Having forgotten my American debit card and with only a few Dirhams in my Moroccan account, I got two birds with one stone -- waiting for my salary near Ourzazate while helping with this project in this mountain town. And, enjoying the company of my favorite PCVs while gorging myself on the best homemade food in-country!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
http://www.slate.com/id/2264657
If you're bored and have nothing to read--this writer weighs the merits of the Turkish toilet against that of the Western sit-down toilet.
If you're bored and have nothing to read--this writer weighs the merits of the Turkish toilet against that of the Western sit-down toilet.
htto://www.slate.com/id/2265255
And this is one I found, seemingly just the second half of a back-and-forth. But it's got some nice explanations about 3-d movies and some cool psychology-geek stuff about how the brain compensates for some of the inconsitencies we get from them.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
An AMAZING coincidence this past week:
taking a bus along the Tishka pass in the mountains between Ourzazate and Marrakesh, its nearly dark and its a day in Ramadan so the bus pulls over at whatever town it is so the people can hop into the restaurant there and break the fast. We'd been traveling through a beautiful valley and from the top of the hill we saw a dust storm in the distance, over the verdant center with the sun shining from behind, making it even more ethereal and gorgeous.
And it's nice to arrive at this restaurant, since I need to go in and use the loo. BAM, walking up the stairs is one of my best buddies here in Morocco. He'd been on the same road traveling the other way. We had a nice 30 minute chance to catch up with each other, he eating a few of the hard-boiled eggs for sale, me looking at the little plates of Ramadan food but content to wait another 10 minutes' travel to arrive at our destination before eating (I'd not been fasting, shhh don't tell anyone).
It was only when we separated, not to see each other maybe for another few weeks, like always happens, when I realized that I'd never have known he was traveling the same road as me if the call to prayer had sounded a few minutes before or later. People then would not have broken the fast until we had already traveled a few miles down the road in each direction, going away from each other. But of all the roads, and of all the different buses riding them and the different times they depart, we both happened to be on the two buses that met at this town coincidentally, and we both stepped off and walked into the same restaurant, because the call to prayer coincided with our crossing at the moment it mattered most.
Pretty awesome. Now I'm painting my second world map in a little mountain town, and enjoying good food and a normal sleep schedule, things I didn't expect.
MORE UPDATES:
Work: I discovered that I can make templates for a Morocco map that can be used by volunteers that already have a world map painted at their Dar Chebab. And it might be consulted with much more interest than the world one. I just have to make a grid using the morocco maps that all volunteers have.
Islam: This month's TIME magazine is about whether America is Islamophobic. Check it out!
taking a bus along the Tishka pass in the mountains between Ourzazate and Marrakesh, its nearly dark and its a day in Ramadan so the bus pulls over at whatever town it is so the people can hop into the restaurant there and break the fast. We'd been traveling through a beautiful valley and from the top of the hill we saw a dust storm in the distance, over the verdant center with the sun shining from behind, making it even more ethereal and gorgeous.
And it's nice to arrive at this restaurant, since I need to go in and use the loo. BAM, walking up the stairs is one of my best buddies here in Morocco. He'd been on the same road traveling the other way. We had a nice 30 minute chance to catch up with each other, he eating a few of the hard-boiled eggs for sale, me looking at the little plates of Ramadan food but content to wait another 10 minutes' travel to arrive at our destination before eating (I'd not been fasting, shhh don't tell anyone).
It was only when we separated, not to see each other maybe for another few weeks, like always happens, when I realized that I'd never have known he was traveling the same road as me if the call to prayer had sounded a few minutes before or later. People then would not have broken the fast until we had already traveled a few miles down the road in each direction, going away from each other. But of all the roads, and of all the different buses riding them and the different times they depart, we both happened to be on the two buses that met at this town coincidentally, and we both stepped off and walked into the same restaurant, because the call to prayer coincided with our crossing at the moment it mattered most.
Pretty awesome. Now I'm painting my second world map in a little mountain town, and enjoying good food and a normal sleep schedule, things I didn't expect.
MORE UPDATES:
Work: I discovered that I can make templates for a Morocco map that can be used by volunteers that already have a world map painted at their Dar Chebab. And it might be consulted with much more interest than the world one. I just have to make a grid using the morocco maps that all volunteers have.
Islam: This month's TIME magazine is about whether America is Islamophobic. Check it out!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Ive been in Morocco 342 days
And used to the stunning beauty, its strange when you get an even more beautiful day.
Only last week, however, did I get my first ever Double-Rainbow-Guy moment.
This isnt the picture of it, but someone else took a picture that gives you an idea of it
But there's a story behind it, but ive got to run now, it's time to break the fast! Sun's almost setting, and i'll go up to the roof again on top of my tower in our mud castle and watch the sun set again, hoping for a repeat.
Photos from camp (shared to me by Becki and Rachel)
Moroccan staff along with David Lillie and the US Ambassador to Morocco Kaplan
' Rise and shineee, we're at camp another morning... it's a brand-new day'
The American contingent
Teaching our great Moroccan friend/staffer (a graduate of the US Embassy English program) how to play Ben Harper's version of Gaye's 'Sexual Healing')
English level testing for the kids, me and Seth
Two girls from my town!
--And maybe the best in the whole lot that came to camp--
They were so sweet and charming, its sad that they were excluded
by the city girls because they aren't Arab (they're Tamazight, the Berbers).
But it didnt stop them from having fun with the staff and the other Zagora girls!
Two girls from my town!
--And maybe the best in the whole lot that came to camp--
They were so sweet and charming, its sad that they were excluded
by the city girls because they aren't Arab (they're Tamazight, the Berbers).
But it didnt stop them from having fun with the staff and the other Zagora girls!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Part of President Obama's speech
Being on the ground in a Muslim country, you see the sea change in the people's view of America, and for that Im one of the few who thinks he deserved the Nobel he got. Walking around Nkob, the people running the cyber and people in their homes with a satellite are more connected with news than I am--and they are watching either AlJazeera for news or for sports--so I sometimes get bent out of shape when something like the Lower Manhattan mosque controversy happens. It's nice then to get a headline from someone in the US defending that right, and it means even more when it's our President who is both supporting their right to practice Islam in the United States and making it more real the fact that we have those rights. So read for yourself, think for yourself; Im glad that in this case the job will now be a little bit easier when I walk to the hanut to buy some hobz or I walk through the palmerie hunting for tgniy handouts and am asked questions about the US by people claiming don't practice what we preach when it comes to our valuing tolerance but witholding privleges from Arab peoples there.
from Politico.com:
While the comments don't put Obama as far out on the issue as Mayor Bloomberg, who not only gave an impassioned speech exclusively on the issue but also has said some of the critics of the plan should be "ashamed," it puts the president firmly on one side of an issue that relatively few major figures have weighed in on with supportive statements.
Here's the relevant portion of the remarks below:
Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities – particularly in New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. The pain and suffering experienced by those who lost loved ones is unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.
But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure.
We must never forget those who we lost so tragically on 9/11, and we must always honor those who have led our response to that attack – from the firefighters who charged up smoke-filled staircases, to our troops who are serving in Afghanistan today. And let us always remember who we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for. Our enemies respect no freedom of religion. Al Qaeda’s cause is not Islam – it is a gross distortion of Islam. These are not religious leaders – these are terrorists who murder innocent men, women and children. In fact, al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion – and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11.
Obama did not mention Bloomberg, who has become the face of the support for the mosque after the speech on Governors Island. But the mayor put out this statement in praise of the president:
Two hundred and twenty years ago this week, the Father of Our Country penned his famous letter to the Jewish Community of Newport Rhode Island or, as he called them, ‘the Children of the Stock of Abraham.’ President Obama’s words tonight evoked President Washington’s own August reminder that ‘all possess alike liberty.’ As I said last week, this proposed mosque and community center in Lower Manhattan is as important a test of the separation of church and state as we may see in our lifetime, and I applaud President Obama’s clarion defense of the freedom of religion tonight.”
from Politico.com:
While the comments don't put Obama as far out on the issue as Mayor Bloomberg, who not only gave an impassioned speech exclusively on the issue but also has said some of the critics of the plan should be "ashamed," it puts the president firmly on one side of an issue that relatively few major figures have weighed in on with supportive statements.
Here's the relevant portion of the remarks below:
Recently, attention has been focused on the construction of mosques in certain communities – particularly in New York. Now, we must all recognize and respect the sensitivities surrounding the development of lower Manhattan. The 9/11 attacks were a deeply traumatic event for our country. The pain and suffering experienced by those who lost loved ones is unimaginable. So I understand the emotions that this issue engenders. Ground Zero is, indeed, hallowed ground.
But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America, and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country, and will not be treated differently by their government, is essential to who we are. The writ of our Founders must endure.
We must never forget those who we lost so tragically on 9/11, and we must always honor those who have led our response to that attack – from the firefighters who charged up smoke-filled staircases, to our troops who are serving in Afghanistan today. And let us always remember who we are fighting against, and what we are fighting for. Our enemies respect no freedom of religion. Al Qaeda’s cause is not Islam – it is a gross distortion of Islam. These are not religious leaders – these are terrorists who murder innocent men, women and children. In fact, al Qaeda has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion – and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11.
Obama did not mention Bloomberg, who has become the face of the support for the mosque after the speech on Governors Island. But the mayor put out this statement in praise of the president:
Two hundred and twenty years ago this week, the Father of Our Country penned his famous letter to the Jewish Community of Newport Rhode Island or, as he called them, ‘the Children of the Stock of Abraham.’ President Obama’s words tonight evoked President Washington’s own August reminder that ‘all possess alike liberty.’ As I said last week, this proposed mosque and community center in Lower Manhattan is as important a test of the separation of church and state as we may see in our lifetime, and I applaud President Obama’s clarion defense of the freedom of religion tonight.”
Friday, August 13, 2010
Weather is the story today
Listening to the 404 while I type, so my writing might suffer an IQ dip-- they make me wish I had brought my XBOX 360 to Morocco with me like I'd thought about (a guy in Bolivia did this and didnt regret it a single minute, since I got my first taste of BioShock during Evacuation way back when). The one video game I've been able to play here is called Bounce, and while Ive known a few people that have spent up to 2 months trying to pass the same level, Ive beaten the game and now feel this empty space in my soul, an existential crisis on a small scale.
But, the weather. Ramadanites have gotten lucky, it's been nothing but shade and rain in Nkob, even to the point of thunder and lightning nearly every other day. Today its dusty, to the point that it looks like London (though I heard London isnt foggy anymore, it was just the industrial age smog that's since cleared up, fyi).
Last night was the first breaking-the-fast of Ramadan, and having finished up my jog, an hour spent on the ground inside the palmerie where people were climbing the palm trees picking dates, I came up to our casbah and saw Omar, one of my favorite people in town. He's a porter that has a motorcycle with a trailer attached to the end. He told me he was tired, doing twice as many trips as he normally does without having eaten or drank anything all day, and he asked me if I wanted to go have ftor with him. Ftor is Arabic for breakfast, and I said yes, hopped in the back of his trailer and we rode through the ancient part of Nkob, where he lives beside the mosque.
He has a nice, small courtyard and since this was my first time I got to see those people that are hidden away from Main Street, his wife and family. Sitting there, it was a treat to see him stretch out in a chair, hands outstretched, groaning, 'Allah!' and 'Tbrakallah' while the rain doused us both, the minutes melting away while our table slowly filled with those special treats for Ramadan. I wondered what special goodies his family had for us, and as the mzzien rang out, Allahu Akbar!, we feasted on dates, Inside Bread 'arroum bouyensou', two cups of coffee each with so much milk it tasted like hot chocolate, shbekiyah which is fried bread dipped in honey, rolled very tightly and sprinkled with sesame seeds, plus an endless bowl of soup with little pieces of fat and chicken throughout.
I see now how much my blog is suffering from not having a computer. I channel my energy to letter writing instead, but I wish I could do more. But this won't last. I'll write about summer camp next. Ciao!
But, the weather. Ramadanites have gotten lucky, it's been nothing but shade and rain in Nkob, even to the point of thunder and lightning nearly every other day. Today its dusty, to the point that it looks like London (though I heard London isnt foggy anymore, it was just the industrial age smog that's since cleared up, fyi).
Last night was the first breaking-the-fast of Ramadan, and having finished up my jog, an hour spent on the ground inside the palmerie where people were climbing the palm trees picking dates, I came up to our casbah and saw Omar, one of my favorite people in town. He's a porter that has a motorcycle with a trailer attached to the end. He told me he was tired, doing twice as many trips as he normally does without having eaten or drank anything all day, and he asked me if I wanted to go have ftor with him. Ftor is Arabic for breakfast, and I said yes, hopped in the back of his trailer and we rode through the ancient part of Nkob, where he lives beside the mosque.
He has a nice, small courtyard and since this was my first time I got to see those people that are hidden away from Main Street, his wife and family. Sitting there, it was a treat to see him stretch out in a chair, hands outstretched, groaning, 'Allah!' and 'Tbrakallah' while the rain doused us both, the minutes melting away while our table slowly filled with those special treats for Ramadan. I wondered what special goodies his family had for us, and as the mzzien rang out, Allahu Akbar!, we feasted on dates, Inside Bread 'arroum bouyensou', two cups of coffee each with so much milk it tasted like hot chocolate, shbekiyah which is fried bread dipped in honey, rolled very tightly and sprinkled with sesame seeds, plus an endless bowl of soup with little pieces of fat and chicken throughout.
I see now how much my blog is suffering from not having a computer. I channel my energy to letter writing instead, but I wish I could do more. But this won't last. I'll write about summer camp next. Ciao!
Monday, August 2, 2010
2M visited us at camp- and my best moment at camp
One of my four kids I picked to come to camp, Fatima from Nkob interviewed on TV! She's very strong and resilient and can be playful, but Zagora people have been locked out of their rooms and things because of racism between Arabs and Berbers. Too bad... But they were proud when I did the cultural quiz night, and the very last question after two hours of competition was the one I wrote: "What group of people in Morocco were the last to resist the French?" "The Ait-Atta Amazigh people of Zagora Province."
I read the answer out loud into the microphone and looked up to see that my host brother, Fatima (in the clip) and Hayat were both beaming and yelling out in exultation that after a few rough days of their interaction with the city people, they were being recognized and had something to be proud of that the city kids couldn't claim as part of their heritage like they could. The best moment in camp for me.
Here's the link (sorry, this video cant be imbedded here. It starts at 11:15 or so).
http://www.2m.ma/Infos/node_3807/2010/node_12817/12h45-30/%28date%29/20100730
I read the answer out loud into the microphone and looked up to see that my host brother, Fatima (in the clip) and Hayat were both beaming and yelling out in exultation that after a few rough days of their interaction with the city people, they were being recognized and had something to be proud of that the city kids couldn't claim as part of their heritage like they could. The best moment in camp for me.
Here's the link (sorry, this video cant be imbedded here. It starts at 11:15 or so).
http://www.2m.ma/Infos/node_3807/2010/node_12817/12h45-30/%28date%29/20100730
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