I have never been much of a writer. I like to talk with other people either on the phone or in person to express how I am feeling. Yet I trudge on with the blog! For those who are all wondering what the heck I have been doing in the past couple of months, it has been a lot. I do not know if I can properly articulate all that has gone on. Everyday feels both the same and totally different all at the same time. Sometimes the monotony is painful. Other times, the smallest thing like sitting under a tree talking about American holidays can be the best part of the day.
Some of the work I have been doing has been thinking of different creative ways to help bring resources to my town. I have been talking with a few different organizations on how to bring books, computers and classroom materials to the D.C. Additionally, and more recently, I have had some solid conversations with the youth in town as to why they think the D.C isn't active and running. Knowing the issues of your town is one of the most important parts of Peace Corps service and it really allows you to see behind the shades and get at the root problems which need to be addressed.
Recently, I have been traveling. I went to Marrakech for 10 days with the rest of my Staj to relax by the pool, hang out with friends and attend Youth Development meetings about projects and ideas as well as more mundane topics such as Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation. It was a great time to see other Volunteers as well as relax a bit.
We went to the main square called Jemma El Fna where there are snake charmers-, monkeys, acrobats, etc. .. I didn't really care for the animals because many of them were obviously drugged and or had a leash on and it just did not feel right. I think this coincides with my feelings on zoos and circuses. The high point of my trip to the square was eating all the different street meat sandwiches and breads and juices. A glass of fresh orange juice here costs 50 cents and a meat sandwich costs $ 1.50 its a great bargain. I would not suggest diving into street meat sandwiches though until you've had a couple of days to get acclimated! Then there was this amazing juice stand down one of the corridors. Imagine a literal hole in the wall booth with 3 guys blending juices and outside, a ring of 3-4 people deep out into the alley. People were begging the guy to take their money and most impressively, whenever he was out of one type of juice his helpers would have a whole new pitcher waiting for him to scoop up and keep pouring. At .40 cents a glass this was by far the best deal of the night.
Marrakech tourist also really really heavy. I have not seen So Many forigeners in one place! This May sound a bit jaded goal Effective living in site for months at a time only seeing 8-10 of your fellow Volunteers it can be overwhelming. The Guilez neighborhood is spotless, fancy, rich and white. It is a stark contrast to the conservative, fully veiled women who float around Kech. These contrasts have seemingly been getting bigger and more obvious as I am in country longer.
There is also a big elephant in the room. Ramadan. Ramadan is a time once a year where Muslims fast during the day, not eating, drinking or smoking and then at night, they breakfast in grand style and the towns and streets come alive. I have beens struggling with whether or not I want to fast. I think it would be a hard challenge. It also has the potential to bring me closer to my community, something I have been looking for. On the other hand, it quickly provokes conversionist harassment . This form of harassment affects me most so I'm not totally sure how to proceed, though I think I will give fasting my best shot. I am looking forward to breaking fast though with different families and inshallah getting my integration on!
Finally I am headed up to my first homestay to hang out with the family there. The two host families are pretty opposite so it will be good to get a change of pace!
Finally, Finally, it has been 6 MONTHS IN COUNTRY. Crazy. Time is flying by.
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