King James VI

This is recent mail I received from Ryan, another volunteer in country. I'm a little surprised I didn't hear about it from my postmaster or someone in the government. Although not intended to be a slight on the King, I can see how it could be misinterpreted. Anyways, I thought it was quite funny and so did my neighbors.

Lazy Summer Days Intensified

I’m in the midst of the busiest time of my service. Here's my current schedule.

Environmental Education Programming
-Summer Booth: make sure there’s enough handouts, etc
-Club: advertise
-Mural: no funding yet, delay project till spring

Vetiver Wastewater Management Project
-Approval to lay 6-8 rows of vetiver/rock barriers through mile long polluted stream.
-Concerned about vetiver runoff in flood, no soil to grow in. Not a big issue
-Secure rocks with chain link, vetiver in barrels

Tree Planting
-Fall at school (small #), Spring in community (5000)
-Need to map houses, allot tree amounts (work with Hamada)
-Wanting olive, almond, and fruit trees

Rosemary and Cheese Co-ops
-Talk with Kareem about cheese factory products marketing, design, and advertising
-Holland NGO Human Force has begun marketing, Talk with them.
-Rosemary- 20k hectares up for sale and no buyer. Need interest from someone locally- then will start project
-Get Paula info and photos of new rosemary building and schedule tentative date for her visit.

Ecotourism
-Create potential plan and itinerary for Summer 08
-Give to Mo to revise, translate to French
-Give to association to act on

Artisans
-Found artisans in town; talk to them about assisting and connect with Kareem.

Toilet project
-Plans drawn for mosque toilet, need to implement
-Push septic design, but probably settle for raised latrine
-Stress seriousness of shallow water table

GPS Training Followup
-Give new MapInfo to EF tech's and answer ?s.

Zimbabwe Hut
-Write grant, gather materials, and start project with Hassan after Ramadan.

SIBE EE posters
-Gather gazelle materials and discuss with Justin.

Plant survey of Gafait
-Photos gathered, consolidate into book with FileMaker, and present to EF.

The Dogs Bark...

Whew... I’ve been away from this blog for some time. Regular posting ended in mid April. I have a list of excuses I think I could make; work, no computer until recently, several visits from parents and friends, etc but overall, I’ve just felt apathy towards writing of late. Indolence is my real reason, mixed with a desire to do something else. Take a walk, cook, clean (hard to believe, yes!) drink tea, read, or swim. Mostly anything but sitting in front of a computer and typing, or watching movies, or wondering how three Journey songs arrived in my iTunes playlist “25 most played.”

In the time between nice, cool Spring to scorched earth Summer, life has been busy and full. Fulfilling now belies a heat induced slow August.

An old Arabic proverb says “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on." Well, life continues to be a series of forward motions. And to live each day new, not returning to the past or obsessing over the future is a life lived well. And to hear similar words echoed recently by the great radio host Diane Rehm on a broadcast and by my Grandma Ocie in a phone conversation can lead me to fall in love with those two women all over again.

(Photo is of the straight road to Figuig).

Quote of the Week

"As a poet I hold the most archaic values on earth.They go back to the Neolithic: the fertility of the soil, the magic of animals, the power-vision in solitude, the terrifying initiation and rebirth, the love and ecstasy of the dance, the common work of the tribe."
-poet Gary Snider

Snider has an interesting story. He started out as one of the Beat writers of the 1950s in San Fransico, then left in '56 and went to Japan where he spent the next twelve years in a monastery, studying Buddhism.

I've haven't posted anything for over a month. Sorry, I've been extremely busy, maybe becoming a little schizophrenic from work. For the most part, I enjoy the energy that comes from multitasking in the states; doing several jobs at once and getting more work done. Resources and materials are more readily available, transportation is easy, and a protestant work ethic means people better understand a busy face. Multitasking does not transfer to Morocco as easily, but maybe its better. We work too much and don't allow ourselves to enjoy life daily. I believe it was Heinrich Heine who said that he thought a blaspheming Frenchman was a more pleasant object to God than a praying Englishman.

People here do a good job of living in the moment, this coming in most part from a fatalistic paradigm. I need to absorb more of the latter. I'll post more shortly.

Gafait

Quote of the week

"It is not growing like a tree
in bulk, doth make man better be,
or standing long an oak, three hundred year,
to fall a log at last, dry, bald and sere:
a lily of a day,
is fairer far in May,
although it fall and die that night;
it was the plant and flower of light.
In small proportions we just beauties see,
and in short measures, life may perfect be."

-poet Benjamin Jonson

Quote of the week

“Without realizing it, the individual composes his life according to the laws of beauty even in times of greatest distress.”

-Czech author Milan Kundera, who is too easy to quote. Some more:

“Happiness is the longing for repetition.”
“The sound of laughter is like the vaulted dome of a temple of happiness.”
“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.”
“Metaphors are dangerous. Love begins with a metaphor. Which is to say, love begins at the point when a woman enters her first word into our poetic memory.”

Kundera's metaphors are beautiful and his existentialism shines throughout his writing.

(Note: New photos under "my photos.")

Another Strike

We're stuck in Figuig as of this moment following the language camp because of another transit strike brought on by the introduction of a traffic bill in parliament. Of note from the papers:

"The bill, which introduces a point-record driving license system, breath analyzing tests and fines up to USD 350, in addition to the incrimination of some infractions especially in serious injuries and death cases, has sparked off much debate in parliament circles as well as the uproar of several transport trade unions, who started, on Monday, a 48-hour strike."

And that strike still continues; the bill's future unresolved. If implemented, the point system would allow authorities to take away the license of poor drivers who have been in accidents, fined, etc in rank order. Critics say it will lead to corruption and that it threatens large single income families where the lone breadwinner is a transit driver. From another source,

"Faced with the unavailability of taxis and buses, travellers in both urban and rural areas have been paying exorbitant prices for non approved carriers. According to managers in the key ports of Casablanca and Kenitra, the lack of lorries is delaying the delivery of goods. The prices of vegetables, fruit and basic foodstuffs have risen steadily and many observers feel the situation could worsen over the next few days...

El Bouzid Khallouf, who is in his fifties and owns a lorry, thinks this new law will have to be revised before it can be adopted. "This move to take away drivers’ licences is only likely to encourage even more corruption. We don’t want to be bribing the police and traffic officers to be able to drive around in peace." Yassine, a Casablanca taxi driver, feels that confiscating driving licences poses a real threat to the profession. "Given the mediocre earnings we receive each month, we refuse to be deprived of our licences every now and then for mistakes we rarely, if ever, make...

While waiting for a solution to the conflict, unionists say they are prepared to continue the strike until they get their message across. In their view, the fight against road traffic accidents should be directed not at repressing drivers, but at raising traffic control standards and improving the social and pay conditions for those working in the transport sector.

Transport Minister Karim Ghellab insisted that he will not give in to what he termed as blackmail. He stated that his aim is to make the roads safer by reducing the "slaughter" taking place on Morocco’s highways."

By slaughter, he's referring to this

"Morocco is among the worst countries in terms of road safety, as 10 people are killed every day and USD 1.3 billion lost every year.

Last year, road accidents claimed 3,622 lives, i.e. a 4.17% increase compared to 2005. Some 56,426 accidents were recorded during the same period, that is a 5.22% increase compared to the previous year."

I've always thought the greatest security risk in Morocco is transportation. It seems like the government is trying to reduce that risk, but I can understand where transit workers are coming from. They're stubborn because of the risk associated with change.

The Prophet's Birthday

We came upon this scene last Sunday evening in Figuig after our first day of class. To celebrate the birthday of Mohammed, local tradition in Figuig is for a man to dress up and march through the streets. As far as know, he represents a bad spirit of sorts. Children were walking with him, taunting him, and throwing firecrackers throughout the city, but not in his direction. This same event happens in the Middle Atlas Mountains and other places with Berbers during Eid Kabir. However, unlike there, this man was not chasing after scared children with a stick. Additionally, I've been told that the Tamazirt language is different here.

Figuig's a very intriguing place to say the least. Camp has been a great experience and has just concluded today, hamdullah. It's nice to meet and greet campers and have them be thankful for the experience, but a week with 100 high school aged students is a long week. I have a few stories to tell and like the postponed writings of last months Sahara trip, I'll put them up soon.

Figuig- SE Morocco

I visited the water and forest department in Figuig yesterday to look at their info kiosks and provide input on ways to fill the interior of an empty building. While there, I looked at one of the maps of the local reserve and thought the geopolitics of Figuig's placement next to Algeria quite entertaining. When sitting on the beach in Saida, we're often amused to look at Algerians swimming in the next beach over, seperated by flags and border guards. Saida, however, has nothing on Algeria. After the border was closed in 1994, those unfortunate family members or friends living just East of Figuig (approximately 2 km) were seperated from their loved ones. When asked what improvements they would like made in the community, many residents first response is an open border. In the meantime, some will cross the border illegally at night, just like those petrol barons I know up North.

The Coal Wagons A Coming

There's 3 new signs like this posted in Jerada representing a donkey or mule drawn wagon. In close proximity to most cities and towns, vehicles share road space with wagons transporting souk goods, produce, etc. In Jerada, however, most wagons are carrying coal from the remains of the French turned Moroccan mines closed two decades ago, with drivers' faces and clothing blackened. They're transporting the coal outside of town, where a full load can fetch 500 Dhms. Therefore, these signs for me memoralize those men with charred faces.

Quote of the Week

"I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs. I think he would be appalled, actually."

-2008 presidentail candidate John Edwards in a recent interview. Edwards seems to be running an updated, populist campaign based on admitting mistakes, promoting universal healthcare, and making U.S. poverty a platform issue. Some might call it brave or gutsy and its sad to think such things would be considered so.

At the End of the Road

Excuse my Arabic or your possible word association, but I'm currently "fuq Fuigig" (on top of Figuig) or "on top of the world" in world's fair Americana. I'm in the southeast corner of Morocco in Figuig, population 16,000, 2 km away on three sides from the Algerian border, and 100 km from the closest Moroccan town. It's geopolitically a border pimple, a town that sustains itself from the governments desire to mark its boundaries with neighboring rival Algeria. Its also a tourist haven (particularly with the French) for its date palmaries and desert feel. Before air travel, it was the last stop in Morocco for those faithful making the long pilgrimage to Mecca.

The weathers beautiful here, an improvement from the wind, wind, and rain of the last two weeks up North that kept blowing over the bamboo fence in my yard. I'm here in Figuig for the next 8 days for an English training camp with a couple other volunteers and Moroccan staff. Starting tommorrow, we're expecting around 100 campers from the region, with a daily schedule from 7 AM exercises to 10 pm clubs and activities. When questioned about the feasibility of a 15 hour day supervising high school age students, the local delegate responded "but this is Figuig, people only sleep for 3 hours here." Yes, three hours in the summer heat with car horns annoucing local weddings, but not in other seasons. Otherwise, these Figuigi's are to be praised for bringing the big top to this isolated nest. Furthermore, after subtracting 3 hours for lunch and 2 for tea breaks, the schedule was looking more manageable. And coordinating instructions in English instead of caveman Arabic should be a welcome relief.

My English classes will be environmentally theme based and with students rotating, we'll be talking about soils, water systems, plants, animals, and ecosystems over the next week. I'll try to keep you all informed.

UPDATE: When I say "caveman Arabic," I'm referring to how I speak the language; it's not a reference to the language. Arabic is a beautiful and rich language. It's easy to be misinterpreted in the Near East-West relationship, especially when perceptions masquerade as understanding. To say "I watch Al Jazeera (or Al Jazeera English) or Fox News and I know the truth" is to be dubed. To say "I see scantily clad American women or those fully covered on the TV and know what's best" is to be naive.. or worse.

Yeserday while putting up a welcome banner at the Figuig youth center, a student walked up to me and asked me about the star that took the place of the 'O' in the blue lettered 'Welcome.'

"Is that blue star the Moroccan star?" (The one featured in the Moroccan flag is green).
"No.. maybe.. it's just a star."
"Is it the star of Israel?"
"No, no. It's not Israeli just because it's blue."

Israeli's don't own blue stars and Moroccans green ones.

Quote of the Week

“The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid 'dens of crime' that Dickens loved to paint . . . it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clear, carpeted, warmed, and well-lighted offices by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voice.”

C. S. Lewis in “The Screwtape Letters”

Strike Strike Strike

It’s been a strange week. Last Friday, I took a day trip to Oujda to meet with a consultant from CARE France (a branch of the large US NGO) about water systems, specifically wastewater management in Gafait. It was a productive meeting, although we ultimately didn’t connect because he was looking for an infrastructure project. Gafait’s water system was too developed. We were able to dive into other topics including his experiences from 20+ years in development work in Rwanda, Sudan, Kenya, Israel, etc.

After returning to Jerada and staying for Sunday souk, I got stuck there because of a national transit strike that still continues five days later. After 48 hours of strike, they extended it for another 72 on Tuesday. Yesterday, all regions of Morocco west of Taza had ended reach an agreement, ending the strike. The Orient region continues to protest, so I’m left in limbo.

I’ve been told that the transit workers striked to reduce fines, increase wages, and repeal a new “Road Code” bill that would require stricter safety standards. Several years ago, grand taxi drivers went on strike when the government tried to reduce their passenger limit from six to four. They perservered and continue to squeeze six.

So, I’ve been staying with Kareem this week, spending my time at the cafe, cyber and the parks department. I’ve also filled time by filling out my NCAA bracket. Notables: I have Michigan State and Crieghton in the Sweet 16; Texas, Louisville, Florida, and Kansas in the Final Four, and Florida repeating.

In all, Morocco normally operates at 80% for me. When I go into the cyber to use a computer, something inevitable doesn’t work like the mouse, buttons are stuck, or the W key is missing. Overall, the product works satisfactory as does the country. This week, that 80% feels like its been halved. In addition to no transport, the area was without internet connection for four days and power for two.

In hindsight, I could have hitched a ride at the beginning of the week back to site. However, we’re wanting (and still hedging) to go to Fes this weekend and I felt that I would have more trouble exiting Gafait then I would the much larger Jerada. Unlike many parts of Africa, Morocco does have good, reliable transportation (ie the train). But like any public transportation, you’re at the mercy of the providers.

Favorite Books

March marks a year for me in Morocco and a years worth of completed books. With little entertainment and lots of time on my hands, I was able to check a lot off the list. My parents sent over 30 lbs of classics I had stashed away pre-departure in August and they’ll be bringing more this Summer- after my brother collects on a list of Dover Thrifts.

In country, our library is fairly vast when combined with the regional swap shop we’ve established, and Graham has a nice library if you exclude his Tom Clancy and Co. grocery store collection. Also, books are collateral here; “I’ll trade you my ‘Crime and Punishment’ for ‘Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood’ (which was excellent) and that Bill Bryson book.”

That said, here’s the top five books I’ve read in the last year.

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
I read this before later reading her pulitizer prize winning “Interperter of Maladies.” I thought this was a better book and showcases the talent of Indian writers (like V.S Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, Rohinton Mistry, etc) when writing about issues like imigration, colonialism, diversity, and religion.

The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
This book came to me with a brown paper book jacket hiding the title and name. It’s unlikely that anyone near me would now recognize the author or his infamous book, which earned him a fatwa from Ayotollah Khomeini in 1989, but was rescinded several years ago. In all, Rushdie is a brilliant writer. His writing, which has been referred to as pidgin English, combined with his understanding of multiculturalism, makes for great lyrical prose.

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
A pulitizer prize winning novel about a transsexual’s upbringing.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Always a recognized book for me with its cover design of Atlas, this book really peaked my interest when I saw this top 100 list of novels comparing books chosen by a publishers board with those of its readers. While Ayn Rand dominated the reader’s list, she wasn’t mentioned in the boards list. Probably less of a snub, more an egotists exaggeration, its still an excellent read for understanding the philosophy of objectivism, a religion onto itself.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
A great satirical novel about the Devil visiting Moscow in the 30s. Also, an indictment of Stalinist Russia. However, it ranks below my favorites from fellow countrymen Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov written the century before.

Wild Fox Onions

These are abundant in the Orient region and we tried them once in the survivalist mentality that if we were starving, would it sustain us? No, they're almost inedible. Maybe that's why there's so ubiquitous.

UPDATE: I thought this was a pig onion, but I stand corrected. Related, I have only see 1 fox in country, down South, but have heard many incidents of wild boars in the Orient. Near Jerada, they shoot them while they're trapped in Gafait. Both actions are illegal.

Camels and Donkeys

My niece Elizabeth asked a couple months ago if I had ridden a donkey or camel. I have ridden donkeys several times, but the Sahara trip was my first camel experience. Camels are a strange looking creature, they're skinny legs with large soft, padded feet to the ugliest tail that I've ever seen. However, every physical feature seems to have a necessary purpose, especially in the rugged Sahara. Down South they sell camel meat as a delicacy, often throwing in a hunk of hump, which is white like cheese and pure fat.

One of the more remarkable scenes on my last trip was seeing camel backed tourists in the Sahara hauling snow skis, which we're used for sand skiing juxtaposed with donkeys being used as transit on the ski slopes near Marrakesh to get from one lift to another.

Quote of the Week

"History says, don't hope on this side of the grave. But then, once in a lifetime the longed for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme."

-author Seamus Heaney, from "The Cure at Troy"

Sahara Trip

Blah blah blogger

Blogger is slow for some reason right now, so I'll spin yarn on my recent trip next week. It was fantastic and deserves a worthy report. I'm now back home in the East, safe and comfortable. Here's a photo from the Sahara; a teaser in the worst form.

Quote of the Week

"Ideas are mallable and unstable; they not only can be misused, they invite misuse---and the better the idea the more volatile it is. That's because only the better ideas turn into dogma, and it is by this process whereby a fresh, stimulating, humanly helpful idea is changed into robot dogma that is deadly. The problem starts at the secondary level, not with the originator or developer of the idea, but with the people who are attracted to it, until the last nail breaks, and who invariably lack the overview, flexibility, imagination, and, most importantly, sense of humor to maintain it in the spirit in which it was hatched. Ideas are made by masters, dogmas by disciples, and the Buddha is always killed on the road." -author Tom Robbins

Sahara bound

I'm now on day 4 of a Sahara to Toubkal trip, or from desert to snow. Its a strange contrast and its too bad my friends and I wont have time to tack on surfing on the Atlantic coast. More to report later, but southern Morocco, ignoring the 130 F heat in the Summer, is a wonderful place.

Bab Sidi Abd El Wahhab in Oujda

This is the everyday souk in Oujda from where I get all my extras. You want lettuce, a special type of cheese, or the new Windows Vista for $2 (I thought I heard it couldnt be pirated), they have it here. Europe and Algeria contraband are abundant, with many sellers setting up on the sidewalks.

French companions

Here's the Frenchies from Oujda that we've known since arriving. One's a development volunteer, another works at the French Institute, and the other two are teachers at a business college. (L to R) Marie, Anne, Cédric, and Vincent. The guys introduced us to spear-fishing and most of the equipment we use is theirs. Their English is good and we get along very well, particularly if you follow the old Clintonism that our similiarities are greater than our differences. More than that, they are trusted friends.

Quote for the Week

"All day long the trains run on rails. Eclipses are predictable. Penicillin cures pneumonia and the atom splits to order. All day long year in year out the daylight explanation drives back the mystery and reveals a reality usable, understandable and detached. The scalpel and the microscope fail. The oscilloscope moves closer to behaviour.

"But then, all day long action is weighed in the balance and found not opportune nor fortunate nor ill-advised but good or evil. For this mode which we call the spirit breathes through the universe and does not touch it: touches only the dark things held prisoner, incommunicado, touches, judges, sentences and passes on. Both worlds are real. There is no bridge."

Author William Golding, Nobel Lecture 1983

Reason #10 Hassan II

The Hassan II Mosaue is located in Casablanca. The facts: 2nd largest in the world, holds 25,000 with another 80,000 in the courtyard, and has the worlds largest minaret.

Photo taken by Nate St. Amand

Frozen laundry

I’ve been receiving photos of snow in the midwest; sorry, none of that nasty stuff here, just a few days of frosts. These clothes were left overnight. On laundry days, I like to take a water basin to my terrace in the morning and allow the sun to warm the water during the day. In late afternoon, I handscrub and then hang clothes overnight. Everything is normally dry by the following morning.

Mhmm... hamburgers

Houman after 8 hamburgers at Mickey’s Burger (Disney theme) in Agadir in December at inservice training for 45 PCVs. Too cheap, too disorganized, or too assimilated to dine out or go to the clubs, this was our main activity on the 4th night at training. 6 contestants, all you can eat hamburger contest. The winner ate 10, my roommate Houman was runner-up. I know he would have won if the stakes had been doubled. He suggested a post-competition foot-race back to the hotel for medalists. In fact, he was passed out in the room 45 mins later, a victim of a drunken hamburger stupor. (Note, Houman, a Chicago native, has been my roommate at every training session: stateside in Philadelphia, in Rabat, and Agadir. We have 2 left. It’s too bad I can’t see him more often. He’s on the western coast in the Essouaira region).

Quote of the Week

"So hard at best is the lot of man, and so great is the beauty he can apprehend, that only a religious conception of things can take in the extremes and meet the case. Our lifetimes have seen the opening of abysses before which the mind quails. But it seems to me there are a few things everyone can humbly try to hold onto: love and mercy (and humor) in day-to-day living; the quest for exact truth in language and affairs of the intellect; self-recollection or prayer; and the peace, the composed energy of art,"
-poet Robert Fitzgerald


-I've tried to post more photos, but blogger is being difficult. Or maybe it's the fact that its noon here and America is finally waking up for the day, checking the market in New York, tuning into YouTube in suburbia, and slowing down my connection. I don't know if there's any correlation, but internet is always faster here when the U.S. is sleeping.

The Larger Audience, Part I

On Dec. 31, we celebrated Eid Kbear (or Eid al-Adha in classical arabic). The following week was spent gorging on slaughtered sheep in such excess that I’ve grudging gained the winter weight (‘eskimo fat’ for Suzy)- that 10 lbs that makes the cold a little more comfortable. Fortunately, I had the same problem following Ramadan and lost the weight soon after. Also like Ramadan, Eid was an excellent time to visit neighbors and friends. These were good visits, but uncomfortable at times following the execution of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. In general, the execution of a former Arab leader on the holiest of days in the Muslim world (In Iraq, Eid al-Adha was celebrated on Sat., Dec 30th for Shiites, on Sun. for Sunnis) makes for interesting conversation.

Executed on Sat. at dawn, Al Jazeera and other Arab networks followed with continuous video of the pre-hanging that was recorded via mobile phone and the outrage amongst the Islamic community afterwords. Sat. night I watched Al Jazeera coverage with my family, who were sad, not angry. My mother cried while watching the video and I asked her what she thought. I told her he had killed more than half a million of their own people, fellow Muslims. She responded, “this might be true, but he’s still human. This is L’Eid. This is hram (forbidden). Mskin (poor guy).” I thought that was as poignant as Nietzsche's words, "he who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster.”

Approached by many people in my community who wanted to talk about the news event, this was the general sentiment. And that’s where I think any political good that could have come out of the execution was lost.

I heard a pundit on a podcast days weeks ago state “what is the story? Is it that Hussein was made to appear dignified in death while the executioners, interim govt and foreign govts were disrespectful? I don’t understand, what is the story?” A roundtable of pundits then responded with conforming or contrasting views, but all missing the major point.

The bitter story is that it was done on Islam’s holiest day and served vengeance more than justice. The executions timetable showed wide disrespect to a religion and culture that the western world needs desperately to understand better. Furthermore, although later reports confirmed that the Iraqi govt ignored U.S. officials strong attempts to postpone the hanging, I’ve heard many times “America is responsible for this. If they wanted to stop it, they could of.” The same sentiments were expressed during the most recent Israeli-Lebanon conflict. Although not the criminal, we’re seen as accomplices.

The crux of my argument is that in haste to fight terrorism, the U.S. and its allies risk alienating the larger Islamic community and at worst, forcing some into the arms of extremists. Members of the current Muslim majority that is ambivalent or benevolent to the Western world, like most all Moroccans, could turn against the West if they feel slighted or threatened. This is a matter that gets little press. Knowing the diversity (-divisions) within Islam is the sine qua non to understanding the future of Islamic-West relations.

To be continued...

Quote of the Week

'There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false; it can be both true and false.' -nobel laureate Harold Pinter

Reason #9 The Sahara

Southeast Morocco is the doorway to the world’s largest desert, the formidable Sahara. The desert town of Merzouga and its surrounding landscape (pictured here) are some of the country’s only sand dunes. I’m planning on taking a trip down there with some friends next month.

(Photos courtesy of Vincent)

Suchmuch things

-The dogs in my site have been quite for a couple months now; not chasing me in the fields or getting the farm animals all excited midnight with their barking. I asked my neighbor about it two weeks week and he turned red with anger. Apparently, a neighbor down the street, a Moroccan emigrant to Spain who was back on vacation, had laid out poisoned meat, killing off nearly a half dozen dogs, including his own. Well, that’s too bad I thought.

-I grew out a mustache this last month in anticipation of a disco trip, later canceled. It was dismal and fortuna will save you from viewing any photos of it.

-I’ve received a new Trek bike from Peace Corps. It really helps with the job. Also, I’ve been riding it along the thousands of footpaths that crisscross throughout Gafait.

-With the cold, I’ve been drinking a lot of tea at home. My concoction: tea milk or honey milk. The previous makes me nostalgic for the free bar at Starbucks.

-Superbowl prediction: Colts 21, Bears 17. With no favorite, I think both teams and cities are deserving victors. My poor Chiefs, I feel they’re destined for mediocrity +1 for several years to come.

-While currently trying to juggle several development projects, I’ve learned the double meaning of inshallah, which translated as “god willing” can also mean “don’t count on it.”

-Three weeks ago, about 200 people (mostly young men) from my site protested an attempted raise of 3 dhms in taxi fare (from 7 to 10 dhms) for the Gafait-Jerada transit by marching to Jerada, a distance of 24 km. I heard from several people that they walked most of the route before being stopped and turned around by police. Upon his return, my host brother was referring to himself as Che Guevara and describing “his revolucion.” Oh yes, and I’ll be Che’s white reporter, Pan Blanco (the name “white bread” was given to a French reporter that followed Che around in S. America like Sancho Panza).

5-6 Gafait men from Gafait serve as taxi drivers, shuttling around 50 locals back and forth to the souk town. This increases in the Summer tourist season, but these men make little- 42 dirhams a trip. At the end of the day, their take home is probably 100 dhms. Taxis are supplied by the government, but they service them.

No thanks Shell, I prefer Algeria

A short note about petroleum on the Algerian border. From the closed border to probably 100 miles in, one sees scenes like that pictured above on the highway and side-roads; men selling gasoline and diesel smuggled from Algeria. Most are diesel sales going to taxi drivers in their 1985 280SL Mercedes Benz. (Ahh.. I’ll forever have a sweet spot for that model, never forgetting the interior decor or that hog under the hood).

Smugglers bring petro across the border in 20 gallon tanks, often packed 30-50 deep in the back of a van. They then distribute the tanks in some fashion to middlemen on the eastern front. It then sells for anywhere between 5-7 dhms a litter. At Shell stations, it sellss for 10 dhms a litter.

A volunteer before us had a funny story of hitching a ride with smugglers. He was unable to get a ride by other means to a nearby town, so flagged down two men in a van and got up front with them, greeting the smell of liquid explosive that was in the rear. He said the men were in good spirits and it was an eventful trip with them singing, dancing, and smoking.

Mountain Man in Lalla Shafia

A month ago Graham and I hiked a small mountain with the parks dept. in SIBE Lalla Shafia for observation. As they knew and we were introduced to, a hermit lived in a cave near the top. The elderly man lives by himself back into the cave, and has arranged a nice place for himself with rooms, kitchen, and toilet. It’s image would make a 10 year old jealous, while an adult might think “nice camping.” I thought about bats and rabies. I read a report earlier that bats spread the virus silently; painlessly and without visible detection. And after 72 hours of going undetected, it’s terminal. With this, I tightened my scarf and encouraged Graham to take his jacket off.

I would have liked to take pictures of his abode, but thought better of it after a technician was yelled at when he brought out his camera lens. The photos were taking at an elevation of 1500 meters.

Quote of the Week

“Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use.” -Emily Post

Reason #8 Marrakech

Ahh..Marrakech. A city that for me is best in small doses. Some tourists go and say, "now, this is what I think about when I think of Morocco." They romanticize the country, and Marrakech represents those perceived images better than any other place in the country. It is a nice place though and probably a must stop when making the loop.

Quote of the Week

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time."
-Leo Tolstoy

Mabrouk El Eid!

L’eid Kbear concluded on Sunday, but the family gatherings and sheep eating continue. On Sunday morning, there was prayer from 8-9 AM, then the slaughtering of the rams. The families in the area always follow the Imam, who is first to perform the ritual sacrifice. After the animals neck is slit, he is hung and stripped of his hair, organs, head, and hooves. Then, the carcass hangs for a day to allow the blood to collect.

It was a new experience for me; seeing surrounding families slaughtering animals simultaneously. We rarely are as intimate with the killing of our meals in the west; its closed off in large, windowless processing plants and has just become another manufacturing process.

We ate throughout the day on Sunday; meals of liver and heart wrapped in fat, along with the hooves, intestines, testicles, and head. Everything tasted fine, but its probably better to do the blind taste test with somethings. In addition to eating, most spent the day gathering with family and dressing up and visiting friends and neighbors.

Got to go..will post more about the holiday next week. Happy New Years!

Reason #7 Cape de Touches

Visited the edge of this penisula on the Mediterranean called Cape de Touches twice, where one has to check in and give their passport to military guards at a lighthouse, then is free to camp on the beach or in the grass. We go spearfishing here. This photo is looking at a small settlement of houses on the waters edge.

Quote of the Week

A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.
-Garrison Keillor

To each his own holiday

Happy Holidays! Hope it’s a joyous one. While Christmas lights, last minute shopping and midnight mass are the landscape in the states today, Morocco prepares for its own holiday. With the Islamic holiday L’eid Kabir approaching on Jan. 1, its only major indicator (visible to me) of its arrival is the caravans of rams on the side of the roads outside of major cities like Oujda.

L’eid Kabir celebrates Abraham’s sacrificing of a lamb instead of his son. On the morning of L’eid, each family commences in slaughtering a ram. In my village, most families bought a ram months ago, using the intervening months to fatten it up, However, in major cities where people live in close quarters and don’t have room to shepherd a ram, they buy theirs from dealers outside of town.

This will be my first L’eid Kabir. I expect it to be somewhat like Ramadan minus the fasting and over a shorter time span, but with those essential, successful ingredients of any holiday; family, food, and celebration.

Xmas gifts

Surprise! Here’s my Christmas gifts for the women in my family (Clockwise from top right- Elizabeth and Ava, Grandmas (silk tablecloths), Mom, and Anna and Jenni). Tucked away in my bedroom because I’m too cheap to pay the shipping charges, they’ll hopefully be delivered to you after my parent’s visit. I bought these in August at an artisan fair sponsored by some peace corps volunteers, a place where I knew I wouldn’t get tarred and feathered haggling over 10 dhms. Note, often the best I hope for when buying non-essentials from a tourist medina in Fes, Marrakech, etc is that both of us, the seller and me the buyer will leave the deal resentful. He’ll be angry that he didn’t fleece me more and I’ll be upset because I’m not a tourist, but I didn’t get the local rate.

For whatever reason, I didn’t get gifts yet for the men. And I don’t have gifts for extended family and friends, although you all are not forgotten. I’ll have something for you in the end.

Reason #6 Agadir

Quote of the Week

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

-poet T.S. Elliot

Reason #5 Sibe Chekar

Sibe Chekar in Jerada, 1 of the 2 national reserves that I work in. Maybe it would only be of interest to people that visit me, but the pollution released from the power plant in nearby Jerada makes for beautiful sunsets.

I'm still currently in Agadir at training, right next to a beach on the Atlantic Ocean. It's turned out to be a nice vacation wrapped into a finals week nestled into a class reunion- so its a little chaotic and tiring. Sessions from 8-6 and then a nightly football game on the beach till 9 PM. We'll be done on Sunday. Maybe we'll have to time to go surfing again. We surfed last Sunday for four hours; my first experience on a surf board. Lots of fun, very difficult. I'll have photos later.

Vacation in Agadir

I'm headed down southwest tomorrow to the coastal city of Agadir for a week of inservice training. It takes 3 days to get there, 3 to get back so I look forward to a nice vacation. I hope to get some guidance on several projects I'm working, instructions on a new environmental education curriculum, and get a medical checkup.

I will also find the time to socialize. Above is a photo of Graham at the disco in Ouarazate in May, below is me in a too tight wet suit, a gift from Josh, who just traded up for the full body outfit. If not in Agadir, we're planning on surfing in Essouaria on Saturday. I'll try to fill everyone in on the details. Not much to report in the last months, but a lot on my mind.

Reason #4 Taza National Park

The 3rd largest cave in Africa, largest in North Africa is located outside of Taza.

Quote of the Week

“Death is always on the way, but the fact that you don’t know when it will arrive seems to take away from the finiteness of life. It’s that terrible precision that we hate so much. But because we don’t know, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens only a certain number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that’s so deeply a part of your being that you can’t even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless.”

From “The Sheltering Sky” by Paul Bowles

Reason #3 The King's Parades

Parades for the visiting King Mohammed VI are like a Macy's Parade, minus the inflatable commercialism. Crowds lineup for miles in each city he visits; the governement even buses people in sometimes. I've seen the setup twice in Oujda. They started cleaning up the streets, fixing potholes, planting new palm trees, and laying guardrails a week before he came. And the Moroccan national flag was draped everywhere. This is a photo taken by PCV Lindsey Ludwig from a Fes hotel room.

Quote of the Week

"I remember when I was in university I studied history, and there was this one major historian of the Third Reich, Ian Kershaw. And his quote was, 'The path to Auschwitz was paved with indifference.' I know it's not very funny being a comedian talking about the Holocaust, but I think it's an interesting idea that not everyone in Germany had to be a raving anti-Semite. They just had to be apathetic." (From the latest Rolling Stone interview with Sacha Baron Cohen).

(UPDATE: After reflection, I'd say the best movie about the Holocaust is the Italian comedy "Life is Beautiful.")

Reason #2 Rabat

Downtown in the capital city of Rabat.