We arrived in North Africa after an arduous journey by plane and bus and plane and another bus. For the last few miles we had a police escort which was a little alarming, but Peace Corps is serious about security. When we go for a walk or a swim or out for a Coke, the police are following. I feel like a rock star.
We are in a lovely seaside town where we are studying language and cultural training. Our trainee group of volunteers is a wonderfully diverse group of young and old (I am not the oldest!), every skin and hair color, body type and nose size, Caucasian, Asian, African, East Indian, Polish, and Lebanese Americans. I think we represent the US very well.
We are learning Moroccan Arabic as well as bureacratese as the PC has a acronym for everything from PST to COS. Our language learning is going well. I have learned to count to ten and say some pleasantries as well as the important words for “I’m full” to avoid having your plate heaped time and again. I even made a successful transaction at the hanut today where I bought a candy bar. I didn’t need a candy bar, but it was in the glass case within pointing distance while the soap I did need was on a high shelf. A hanut is the Moroccan version of a 7-11 in a tiny space with a counter in front and a great variety of goods stacked to the roof. You tell the shopkeeper what you want and he gets it for you which may involve scurrying up and down a ladder several times. It’s straightforward unless you don’t know the word for what you want or what it should cost.
Our schedule is very busy with language and culture learning with a break for lunch where we are served big platters of delicious food. ( I have more pictures of food than anything else). We even had a visit from the US ambassador to Morocco which was admittedly exciting. Soon we will leave for our community based service training sites (CBT) where we will be broken into small groups and start our homestays. Having lived independently for decades, I’m not really looking forward to this part but understand the concept. I’ll be posting some pictures when I have time to load them which could take hours with the on-and-off Internet currently available. Such is life here so far.
OMG Karen, can't wait to see the pictures of the 'site' where you will live. And here I am wondering if I should go to the 90th reunion of Chi O in Bozeman Oct 9th! See Sherry and drive to Helena to see my brothers. How shallow is that? Are you going to return to your home in Helena or look for another place you might like? Georgia found Cherie, she is in a rest home in Bozeman, she can watch TV, they won't give me much info on the phone, but I am going to write to her and tell her of your adventure and what we are doing, I guess the nurse reads the letters to her. She did say her kids visit often, glad to hear that! Keep me posted girl and stay safe and well.
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