Christmas in Tauoma with Friends

Christmas morning

"The Train Set"

The Olive Christmas Tree

Stockings

Our Christmas meal

Relaxing

Me and Jim in the kitchen

Fortune Telling

Massage train

On our hike, Pace and Marc

Look what I found!

Hike in the mountains

Christmas in Tauoma with old friends and new friends, low stress, no high pressure gifts, games, sharing stories, recipes, laughter, staying up late, movies, hiking, visiting with Moroccan's and shopping. What more could you ask for? Photos, compliments of Jim Dana, Ryan Scheidt and Marc Gimbel.

Sena Sieda L'mgrib; New Years Morocco

Local woman in village

Mud and earthen homes in the bled, village

Place that stores fresh oil

Handmade rug, zrbia

Popular vase made from pop-cycle sticks

Suq bus, transportation (30+ locals)

Suq in Ouargui

Neighbor girl took photo of me in my kitchen

My living room space

Cozy bedroom

Bathroom

New creation made from old socks

Neighbors made me a snack, called sphinge

Girl came to see her drawings on my wall

Engagement party for my host sister

Wedding ring

Playing with silly bands

She showed me Moroccan card games

Girls working on community mapping project

                                    

Girls showing me school project

It continues to be exciting in my village. My host sister just got engaged and has moved to Kalaa, her wedding will be in February. I have been invited to more areas of my village that I have not seen before. I am meeting more people everyday some of which are local workers. It feels good to be getting back to my routine and finding more unexpected surprises each day. As the community opens to me, I am humbled to find that in return, I receive so much more than I am giving. I have become very comfortable here. It is a nice feeling to be greeted so warmly by the community and to be asked how my New Years was as well as where am I going each day? The women at the Association are getting used to my funny ways and make me feel very welcomed. The girls at the Dar Taliba are gracious and charming as they thank me after class and tell me they have missed me if a day has passed. The community jokes with me and still finds me amusing. If I am late coming home, they ask after me. I am appreciating the value of gift giving even more than before. For no reason at all, someone I don't even know will give me a piece of fruit, tell a story, share a meal, invite me over or give me a necklace. The hospitality in Morocco is truly amazing, like no other place I know. Despite the struggles people face here, they are happy for the most part and make the best of the situation. As my learning continues, I am being myself finding creative ways to surprise others.

Best Foot Forward

Bird resting in mosque window

Teaching yoga at Woman's Association

New socks and converse

Teacher at the Woman's Association

Teaching yoga to girls at the Dar Taliba

Sign entrance to the Dar Taliba

Things still blooming here

 Woman in classroom at Association

 Tricia  at IST Suq Prom

Larissa at IST suq Prom

Beautiful High Atlas Mountain view

My Village

Christmas box from home

A little American pride

There is a lot of construction in the village

My Christmas tree

New handwoven hat for Christmas

 New coat rack 

Christmas was better than I expected. It was spent with good friends in Tauoma. Two volunteers from the Health staj attended and I had the opportunity to get to know them better as they traveled from Kaalat Maguna region, South near Ouarzazate. An American joined us from from Boulder, he is a friend of  one of the volunteers visiting Morocco for the first time. Together, we prepared and ate an amazing meal of spiced potatoes, coliflower pie, chicken tajine, stuffing, apple bread, apple-prune sauce, cheese and toasted almonds, hot chocolate, wine and dark chocolate. We definitely don't disappoint. As we ate late, around 12am, the latest dinner I've ever had, we passed the time playing fun games, chatted, talked about our traditional holidays in the states and watched, 'Charlie Brown's Christmas' and 'The Grinch Stole Christmas'. I was so tired, I could hardly keep my eyes open... The next day, I  visited the Woman's Netti in Tauoma which was a treat to see handmade rugs, pottery and purses, all of which I wanted to buy. Back in my village, I received a few letters, postcards and packages from home which made Christmas feel special. The first time I was pick pocketed was when I returned home in the suq bus. I saw a young man with his hand in my sweater pocket as he was sitting on a seat while I was standing up. I waited because I knew what was inside my pocket, a gross freshly used Kleenex with snot all over it... As he quickly removed his hand after grabbing the wet Kleenex, he was surprised! I made eye contact with him. I said, "God is watching you", he said, "you are Moroccan". We both laughed and he shook my hand as I got off the bus. When I got home from traveling, I received several gifts from community members; fresh oil from the man that sells me nuts, earrings from the teacher at the Association, fresh fruit from a local hanut and a jacket from my family. I feel very blessed to be here over and over again. It's all the little things that make this place special and makes me feel alive and appreciated. I am often reminded that no matter how less fortunate we think we are, there are others who are even less fortunate. Looking back and letting go of 2011, many changes took place, not an easy transition from leaving family and a life I loved behind in order to try something new. Moving forward into 2012, I am looking to all the new challenges I face with openness, a sense of humor, gratitude and courage.