I have dreams of a beautiful blog entry on a wedding I went to, including documenting every bit of it with photos....but that remains a dream for now because when I think about actually sitting down and doing it I get a little overwhelmed and say to myself that I must have something more important to be doing...
So in the meantime here's a mini-blog:
I have come to the conclusion that I must have really aged in the last year. I was at a friends house this afternoon for Friday couscous and we were looking at photos from my facebook of last year's Eid LKbir (where we slaughtered the ram) and she said "Well you've fattened up a little from last year, haven't you." To which, as always, I respond "yeah a little." That is not considered a rude comment in this country. I've gained about 10lbs, although since Ramadan I've started exercising diligently and I bet I've almost lost that ten pounds.... but even so.... 10lbs on my frame shouldn't be enough to warrant the number of comments I've gotten about it...and I have certainly gotten comments. I've moved from a size 4 to a 6. That's not that big a jump!
So my conclusion is that I actually just look a lot older than last year and some of that comes from wearing my hair up more than down. I know that sounds a little ridiculous but I think that really changes the look of a person. Plus, it's a common fact that going from 23 to 24 years old is a turning point (kidding).
I have also had comments from local kids who've seen my facebook pictures about how "good you looked in the states and how you look 'different' here." well yes, I don't flip my hair around and prance in short shorts on the streets of Morocco.
So I don't know what to make of all these endless comments on my physical appearance. In just over a month I will be back in the states and we'll see if anyone says that the Sahara Sun has aged me. Let's call it "maturity."
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
All Publicity is good Publicity!!
On July 6th I posted a blog about traveling within Morocco for Peace Corps. One of the projects I participated in was doing a project design and management workshop for a hip hop group in Goulmima called S7rawa Boys. The PCV there has worked really hard with them and their story got picked up my MTV, in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps and International Day of Peace.
So they have an article on MTV's website!!
http://act.mtv.com/posts/peace-corps-volunteer-uses-hip-hop-to-spread-love/#more-22488
Also, a film crew came from USA and filmed them for a short documentary. The film hasn't been posted yet, but when it is, I will definitely post it here!
So they have an article on MTV's website!!
http://act.mtv.com/posts/peace-corps-volunteer-uses-hip-hop-to-spread-love/#more-22488
Also, a film crew came from USA and filmed them for a short documentary. The film hasn't been posted yet, but when it is, I will definitely post it here!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
I have made it one year!!
I arrived in Morocco on September 15th, 2010, one year ago exactly! On this special occasion I thought that I'd revisit how I packed, having no idea what I was getting into at the time. I've broken it into three fun lists, with notes at the end.
Things I'm so happy I brought:
-A set of sheets! They're hard to find here and I have never seen fitted sheets. This is definitely at the VERY top of the list, plus it doesn't take up much space. *********
-Good nail clippers/tweezers (Mother- I've managed not to lose these for an entire year! Aren't you proud?!)
-Lots of floss. It's good for a whole lot of things, not just teeth. (hotel room clothes lines, etc.)
-Hair brush. They don't have them here. They have little no-handled, bristled things that look like they're for my cat.
-Lots of deodorant. They sell it here, but not a wide selection, and only at the supermarkets. -I don't live anywhere near any supermarket.
-One of those travel soap cases!!!******
-Tons and tons of hair elastics and bobby pins.
-This is a “Happy I Didn't bring it” one: Books! The Peace Corps library is stocked! No sense wasting space on them. M'Hamed the librarian will send you anything your heart desires.
-A bath towel and a hand towel. I actually forgot these at first but got one from Sally from her's and my dad's apt in DC right before leaving.
-A sewing kit
-Duct tape! I actually didn't bring it, though I was advised to, because I thought it was too heavy, but the volunteer I replaced left a roll and I don't know what I'd do without it. White medical tape is also really sticky and won't take paint off.
Things I wish I hadn't wasted luggage space on:
-Shampoo. There's shampoo readily available here of fine brands
-Sleeping bag. It takes up so much space and sure, it's useful when visiting cold places, but so far in a year it hasn't made itself useful enough to make me forget how annoying it was to drag across the Atlantic and then across the country. I'll leave it here when I leave, for sure.
-Hand sanitizer. I brought 3 big bottles and don't ever use it. I know I probably should take little bottles with me when I'm out but I don't. I wash with soap, if available.
-AA Batteries. I don't know what I was thinking not bringing rechargeables.
-Sunscreen. It's in the med kit. You really don't need to bring any medicine, including vitamins.
-Baby wipes. Sure they're convenient when bathing isn't an option, but once they're gone, they're gone and you learn to live without them. Plus they're wasteful.
Things I wish I'd brought (or brought more of):
-Hair Shears. My home hair cuts are great but would be better with proper scissors
-Conditioner. People don't use it and I guess I'm high maintenance and have to use hair conditioner.
-Scotch tape dispenser. I know this is a weird one but it would make my life with scotch tape a lot easier. I use tape at the Dar Chebab for sticking stuff on the walls.
-Winter clothes! Or at least a proper coat. 30 degrees is cold, especially without heat and I don't know that I would have made it through the winter without the stuff my predecessor, Melanie, left behind.
-Jeans!! I have been going through them like crazy! One volunteer who's been here longer told me it's because all the squatting for the squat toilets wears out the fabric faster. I don't know, but I currently don't have ANY casual jeans left.
-Travel size bottles of shampoo/conditioner/moisturizer that I can refill. It's a pain lugging full size bottles around.
-A bathing suit. I figured I wouldn't need it, being in a Muslim country where I have to remain pretty covered, but those tourists are dressed all trashy on the coast and I could be one of them if I had a bathing suit.
-Outlet converters. They get lost pretty easily.
-A little photo album with family pictures. People would love to see what my family looks like.
I sort of wish I'd brought more clothes in general. I spent a lot of my luggage space on mountains of toiletries- soaps, shampoo, etc. and really could have used some more clothes.
Winner of Best Travel Item
A fancy fluffy only-for-the-guest-bathroom!-hand towel that your mother probably wouldn't want you to take out of the house. Why? It's great for short term traveling because it's small, but, believe it or not, can and will dry your whole body and hair and still not be soaking wet. By now I don't think my mother would permit it in any bathroom, especially not the guest bathroom because it's been so heavily used that it's kind of gray and dirty looking...but it still fluffs up even being dried on a clothes line. I don't have a camp towel and while all the all volunteers talk about how 'fast drying' they are, every single one I've encountered smells AWFUL. When you pack a wet towel, “camp” or otherwise, it's going to smell. Plus this towel makes a great pillow against the window on bus rides.
Forget bringing any kind of water purification device. If it's necessary for your region, PC will provide it. If it's not and you're getting sick, man up or boil your water.
Long Term/short Term bag:
So Peace Corps asks us to pack two bags for traveling: a short term bag for the period when we're in training, living with host families; and a long term bag that will be kept in storage until we travel to our final sites. What do I need for the first three months and not the rest of the time!? I had no idea. I basically packed all my clothes in the short term and some of my toiletries and put the rest in storage. I was pretty accurate, I think. The only thing I would change is that even if I like to sleep in little shorts and a tank top, while living with a host family all I wore was one conservative set of pajamas. Never assume that people won't bust into your room at all hours of the night. Privacy is not a Moroccan concept as I understand it. All my tank top/undershirt kind of things plus cotton shorts should have gone in the long term bag. So short term bag should have clothes and toothbrush, one tube of toothpaste, bottles of shampoo/conditioner, 2 bars of soap, deodorant, and bath towel. That's it.
1 year down, 14.5 Months To Go!!
Things I'm so happy I brought:
-A set of sheets! They're hard to find here and I have never seen fitted sheets. This is definitely at the VERY top of the list, plus it doesn't take up much space. *********
-Good nail clippers/tweezers (Mother- I've managed not to lose these for an entire year! Aren't you proud?!)
-Lots of floss. It's good for a whole lot of things, not just teeth. (hotel room clothes lines, etc.)
-Hair brush. They don't have them here. They have little no-handled, bristled things that look like they're for my cat.
-Lots of deodorant. They sell it here, but not a wide selection, and only at the supermarkets. -I don't live anywhere near any supermarket.
-One of those travel soap cases!!!******
-Tons and tons of hair elastics and bobby pins.
-This is a “Happy I Didn't bring it” one: Books! The Peace Corps library is stocked! No sense wasting space on them. M'Hamed the librarian will send you anything your heart desires.
-A bath towel and a hand towel. I actually forgot these at first but got one from Sally from her's and my dad's apt in DC right before leaving.
-A sewing kit
-Duct tape! I actually didn't bring it, though I was advised to, because I thought it was too heavy, but the volunteer I replaced left a roll and I don't know what I'd do without it. White medical tape is also really sticky and won't take paint off.
Things I wish I hadn't wasted luggage space on:
-Shampoo. There's shampoo readily available here of fine brands
-Sleeping bag. It takes up so much space and sure, it's useful when visiting cold places, but so far in a year it hasn't made itself useful enough to make me forget how annoying it was to drag across the Atlantic and then across the country. I'll leave it here when I leave, for sure.
-Hand sanitizer. I brought 3 big bottles and don't ever use it. I know I probably should take little bottles with me when I'm out but I don't. I wash with soap, if available.
-AA Batteries. I don't know what I was thinking not bringing rechargeables.
-Sunscreen. It's in the med kit. You really don't need to bring any medicine, including vitamins.
-Baby wipes. Sure they're convenient when bathing isn't an option, but once they're gone, they're gone and you learn to live without them. Plus they're wasteful.
Things I wish I'd brought (or brought more of):
-Hair Shears. My home hair cuts are great but would be better with proper scissors
-Conditioner. People don't use it and I guess I'm high maintenance and have to use hair conditioner.
-Scotch tape dispenser. I know this is a weird one but it would make my life with scotch tape a lot easier. I use tape at the Dar Chebab for sticking stuff on the walls.
-Winter clothes! Or at least a proper coat. 30 degrees is cold, especially without heat and I don't know that I would have made it through the winter without the stuff my predecessor, Melanie, left behind.
-Jeans!! I have been going through them like crazy! One volunteer who's been here longer told me it's because all the squatting for the squat toilets wears out the fabric faster. I don't know, but I currently don't have ANY casual jeans left.
-Travel size bottles of shampoo/conditioner/moisturizer that I can refill. It's a pain lugging full size bottles around.
-A bathing suit. I figured I wouldn't need it, being in a Muslim country where I have to remain pretty covered, but those tourists are dressed all trashy on the coast and I could be one of them if I had a bathing suit.
-Outlet converters. They get lost pretty easily.
-A little photo album with family pictures. People would love to see what my family looks like.
I sort of wish I'd brought more clothes in general. I spent a lot of my luggage space on mountains of toiletries- soaps, shampoo, etc. and really could have used some more clothes.
Winner of Best Travel Item
A fancy fluffy only-for-the-guest-bathroom!-hand towel that your mother probably wouldn't want you to take out of the house. Why? It's great for short term traveling because it's small, but, believe it or not, can and will dry your whole body and hair and still not be soaking wet. By now I don't think my mother would permit it in any bathroom, especially not the guest bathroom because it's been so heavily used that it's kind of gray and dirty looking...but it still fluffs up even being dried on a clothes line. I don't have a camp towel and while all the all volunteers talk about how 'fast drying' they are, every single one I've encountered smells AWFUL. When you pack a wet towel, “camp” or otherwise, it's going to smell. Plus this towel makes a great pillow against the window on bus rides.
Forget bringing any kind of water purification device. If it's necessary for your region, PC will provide it. If it's not and you're getting sick, man up or boil your water.
Long Term/short Term bag:
So Peace Corps asks us to pack two bags for traveling: a short term bag for the period when we're in training, living with host families; and a long term bag that will be kept in storage until we travel to our final sites. What do I need for the first three months and not the rest of the time!? I had no idea. I basically packed all my clothes in the short term and some of my toiletries and put the rest in storage. I was pretty accurate, I think. The only thing I would change is that even if I like to sleep in little shorts and a tank top, while living with a host family all I wore was one conservative set of pajamas. Never assume that people won't bust into your room at all hours of the night. Privacy is not a Moroccan concept as I understand it. All my tank top/undershirt kind of things plus cotton shorts should have gone in the long term bag. So short term bag should have clothes and toothbrush, one tube of toothpaste, bottles of shampoo/conditioner, 2 bars of soap, deodorant, and bath towel. That's it.
1 year down, 14.5 Months To Go!!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Mabruk L'Eid!
Yesterday was the first day of Eid Alfitr, or Feast of Breakfast, marking the end of Ramadan. Apparently, it lasts about three days. During these festivities everyone dresses in new clothes and parades around the neighborhood telling everyone Mabruk L'Eid! (Happy L'Eid!) and eats lots of sweets.
Most people really celebrate heavily the first day of L'Eid which was yesterday. I don't know what I was thinking rousing myself at 11am and getting dressed (which involves me covering from the neck down) and forging into 100+ degree heat to go to the post office thinking it was probably open. Of course it wasn't open! It must have been delirium from all the cookies I'd eaten.
I'm just happy it's over and a normal schedule can begin again. I hate waking up late, so I'm changing my internal clock little by little. (Waking up at 11 is much better than at 3!) and hopefully on Tuesday the Dar Chebab will be open again and REAL LIFE will begin.
Yesterday's l'Eid weather was terrible! We had so much La3jaj (dusty sand storm) that in about 15 minutes my entire western room was layered in orange sand. So I went up on my roof and recorded the sand moving in from the desert. It's kind of a long video, unnecessarily. Sorry there's no sound. My digital camera doesn't have a sound card or it's broken. But at about 2mins you can really see a shift in the coloring of the air. (it's embedded at the bottom of the page)
Here are some pictures to compare: (there are no rain clouds here. It is literally just sand that's been lifted by the wind, coming from the southwest.)
VS.
The next set it not quite the same shot, but close. You can use the yellow/red striped building on the bottom for reference;
vs.
You get the picture. And now for my first youtube upload! Sorry for the grainy quality-- my camera is not very good for video.
Most people really celebrate heavily the first day of L'Eid which was yesterday. I don't know what I was thinking rousing myself at 11am and getting dressed (which involves me covering from the neck down) and forging into 100+ degree heat to go to the post office thinking it was probably open. Of course it wasn't open! It must have been delirium from all the cookies I'd eaten.
I'm just happy it's over and a normal schedule can begin again. I hate waking up late, so I'm changing my internal clock little by little. (Waking up at 11 is much better than at 3!) and hopefully on Tuesday the Dar Chebab will be open again and REAL LIFE will begin.
Yesterday's l'Eid weather was terrible! We had so much La3jaj (dusty sand storm) that in about 15 minutes my entire western room was layered in orange sand. So I went up on my roof and recorded the sand moving in from the desert. It's kind of a long video, unnecessarily. Sorry there's no sound. My digital camera doesn't have a sound card or it's broken. But at about 2mins you can really see a shift in the coloring of the air. (it's embedded at the bottom of the page)
Here are some pictures to compare: (there are no rain clouds here. It is literally just sand that's been lifted by the wind, coming from the southwest.)
VS.
The next set it not quite the same shot, but close. You can use the yellow/red striped building on the bottom for reference;
vs.
You get the picture. And now for my first youtube upload! Sorry for the grainy quality-- my camera is not very good for video.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Typical....
I've never considered myself the super "peace corps"y type, (re: low maintenance hippie) but I think I might be...at least more so than I thought.
Evidence:
1. I just sharpened my eyeliner with a knife
2. Felt bugs in my bed last night. (didn't turn on the light to see what they were because I didn't want to know.) Solution? I wore long sleeve/pant pajamas.
3.Calculated my daily water usage based on "buckets" per day. (running water has worsened as the summer has progressed.)
- can successfully wash dishes and laundry with no running water... I mean, it's running at some point. It's all about timing and water storage.
4. And just between you and me, I haven't bought TP since May. (except for traveling).
I don't think cutting my own hair should count. Lots of people do that in the first world. Though I do know one guy who gave himself a pretty nice trim with his pocket knife.
Also, that fact that I'm still wearing eyeliner once in a while is proof that I'm not way over the hippie-edge. Although, I will admit I'm wearing it because I was told by my good friend, Radia, "THella fik!" or "Take care of yourself!"
The girls here really glam it out when they go out on the town. Now that it's Ramadan, evenings are popping. From about 10pm - 1am the streets are FULL. People are out wandering around to look at other people primarily and secondarily to buy a new outfit to wear on "L'Eid Sghrir" (meaning "small feast day." Actually called L'Eid Lftar, which means "Breakfast Feast Day").
Tonight, I'm going to go wander around the streets with my friend, Soumaya. So I'm trying to look my best, I guess. I was recently asked why the girls that are sent to my town as Peace Corps volunteers "don't dress as well as the Americans we see on T.V." I really didn't have a good answer because what I wanted to say was, "Well if you notice, the American girls on TV are perhaps showing a little calf/knee action and don't have their rear-end covered by long, baggy shirts." Instead I told her that I couldn't speak for the other volunteers that preceded me but that I wasn't very fashion conscious because it didn't really matter. We were not on the same page with that and she really didn't understand.
Oh well. I'm trying to meet their American expectations, while still dressing conservatively and avoiding using "kohl" (the THICK traditional eyeliner used by people all across Mid-East/North Africa for thousands of years) Here's a photo I found on the internet of a pretty standard bride in a Moroccan wedding. Check out that makeup!
Evidence:
1. I just sharpened my eyeliner with a knife
2. Felt bugs in my bed last night. (didn't turn on the light to see what they were because I didn't want to know.) Solution? I wore long sleeve/pant pajamas.
3.Calculated my daily water usage based on "buckets" per day. (running water has worsened as the summer has progressed.)
- can successfully wash dishes and laundry with no running water... I mean, it's running at some point. It's all about timing and water storage.
4. And just between you and me, I haven't bought TP since May. (except for traveling).
I don't think cutting my own hair should count. Lots of people do that in the first world. Though I do know one guy who gave himself a pretty nice trim with his pocket knife.
Also, that fact that I'm still wearing eyeliner once in a while is proof that I'm not way over the hippie-edge. Although, I will admit I'm wearing it because I was told by my good friend, Radia, "THella fik!" or "Take care of yourself!"
The girls here really glam it out when they go out on the town. Now that it's Ramadan, evenings are popping. From about 10pm - 1am the streets are FULL. People are out wandering around to look at other people primarily and secondarily to buy a new outfit to wear on "L'Eid Sghrir" (meaning "small feast day." Actually called L'Eid Lftar, which means "Breakfast Feast Day").
Tonight, I'm going to go wander around the streets with my friend, Soumaya. So I'm trying to look my best, I guess. I was recently asked why the girls that are sent to my town as Peace Corps volunteers "don't dress as well as the Americans we see on T.V." I really didn't have a good answer because what I wanted to say was, "Well if you notice, the American girls on TV are perhaps showing a little calf/knee action and don't have their rear-end covered by long, baggy shirts." Instead I told her that I couldn't speak for the other volunteers that preceded me but that I wasn't very fashion conscious because it didn't really matter. We were not on the same page with that and she really didn't understand.
Oh well. I'm trying to meet their American expectations, while still dressing conservatively and avoiding using "kohl" (the THICK traditional eyeliner used by people all across Mid-East/North Africa for thousands of years) Here's a photo I found on the internet of a pretty standard bride in a Moroccan wedding. Check out that makeup!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Ramadan Packages!
Today is August 23rd. I have been fasting during daylight hours for 21 days now! And thank goodness Ramadan is almost over! Through this experience I have solidified that I am a morning person and that just does not suit Ramadan. In any case, one of the best things about this time is that people are even more welcoming than usual and I have daily invitations to break fast, or "lftor" with a family in my community. That is the main reason why I am fasting anyway. Sure, I could just eat and drink in my house, but then what fun would it be to break fast if I'd been eating all day? Plus, I wanted to experience it and be able to say I did it the whole month.
I doubt I will fully fast next year. From food? Probably. But not from water. It is well over 100 degrees here and there's over 15 hours of daylight. Next year Ramadan will begin in the middle of July. I have changed my schedule so I'm literally up all night, and rarely asleep before 6am (a full 1.5hrs after the call to prayer that begins the fast.) And I am generally not out of bed until 3pm.
Ok, ok, so maybe waking up at 3pm is kind of cheating but technically I am playing by the rules. I know for a fact that the teenage boys are not waking up before that either because they're outside my window playing soccer until they have to go home to eat SHHor at around 3am. The women/girls I've talked with who are not married/mothers also don't get up before 2 or so either.
Today! I roused myself at NOON! (which was difficult because there was a solitary fly in my room attempting to go up my nose until 8 IN THE MORNING)But I got up because I knew there would be a package waiting for me at the post office.
Surprise! There were TWO packages! One from the Peace Corps librarian and one from my mother. The PC librarian is my favorite staff member by far. Every so often, out of the blue, I'll get a package with some lesson plans, random magazines, and books that he thinks might interest me. It's such a sweet surprise. Recently he sent me the book "'Tis" by Frank McCourt; a sequel to "Angela's Ashes." I was talking about "Angela's Ashes" with my friend who said that it was one of his favorite books and I absolutely could not read the sequel without reading the first. I shot off an email to the librarian and today I found "Angela's Ashes" in my mail box!
Now for my mother's WONDERFUL package: It was so beautiful, I had to photograph it.(click to enlarge)
List of its precious contents:
- Socks and underwear! (So important! Hand washing really does a number on clothes.)
- SMU alumni magazine!
- Chewy Granola bars!
- Crystal light packets!
- A few issues of the local paper! (including comics, of course)
- EIGHT spools of dark colored thread! (as requested! Thank you mom and Charity!)
- High school graduation announcement of my God sister, Krista!
- My brother's new business card for his new job!
- Letter from a little girl we sponsor in Colombia!
And last but not least....
- A beautiful little note from my mother!
Thank you!!
Angela's Ashes is on the right side of the photo next to the envelop in which it arrived. I love that it just says "Seibel, Abby/ Dar Chebab" and it finds its way to my box.
I love everything here, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Granola bars. So delicious and simple and not available here...plus they don't melt!
I want to do a post on the breakfast cuisine of Ramadan but I need to remember to take my camera along to my next lftor!
I doubt I will fully fast next year. From food? Probably. But not from water. It is well over 100 degrees here and there's over 15 hours of daylight. Next year Ramadan will begin in the middle of July. I have changed my schedule so I'm literally up all night, and rarely asleep before 6am (a full 1.5hrs after the call to prayer that begins the fast.) And I am generally not out of bed until 3pm.
Ok, ok, so maybe waking up at 3pm is kind of cheating but technically I am playing by the rules. I know for a fact that the teenage boys are not waking up before that either because they're outside my window playing soccer until they have to go home to eat SHHor at around 3am. The women/girls I've talked with who are not married/mothers also don't get up before 2 or so either.
Today! I roused myself at NOON! (which was difficult because there was a solitary fly in my room attempting to go up my nose until 8 IN THE MORNING)But I got up because I knew there would be a package waiting for me at the post office.
Surprise! There were TWO packages! One from the Peace Corps librarian and one from my mother. The PC librarian is my favorite staff member by far. Every so often, out of the blue, I'll get a package with some lesson plans, random magazines, and books that he thinks might interest me. It's such a sweet surprise. Recently he sent me the book "'Tis" by Frank McCourt; a sequel to "Angela's Ashes." I was talking about "Angela's Ashes" with my friend who said that it was one of his favorite books and I absolutely could not read the sequel without reading the first. I shot off an email to the librarian and today I found "Angela's Ashes" in my mail box!
Now for my mother's WONDERFUL package: It was so beautiful, I had to photograph it.(click to enlarge)
List of its precious contents:
- Socks and underwear! (So important! Hand washing really does a number on clothes.)
- SMU alumni magazine!
- Chewy Granola bars!
- Crystal light packets!
- A few issues of the local paper! (including comics, of course)
- EIGHT spools of dark colored thread! (as requested! Thank you mom and Charity!)
- High school graduation announcement of my God sister, Krista!
- My brother's new business card for his new job!
- Letter from a little girl we sponsor in Colombia!
And last but not least....
- A beautiful little note from my mother!
Thank you!!
Angela's Ashes is on the right side of the photo next to the envelop in which it arrived. I love that it just says "Seibel, Abby/ Dar Chebab" and it finds its way to my box.
I love everything here, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be Granola bars. So delicious and simple and not available here...plus they don't melt!
I want to do a post on the breakfast cuisine of Ramadan but I need to remember to take my camera along to my next lftor!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
SUMMER CAMP!
I recently got back from a Summer Camp in El Jadida, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. This summer camp is sponsored by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and is an English Immersion Camp. This camp is generally for the more privileged kids in Morocco; it is very expensive and not far from Casablanca and Rabat. It is for high school kids ages 13-17.
Because it is supposed to be an English immersion camp, the ministry called on Peace Corps to provide access to native English speakers. In exchange for us volunteering as counselors, the ministry graciously provides each volunteer three scholarship spots to bring kids from our own towns/villages. This is a two-fold benefit: 1. two out of three of my scholarship kids, have never traveled outside our town, and none of them have gotten to go to a cool camp like this. I imagine this is true for almost all the kids brought by PCVolunteers. 2. The kids from the "big city" learn about their fellow countrymen who may come from towns and villages the Rabat/Casa kids have never heard of and live lives so different that it's difficult to imagine they're from they same country.
After the photos are a few stories of things I witnessed that made me laugh and warmed my heart.
These are the three kids I brought: Zakaria, Mehdi, and Hicham. (Don't worry, they're happy- it's just not customary to smile in photos)
I lead a Journalism club with 11 of the most advanced English speakers in the camp. At the end of the 10 day camp they had produced a newsletter and distributed a copy to every child at camp.
The U.S. Ambassador to Morocco and his wife, came and visited our camp one morning.
Brahim, the "gentle giant" referenced in the story below.
Miriam at the Supermarket: Erika and I are the only Youth Development PCVs in our province, so together we had six kids. Because our province is just about as far away as you can get from El Jadida, our six rode an overnight bus and were some of the first kids to arrive the first morning of camp. Erika and I decided that we had time to kill so we took them to the LaBel Vie supermarket to get some snacks. Not only was it probably their first time in a grocery story, but LaBel Vie is a really fancy store. Miriam, one of Erika's, took one look at the escalator we were about to get on and a look of “WHAT THE HECK IS THIS THING?!” flashed in her eyes. She didn't say a word, likely just to save face, but as soon as she stepped onto the escalator, she stumbled a little and then held on with two hands, nervously giggling the whole way down. The way back up we took the elevator. She didn't know where we were going when we stepped into this strange little room and pushed some buttons. She didn't seem to like when it moved because she didn't know what was happening but no word other than shock could describe the look on her face when the elevator doors opened and she was standing in front of a scene completely different from where we'd left. I felt like we were showing her the future.
Brahim and the Ocean: Brahim, dubbed as the “gentle giant” by the PCVolunteers who were at camp that session, is a participant that PCV Yusuf brought to camp with him. A luxury of the camp being in El Jadida is that the kids get to go to the beach everyday. Brahim, like most of the kids who were brought by PCVs, had never been to the ocean. The majority of them were scared of the water and almost none knew how to swim. Brahim, in particular, was adamant that the ocean water was unhealthy and would give you skin diseases. He refused to get in. At least on day one. Day two came along and somehow he had silently made the decision to “get in.” He stood there with his feet in the water and would go no further. Day three: Brahim jumped in the water, splashing and swimming in the waves with the rest of the kids! Every day after that you would never have been able to tell that Brahim had once been convinced that the ocean would make him, and everyone else, sick.
If I told you all the wonderful stories of minds being opened and friendships formed during camp, this blog would never end. Each volunteer could tell you stories of their own kids' transformations and joys from camp. I'll leave you with a picture of me and my friend Mohammed VI. I am looking forward to camp again next year and hopefully by then I'll be able to find some girls whose fathers will let them attend with me.
Because it is supposed to be an English immersion camp, the ministry called on Peace Corps to provide access to native English speakers. In exchange for us volunteering as counselors, the ministry graciously provides each volunteer three scholarship spots to bring kids from our own towns/villages. This is a two-fold benefit: 1. two out of three of my scholarship kids, have never traveled outside our town, and none of them have gotten to go to a cool camp like this. I imagine this is true for almost all the kids brought by PCVolunteers. 2. The kids from the "big city" learn about their fellow countrymen who may come from towns and villages the Rabat/Casa kids have never heard of and live lives so different that it's difficult to imagine they're from they same country.
After the photos are a few stories of things I witnessed that made me laugh and warmed my heart.
Miriam at the Supermarket: Erika and I are the only Youth Development PCVs in our province, so together we had six kids. Because our province is just about as far away as you can get from El Jadida, our six rode an overnight bus and were some of the first kids to arrive the first morning of camp. Erika and I decided that we had time to kill so we took them to the LaBel Vie supermarket to get some snacks. Not only was it probably their first time in a grocery story, but LaBel Vie is a really fancy store. Miriam, one of Erika's, took one look at the escalator we were about to get on and a look of “WHAT THE HECK IS THIS THING?!” flashed in her eyes. She didn't say a word, likely just to save face, but as soon as she stepped onto the escalator, she stumbled a little and then held on with two hands, nervously giggling the whole way down. The way back up we took the elevator. She didn't know where we were going when we stepped into this strange little room and pushed some buttons. She didn't seem to like when it moved because she didn't know what was happening but no word other than shock could describe the look on her face when the elevator doors opened and she was standing in front of a scene completely different from where we'd left. I felt like we were showing her the future.
Brahim and the Ocean: Brahim, dubbed as the “gentle giant” by the PCVolunteers who were at camp that session, is a participant that PCV Yusuf brought to camp with him. A luxury of the camp being in El Jadida is that the kids get to go to the beach everyday. Brahim, like most of the kids who were brought by PCVs, had never been to the ocean. The majority of them were scared of the water and almost none knew how to swim. Brahim, in particular, was adamant that the ocean water was unhealthy and would give you skin diseases. He refused to get in. At least on day one. Day two came along and somehow he had silently made the decision to “get in.” He stood there with his feet in the water and would go no further. Day three: Brahim jumped in the water, splashing and swimming in the waves with the rest of the kids! Every day after that you would never have been able to tell that Brahim had once been convinced that the ocean would make him, and everyone else, sick.
If I told you all the wonderful stories of minds being opened and friendships formed during camp, this blog would never end. Each volunteer could tell you stories of their own kids' transformations and joys from camp. I'll leave you with a picture of me and my friend Mohammed VI. I am looking forward to camp again next year and hopefully by then I'll be able to find some girls whose fathers will let them attend with me.
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