Human nature is kif kif

In "The Incconents Abroad," Mark Twain says "for better or worse, "human nature is very much the same all over the world." And this is a typical guy thing. 3 weeks ago and 4 miles outside of my site, a couple of us met 3 sheperds in the middle of nowhere, built a fire, cooked something, and talked. No women, a big fire where you burn something, and man talk. That's global.

Morning work in the Taza kasbah

This is common throughout the country; when Moroccans work, they enjoy doing it in close proximity to others. They could work in solitude, but enjoy the company. When did we get away from this?

Peace Corps Mars

Here's a photo of my new house that I'll be squating in for the next two years. While behind me in this photo is an oasis, this is the rockiest terrain I've seen so far in country. A nice place; has two bedrooms, a living room (my bike/hand ball room- although my mother warned me just last week about playing games inside), two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a terrace. The terrace is the nice feature now. With a little shade and wind, reading or thinking can be pleasant there during midday. The current temperature here is probably 90-100 F, comparable to home (I only got 1). Down south, in places like Ouarazate and Tata it can reach 140 F. A friend told me at his site yesterday it was 115 F in the shade. I responded by sending photos of my river and pool. No, I didn't do that. I pity him. Its a different type of service there.

I haven't posted in 2 weeks and I have a lot of catching up to do as well as I need to send emails to several people. Sorry, I have the time, I've just been busy with other things like cleaning out my Red Roach Inn (literally). Hopefully, by this Wed., before I go up north for a week at an Artisans fair, I can catch up. To write a good email or blog, I have to do it at home with some coffee and music. The cyber cafe's here function often as Skype call centers, which is distracting.

P.S. I've been listening to alot of podcasts off ITunes. It's free, easy, and they have a large selection. My favorites are NPR: Koppel on the News, BBC Documentary Archive, Big Ideas, ESPN:PTI, and TedTalks(video). Drop me a line if you find anything I might be interested in.

Development goals for site

FYI. I finished some initial planning for projects to be preformed in the next 2 years at my site. For those that inquire about my activities over the next two year, here’s a tentative outline. Listed are starting dates until next summer.

July 06 / Ecological Survey of SIBE Lalla Shafia (#3 Priority)
August 06 / Begin working on Community Ecological Resource Book
Sept 06 / Begin Community English Classes
Oct 06 / Begin Wastewater Management Project (#1 priority)
Nov 06 / Regional Environmental Education Workshop
Fall 06 / Medicinal Project with USAID
Winter 06 / Website for Community Ecotourism (#2 Priority)
Fall-Winter 06 / Begin Environmental Education Programs in School
Spring 07 / Tree Planting
Summer 07 / Swim Lessons

This list willl change. Hopefully, I can work on all these projects, although other priorities will emerge and some projects will undoubtedly fail.

Weddings and Berber dancing

While a close friend was getting married in the middle of the U-S-A, 6 PM CT, I was at a summer festival at my site (11 PM GST). This is how the night concluded, with traditional dancing performed by locals next to the river and the German version of a laser light show. Four germans performed last night. The other dozen along with some Londoners will perform in a circus today. After Graham saw it in Jerada two days ago, he says it pales in comparison to the Shriners circus that my grandfather helped with for so many years.

Congratulations Jay. (pictured with his and wife Sonia's daughter Leah).

Mr. Caffeine Comeback

I’ve been on a caffeine roller-coaster for the last 5 months. It's been all jagged and kicks you around like that ride made out of pallet wood at Worlds of Fun, The Timberwolf. Tea at least five times a day, mixed in sometimes with a couple cokes (my moroccan champagne). My energy level fluctuates so much from my glucose intake that I’m afraid I’d be diabetic if I continued this way for several more years. Of interest, the diabetes rate in Morocco has jumped since better testing has been implemented. Here’s a breakdown of my daily schedule while I’m still living with a host family.

8:00 Breakfast and tea
8:30 Environment work in site (generally just talking with local residents)
10:00 Tea
10:30 Work on preparations for regional EE workshop in August
12:30 Lunch and tea
1:00 Nap
2:00 Study arabic
4:00 Tea
4:30 Study arabic
7:00 World Cup soccer, tea, and popcorn
10:00 Dinner and tea
11:00 Bedtime

On the previous, nap-time fluctuates. In many places, the streets are barren between the hours of noon to 2 or 3 because of the afternoon siesta. I wish we could incorporate this in America.
With soccer throughout the month of June, I was busy drinking tea and chowing on popcorn and peanuts (although I will always prefer the arabic word cow-cow). And sometimes, there were as many as 3 games in a day, which led to more gluttony at my neighbors house.

Related, I have to tell you about how moroccans have accessed the World Cup. Everyone that I have seen and all that I can imagine besides the rich bypass paying for the games by getting the password for unlocking the games off the internet from internet sites like “Pirate Booty.” Like imitation clothes or pirated CDs and DVDs, this exists in Morocco because of its poverty. Without these alternatives, many moroccans would have to go without.
Returning to my tea intake, its about lunchtime and I’m zapped. I need more sugar.

P.S. With the World Cup final between Italy and France tonight, I’m cheering for Italy. I’m acrimonious towards the France government right now; their colonization of Morocco until 1956 did bring some modernity towards Morocco, but their gains from exploiting the state were more then the costs. I’ll detail the exploits of the coal mining town of Jerada in a later post, its just too long for here. The short story is the same as others in the world; they came, they exploited the natural resources and filled their pockets, and left.

Moreover, I’m disgusted by the manner in which I see many European tourists acting here, insensitive towards culture norms like dress and cultural behavior. As one college professor told me before traveling, “When you’re abroad, act like your an ambassador. Everything you do reflects on your country.”

To clarify, I’m not lumping together French and other Europeans that travel to Morocco as callous individuals. Furthermore, americans have their own problems abroad; the term ugly american comes from our travel exploits. I have met some wonderful individuals. It’s very easy to be cynical in a developing country where development is so slow. They didn’t tell me when I signed up that one of my main responsibilities while I’m here is not to become jaded.

Nice trunks Yosshine

Here's my brother Yosshine being led by his brother and sister to the watering hole where we swim and and I shampoo my hair. At least 5 times a day I get asked by the neighborhoold kids to go to this swimming hole, which I documented in an earlier entry, and it is for the most part a daily affair, particularly in this heat. What a blessing to have several water sources this summer. Later, I'll document the heat wave that will surely hit us in the coming months. Oh, a/c my frosty friend, where have you gone?

Never without a hanut

In my site, I have half a dozen hanuts to chose from, a convenience store that meets the needs of town residents when souk (weekly market) has passed or when somethings needed in a pinch. This hanut owner is my coke dealer. He feeds my addiction. A bottle of coca-cola is 4 dhm or 50 cents. On the environment, I’m pleased with how soda pop is distributed in Morocco. You buy a glass bottle, the same as what we once had in the states, you drink your beverage at site, then leave behind your bottle, will it be recycled later (cleaned and relabeled) and used again. Although the amount of plastic you can buy is ever increasing, I hope this continues to be a mainstay here. It just makes sense.

Before the storm

I've decided my favorite place before a storm is in a wheat field. Everything seems to slow down while the wind blows across the wheat, the wildlife quiets, people hustle to their houses, the rain begins slowly, and everything falls between chaos and calm.

Farm animals

My mother expresssed concern about the scorpion photo I posted previously, in accordance with the bylaws of motherhood, so I wanted to warn her before her trip over next year about other wildlife I’ve seen in the area. Here’re some photos. Don’t worry Mother, but pack your boots.

Sunset at Saida

Another reason to vacation in Morocco, the beach at the town of Saida. And its just 2 hours away, due north. Its supposed to have one of the best beach locations in the Mediterranean.