Berber/Tamazight Language Training Ouarzazate

Sunset yoga on the Bab Sahara rooftop

Yoga

Host sisters from Idelssane, Fatima and Hafida

Ibraham and grandma

Ibrahim

Mamma

Taking a moment to myself

The glorious Sahara sunset...

Our study group with teacher, Hassan

Friends and Peace Corps staff

Ten days of language training after two and a half years has been a wonderful addition to my skills set here in Morocco. Many of the locals speak this old native dialect pronounced; "tamazeert", as Midelt is part of the Atlas mountain region. I am able to make basic sentences, greetings and have a basic knowledge of verb conjugation, sentence structure, and the culture of the Berber's who settled in Morocco. It was to my delight, that I was able to teach yoga to my fellow peace corps friends. I had the fortune of visiting my host family from Ouarzazate which was fun and interesting using yet another dialect of Arabic. All in all it was a great training.     

You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.-Rumi

Our last regional meeting before close of service this winter. We all headed to the beach in Mehdya. The last time I was there was In service training a few months after my swearing in two and a half years ago! It was good to followup with other volunteers and see the manager as well as participate with my site mate and manager of the Netti Neswi from Midelt to actively follow a schedule for the next several months of service.

Beach front

Frisbie time

The right weather

Perfect cup of coffee

                 Peace Corps friends              

Holding the sun

teaching yoga on the beach

Heaven

Leslie and Saliha

Summer Camp & Life After Ramadan

Supporting new volunteers in a rural community; ElKasabi just outside of Midelt, 10 days of working with youth. Wrapping up the summer with work feels great!

Morning stretching

Rock painting

Yoga

ElKasabi Summer Camp

Our volunteer Team!

Relay races

Fan club

..

Ramadan Karim! The End is Near

17 or more hours of fasting makes me tired...

Wedding or event tent attached to mosque

Typical tent for wedding or memorial ceremonies 

Bagel making, American 'lftor' for Moroccans

We showed the Moroccans how we make breakfast in America
with volunteers, Art/Barb, Anna and Leslie

Beautiful sunset just as the call to prayer goes off

Moroccan pride, Midelt

Colorful changing evening fountain, Midelt

Yoga at Artisan's Center, Midelt

First Moroccan breakfast at home, Moroccan style

Typical Moroccan 'Lftor', breakfast

Hosting Moroccans with American volunteers, Leslie and Josh

Moroccan/American 'lftor' 

Mounaim gets his Bachlor in Computer Science

As Ramadan comes to a close, and nearly a month of no cheating fasting has been completed this year, it is nice to notice how very different from the last two years. I am ready for real food and have had my fill of breakfast for awhile. A typical day for me consists of waking up around 2pm, check email etc, read, watch a movie and on occasion, I need to get up early to run errands. Then I lay around some more as the weather is getting hotter and I have no energy... At 6pm, I go with my site mate (or eat alone) to break fast with a family in the community. Part of Ramadan is to help prepare the breakfast as it is a meditative ritual. I come home around 10pm, either teach yoga at 10:30pm for an hour, nap or watch tv, eat again before 4am, then sleep till 2pm and start it over again. The biggest challenge this year has been being what I call, 'hungrumpy'  beentween 5-7:30pm just before breaking fast. The weather in Midelt has been particularly pleasant with afternoon rain and a constant breeze, a far cry from the last few years in Marrakech with the oppressive heat. It has been interesting and fun to have many invites with the locals to experience different breakfasts and meet new people. All in all, I am proud of my abilities in fasting this year especially and also glad it is coming to a close. I look forward to continued work in my community and the nice weather following the next several months. "How beautiful it is to do nothing, and rest afterward.", Spanish proverb, appropriate for Ramadan. 

Voila! What a spread!

Back to Morocco and RAMADAN

A difficult re-entry into country with tampered luggage and Morocco bank card expired, but I finally made it home after four days. With little time to spare, friends and the community welcomed me back after my long journey. 'How is America and Obama?' they asked? 'Your family?' Tired and adjusting, I am happy to report that I have a month to re-adjust and get ready for the next year. I spent a nice time with Mounaim as he graciously met me in Casablanca and accompanied me to Rabat with my large bags. We went to the beach and managed to have some fun in the hectic travel time back to site just before Ramadan. Ramadan thus far has been a very different experience in the city. It comes alive after the breakfast and call to prayer and remains that way until the sun rises. I stay awake until 4:30am and sleep till 1:30pm. It's tough fasting but worth the ordeal as the Moroccan community is doing the same. It feels good to be so hungry and then full. A beautiful breakfast spread appears on the tables of the locals where I am invited and break fast with them. Boiled eggs, home-made donuts, breads and Moroccan pancakes, shabekia, tomato soup, fruit smoothie, pastries, coffee, tea and then a second meal later which is a meat and veggie tajine. I can never make it to that one because inevitably I am too full. A late night walk with friends, people watching, digesting food and getting sugar cane juice with lemon and ice cream is undoubtedly the best part of the night. One month and my life will get back to normal. For now, I am feeling empowered and enjoying my third year of Ramadan!

Goodbye until next year...

Iberia Air, American Air

Waiting on the other side

Love this photo, Rabat

Rabat beach

It's hot here

So tired...4 days of travel

Midelt bus from Meknes transfer my luggage waiting

First Ramadan meal, breakfast at home