I have now begun the third stage of my training, my first CBT (community based training) stay. I was assigned with 5 other volunteers and one of our language instructors to the town of Imouzzer, between Fes and Ifrane. Imouzzer is in the mountains and serves as a summer town for residents of Fes. We are estimating that there are around 12,000 inhabitants normally, and the population probably more than doubles in the summer months.
The seven of us took two Grand Taxis from Fes. As we started climbing the mountain we entered a thick fog. For almost our entire first day in Imouzzer we couldn't see anything. We walked to the Gendarmes (police station) in the fog, to the Dar Chabab (youth center), to our homestays, to our languages instructor's house, all in the fog. It was a little bit creepy walking to my house for the first time with my host sister through the woods, seeing people emerge from among the trees and appear from the fog. It was also much colder than expected. Yesterday and today, however, are beautiful, the town is very nice and not a bit creepy.
My family consists of a farmer and his wife and three daughters, 7, 20, and 24. After some intitial miscommunication I now understand that the 24 year old does not usually live at home, she is pregnant and married to a man living in Tangiers and will be going there soon. I now also understand that the 20 year old teaches a Kung Fu class at a local gym and has invited me to participate in her class. Because the 7 year old does not fast for Ramadan, the family has been very kind and offers me food all day long.
We have had one day of language instruction so far from our LCF (Language and Culture Facilitator), Hoda, at the hosue that Peace Corps has rented her for our training. We will continue to have language every day, except Sunday. Last night we also presented ourselves to some members of the community at the Dar Chabab and talked to them a little bit about what sorts of activities they might be interested in having us work on while we are here. It is unlikely that we can really do anything until after Ramadan, but we got some good ideas last night.
So for the most part we are still just figuring everything out, working on our Darija (Moroccan Arabic), and meeting people. It is a bit frustrating to not be able to express myself in any sort of sensical sentences, but I think that slowly people are beginning to understand some of the simpler things I have to say. Luckily I am not too complicated.
Love to all my homies.
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5 comments:
i miss you...this all sounds so incredible! i am working on getting my skype credit up to par/investing in a headset so i can call you soon. and courtesy of wikipedia: ḥaḍ saʿid (does that make sense??) oxoxox
i like your style. that sounds like fun. the seven year old must have been a mistake. love.
where did you go?! we want more morockin
HI Brooke! It gives me chills to read your blog. I spent a lot of time in Azrou, not far from Ifrane. It is so beautiful there. Can't wait to hear more about your adventures. Love from everyone at Maret.
Dear Morocker,
We like your blog! We just finished our service in Bulgaria and have put this post-Peace Corps project together over the last year. Our project partner in Morocco has left us high and dry and we're looking to salvage our time here.
Would you be interested in having a couple guest speakers for a couple days to lead a discussion on stereotypes and culture exchange?
Details on our project are on our website at www.supercross08.com
Andrew and Tim
Tim was YD, and Andrew was Environmental Ed in Bulgaria.
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