Update from the Field

salaam all,

I'm sorry these updates have been sparse. I am counting on more internet when I finally settle in in a few months. Tons is going on and I wish I had words to describe all of it. I am in a little mountain town for training. It is chilly during the morning and significantly warmer come 3:00-4:00pm. There are afternoon thunderstorms but it all passes through pretty quickly (Sound Familiar?) 

I got to go on a hike the other day with several PCVs. It was a pretty easy trail with a little stream running next to the path. About half way through it started pouring rain, conveniently, right when we arrived at the top of a big hill where there happened to be an abandoned shack. We waited there for about 10 minutes for it to clear up. We could see the whole town which was sparkling form the reflection from all the water. As we started to hike down there was a double rainbow over the trail and over the town. That night we made spaghetti and real garlic bread! mmmm. There has since been a rule put in place that we aren't allowed to interact with PCVs until after we are sworn in as pcvs, so that they don't interrupt our training. Its too bad because they are such a wealth of knowledge but so it goes.

My family has been nice despite a few recent developments.The family is made up of a dad who is a principal at a school, the mom is the president of a co-op and they have three daughters. The oldest daughter, SouHaila is 15 and we have really hit it off. She is really patient with me and is pretty good about only speaking darija to me most of the time. The middle daughter is Oumaima and she is 10. She is a little shyer around me but equally as nice. The youngest daughter is DoHa and she is one year old.  With SouHaila and Oumaima we put on music or wedding videos and dance every time the parents leave. They always give me a scarf to tie around my waste and try and teach me how to shake my hips…It may just be a lost cause. I have been spending lots of time in the kitchen with SouHaila learning to cook and more so learning all of the names of different foods and cooking utensils.

My house has three floors and we live in the middle floor. On the top floor is where my language teacher lives and where I have classes during the day.  We have four hours of language classes in the morning then lunch and after that we have four hours of cultural training. Starting after Ramadan we will have a cook cooking for us and will be allowed a coffee/ tea break half way through each session. 

In the afternoons after the break we now go to the Dar Chebab (youth center) to get to know some of the youth in the area. Many parents don't like to let their children go to the dar chebab because they think it is just a place for boys and girls to go to hang out with one another which is unacceptable. It will be interesting to see how many people actually start showing up. On friday there is going to be "Peace Day." we are going to get together with another organization and some musicians to celebrate Peace. It will be the first time that we really get to interact with kids and we are all looking forward to it. 

Ramadan came to an end about a weak ago, but during Ramadan our schedule was a little off.I will explain more about Ramadan next year when it comes around but it is the 9^th month on the Islamic calendar and the most holy of months because it is when the Koran was revealed to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel. One of the 5 pillars of Islam is to fast from food and water, from sun up to sun down, during this month. I decided not to fast because of adjustment purposes and because of the current workload that we have. I am almost fasting by default because there is not anywhere open to buy food during the day. At sun down we have lFtour (breakfast) or in other words, the breaking of the fast. When we break fast we would eat a tomato-based soup with noodles and vegetables called Harira,  tmar (dates), Shbekia (a fried pastry drizzled with honey,) lzitune (olives,) and then we usually eat some kind of larger meal shortly after.

We also went to the Hammam recently. The Hammam - take one, Probably deserves an entry all of its own.  Hammams are public bathhouses.  You walk in, strip down to your underwear, and go sit in hot sauna like rooms.  All around the room are waterspouts with hot water. You bring your own bucket, stool to sit on, and special concoctions of soaps and creams. I don’t know if it was just because of Ramadan or what but the place was packed. I could hardly move around without stepping on someone.  There were tons of little kids accompanying their mom’s and I’m not sure how they didn’t just pass out from the heat. We started in a hot room and my host sister gave me a black, sandpaper like glove to scrub my skin. I scrubbed my arms, legs and chest for at least 20 minutes and it didn’t seem like much was happening. Then my host sister took the glove from me and started scrubbing my arms and back and huge rolls of gray, dead skin, began peeling off of my body. Apparently I wasn’t doing it hard enough. After that we went to a little cooler room to wash off. While we were there a couple of my host sister’s friends were there and kept trying to talk to me. My host sister got really defensive and told me not to talk to them. Apparently one of them is in love wither her “love” and so obviously I shouldn’t be taking to her. I think I will have to wait until Hammam – take two, before I know what I really think of it.

I think that is mostly what I have for an update this far. Tomorrow we get to meet up with all the other trainees. We haven't seen them in a couple weeks and it is always fun to get together and exchange stories and experiences. Other than that I think we have about five weeks left before we swear in and become official Peace Corps Volunteers. It is all very exciting. I hope you are all well back home. I'm thinking about you!  

Arrival in Morocco and beginning of Training

Stepping off the plane into Morocco, we were welcomed by the smell of freshly cut grain and humidity, the kind that clings right inside the nostrils. The country director of Peace Corps Morocco and other staff were also there to greet us. I introduced myself to the Director and immediately he said, “Ah Fauve, we have some volunteers who want to talk to you about your volunteering at the Village SOS in Senegal. They are planning a trip there and want to visit.” I was completely taken aback that he knew so much about me before I even left the airport. He seemed to know just as much about every other volunteer and how he kept the names and facts straight is beyond me.

To continue on with part of that story:

A panel of current PCVs(Peace Corps Volunteers) came to talk to us today and one of them was one of the PVCs that wanted to talk to me about the Village SOS. The village SOS in Senegal was an orphanage divided into “families.” There were different building that all had a mother figure and about 10-13 children living in each one. The other children were like siblings and the “mother” would do the cooking and cleaning while caring for the children. Village SOS’s are quite widely spread and it turns out there is one in Morocco as well. The girl that was seeking me out was planning on traveling from Village SOS to Village SOS to see the different places and to volunteer while staying there.

This was very exciting to me because not only was I able to talk to her about Senegal and Mali but it made me realize that, the short experience that I had volunteering for the Village SOS in Senegal could open a door for me here in Morocco and perhaps be a future project or organization to work on/with. It also made me realize that all of the little experiences add up creating other opportunities in the future that you may not even realize. It never crossed my mind that I would have a chance to work at another Village SOS but it sure seems fitting now working in Youth Development.

As far as this first part of training goes, a supportive and helpful staff surrounds us. We are staying, 4 to a room, in a little beach town near Rabat. There is not much time to surf or swim but we make it for a little walk every night from about 6-7. We venture back as the sun sets and the call to prayer hums in ocean breeze. It is slightly overwhelming to be surrounded by 63 people constantly but we only have a few days left together.

During this part of the training phase we are mostly trying to get a grasp of Peace Corps Morocco Policies and gain an understanding as to how training will continue for the next 9 weeks and ultimately how we will be evaluated.

On Tuesday we will move in with our host families but we will reconvene in groups of 6 during the day, from about 9 am-8pm, for both language and technical training. After that we will go home to the families, practice our language skills, and try to gain an understanding of the culture before doing it again the next day. I am slightly intimidated by this but very excited about all of knowledge I will gain in the weeks to come. I have the impression that I will be well prepared when the time comes to go to my own site and begin working with the community.

Staging

So, we just finished staging and leave for Morocco tomorrow.  Because I arrived early I was able to go visit the liberty bell and independence hall in addition to enjoying a Philly cheese steak with some other early arrivals. There were about 16 of us that arrived yesterday and it was nice to get to know a little group of people before another 47 people showed up. 

The best part about this staging (besides that I got significantly more out of it than expected) is what a blessing it is to be surrounded by a group of people that is so excited to be here. There are about 4 married couples, 10ish  people who have been in the Peace corps previously (aka RPCVs,) and age ranges form 21- at least late 60s. There is an interesting story to go with each person and everyone is on the verge of exploding with excitement. 

 We seem to have similar anxieties and aspirations and all of those things can be shared without anyone questioning, “Then why are you going into the Peace Corps?”  At this point we have all shared the experiences of the never-ending application process, jumping through hoops, taking surveys, filling out paper work and now staging. From here our experiences will all diverge but we will always be connected by the common link that is the Peace Corps. How Cool!  It was interesting to talk about how many people hear, “yeah, I thought about doing that once,” when they talk about the Peace Corps with someone. A sign in the Philly airport that read, “PEACE CORPS, never have to say I Should’ve,” just reminded what a great opportunity this is.  I’m wondering if that same sign is conveniently placed in the airport in DC and the other staging cities as well.  It’s  certainly enough to get ya pumped up!

 

Address During Training

I thought I would post my address during training so that no one has any excuses not to write!

The Peace Corps asks family and friends not to send packages during the staging/training period but letters and post cards are highly valued. My address for approximately the next two months is:

Fauve Johnson, Trainee
s/c Corps de la Paix
2, rue Abou Marouane Essaadi
Agdal, Rabat 10100, MOROCCO

After the initial training period when I know my permanent address I will pass the word along. At that point packages, letters, The Economist and all other mail is welcome. 

The Peace corps warnings and suggestions about mail:

Air Mail usually takes 10-12 days, while surface mail may take up to four months to reach me. Don't send cash it rarely reaches its destination. Mark gifts on any customs labels when sending packages to avoid the imposition of fees. Mail may be sporadic so don't worry if mail is not received regularly etc... 

I look forward to hearing from you! 

Theoretically

I received an e-mail today with more specifics of my departure and pre-service training.  I will leave Denver on September 8, spend 24 hours in Philly before flying to Casablanca and beginning my Pre-Service training in the region. During training we will cover the background, history, mission and goals of the PC as well as how to manage personal risk responsibly, review policies and reflect on our commitment to service. Upon arrival I will begin learning one of the berber dialects (Tamazight or Tashelheet) spoken in Morocco or Darija(Moroccan Arabic). Over the last couple months I have watched friends head all over the world to places as diverse as Togo, Niger, South Africa, Mongolia, Belize, New Zealand and Japan. I am now officially ready to go!  

I may have mentioned before that I will be a Youth Development volunteer. I thought I would explain what that implies. At the beginning of my service I will focus on learning the language and integrating into the community by living with a family and teaching English classes.  This will expand into the implementation of activities such as sports, clubs, gender development, culture exchange, etc. I will work in a Dar Chabab (Youth Center) and collaborate with the director of the Youth Center and the community to focus on issues identified by the community.

As the PC describes, YD Volunteers serve in several main capacities:

•      Working directly with youth through content-based English classes and facilitating activities for youth.
•      Working to increase the capacity of those who affect youth through projects and workshops with local youth serving organizations.
•      Working with parents to engage them and others to be supporters of youth.

This of course is all theoretical and the actual Peace Corps experience will be more complex and will include many more activities that may or may not be so clearly defined.  While the Peace Corps assignment may be rewarding (and I am sure that it will be) many RPCV (returned Peace Corps Volunteers) describe the secondary projects that one takes on as the more rewarding experiences and the ones that really allow them to integrate into the community.  I just can’t wait! 

Introduction

WOW! 15 months ago I began filling out my application for the Peace Corps.  Almost a year to the day of my nomination for a youth development position in North Africa/the Middle East I will start on my journey to Morocco. On (or around) September 6, I will fly to Philadelphia where I will have a brief introduction to what lies ahead of me before I leave for Casablanca to begin my Pre-Service Training (PST)

For those who do not know, The Peace Corps is a governmental institution that was established in 1961 by John F. Kennedy. Its mission is three fold:

·      Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.

·      Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.

·      Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

I have started this blog primarily to address goal three listed above as well as to share with you my adventures, growth, trials and tribulations throughout my 27 month Peace Corps service in Morocco.

As a privileged, white, middle class American, who has been given many opportunities to interact with and benefit from the generosity of people around the world, I have found that this is now my chance to give back. From France to Senegal, Western Africa to Egypt and through America’s own diversity of peoples I have discovered the importance of human interaction and the fact that differences can unite people in the same ways they are often used to divide people.

As interactions expand and relationships form there is no denying humanity to people who are different from you. There is no better way to understand that, than to confront ones fears of differences by being immersed in a culture that is different than your own, and realizing that humans have the same needs everywhere: Clean water, food, shelter, love, family, education and opportunities for personal growth, etc. Some people are born with these things laid out in front of them, however this does not mean that those that are not, are not entitled to these same benefits and should in no way be deprived of them. Unfortunately not everyone feels this way. I am hoping through this blog and through my experiences I can prove to at least one American, whom would not understand otherwise, that people in Morocco (and in other places around the world) are no less intelligent, thoughtful, or important than anyone at home due to their religion, education level, culture, or history.

While Morocco may be one of the few countries in which the Peace Corps serves, with amenities such as running water, electricity and possibly even Internet, I am under no illusion that it will be easy. In fact those are the superficial things that give an appearance of difficulty or ease to a situation that goes much deeper. From learning the language and how to communicate to understanding and being accepted into a community there are hurdles to be jumped, potholes to stumble through but of course rewards to be had. I think of my first experiences living abroad, ten months in Bretagne, France, and the high I would get when I would have the realization of the communication that was taking place. “Oh my goodness! They understand me and I understand them, we are both speaking French and we are even joking with one another! Who would have ever thought.” This was after months of wondering when I would ever understand, months of sitting at lunch tables with my head spinning, trying to follow the conversations at hand. And then one day I woke up and realized that while I would never be French I could finally communicate, participate and be accepted in a way that was never before possible.

I also remember the high I would get after an hour and a half of teaching English to a group of predominately Hispanic adults, in Boulder. That same feeling of excitement in watching a person progress in a language and understanding their elation after so much frustration of trying to understand a silly grammatical rule, when all of a sudden it finally makes sense. And it is funny how languages work like that…you don’t get it…you don’t get it…you don’t get it…and then BAM it hits you out of left field that you are actually understanding. And the doors that understanding actually opens, is what I find so exciting.

The first wedding you go to in another country/culture is always fascinating even when you don’t understand the language and what is going on around you. But when you finally understand the language and someone can explain what the traditions are all about, it becomes an entirely different experience. And when a person can express themselves in their own language, there is a side to them that you would never see if they are constantly trying to appease you by speaking your language (ie speaking English to make it easier for you despite the fact that they are significantly more comfortable speaking their own language be it Spanish, French, Wolof, Xhosa, Arabic or Chinese.) Something is always lost in translation. It reminds me of one of my best friends Claire. She moved to France, and speaks perfect French because she was raised speaking both French and English, but says she feels like she has lost half of her personality in France, when speaking French because she cannot express herself in the same way and with the same amount of comfort she could in the United States. All of this said, I think it is important to learn the languages of the countries you go to because it opens a door into the culture that will be entirely missed otherwise. It is like walking through a neighborhood and seeing what all of the houses are like but never actually going inside to see how the people decorate, what they eat, how they interact with one another and most importantly, what all of these things signify to them. 

In any case I realize this first post has gotten away from me (just a littleJ) but I hope that it gives you some insight into my motivations for joining the Peace Corps and my excitement at the 27 months ahead of me. And maybe, just maybe, at some point it will be able to provide you with a little window into Morocco for those who may never have the opportunity to venture there themselves.