Moroccan Proverb:"If You Live One More Day, You Will Learn The News"; Est n har, t sma gbar.

Friday cous cous from the bled

'Hirrara', famous Moroccan soup        

Chicken and vegetable tajine     

Girl writes Arabic

Town center          

Full moon

 

Boy comes to see new school

Dust storm sweeps through village

Pre-school space           

Girl learns to tie head scarf        

Dyed peeps from suq                   

Simply beautiful....

Everyday is different. In the beginning, I wasn't  so sure about not knowing what to expect each day and not having a regular schedule to adhere to. In Morocco, there is no importance of time. If it gets done good, if it doesn't, no worries. I have come to realize that being here everyday and knowing each day is different, is a true gift. Being flexible and having no expectations is the best way to not let frustrations get in the way. Being very organized person to begin with, this is slowly changing my urgency for immediate order. 
Moroccan's have a great sense of humor. The other day, I was passing the fruit and vegetable hanut stands in the town center and was called over by the meat hanut owner,  he wanted me to see the selling and butchering of an entire cow. As I arrived he was working on the cow's head. I was amazed that all the innards were the first to be sold as it's a delicacy here. With one whack of a butcher knife, the brain, skull and face were seered right down to the eyeballs. Interested, I watched in amazement and noticed that this amazement wasn't in horror. He asked me, "BsHal bgiti?", (what I wanted to buy), I kindly said, "next time, shukran," which means, "thank you". A far cry from 7 months ago, when I cried at the sight of a chickens head being butchered at a local outdoor market. Many would find this type of butchering disgusting or downright grotesque, perhaps I'm desensitized, but I find it fascinating as part of everyday life in Moroccan culture. He then said "Elash?", (which means why) and I said, "Elash mish mesh, (which means, 'why an apricot is an apricot').  Everyone around laughed and said I am Moroccan for knowing this. They love to joke and tell proverbs. I am reminded that daily routine that the village offers around me is filled with new hidden surprises. As the language is coming more freely now, things are becoming fun. I am looking forward to teaching women and children,  I am in the process of putting together lesson plans. Again, I am feeling especially grateful for a very different life and experience in Morocco as well as having all my new friends and family by my side to support me.