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. 

Jellaba time

Now that I have a lightweight robe to wear outside, I am now way less panicked about summers with nice ocean breezy 80-90 degree temps but 100% humidity and modesty rules that dictate full coverage. 

Last year, even in the fall, walking around outside in long pants and long sleeves did not incline me to leave the house much during the day. 

Enter the Jellaba gold! The Moroccan full-length hooded robe that comes in all kids of designs and colors. 

Winter robes are thick and warm. Summer robes are light and breezy. Great for all seasons. The hooded robes are for outdoor wear only. This same exact robe without a hood would be considered indoor-only wear.

So much better than pants!!

Sarah's first cooking in Morocco!

Every so often I request more veggies from Cory. Usually he cooks me up something delicious! Every so often he suggests I cook them myself. 

I pondered this idea. 

I have gotten along for this long in my life without cooking very much. Here it's even easier because we could hire someone to cook delicious Moroccan-style food for us (since there's not even one Trader Joe's here ... so what am I supposed to eat?). 

I thought to myself: 'self, you've gotten this far in life without cooking, why start now?' I don't believe I have cooked a single thing since we moved here 5 months ago.

And I pondered some more.

And I thought at some point I might have to feed more than just myself and at that point the efficiencies of running out to the store and grabbing a smoothie to eat become inefficient and it would probably be good to have some other tricks up my sleeve. 

So upon my return from my trip back to the States, my goal was to cook *1* thing.

I fueled the flames by opening a pinterest account and pinning all the moroccan veggie recipes I could find. 

Last night with our friends was the perfect opportunity to dive in. 

I worked from this recipe but substituted my fave veggies.

http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/moroccan-vegetables-and-chickpeas

First stop was to the veggie market on the first floor of our apartment building. 70 cents later, I had zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and a chunk of pumpkin (they just off however much you want!).

Next stop was the grocery store to get the chickpeas and harissa spice paste. Then we were on our way to Heather and Adam's!

Delicious and nutritious - made even better by the great company and eating it outside by the fire.