Holiday Wishes to each of you!

Hello everyone, and Happy Holidays!!

I've been getting private emails from multiple people about the frequency of my updates, so let me first say that I apologize. As you already know, I'm in the Peace Corps with little access to the internet, and when I actually get a chance to hit the internet (like this) it's slower than dialup. Believe me that I have a ton of pictures that just need to be transferred to digital format, and once that is finished than you will all be the first to read them. So with that being said, here's a few words on my experiences over the last month...

The swearing in ceremony was set at a beautiful Kenzi Hotel there in Ouarzazate. The governor of Ouarzazate, along with the US Ambassador to Morocco were both in attendence. In addition to this, all our host familes from each of our individual sites were present. After raising my right-hand and swearing in, we took to the poolside festivities where we all had a chance to pat eachother on our backs. At the poolside, we were greeted by a traditional berber band (dancers, drummers, etc).

Moving ahead to December 1st, you find us all at our final sites (Amizmiz for me) and with our host families. There, we would stay for the next 2 months until we were acclimated to our new environments. As of right now, I'm closing in our my first month, and I'm reeeeeally ready to get my own apartment. So, about my living quarters now... well, I can say that I'm not struggling like the typical Peace Corps volunteer. I have a room to myself, a bed (which I sleep diagnal on), and a light that flickers on an off. Usually, when I need to study at night or read a book/magazine, I will use my headlamp that I bought at REI in the states. There's a hole in the middle of our house that showers all the time, due to the fact that we live at the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains. The rooms are all situated on the outside of this "courtyard" and each day we cross this to get from one room to the other. If you can picture a bagel, than you're more than half way there to understanding the setting. The house itself is made entirely of concrete with a few iron rods. Ooohh yeah, it's cold...insulation.... what's that??? Then there's the "Turkish" (which is hole in the ground surrounded by porclain) which is on the otherside of the "courtyard", and makes for a difficult evening if you need to use the facilities.

Let's see... well, my day... My day is pretty simple I must say. Believe it or not, but not having much to do is harder than you think. I've learned to appreciate the little successes that I might have, and try to shift down my gears. I typically try to sleep in till ooooooo about saaay 10am eachday. Then we have 1st breakfast, then we have 2nd breakfast at 11am, then we have lunch at about 2pm. Continuing with this we have 1st dinner at 6pm and 2nd dinner at 11pm. Yes, that's right... 5 meals per day. If anyone tells you that people in Africa are starving, know that it's in the Southern parts of Africa, because Moroccans eat good and often!! Continuing with my day, I might meet my sitemate (Andy) for a coffee. Have you ever seen the movie "About a Boy" with Hugh Grant?? Basically, his day is alittle like mine in that we try break up our days in segments of time. (30mins for getting dressed, 60 mins for eating, 45 mins for going into town and getting some walking excercise, 8 hours for trying to understand why I'm here and what I'm doing, and so on and so forth)... you get the picture. Basically, it's sloooooooow here! Time is of the plenty here, and it's actually a good opportunity for me to do some other things in my life where I didn't have the time previously. So, it's not all that bad, it just takes some getting used to.

For the time being, I've taken up teaching english in my community. My class consists of about 30-40 girls (age ranging between 18-22yrs). Although this isn't my primary job, it does help for me to show value in my community. And with the limited language abilities, this is something that's fairly easy for me to do considering that I'm the town expert in this language. As for my other responsibilities, I don't really have any at the moment. Believe it or not, but my job for the first 6 months to simply integrate with my community (drink tea, walk around, say hello, watch Rambo in Arabic at the local coffee house, etc.) At the same time however, I am beginning to understand alittle more about my artisan community and there desires for the future. My 500+ artisans consist of seamstresses, potters, blacksmiths, shoesmiths, carpenters. Hopefully, by the end of the 6 months I will have had a better idea as to how I can assist them for the future. (nshallah) (God Willing)

More later, ... I promise.

Jan.2005: National Geographic Issue

The January '05 Nat'l Geographic Magazine features a story called "Among the Berbers: a journey through Morocco's high Atlas mountains". I thought this might be of interest to you (families and friends) back home who are wondering what Berber culture is and their daily life. It will give you a picture into the daily life of those living within the Atlas mountains (including myself).

Here's the link for the story:
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0501/feature4/index.html

Thomas T. Riley - U.S. Ambassador to Morocco

Thomas T. Riley was confirmed as the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco on December 9, 2003, culminating almost three decades of work in international business, technology, and energy management.
Mr. Riley earned his Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University in 1972. He began his professional life as an Associate Engineer for the Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington. After a year of service with Boeing, Mr. Riley attended Harvard Business School, where he was awarded an MBA in 1975.
Following graduation from Harvard, Mr. Riley spent four years overseas with TRW, based in Northern Ireland, England and France, rising rapidly to the position of Manager of European Operations. He then returned to California and co-founded General Resources Corporation, an equipment distribution company, establishing partnerships with local service companies in Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan. Mr. Riley speaks French fluently.
Mr. Riley also has a strong foundation in technology, having worked in the Silicon Valley in California for the past 20 years. He has served as the President and CEO of Unity Systems (automated building controls), Web State (online training) and most recently ActivePhoto (online digital photo services). Mr. Riley is often invited to speak at industry conferences in the US and Europe, and was awarded a U.S. Patent for an innovative energy management system.
Mr. Riley has actively donated his professional expertise through volunteering at organizations such as Bizworld, a program that teaches business principles to elementary schools, and Hope Rehabilitation Services, a charity serving those with mental disabilities. He and his wife Nancy, a tax attorney, have 2 daughters in college.
 

Swearing-In Ceremony

Myself and Lee

Room-mates (DougB, Andy, McKean, & I) 

Myself & U.S.Ambassador to Morocco- Thomas Riley 

Ahhh... nothing like left-over turkey!!!
 

Thanksgiving Update...

Dear Family & Friends,
I just wanted to let you all know 2 small things...

The 1st, is that I passed my language exam that's needed to graduate from the Peace Corps Training Program. I'm by far, not the best, but I think I'm doing well personally. I'm truly surprised how much I already know, but equally humbled by how much I don't. In addition to that, the language spoken within the classroom is 100mphs slower than that spoken outside of the classroom. I've been courageous enough to start building friendships with local Moroccans, and I think that's what's paid off. Allowing myself to fail has helped me succeed.

Over the coming months, I will be searching for an Arabic tutor in Marrakesh to teach me both Darisa (common dialect of Arabic spoken here in Morocco) and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). MSA is the formal Arabic that is written and spoken throughout the contemporary Arab world. Also known as Fus'ha, it is used in various forms by approximately 208 million Christian and Muslim Arabs. In the Arab world, MSA is the language of the news media, intellectual life, and literature from the Qur'an to the historian Ibn Khaldun and to the Nobel Prize winning author Nagib Mahfuz. MSA is the form of Arabic universally taught in schools of the Arab world. In addition, Modern Standard Arabic is the lingua franca used and respected by educated Muslims throughout the entire world.

If all goes as planned, I will be studying these two forms of Arabic for the next 370 days or so, which will give me full-access into a world that sometimes mis-understood by many Americans. Come next December, I will start learning French, which is also a language widely-spoken here in Morocco. Until then, it's heads down on this Arabic stuff.

The 2nd, is that I'll be updating my website bi-weekly, due now to the fact that I'll be moving out of my semi-large training site and into my little village in early December.

I've been pretty busy the last few weeks, so I haven't had a ton of time to post stuff to my website. However, because of this high-activity, I've experienced some really cool things that I'll soon share with each of you (as well as a ton of new pictures). I should have a bunch of time over the next week, so I'll use that time to get that all posted for you. Along with these past few weeks, I'll also be posting some of the backdated stories and pictures from September on. So you might want to revisit all the months and see if there's anything that you haven't yet read.

Miss you all and wish I could be spending Thanksgiving with you. Be at ease that everything is going smoothly, thus far. This goes without saying, but thanks for all your love and support.

Game-Show Hosts (Me, McKean, Andy, & Doug B.)

Da Roomies (Me, McKean, Andy, & Doug B.)

(Brian, Baley, Andy, & I)

Lookin' sharp for Thanksgiving Dinner (Andrew, Cybele, Me, & Andy)

Getting the Ambassador ready for his speach (Me & Andy)

MISS NOVEMBER: Melissa M. (1980-2004)

On this very sad day, the entire Peace Corps family here in Morocco, prayed for Melissa's friends and family, as we mourned the death of our fellow SBD Peace Corps volunteer, Melissa. On the afternoon of November 6th, Melissa suffered a fatal car accident just 10K outside of Ouarzazate. Although I personally only knew her for a short period of time, we grew very close. She will be missed dearly by not only me, but the entire SBD class of 2004. It has been mentioned that the government of Ouarzazate will pay tribute to her and honor her memory by dedicating a local learning center in her name. Shower us with your blessing Melissa, thank you.

For the official statement by Peace Corps HQ, click here... (http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.media.press.view&news_id=992)

As an added note, I wanted to state that students traveling abroad face many dangerous on the roads of many of these 3rd World Countries. A family that experienced the same tradegy as Melissa's family decided to devlop a portable seat-belt that students could carry with them on these dangerous roadways. The story and video can be viewed by clicking here.

FINAL SITE: Amizmiz (aka Amezmiz)

Map of my Moroccan Region:
(Amizmiz, Morocco = Stockton, California)

About Amezmiz (aka Amizmiz)...
At the end of the High Atlas Mountains, just southwest from Marrakech, is the simple town of Amizmiz (pop. 16,000) which has been famed as the home town for their pottery and in ancient times for their acrobats since medieval times (That fact has yet to be validated). But, like many rural settlements, it has a saintly founder, one Sidi Ahmed. As far as sights go, there is a semi-ruined kasbah and an important Tuesday morning souk. Otherwise, it’s a stopping place on the round-the-mountains route to Ouirgane – or a starting point for some short walks into the Atlas. The post office, bank and cybercafé are handily located in a new district on the main road as you arrive from Marrakech.

About my (new) Host Family...
I live (fortunately) with my Moroccan counterpart, Mohamed Boumlik. He himself is an artist and is the President of my town's artist association. He has (just one) wife named Klaulija, 3 beautiful girls ranging from 22-28, and two boys 19 and 27. I've yet to meet the older boy Adelrahim (27) due to the fact that he is (from what my limited language can obtain) a parachutist in the Moroccan Armed Forces. The youngest boy of Hamid (19) is a simple minded kid, that works as an apprectice for his father. The three girls; Hasna (22), Nezha (26), and Leila (28) all live in Marrekesh and work there also. Mostly, they all work in some sort of adminstrative role. The youngest girl, Hasna, will move back home just around the time that I arrive on site. We've already discussed that she will be my Arabic tutor to begin with. She's very patient and so I believe this will work out just nicely. I just have to teach her how to teach me, which might be a hurdle. (But then again, what hasn't been a hurdle thus far).

In and around Amizmiz...
Due North about 40 minutes is Marrakesh (pop. 980,000, which I'm sure you can find information on over the web). Other than that, there is the resort town of Oukaimeden, which is about an hour away from my site at the most. Oukaimeden is North Africa's largest ski resort and has the continent's highest lift at alittle over 10,000ft. It is a relatively short and easy drive from Marrakech, where you can stay in relative luxury. Oukaimeden was initially developed by the French and when conditions are good there are up to 20 km (13 miles) of runs, the longest one 3 km (nearly 2 miles) in length. You can take a donkey ride up to access terrain not served by lifts, opening up some impressive steeps and chutes. So all in all as a summary of my site, and when conditions are good, you may choose to mix your sking with a game of golf at one of their three courses; The Royal Golf Club, Golf Palmeraie, or Club Amelkis which range in price from $43-71 US. In addition to that you might also do some mountain biking, camel riding, rock climbing or check out the first rate surfing on the coast (which is only about 3 hours away) there in Agadir. And last, but certainly not least, I can take a 3-4 hour rapid train ride into the famed city of Casablanca.

My assignment...
My particular site assignment has yet to be fully realized and/or determined, but for now I believe I will be helping out with the new Co-Operative building that the Government of Marrekesh is donating to the town of Amizmiz. Another possible side project might be working with an American Christian organization and helping to map out the locate villages throughout my area. Another side project might be to design a Regional Brochure (The ones you usually find at hotels) and provide that to the Governor of Ouarzazate. I've already created a smaller one already, and he was impressed with it. As far as mediums for my particular site, so far I've seen pottery, retail clothing for women, and some carpentry. Stay tuned on these topics.

High Atlas Mountains (Marrekesh)

Bye

Learning the Stories over Tea

Brief History Lesson...
The importance that Jews once played in the country is not readily apparent. Much of Jewish Morocco is hidden from view, but with a trip to a local silversmith artist just outside of the Todra Gorge, we gained a first-hand understanding of not only the rich artistic trade of silver craftsmanship that the Jews taught to the Moroccans, but also the fascinating role of Jews in Moroccan society. In short, the Jews and Arabs lived a symbiotic existence until the middle of the twentieth century. Moroccan kings protected the Jews from harm and helped some of them develop the wealth that sustained the monarchy for many years. Today, no more than 5,000 Jews remain, compared to 300,000 in 1950. And from what this particular artist told us, it's his understanding that all the Jews have left Morocco.

Diving into more depth...
The symbiotic but occasionally tense relationships with Muslim Arabs and Berbers were destabilized by colonial powers beginning in the mid-19th century. Increasing control by colonial powers and popular resistance to colonization prevented Moroccan Sultans from protecting Jewish communities. In forcing Morocco to become a protectorate in 1912, France justified its intervention partially on claims by non-Moroccan Jewish organizations that Moroccan Jews were being mistreated.

France encouraged the secularization of Moroccan Jews and their identification with the colonial powers. To strengthen French control over the country, French administrators purposefully created divisions between Jews and Muslims. Morocco’s experience under Vichy France from 1940-1942 convinced Jews that the Sultan could not protect them, even if he wanted to.

By the end of WWII, a large percentage of Jews were living in poverty, leading many to migrate to overcrowded urban mellahs from rural towns.

Nationalist solidarity with Arabs resisting the establishment of Israel, and French incitement of anti-Semitism created antagonism between Jews and Muslims. Jews felt a sense of alienation when Nationalists discouraged them from joining the struggle for independence. Zionist groups exacerbated feelings of insecurity among Moroccan Jews. They argued that life would be better for them in Israel. Non-Israeli Jewish organizations facilitated emigration, both directly and indirectly. Upon independence in 1956, under pressure from the World Jewish community, Morocco granted the Jews full citizenship, but prohibited them from communicating with Israelis or emigrating to Israel. Israel’s Six-Day War in 1967 and Muslim solidarity with Arabs panicked many Moroccan Jews. By this time, the remaining Moroccan Jews had adequate resources to emigrate to Canada, Europe, Latin America and the US. They emigrated despite their inability to take most of their savings and assets with them.

Crafting Silver Rings

Silver Melting process

Landscape Photo (Tinghir) 

Rooftop of the Kazbaa (Tinghir) 

Landscape Shot from the Top of Tinghir

Moroccan "Rules"...

In our off time here in Tinghir, my training group and I enjoy spending our evenings amongst the local community. I thought this was a particularly good opportunity, as well as a photographic representation, to share with you the typical culture clashing we have witnessed thus far. In this particular scene, you will first notice that we are playing a simple game of pool at a local cafe'. What's different about this situation is the apparent confusion displayed by the pointing of fingers and gaping mouths on the part of both my team-mate and myself. Basically, we were one shot away from sinking the 8-ball in the corner pocket, when conveniently the Moroccan (pictured in the red shirt) implores the Moroccan "Rules" on us. So, in an effort to spread cultural studies to those back home, here's the short story...

Okay... so although there's quite a bit of felt between our Cue-ball and the 8-ball, it's a fairly easy shot that my partner (Motism) would easily finish off. But just as we're getting ready to sink the 8-ball, this Moroccan Johnny Cocrane played the Moroccan "Rules" card and goes on to inform us that we not only have to sink the 8-ball, but we have to do it while banking it. And here's the best part....... we have to bank it off the wall of HIS choice. Now what kind of janky-ass shit was that???? The first thing that popped into my mind was, "I've come over 6000 miles for this, when I could have gone down to 7th street and Market St. to get the same treatment."

Obviously, this isn't the easiest of shots, and so we spent the next 10-15 mins practicing our newly obtained skills of international diplomacy. And although there was only 20Dh ($2US) on the game, we felt as if he was trying to bury us in the sand here (sort of speak). Yielding to home-court rules, we calmly spent the next............... 40+ mins trying to sink that damned 8-ball in the hole!! We finally prevailed and pulled out a "W" in the end, representing all the shit-hole pubs we learned the game from back home in the states.

Now un-balanced by the event, we proceeded to spend a few minutes de-briefing over some mint tea. As we began breaking down this experience, we came (to what we thought) was a simple explaination...

1. 19% un-employment rate
2. Wage earners work less than five months per year, so there's plenty of time.
3. The typical wage earner among the poor earns one third of the average wage and about half the legislated minimum wage.
4. The understood practice of incest amonst some rural Berber communities, and not ruling out that this guy might just be a product of that.
5. Realizing that it's the month of Ramadan and fasting without water (which practically makes up about 70% of someone's body weight), and the lack of food, lead to dehydration, which can leave you feeling tired, making it hard to concentrate.

...and many, many other educated guesses.

In the end, not only did we walk away a bit more confused, 20Dh richer, a much better understanding of Moroccan "Rules" pool, but we also realized that our cultures are not as differant as we may have thought...and that even the men here in Morocco, will make up any off-the-wall excuse not to go home to their wives right after work.

The History of Ramadan...

What is "Ramadan"...

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Islam uses a lunar calendar—that is, each month begins with the sighting of the new moon. Because the lunar calendar is about 11 days shorter than the solar calendar used elsewhere, Islamic holidays "move" each year. In 2004 Ramadan will begin on Oct. 15. For more than a billion Muslims around the world—including some 8 million in North America—Ramadan is a "month of blessing" marked by prayer, fasting, and charity. This year Ramadan precedes Christmas and Hanukkah. But while in many places these holidays have become widely commercialized, Ramadan retains its focus on self-sacrifice and devotion to Allah (God).

Muslims believe that during the month of Ramadan, Allah revealed the first verses of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. Around 610 A.D., a caravan trader named Muhammad took to wandering the desert near Mecca (in today's Saudi Arabia) while thinking about his faith. One night a voice called to him from the night sky. It was the angel Gabriel, who told Muhammad he had been chosen to receive the word of Allah. In the days that followed, Muhammad found himself speaking the verses that would be transcribed as the Qur'an. At many mosques during Ramadan, about one thirtieth of the Qur'an is recited each night in prayers known as tarawih. In this way, by the end of the month the complete scripture will have been recited.

Fasting
Muslims practice sawm, or fasting, for the entire month of Ramadan. This means that they may eat or drink nothing, including water, while the sun shines. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars (duties) of Islam. As with other Islamic duties, all able Muslims take part in sawm from about age twelve. During Ramadan in the Muslim world, most restaurants are closed during the daylight hours. Families get up early for suhoor, a meal eaten before the sun rises. After the sun sets, the fast is broken with a meal known as iftar. Iftar usually begins with dates and sweet drinks that provide a quick energy boost. Fasting serves many purposes. While they are hungry and thirsty, Muslims are reminded of the suffering of the poor. Fasting is also an opportunity to practice self-control and to cleanse the body and mind. And in this most sacred month, fasting helps Muslims feel the peace that comes from spiritual devotion as well as kinship with fellow believers.

Eid al-Fitr
Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which occurs on November 14 of this year. Literally the "Festival of Breaking the Fast," Eid al-Fitr is one of the two most important Islamic celebrations (the other occurs after the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca). At Eid al-Fitr people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children, and enjoy visits with friends and family. A sense of generosity and gratitude colors these festivities. Although charity and good deeds are always important in Islam, they have special significance at the end of Ramadan. As the month draws to a close, Muslims are obligated to share their blessings by feeding the poor and making contributions to mosques.

Pictures from the Todra Gorge...

Day Trip @ Todra Gorge... (Mustafa)

Day Trip @ Todra Gorge... (Hicham, Abdellahtif, Fahd)

Day Trip @ Todra Gorge... (Hicham & Saana)

Day Trip @ Todra Gorge... (Hicham)