There are a few things on this blog you may have failed to notice through no fault of your own. This blog's layout is limited by my knowledge of html and time and patience to fiddle with various things. Also, Google has decided to switch most of my basic functions into Arabic. Does anyone know how to undo that? Back to business:
For those who love pictures please look to your right, there are three different slideshows. If you click on any of them you will be taken to Picasa and be able to peruse these images at your leisure. (Mom, you can even order pictures that you want!)
For those of you who love shopping or just giving your opinion on anything and everything please look at the third slideshow, "Don't You Want One?" particularly carefully. These are the products of the women's artisans' association I work with the most. By private email, please let me know what you think of the products. If you have product ideas of your own (especially those geared towards female tourists that utilize weaving, crocheting, or sewing), share those, too. No, you don't get a cut. If you want one of these items, let me know that, too.
Last, if you're looking to subscribe to this blog, scroll all the way down to the bottom and click on the word "subscribe" or "atom". This should give you the RSS feed and allow you to do whatever it is you do with an RSS feed. Man, technology used to be my thing!
Tomorrow my future house is going to be "checked" i.e. approved for safety and security standards. I've never seen the inside of it but I've been told that it is ihla bezzef, and exactly like my host family's home (which is, indeed, quite beautiful). I can't wait to have my own kitchen and put pictures on the wall. I'll tell you more about it when I actually have some facts at my disposal!
In other news, a family member is having surgery tomorrow. Please send safe, happy, healthy thoughts to Los Angeles.
Showing posts with label pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pictures. Show all posts
January 20, 2008
November 30, 2007
Wedding Part II and A Few Other Things
I'm finally home and somewhat settled in my host family's house. Most of my things are still in another city, and I can't seem to get warm! I've never appreciated the warmth of a family pet so much! Oh, and I know I promised more about the wedding I attended so here it is:
OK, so not much happened on the second night! There was a bride, which was a plus in my opinion. The groom also attended, you'll be happy to know! The two arrived in a car in the courtyard of the hotel and were escorted, with lots of cheering, to two throne-like chairs under a beautiful metal canopy. There was a band, and lots of dancing. Some women danced and some chose not to. My host sisters were among those who did not, as they believe it is shameful (hshuma) to dance in the presence of men. Some women actually danced with men though! Whoa! But mostly the genders stuck to themselves.
At certain intervals the bride stepped out from the canopy, sat in a small cage, was lifted and carried throughout the dancing crowd. She waved a little like Princess Di. When she was set down, the groom was c
arried around. He actually stood up and did a little impromptu dance. Then they both left the courtyard and she came back in a new dress. Depending on the wealth of the family the bride will change clothes up to five times, sometimes more. What I remember most is that there was a lot of orange involved, and that it was too cold for me to sit out there the entire night. I understood why people danced despite the hshuma. However, I did get a couple of good pictures of my host family out of it. The first one is of my host mother, Zahara, with my host niece, Fedwa, and the second is of my with my host sister, Habiba. I couldn't have asked for a lovelier family.
Speaking of really lovely people, I also recently said goodbye to all of my new Peace Corps friends! On November 26th we all swore in as volunteers in Fes. Yay! But sad that we had to leave one another. There were definitely some moments when I wanted a little "alone time" but mostly I feel like my fellow volunteers are my family away from home. Here are a few pictures:
This is Jackie, my roommate for three months. She was the very first person I met upon arrival in Philadelphia, and she was an invaluable source of insight and support.
This is my CBT group from Ait Benhaddou! Mia, me, Mahri, Amina (our LCF), Megan, Kate and Anny. I miss them so! Every morning we debriefed about all of the wacky things that happened the night before. We struggled through Tashlheet together, and hiked the kasbah as often as we could. Reunions are definitely in the making.
I'm not sure I can say enough about these two incredible men, Matthew and Brian, so I won't try in this forum. Just know that I'm always safe and protected when I'm with these two.
The next two months will be spent living with my host family, implementing some development tools, collectively known as PACA, searching for a house of my own, and meeting the volunteers in my region. I'll also try to get back to answering all of the questions you've sent me. Happy holidays and lots of love from Morocco!
OK, so not much happened on the second night! There was a bride, which was a plus in my opinion. The groom also attended, you'll be happy to know! The two arrived in a car in the courtyard of the hotel and were escorted, with lots of cheering, to two throne-like chairs under a beautiful metal canopy. There was a band, and lots of dancing. Some women danced and some chose not to. My host sisters were among those who did not, as they believe it is shameful (hshuma) to dance in the presence of men. Some women actually danced with men though! Whoa! But mostly the genders stuck to themselves.
At certain intervals the bride stepped out from the canopy, sat in a small cage, was lifted and carried throughout the dancing crowd. She waved a little like Princess Di. When she was set down, the groom was c
arried around. He actually stood up and did a little impromptu dance. Then they both left the courtyard and she came back in a new dress. Depending on the wealth of the family the bride will change clothes up to five times, sometimes more. What I remember most is that there was a lot of orange involved, and that it was too cold for me to sit out there the entire night. I understood why people danced despite the hshuma. However, I did get a couple of good pictures of my host family out of it. The first one is of my host mother, Zahara, with my host niece, Fedwa, and the second is of my with my host sister, Habiba. I couldn't have asked for a lovelier family.Speaking of really lovely people, I also recently said goodbye to all of my new Peace Corps friends! On November 26th we all swore in as volunteers in Fes. Yay! But sad that we had to leave one another. There were definitely some moments when I wanted a little "alone time" but mostly I feel like my fellow volunteers are my family away from home. Here are a few pictures:
This is Jackie, my roommate for three months. She was the very first person I met upon arrival in Philadelphia, and she was an invaluable source of insight and support.
This is my CBT group from Ait Benhaddou! Mia, me, Mahri, Amina (our LCF), Megan, Kate and Anny. I miss them so! Every morning we debriefed about all of the wacky things that happened the night before. We struggled through Tashlheet together, and hiked the kasbah as often as we could. Reunions are definitely in the making.
I'm not sure I can say enough about these two incredible men, Matthew and Brian, so I won't try in this forum. Just know that I'm always safe and protected when I'm with these two.
The next two months will be spent living with my host family, implementing some development tools, collectively known as PACA, searching for a house of my own, and meeting the volunteers in my region. I'll also try to get back to answering all of the questions you've sent me. Happy holidays and lots of love from Morocco!
November 9, 2007
A New Home
After seven days at my permanent site, I'm pretty sure I'm in love. It's deserty; it's green; it's warm and chilly simultaneously - it's all the little contradictions of Morocco stuffed into a tiny, tiny town of about 700 people in the Ouarzazate region. Plus, my new host family has wireless, and I took a shower with a frog the other day. What's not to love? Did I mention that there's an airport about thirty minutes away? Ummmm . . . yes, that means you (yes, you!) should definitely visit.
Here are a few pictures of my new town:
Here are a few pictures of my new town:
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