(no subject)
For reasons I dont know my cyber cafe of choice does not like LJ. It wont let me ever log on, until today when I was about to leave. That said, I write this anyway.
Peace Corps (thus far).
Keeping with their goverment agency status, they like to give as little information as possible and only at the last minute if they can. It also helpful to give not wrong, but bad info.
If you want an idea of Morocco think what would happen if the Christian Coalition had taken over Arizona about 200 years ago. Thats about where its at. Its a county of constant contridictions. Alcohol isnt cool at all. But there are 2 bars within 2 blocks of our training cite and its easy to buy at the supermarket. There are calls to prayer, no one seems to follow them. Its conservitive in dress, there is plenty of skin on tv. You might have to go a long time to find internet, but everyone has satalight dishes and its like 150 free channels. Really I have no idea how many channels it is, I just know there are a lot and 3 ones just for cartoons. Its nice. Good food at least, and I dont have to eat much meat very often.
I met my first host family this week. Its a mom, dad, two daughtors, two cousisn and a sister (all of the fater). House construction here is not limited by size very much so there are two courtyards and a yard of such for the cow and goats and chickens. They are really nice, even if I dont understand hardly anything. Very patient, and willing to repeat themselves very often. Which is pretty much needed for me.
The rest of the Peace Corps gang is mostly cool people. They are a little...too normal. I could really use some quirky people like I have back home. You know what I mean :)
Things are pretty cheep here. The internet is something like a doller an hour, until you buy the 10 hour pack, then its down to around 50cents.
My host family gave me a jebella (hooded robe deal). Im not sure if it was for one day or many days its hard to tell with our lack of langauge. Ill try to get a photo of me in it soon.
Im learning Tamagizt which is berber. Its pretty easy and has a ton of french and arabic. I just cant do any verbs yet. Im also trying to learn arabic script but I suck at it. I figure Ill get better in two years. Lots of people almost speak english. They have a good greeting but after that it sorta falls apart. Maybe Ill pick up arabic or french. Moroccan arabic isnt like classical arabic. Its more like Spanglish of French and Arabic with some spanish thrown in to confuse people.
Damn KU for losing. There is a KState grad in our group.
Eating is a big deal here. I ate 7 times in one day. Im not fat yet. But Im certainly not in the best shape of my life. Maybe when I get to my real site (location disclosed in late april).
I need to figure out Skype or whatever it is. Its seems popular with other people just not my training group.
Some of you may wonder what Ill be doing for two years. Who knows. We sorta have assignments and we sorta are suppose to just figure out what the community needs. Its hard to tell whats up exactly, but I figure Ill be busy.
Flights to Paris are something like 217$ US. Which isnt terrible. We get 20$ a week to just hang out and whatever. Beer is 14Ds which is around 1.50. Not terrible, and if you skip dinner to make it in for the 9pm curfew you can get by.
Send me emails, or just let me know what kinda news is going on. We are bad with news, thought we do get Newsweek, each week.
Hopefully this cyber will be cool with LJ from now on.
Obviously these are my opensions and not to be thought of as some offical Peace Corps openions. Anyone thinking so, needs to figure it out.
Peace Corps (thus far).
Keeping with their goverment agency status, they like to give as little information as possible and only at the last minute if they can. It also helpful to give not wrong, but bad info.
If you want an idea of Morocco think what would happen if the Christian Coalition had taken over Arizona about 200 years ago. Thats about where its at. Its a county of constant contridictions. Alcohol isnt cool at all. But there are 2 bars within 2 blocks of our training cite and its easy to buy at the supermarket. There are calls to prayer, no one seems to follow them. Its conservitive in dress, there is plenty of skin on tv. You might have to go a long time to find internet, but everyone has satalight dishes and its like 150 free channels. Really I have no idea how many channels it is, I just know there are a lot and 3 ones just for cartoons. Its nice. Good food at least, and I dont have to eat much meat very often.
I met my first host family this week. Its a mom, dad, two daughtors, two cousisn and a sister (all of the fater). House construction here is not limited by size very much so there are two courtyards and a yard of such for the cow and goats and chickens. They are really nice, even if I dont understand hardly anything. Very patient, and willing to repeat themselves very often. Which is pretty much needed for me.
The rest of the Peace Corps gang is mostly cool people. They are a little...too normal. I could really use some quirky people like I have back home. You know what I mean :)
Things are pretty cheep here. The internet is something like a doller an hour, until you buy the 10 hour pack, then its down to around 50cents.
My host family gave me a jebella (hooded robe deal). Im not sure if it was for one day or many days its hard to tell with our lack of langauge. Ill try to get a photo of me in it soon.
Im learning Tamagizt which is berber. Its pretty easy and has a ton of french and arabic. I just cant do any verbs yet. Im also trying to learn arabic script but I suck at it. I figure Ill get better in two years. Lots of people almost speak english. They have a good greeting but after that it sorta falls apart. Maybe Ill pick up arabic or french. Moroccan arabic isnt like classical arabic. Its more like Spanglish of French and Arabic with some spanish thrown in to confuse people.
Damn KU for losing. There is a KState grad in our group.
Eating is a big deal here. I ate 7 times in one day. Im not fat yet. But Im certainly not in the best shape of my life. Maybe when I get to my real site (location disclosed in late april).
I need to figure out Skype or whatever it is. Its seems popular with other people just not my training group.
Some of you may wonder what Ill be doing for two years. Who knows. We sorta have assignments and we sorta are suppose to just figure out what the community needs. Its hard to tell whats up exactly, but I figure Ill be busy.
Flights to Paris are something like 217$ US. Which isnt terrible. We get 20$ a week to just hang out and whatever. Beer is 14Ds which is around 1.50. Not terrible, and if you skip dinner to make it in for the 9pm curfew you can get by.
Send me emails, or just let me know what kinda news is going on. We are bad with news, thought we do get Newsweek, each week.
Hopefully this cyber will be cool with LJ from now on.
Obviously these are my opensions and not to be thought of as some offical Peace Corps openions. Anyone thinking so, needs to figure it out.