Spring Break Agadir

Sunset

Agadir beach

Camp

Local Moroccan woman 

1980's Costume for Halloween dress up party

Hands of Peace

Yoga on the beach, photo by Heather C.

My English class

Peace Corp friend, Barbara

Spring camp is over and we are enjoying a break out at  the British Pub

Favorite new Indian shop

Spring camp was a great experience and very tiring. I spent a week at the beach town of Agadir located South East from my site, about four hours or so. The kids were ages 12-16 years old all with tons of energy. We did all kinds of activities, English classes, Halloween, a mock Moroccan wedding, soccer, swimming, movies, drawing, dancing and sharing culture experiences. It was fun to see the kids enjoying camp and also to see such diversity and the differences between a small village where I am located and a big city full of kids that are not segregated. I took time to visit Peace Corps friends in neighboring villages while experiencing yet another new place in Morocco. I am looking forward to catching up on sleep and getting back to my community and routine.

The Importance of Rain; 'Stah'

Beautiful view of the Atlas from a bike ride

corn to make cornmeal

Newborn, Sara, posing in the garden

Sara is beautiful and belongs to friends in the village

Beautiful necklace on neighbors wall

Sheep are very curious

Playing with plastic spin tops

The completion of an earthen mud chimney

Starting the chimney

Teaching at the Dar Taliba

Kids in the village

First sunflower I have seen

called, 'Rbass' looks like celery

First lettuce I've seen growing in locals garden

turnips

Various white veggies at souk in Kalaa

Performance at Kalaa sports event

Volleyball match

The kids of Kalaa say 'hello'

Boys playing in the street making paper airplanes

 Women's 7km walk event

The locals keep talking about the drought and the high prices of fruits and vegetables. The weather has changed here and skies are cloudy, but we haven’t received rain. It’s sunny most days and warming up. It’s always interesting to see new fruits and veggies at souk each week. The things that are back in season are, artichoke, cauliflower, green and red onions, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, two different kinds of zucchini, bananas, large oranges, kiwi, strawberries, hot green peppers, eggplant, cilantro, parsley, carrots, green peas, white and red turnips,  mint, red apples, and what looks like celery but isn’t. Sweet potatoes, bell peppers, green beans, watermelon, pomegranate, and several other things aren’t in season. I love most of the food here which makes purchasing food easy, however, the quantity that I need is far under what they sell me as they go by kilos and I usually only need less than ½. Luckily I don’t spend more than 15-20dh or less than $2 American dollars each week. The fresh fruits and veggies tend to go by the waste side if not eaten quickly enough. Things like eggs and milk I buy from locals in the village and meat I purchase every other week for  $1-$2. I am lucky as they Dar Taliba makes dinner for me 3 times a week and they load my sack up with fresh bread and cheese spread each time I go. I also buy yogurt for my breakfast. The local souk coffee is about 25dh or less than $3 American dollars for what lasts about a month. It is a unique blend of spices, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, sugar, cardamom which makes it spicy but tasty. There was a local event for women in the community of Kalaa where woman gathered from different associations to walk 7km in town, school teams played basketball, hand ball and soccer against one another. It was a chance to network and be a part of a positive event in a larger city. Most of all, I enjoyed using my language and seeing how Moroccan’s take pride in their country and get excited about sports.    

'Rbi3'; Spring in Arabic and New Opportunities

Yoga at my host family's house

Head stand

Here we are; family and friends

Atlas Mountain view from the village

Local men playing checkers with carrot sticks ends and bottle caps

Chickens waiting for their death at the butcher

Local post office motor bike

The post office sign in El Sharij

Gathering and music for prayer of rain

I hosted tea with my Moroccan sister and friends 

Mosque at dusk

Beautiful skies from my balcony 

Tourist, posing for a photo in her new jilaba with my host sister

Mom making dinner tajine

Volleyball at the Dar Taliba

Resting duck

Shopping in Attouia

It has warmed up here considerably and the days are getting longer. I had the opportunity to meet a Canadian tourist who came to visit my host family in the village. We spent four days together and I shared my experiences in Morocco thus far and showed her the village. I hosted a tea party for the first time in my apartment where my host sister and friend came. I have been doing some one on one yoga classes in my community which have been fun and educational. I also visited a new women's association in Attouia where local women were selling their crafts. Volleyball has taken over yoga classes at the Dar Taliba this week. Woman in the village have been gathering to play music and sing to pray for rain as there is a drought here and fruits and vegetables are more expensive with crop watering. I am looking forward to working over Spring break with youth in April. I accepted a new opportunity and adventure as a cycling tour guide on a 10 day excursion from Ouarzazate, camel trekking through the Sahara to the ocean in Essouaria then to Marrakech seeing Kasbah's and beautiful scenery along the way while enjoying fine dining and meeting new people. It will be challenging work and fun all rolled into one. It pays to keep in shape. I continue to enjoy these chance and random encounters which keep me on my toes!  

Spring is Here

A cozy night with candles when the power went out

Another beautiful sunset

Hand henna

Foot Henna

Arabic studies

World Wide School card exchange project

Village mapping project

Peekaboo

Hair Henna 

Emotion activity with Dar Taliba

Drawings of emotions including English and Arabic

It's been a challenging week for electronics. Not only did I need a new charger for my computer, a few days later my independent speakers that I purchased several months ago in Morocco gave out. I was forced to buy new ones since I use them for teaching yoga and an advanced English class. I am on my third pair. I hope these new ones last awhile, the electronics in Morocco are fair at best. I can't complain, I have them now and they appear to work better than the other two. Aside from that, the days are getting longer, I find that I'm not needing my warm jackets or six layers of clothing, gloves or hat much. The birds are singing and frogs burping which I appreciate each morning and evening. The fields are more green and my mood has lifted. It gets upward toward 70 degrees. I have been spending time at friends and families homes in the village making my rounds. It's always a pleasure to get my feet, hands and hair henna'd which is a sure sign Spring has arrived. I am working towards participating in a few Spring camps in Marrakech and Ben Gruir, somewhat close by. I am continuing my Arabic studies and have recently completed the Qaran in English. I am still teaching English and yoga and have taken on private yoga sessions with a few woman in my village. A few students approached me last week about teaching English which I will pick up this week. Although I have a busy schedule, I still find time to myself. I think the villagers are getting more comfortable with my daily walks and occasionally I am asked what I will do when I leave Morocco. They also want to know how long I've been here and how much longer I have and what I think of Moroccan culture. This first year has gone by relatively quickly and although I am in the moment, I have recently been wondering what's in store for me this next year? I hope to take a birthday Sahara camel trek in April, visit Fes for another art festival and perhaps visit a few Peace Corps friends along the way. All good things are on the horizon.