One year on

One year ago I moved to morocco (from columbus ... On columbus day!), joining Cory who was already here scouting things out for us. We found an apt we love, visited tons of places we love, i found a job i love, and we have met so many new people to love. 

It has been great to be back, apart from missing family and friends and trader joes. 

Today in the taxi ride home from work (taxi rides are one of my favorite parts of morocco because i love talking to the drivers), the driver feigned delighted amazement at my arabic skills, invited me to his family's house on friday for couscous lunch, and refused my payment at the end of the ride. 

We always say Morocco is a beautiful country with delicious food and really kind people - and tonight was just one of the examples. 

Thank you God and thank you morocco for an amazing year!

Study in Ants

When I was a kid, I had a fear of alligators coming up out of the toilet and biting my butt. Happy to report that fear was all for nothing!

Now though, we have the real-life grossness of ants crawling out of the toilet and biting our butts. Which is to say: the ants are everywhere in our apartment.

They stream in and out of holes in our walls. They swarm over every little speck of sugar we happen to leave out in the kitchen. We found out the hard way that they love cheese, not just sweets, after I left out the remnants of a mac and cheese meal.

Most maddening, they are in our bed and our toilet.

It has pretty much reached the point of pushing me over the edge.
But the ag extension websites tell me that September is the end of their swarming ways.

Until then we try not to leave food scraps anywhere. We put them in the fridge if we don't have time to clean. We pour boiling water on them when they're swarming in and out of cracks and crevices.

And hopefully at the end of the month, they magically disappear.

Election day!

It's election day! Time to vote! 

And time for the late night parades and political literature thrown all over the streets to stop!

Baby shower

There are a few baby showers coming up here soon - so exciting!

I was talking to my cab driver last night about the parties we are planning to celebrate. He had a couple of opinions and really interesting comparisons with the Moroccan way of celebrating new arrivals.

His strongest opinion related to party composition. 'Are you seriously going to have a party with all women? Parties with only one gender usually don't turn out well ... The girls get jealous of each other if they are by themselves. But if there are men around they are distracted with flirting!' I told him I would bring his point to my fellow planners.

Baby showers here are held AFTER the baby is born.

I went to one when I lived in Casablanca and it was so fun! The traditional meal for a baby shower is an amazing dish called rafeesa. It's a delicious mix of chicken, lentils, vermicelli, and wonderful spices.

The taxi driver said it would be bad luck to have the baby shower before the baby is born. I told him one of the reasons we do it early is so that the parents have everything they need already before the baby comes and then they are ready for the newborn. 

He was like, no way! We get the call from the parents about whether they had a boy or girl and then we race around picking up things to bring to the parents! It's so much more exciting that way!

Let's talk about moneyyy

First off, if you have the Moroccan dirham equivalent of a $20 bill, you might as well have no money. It's too big for more taxi drivers or small shop owners to break. But the ATM spits out mostly $20s (200d) so we have to try to find some big store to buy something and break it.

Speaking of taxis, I noticed in my taxi the other day that prices have been exactly the same for *15* years. 15 years of stagnant wages for these guys. I should start tipping more.

The minimum wage here is about $350/week and that is for people who find formal employment, not many. Wait, did I say week? I meant month. About $1-2/hour. And soooo, lots of people live with their parents or a big group of friends. My taxi driver yesterday was saying here kids have the luxury of being lazy because their parents aren't going to kick them out like they do in the US :) But even someone working full-time isn't guaranteed a high enough salary to pay their own rent. 

Not that there are many people who would want to live alone! When Cory was in the States for a few weeks, one of our neighbors was so concerned: Aren't you going to be lonely??? 

The costs of living here are of course lower here, with the exception of high-quality manufactured goods (eg shoes, computers) which we pay a premium on if we buy here.

Anyhow, as with most places in the world, the poorest people are the most generous and I am challenged daily to up my generosity game. 

Can't take it with us!

Nothin to see here

We drove east with Janae in search of some gorge hiking. We got to the ZegZel gorge and asked around (in Arabic) for the trailhead. 

Local family: You just want to walk around? Why? Um, there's really nothing to see here ... It's all just the same as this (see pic above).

Us: Yeah! We think this is beautiful! 

Local family: You do?! Weird. ... Hmm, here's what you should do: get back in your car and drive up to the beach - it's beautiful there! 

Us: Let's say we already saw the beach, then where would we find a place to walk around here. Is it this way?

Local family: [blank stares] Honey, there's really nothing to see here, just more of the same. Why don't you just come over to our house and drink some tea?

:)

So we wandered and found a wonderful dry river bed to hike through. It was perfect!! I ❤️ climbing up and over and jumping across big boulders and that's pretty much all there was. It was perfect!

And when we were hot and sweaty enough, we got back in the car and drove up to the beach :)

Breaking the law - Ramadan edition

McDonalds is one of the few restaurants open during the day during Ramadan. That makes sense since most Moroccans are not eating or drinking during daylight hours.

In addition to be a religious duty, Ramadan is also legally obliged for Moroccans. This week, 5 people were arrested in Marrakesh for drinking orange juice during the day. The face 1-6 months in jail.

http://al-bab.com/blog/2015/july/morocco-ramadan.htm#sthash.MQtTj0N6.dpbs

As foreigners, we are not required to keep the fast and we stopped at a McDonalds to cool off and eat something during a (really fun!) road trip last weekend.

My jaw dropped when I saw this big placard next to me at the counter. 

It's a sign that reminds people that it's illegal to eat in public during the day and says McDonalds will not be held accountable for people breaking the law. (Kids, old people, pregnant and breastfeedding women, travelers, and foreigners are not obliged to fast.)

Serious business!

Globalization

Because of its position at the crossroads of Europe and Africa, and the Arab influence in North Africa, Morocco has a ton of different cultural layers.

The indiginous Amazigh people have had all kinds of people come settle in with them. 

The Arabs came over and are now close to half of the population here. The French came down for a shot at colonialization and now French is the main language for business and commerce. They also have a Mediterranean influence with definite cultural similarities to countries like Spain, Greece, and Italy. African migrants are coming to and through Morocco all the time looking for a shot at a better life and are a regular fixture in the big cities.

And of course, as for most of us, globalized media brings in lots of other influences from afar. Moroccan friends here have talked especially about how much they love Turkish and Mexican soap operas and Bollywood films.

Languages
These influences play out in languages too. Even though most (many?) people here speak more than one language, there are all sorts of languages to choose from. 

First the 3 indigenous languages: Tashelheet, Tamazight, and Tarifeet. 

Then the Arabics: Moroccan Arabic (Darija) and Classical/Modern Arabic (mostly used for writing). 

Then the European languages: French (spoken in the central and southern big cities and important for conducting high-level business), Spanish (spoken in the northern cities close to Spain), and English (becoming more important).

So as hard as it is for a foreigner like me to come in and learn a language, you have to make sure you pick the right one(s)!

Here are the Arab and Amazigh (called here Berber) dialects/languages mapped out

And even some Moroccans don't share languages in common. Moha might live in Casablanca and speak Darija and French. Khalid might live up north and speak Tarifeet and Spanish. Both Moroccans, both speak multiple languages. But they cannot understand each other at all.

SO INTERESTING!

Chocolate factory - most delicious field trip ever

Pretty nondescript spot outside of town

The owner is a really funny Belgian guy

Trying our hand at turning circle cutouts into flowers

Chocolate in the molds. They supply several of the upscale chocolate shops across town.

Tasting spread. Wow.

A great group of ladies from AIWA carpooled out to the chocolate factory in Temara. It was delicious! I bought some non-chemical Nutella substitute, which is delicious.

Pre-ramadan party time

Ramadan is coming!

No eating, drinking (even water), or smoking during the day. Especially tough in June and July :/

But after the sun goes down, the parties and feasting begin. I have heard that a lot of people actually gain weight during the month of fasting.

Anyway, the month before Ramadan is called Chabana and I got to go to a really fun all-ladies dance party to celebrate!

We arrived at 5pm and people were already dancing on the tables - which continued throughout almost the whole party - ladies taking their turn or finding a friend and dancing together on the table. Something I love about Moroccans is that they really know how to and love to have a great time! 

These ladies were shaking it! I was super impressed. 

Heather and Janae came with me and we all enjoyed seeing all the incredibly beautiful caftans, dresses, and takshetas around the room. I loooove Moroccan dresses and this was a feast of color.

We danced and laughed and ate and talked and I loved it!

No more weird baby names

Before I moved to Morocco, I used to work at School Choice Ohio, where my fabulous colleagues and I would contact and call lots and lots of parents around the state to tell them about the options they have for their children's education. Apart from the great conversations and sharing great information, during the calling downtime, we would share incredulously some of the most crazy names of the kids we had heard during the day. 

I wish I could remember some of them, but suffice to say that we had quite a few conversations about whether parents should be allowed to name their kids some of these crazy names.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that in Morocco parents actually aren't allowed to name their kids crazy things! If what I've heard is true, there is a list of approved names for parents to choose from. 

And this article shows that Morocco is not alone! Lots of countries have requirements about baby names: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/07/03/mf.baby.naming.laws/

Kind of invasive into people's private lives, but helpful for some in the next generation?

Super powers

One of Ezra's many secret abilities is taking huge bites of corn dogs

Going deeper - podcasts and reading

For those of you who are big nerds with lots of extra time, boy, have I got the website for you! 

Podcasts and links:

The Friends of Morocco Website is put together by former Peace Corps volunteers and it includes lots of good links, including several podcasts called '27 Months' about recent Peace Corps volunteers experiences in Morocco.

http://friendsofmorocco.org/

Some good insights into life here. I recommend the episodes on integration and culture.

Recipes:

Page 82 starts some great Moroccan recipes, but most of it is helping Peace Corps volunteers cook simple recipes with the food ingredients available. 

http://friendsofmorocco.org/Docs/cookbook2007.pdf

My favorite is the pastilla - soooooo delicious. 

Photo from figandcherry.com

Send us pics if you make any of the recipes!

Bonus! Here are some beautiful pics from across Morocco http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/04/156653/pictures-moroccos-world-heritage-sites/ and the blog of a study abroad student who lived with a Moroccan family https://ramblingsofanarabicstudent.wordpress.com/

GWA reunion - seeing 4-year-olds who have suddenly become 16!

12 years ago, I taught preschool for a year in Casablanca. It was such an amazing year and each and every one of my colleagues and students was a huge part of it. So I started counting and realized that those little 4 year olds are now in high school and that I could have the chance to see them again! Since we arrived back in Morocco, I have been so excited to get back to see them and ...

Today was the day! 

It was a couple of hours to arrive there, first by train and then in our friends Tim and Katie's car (thank you guys!)

When I was a teacher, the school met in a Casablanca neighborhood with houses across the street from each other. Now they have built a huge sprawling campus about 10 miles south of the city on the beach. When I was there, they had just bought the land, so it was pretty amazing to see how it's new site has taken shape. It's gorgeous!

    GWA stands for George Washington Academy, an international, trilingual, American-style school.

   The basketball courts, put in by our Oxford friends Ken Baker and his team, are still going strong.

   Those are the on-site staff apartments in the background. Foreground are the Moroccan, GWA, and American flags.

I started with a stop to the kindergarten team where I got to see my kindergarten colleagues Gael and Amal!

    Such amazing ladies and it was so wonderful to see them again!

Then Cory, Katie, and I stopped by to see a few other staff members who are still going strong 12 years later! And also got to meet some of the new team. Such a joy :)

Then it was time for lunch with the high schoolers to see if I could find any of my old students. Cory and I bought lunch and sat down at random lunch tables and started watching. We started seeing them. I'm like 'Oh my gosh, Hachem just passed us! He looks exactly the same! And there's Mehdi!' So wild being in a time warp and seeing all these 4 year old eyes and faces now in 16 year old bodies.

We finished lunch and then started to make the rounds to introduce myself as their preschool teacher :)

   Looking at their class pic from the 2002 yearbook

They helped me track almost everyone down for a preschool reunion - it was so much fun! I had a great time hearing little bits of what they are up to now and what they're hoping to do after graduation. 

Such delightful people to reconnect with, and I hope to see them all again soon!

Language politics

Very thoughtful article about language prominence in morocco, a very multi-lingual country. People having been writing about whether english should be taught above french for more opportunities in a globalized world. He focuses on making better education available in the indigenous languages. 

http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2015/04/156792/spectrum-language-choice-moroccan-education/

Love his orientation toward making sure families with fewer resources have strong opportunities for their kids. 

Working with people with handicaps

The junior-league-equivalent here (at least one of them) has been a really fun thing to be involved in. We lunch and fundraise and visit community-based organizations across the city. 

Since I arrived, I have joined visits to a preschool for abandoned children, a juvenile diabetes center, and most recently a center for youth (maybe ages 12 to 30?) with mental handicaps. 

The center is named 'the Future' (al Mostaqbal) and it was started in 1983 by - as with almost all special needs centers in the  world - a mom who wanted better for her own son who has special needs. 

Many of the students have Down syndrome. This is their literacy class.

Students at the center learn lots of great life skills, including hair styling, cooking, wood working, and computer skills. 

The Center also runs 2 social enterprises that employ students from the center - including a hair salon and catering business/snack shop. Super cool!

Our friend Abigail volunteers here 4 days/week, helping the kids improve their computer literacy. The center relies on volunteers and token-paid staff. They are looking for a physical therapists if you know anyone!

The woodworking guys looked like they were in heaven! All smiles and they have a waiting list to get in :)

Thank you for all your great work for these young people and congrats to the students on all your success!

Daily bread

Tried a new bakery this week and yummm!

Fresh bread with figs and nuts baked in

I have several favorite breads at a nearby bakery - one is a really moist, delicious white bread and the other one is a wonderfully dense wheat loaf. Ate one of each this weekend. 👏🏽

Strong social fabric - lots to learn

One of the comforting things about living in Morocco is the strong social fabric. People expect to take care of each other. No one is expected to be an island and completely self-sufficient. 

It's pretty typical of lots of countries outside on the united States and Europe:

http://www.clearlycultural.com/geert-hofstede-cultural-dimensions/individualism/

As a newcomer, this is comforting in so many ways.

- People are not passive. At least in public settings, people do not seem to look the other way or get scared to get involved and leave people to take care of their own issues. I especially love tha men are willing to step in and take care of issues. On one long city-to-ciy bus ride we were on, there was a drunk guy flirting with a mom and her little girls. As soon as the men found out about it, they pulled the bus over, yelled at the guy, took him to the back of the bus. When he kept being obnoxious, they pulled over at the next police station, kicked him off the bus, and took him to the police. I love that people are looking out for each other and willing to get involved. 

That also means people do not hesitate to get up in your business!!

- I feel like I don't have to worry as much about doing the wrong thing. I trust people to speak up and tell me when I've done something wrong, culturally or otherwise. Part of the strong social fabric is everyone giving their opinion about your life :) People ask me if I'm lazy since I don't have a job. I met a neighbor yesterday who after the first round of pleasantries, asked me 'what, you don't have children??' People correct my pronunciation in Arabic and French ALL the time. That takes a lot of pressure off of wondering all the time if I'm messing up. I'm sure there is plenty that people think and don't say, and that I get a lot of passes as a foreigner, but I'm grateful for the people who say - 'oh, you should never ask anyone that!'

- I feel cared for here, which builds even stronger trust. Moroccan (and Arab) hospitality is famous - rightly so. People invite us over for dinner all the time and offer to do whatever they can to help us. The wonderful thing about our community is that we have found the 'expat community' (fellow foreigners) from church etc to also be welcoming and wonderful, with the added bonus that we can communicate fluently with them :) 

I am learning patience and kindness and amazing graciousness from our interactions here and want to learn more about being a part of the strong social fabric for others. I have a LOT to learn and am glad for lots of great everyday teachers.

(Also, if you live in a place where you have the chance to meet people who have moved from a country that has a strong social fabric, please invite them over to your house! Many people who move from elsewhere to the United States are NEVER invited into an American home. Culturally, they may feel it's polite to decline, but keep insisting a few times to make sure they know you are sincere.)

Trying to capture full glory

Morocco is a great place for beautiful panoramic shots to capture the ocean, desert, cities, mountains, and greenery. Here are just a few from the middle of the country (Volubulis and Meknes):

Comes a little closer to capturing the full beauty, but still nothing like seeing it in person!

Islamic art, as seen in a showcase mosque

Just some of the amazing tile and metal designs that come from pictures of people/ landscapes being prohibited in islam.