Thanksgiving and Friends; 'SaHabti dyali'

Family wedding

On the roof getting some sun

New volunteers, Lucia, Mike and Cait with host sister

Quince tajine, yum...

Kefta, grilled zucchini, pomegranate and tea

Kefta and curried rice delight

High Atlas Mountains

Marjane market

New toaster oven baking quiche

New radiator heater

Thanksgiving crew, Devon, Marc, Larissa, Mark Jennifer and Alex

Giving gifts and giving thanks

On our walk through the village 

Chicken walking on corn cobs

Kitties napping on corn husks

Walking through village

Donkey resting

Stopping for a group photo

Thanksgiving sunset

Meal with ambiance

I'm not sure what happened?

Someone got a glance of me

After the hair episode before, Jennifer did an updo

Soup from coffee cafe below apartment

Good friends, Marc and Larissa

Thanksgiving turned out better than I expected as I hosted this year. My Peace Corps friends, eight arrived from various places in Morocco, some traveled eight or more hours and arrived late afternoon Thursday and stayed through the weekend. Not used to all the luxuries here in Morocco or in my apartment as compared to the States, it was a bit challenging but doable. Cooking the big meal was difficult on one small propane tank and took several hours but we took turns cooking things and had music playing to make the time pass. You would never know we were limited as we cooked like true American's making glazed sweet carrots, garlic buttered green beans with almonds, rosemary sweet potatoes, corn bread, salad, grilled turkey, brownies with frosting and wine all by candle light. It was a great time and all tasted great! I am so grateful for my Peace Corps friends and will have special memories. This year was a chance to reflect on all the great things I have had and continue to have. Aside from cooking together, listening to music and playing games we also spent some time on the roof napping in the warm sun, reading trashy magazines and watching the beauty of the snowed Atlas mountains on both sides as I am located between the middle and high Atlas mountain range. We took a walk in the village and spent time having tea and cookies with my host family. In spite of the cold we managed to stay cozy together all bundled up, laughing and watching our breath. This week I managed to buy a radiator heater and toaster over which I wished I had sooner. Since making my vision collage last week, work has started and I am enjoying it immensely. I am teaching English and yoga at the Dar Taliba, (House of Students) as well as starting an environment club to bring awareness to the rural village. In addition, I will be teaching English at the local college and continuing the environment club there. Soon the Woman's Association, (Jamaya Amal dyal l3alyt) I will be learning the Moroccan culture through crafts and cooking and in return will teach them English and yoga. All the waiting and patience is paying off and I am starting to feel more fulfilled.

'Tjriba'; Experience in Arabic

Suq food for the week

Morocco Vision Board

Bike ride on a cloudy day

Cutting down olive trees

Colorful tree trunks

carcus sighting, common in village

Kefta pasta veggie tajine

Father getting food for the cow       

Lentils and rice with tomatoes 

Kalaa Serghna

Kalaa Center

Weekly yoga                          

After the big feast, life seems to be getting back to normal in my village. There has been a lot of noise around me between the elections which means vehicles come through town with honking horns and siren sounds distributing candidate fliers which get thrown out the vehicles onto the streets creating a lot of debris. The morning noises of cutting down olive trees behind my apartment a long row of beautiful greenery now gone... On a positive note, three new youth development volunteers have arrived in my region living in a modern town about 45 minutes away from my village. I am relieved and happy that I won't be quite so isolated and hope to collaborate with them on work projects. I have given my lesson plans to the girls school, college and Association in hopes to get stared soon. I am reminded of a saying which I heard early on in my journey: "What brings you to Morocco, may not be the same reason to keep you in Morocco". Something about this makes sense and at the same time, I continue to push forward. 

L3id Kbir; Festival of Sheep Sacrifice

Washing sheep organs

Man walking in field

Rug making continues

Several people work on the rug

Playing soccer in the village

Happy colorful chicken

After rain on the trail

Making cookies for the festival

Baking

Cookies dipped in chocolate

Neighbor kids walking

Making bubbles

Donkeys are used to carry food

Giant squash

Atlas Mountains seen from my village

Henna for L3id

Getting the sheep ready for sacrifice

Posing for photos

The head is a delicacy

Monkey at Ouzoud

Waiting in tree

Meat being dried to eat

Ouzoud water falls

Henna for L3id

Playing mankala with stones and American tourist

Boat rides

Turkey in nearby village-photo by Angela

Host sister

Beautiful rainbow

Tourist spot at Ouzoud

Very pricey tajine lunches

We took a ride closer to the falls

L3id Kbir, "The Big Feast" is one of Morocco's biggest holidays. In Islam faith, the Quaran, the holiday commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at the alter and is said at the last minute sees the appearance of a ram. For the feast, Moroccan's celebrate by coming together and consuming every part of the animal after it is sacrificed humanly. I spent three days with my family and visiting neighbors in the community partaking in tea and shish ca-bobs wrapped in stomach fat. As different and difficult as it was in viewing all that took place during those days, I managed to appreciate and even enjoy        all of the festivities. I imagine it will take time to process of all it's uniqueness and over time I will come to understand more of it's meaning. It was fun to bake cookies and take a family trip to waterfalls called Ousoud, a tourist place about an hour South outside my village. It was so beautiful there and I hope to return someday. It was a slow week here as families are visiting one another and school is not in session. As sheep will be eaten over the next several weeks, I am glad to be getting back home to my routine.