3-24/3-30
I have been running around Morocco like a crazy person this last month or so. Let me sit down and update you as concisely and as entertainingly as possible. 🙂 My month began with the bi annual VSN meeting in Rabat at the Peace Corps office there. VSN is the Volunteer Support Network and I am the elected representative from the Youth Development 2010-2012 group. VSN trains volunteers on active listening skills in order to form a great in country support system for every day annoyances and for real life big crises. I think VSN is great and will keep getting better.
VSN really has taken off since Peace Corps negotiated a deal with Maroc Telecom that gives us unlimited volunteer to volunteer calling for only 120Dh per month. Really a bargain if you ask me! We sign confidentiality agreements and basically all the most awesome people are VSN trained. As VSN rep I’ve also been asked to coordinate some social events at our training sites.
I was in Rabat for about 3 days and we went to see the old Roman ruins there, and enjoyed the very modern city of Rabat. I get so excited to see grocery stores these days!
I’ve made a promise to myself that whenever I find myself in the north of the country and I have a flexible schedule I will visit my first homestay family in Ras L ma. So after Rabat that is where I headed. It was amazing to see them! I had great food, slept awesome, hammamed, and just enjoyed being around my amazing Moroccan family. I told them I am returning in the summer to learn how to cook all delicious Moroccan things. I can’t come back to America after two years and just be great at making things like tortillas from scratch and stove top popcorn. Dare to dream Rachida!!
After visiting family I went on to visit some of my peace corps family in my friend Jo’s site. Her site is pretty isolated and she goes without things like running water and internet all the time. I met Jo, Molly and Sam, just northeast of Fes and enjoyed some real life Peace Corps livin.
I got roped into coming along to another volunteers house, Pete. We hung out American style there for a day just resting up for the upcoming and ominious spring camp that all YD volunteers must participate in.
Honestly it was such a great time and I’m glad I was able to see some other sites. The more I see other sites the more I’m grateful for the Christmas Village and the more it starts to feel like home. 🙂
Casa-blog-a!! 