The Women at the Well

June 10, 2008

Every time I go to town I try to walk past the well that our douar uses. Generally there are two or three donkeys and a handful of women drawing water to load on the animals and carry back home. As I pass, we greet one another and they invariably ask if I'd like to help draw water with them. They have seen me helping carrry water from another source before, and know I need to learn how to do such things. My host family has a cistern behind the house, so they don't use the well that often.

Usually when I pass the well, I'm on my way to the sbitar and don't stop to help; I just pause long enough to be polite and greet them.

I'm considering renting a house that doesn't have running water in it, and so may have to draw water for the next two years. The women warn me that this will be difficult. It sounds weird, but I really have to learn how to draw wellwater. There's a technique to it, and a sort of rhythm. Maybe next month it'll happen...

Life as a PCV

May 21, 2008



So as of this morning I'm officially a PCV! I'm so excited, but nervous to begin work at my site!


We had our swearing-in ceremony at the Berber Palace, the only 5-star hotel in Ouarzazate. Apparently it was built to cater to the movie people who frequent Oz, and it's filled with old movie set props.


Needless to say, we had a nice ceremony and a pool party followed. It was sort of bizarre to herald our new status as PCVs with poolside drinks at a posh hotel. And our host families from CBT were invited, and my host mom and sister where there. It was especially interesting to have people from CBT sites there, because they've seen us at some of our sickest and worst points in training. Then we were all cleaned and dressed up and having a reception at this hotel with them. I'll have to send pictures so you can see the juxtaposition for yourselves.



Anyway, we're all official now!











May 25, 2008



This is my first week at site, and there's not a whole lot to report yet. So far it's been a lot of resting after travelling to site, and hanging out with my host family. I'm trying to study every day, but have gotten hooked on al-Jazeera English. Sometimes I try to translate the news into Tashelheet, so I can multitask by "studying" while getting the news.


Also, the last season of 24 comes on Thursday nights subtitled in MS Arabic. I'm pretty happy with this, of course!


And no, I haven't gotten sick yet, so there's hope!

Every day I eat askif for breakfast, which is the Moroccan equivalent of cream of wheat. My host family in Ighrem didn't really eat this, and after months of hearing other Trainees talk about it, I feel like now I'm in the Askif Loop.

Also, my host mom makes really good amlou, which is like peanut butter with added oil. We dip bread in it at breakfast and during kaskru. Kaskru is a small meal eaten between lunch (around 1:00) and dinner (in my house eaten around 9:30). My host family says that when my family comes to visit next year, they will find all this food delicious and want to take it back to America. I have to agree!

May 29, 2008


Today I had my first Friday Couscous. In my region this is a fairly common thing to do. It basically involves a lot of women (there were about 20 this time) and a ton of couscous. Couscous is eaten in a lot of households on Fridays, but here it's made into a sort of party.


Today I learned how to eat couscous with my hands. Or rather, my hand, because of course in Morocco only the right hand is generally used in common dishes.


Eating couscous with your hand is a process best seen, not described. It involves mashing vegetables into the couscous so you can form a ball and eat it. At first, my hosts gave me a spoon. Then I decided to just go for it and learn how to eat properly, no matter how silly I felt learning with an audience. I was thinking worst case scenario would be I'd fail but maybe they'd appreciate the effort.

Apparently, it was funny when I said at first that it was difficult to do. I jokingly said, "But I'm American, and we don't eat like this!" Then I got the hang of it and it was kind of easy after that. I'm learning...

May 30, 2008


Today I taught myself to knit. I borrowed a how-to book from another PCV and learned this morning. I figured what's the point in knowing how to spin wool if you can't do anything with it? Next step: learn to shear a sheep ;)


My first knittng project is a red scarf, the purpose of which will be revealed at a later date. Ooh, isn't the suspense killing you?










June 2, 2008


I went to my sbitar today to help out with vaccinations. They're held once a week, and the sbitar is always packed on these days. My doctor and nurse are pretty cool. I speak Tash with the nurse and some English with the doctor.


I'm so excited to be really starting my job here!


Next week we have a vaccination drive in a neighboring douar. More on that later. For now, I'm observing what goes on in the sbitar and figuring out what sorts of projects I'll be working on for two years. I've got some ideas and my sbitar staff has been really helpful in telling me what sorts of issues we'll be tackling.


My sbitar is smallish, but it has a doctor, nurse and sage femme on staff. They all live in housing adjacent to the sbitar, which is common. I'll be going there a few times a week for the time being to see how things work there.