  I’ve got damn near 500 dirham in my wallet, and I’m thinking I’m rich, but I could be arrested for vagrancy in the States with so little flus ($$).

Alright… Enuf for now.