Cory = Master Chef

There's a popular TV show here called MasterChef

The winner was just announced last week - Congrats Halima!

Cory is OUR amazing master chef. Fresh ingredients from the fruit and veggie market next door. Fresh bread from down the street every day. YUM

School party

I finished my first month of Darija classes and had a great time doing it!

My teacher was really incredible. We learned so much together and had a ton of fun.

All the ladies got henna done at the party:

Our class (all 3 of us) also sang a Moroccan pop song for everyone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBLErHFgIu4. Enjoy!

Out and about in our neighborhood

This is our neighborhood in Rabat, about a half mile from the Atlantic Ocean 

Right in the middle of a lot of Rabat's tourist sites like the Oudayas, Hassan Tower, the Rabat Medina/market, and the Chellah

The entrance to the Oudayas is right across the street from the Rabat Market

The Rabat market is where we buy small household stuff mostly

Just across the river from Sale, the next town over. A boat ride across costs 15 cents :)

Nice place to walk, right in front of the National Parliament

Entrance to one of the king's palaces in the next neighborhood over. Love the mosaics!

The Chellah, the most beautiful spot in Rabat, where I go jogging

Christmas in North Africa

Celebrating Christmas isn't much of a thing, as you may have guessed, in a primarily Muslim country. For example, not only do I have 4 hours of Arabic class everyday this week, but our final exam is on Christmas afternoon.

But that doesn't mean we're not getting festive! It's fun to celebrate the life of Jesus who was such an incredible gift and continues to love us so well.

Here's our little collection of decorations: beautiful homemade ornaments 'round the camel from Grandpa Finch and a few Bible verses related to Christmas.

And my friend Annie had me over for a Christmas cookie extravaganza and even had almond extract to make these Christmas faves. 

Christmas Eve choir and pageant at church and fun and festivities with friends all week. I hope I don't bawl all the way through our songs in the choir. It's just so stunning who Jesus is.

We are both excited to skype with the family this week as they travel to be together. Time connecting with friends and family from afar is such a good gift! I'm jealous of all the pics on FB of people getting to be with their families!

Merry Christmas!

Fish tagine ... Ou bien Tagine dial Hout

I love that our Arabic classes at the Qalam Center include weekly cooking classes. Fun and delicious way to learn language and culture together :)

First darija midterm

This is what I hope passing looks like!

National library #fieldtrip

Waterfall of letters at the national library. 

Our tour guide, who said he is a superman because he is an international politician, librarian, and master koranic scholar, said the library is the biggest in the Arab world and Africa, which it clearly was not after our tour. Then we thought he said maybe best lit?? 

Also there were paintings of naked women in the foyer. Very strange. 

Lunch in the sunshine

If this is school lunch, I don't ever wanna graduate!

Christmas FUNdraiser

American International Women's Association has been a GREAT group for me since I arrived. Lots of ladies to meet and fun things to do together.

We do a lot of fundraising and yesterday was the biggest fundraiser of the year: the Christmas Bazaar. Lots of great vendors, great raffles (including a biz class flight for 2 to the US that Cory and I did not win), great food, and thousands of dollars raised for our community outreach.

One of the highlights for me was hearing Christmas music. (Tear) 

Human rights victory in Qatar

Once upon a time, camel racers in Qatar used little foreign (trafficked, malnourished) kids as camel jockeys. Good because the kids are light, horrible because the kids are abused and often die.

What a joy to go and see the little remote control monkeys that they use now!

     (thanks for finding this great pic, Ann!)

http://dohanews.co/short-film-sheds-light-on-how-qatars-child-camel/

Friends

For  few months, Sarah and I have been together almost 24 hours a day. We've had some culture stress, and we're adapting differently, but both making progress. But we have been together so much! One part of me thinks that's how it's supposed to be and I have felt a little guilty for wanting some space to experience Morocco on my own. The wiser, more sustainable part of me realizes that it would be better to have a mix of alone time and together time when we're encountering our new surroundings. I know Sarah has really enjoyed her time experiencing Morocco without me acting as an intermediary/inhibitor of her interaction with Moroccans. 

But now that Sarah is going to school and having a lot of time to herself, and I miss her a lot! It's back to our American schedule, where we see each other in the morning and I make breakfast before one or the both of us heads out. We see each other later in the evening, have dinner, then Sarah works on homework and I watch No Reservations episodes.

So this week I have found myself alone during midday. I have lots to do continuing to furnish the apartment, cleaning, cooking, laundering all in addition to reading and researching (which has gone VERY well so far). But I'm finding that I'm not really enjoying all the isolation. I remember being in a similar situation when I moved back to Columbus after we were first married. Old friendships hadn't been resurrected yet, and new friendships hadn't really begun. I know I'll make friends sooner or later. For right now, I just feel stuck in my own head. Don't get me wrong, I am a solid introvert and my alone time is precious to me. I'd just like to be able to talk things over with someone in addition to my amazing wife who has been a wonderful adventure partner and friend during our transition. 

I order to take steps to meet people and hang out with some of the people I've already met, I'm thinking about teaching some English. This morning I went to a meeting about possibly teaching. I found out after I arrived that the meetings was an interview. I think it went okay. Also, I'm meeting up with a new friend this afternoon to visit the Modern Art Museum. So there are some good things happening during the day in addition to housework and schoolwork.

Field trip to Hassan Tower in Rabat

Day 1 of Darija classes

Got half the questions right on the written placement test and lots to read on the white board as we go through instruction in class ... Good motivation to hurry up and learn to read Arabic!