These past twenty-something days have been some of the most unique, challenging and exciting days thus far in Morocco. As I sit on the roof of my house listening to Steel Pulse with the mountains in the background and the sun in my face, I finally have a house to call my own. This will be the first time in my life living alone. In college for two years I lived in a house but had roommates and was constantly surrounded by friends. Now being alone, I think there will be some challenges of loneliness but also some relief that I can waltz around the house with out a care because no one is there to judge or laugh!
My site, Ouled Moussa is a teeny tiny site outside of a fairly large city in Beni Mellal. Every Thursday there is a Souq or farmers market on steroids. My host mother and I have made a habit of going and it is really fun to ride on the back of a horse drawn cart to buy vegetables for 3dh a kilo or approximately 40 cents for 2 pounds. In town there are many coffee shops and little general stores or hanouts but besides that there isn't a whole lot going on. There is great nature just 5km away but people dont seem to go to the mountain much. People long for the bustle of Beni Mellal and a place to hang out.
In site there is a great women's cooperative who makes cookies and bread and also sells olive oil and spices. My aforementioned host mother is the secretary of the co-op so whenever I go I am sure to get at least 5 cookies to eat whether I like it or not. They are tasty and all the women there want to treat me as their son. I don't object. They have recently been making trips to spring fairs called mousems to sell their goods and have had some foreign NGO's come in to possibly provide funds for different items they need to be more successful. This will be one of my jobs there, helping them to write grants for an oven or help them to become more profitable
Also in the town there is a Dar Chebab. It is quite sad and shabby but there is a great association which goes there every Saturday and Sunday to hangout, sing and play games. At least it is getting used and just last week I had a total of 3 kids show up for an hour of English teaching! I consider that a success and something to build on. Just the other week I had a solid two day whine session with my parents about how I didnt feel like I was working at all and now I have stuff going on. This is Morocco. One day you're up, the next you're down.
I have a great sitemate named Bernice who has helped me out a lot since I've come to little ol' Moussa with introducing me to counterparts, laying down the law to annoying Moroc Telecom ladies and generally being a hospitable friend. Unfortunately she is leaving in a few days to COS.
Finally, I was put in touch with a former LCF turned farmer who has his own organic farm just a few km's away from my site, he apparently produces top-quality olive oil and wheat and wants to work with the community to become better and more productive. SCORE! awesome counterpart material and hopefully a really valueable connection for the future! If anyone needs some organic Moroccan olive oil holler at me.
For now, I am looking forward to fully furnishing the house, doing some projects and keep meeting people around town to work with. The summer is fast approaching which means work dies and people hang out and try and beat the heat which I have heard is brutal. We shall see.
