Busy, busy, busy

The last two months have really flown by! December was jam packed with a craft fair, mid-service medical exams, and then my flight home for Christmas. I felt like I was always rushing around, but had a lot of fun and felt like I got a lot accomplished.

The banner design for all of the Marche Maroc craft fairs. 

 The craft fair was the fourth in a series of craft fairs run by PCVs here in Morocco. A group of us got together to organize one for early December in Marrakech, in hopes of catching the winter tourist crowd. Although sales weren't amazing, I really learned a lot about running the fair. I enjoyed working with the other PCVs and meeting the artisans from all over Morocco. In addition to my cooperative, we had 26 other cooperatives and associations from (mostly rural) sites around the country. In total, we brought in 44 artisans!

Some of the fair organizers with the American Ambassador to Morocco, Samuel Kaplan, and his wife, Sylvia. They were in Marrakech for the film festival and made a special trip out to see our craft fair. 

The goal of the craft fair is two-fold: we want to give the artisans a chance to sell their products AND have some training for them in basic business. The fair was held from December 1st - 5th at the Ensemble Artisanat in Marrakech. The delegate for Marrakech (the head of the Handicrafts division of the government) was very helpful. He arranged for tables and chairs, as well as let us have the use of a room for training and the awards ceremony. Talking with him was a bit of a problem, because those of us organizing the fair only spoke Tashelhit (Berber) and the delegate only spoke Arabic and French. Still, with the help of our program manager, Tariq, we managed to get everything worked out eventually.

Thanks to a grant from USAID, we were able to provide each artisan with a place to sleep, a certificate of participation, and a couscous lunch. On top of that, we used the grant to print posters and flyers to advertise the fair, as well as programs to hand out at the door. Although not everything went perfectly, most artisans said that they learned something at the workshop and almost all of them said they enjoyed networking with other artisans. Its amazing what you can get for only a few thousand American dollars. (For example, the ingredients for the couscous lunch for about 75 people was only about $200, including renting all the equipment. Can you imagine feeding 75 people for $200 in the US???)

Me with Angelica and Linda, two of the PCVs that live close to me. They are both lots of fun :)

These fairs are a lot of work, but I think its important to give rural artisans (especially women) a chance to get out of the village and meet other people. It was great to see how the more experienced participants helped out the newcomers. Our biggest seller for the fair was a woman from a very tiny village in the High Atlas Mountains. This fair was the first fair she had EVER been to. She didn't speak a word of Arabic or French, but her welcoming smile (and the help of the experienced participant next to her) meant she sold more than any other person at the fair. (Of course, it didn't hurt that she had beautifully made natural-dye carpets with unique designs).

The beautiful carpets of our top seller. They are all natural dyes.

The fair ended on Sunday, December 5th. After a quick stop at the artisan hotel to make sure everyone was packed and ready to check-out, I made my way (with a few other fair-planners) to Rabat for medical exams. Halfway through Peace Corps service, all volunteers are required to get dental check-ups and physicals. Luckily, I was healthy (no parasites!). Although not all parts of the medical check-up are fun, it was great to see everyone from my training group again. The last time we had been together was for a week long training in June!

The 19 of us from my training group!

A few days after I got back to my village, I was traveling again. This time, it was to go home for Christmas. I was a little worried, since many of the airports in Europe were closed due to snow in the days before I was set to travel. I also had my friend Linda, who lives 10km away, watching the mountain pass for me. (It closes a lot for snow in December and January.) Amazingly, I made it to the airport in Casablanca and then all the way to St. Louis without missing any flights!

Being home was wonderful. I loved spending time with my family and enjoying all the luxuries we take for granted (central heating, hot water on demand, fast-food, a car, etc.) I think I ate out at least once a day. I definitely tried my hardest to take advantage of Mexican food, veggie burgers, cheese and the amazing tofu lettuce wraps from Pho Grand. I was even able to help celebrate my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. The ten days I was home was definitely packed, but I really enjoyed it. It was a great break from Morocco, although I missed my English students and the ladies I work with at the weaving cooperative. They are all wonderful people and lots of fun to be around.

I flew back to Morocco on January 3rd and am now back in my village. Its definitely winter, although no snow in the village yet (I can see it higher up on the mountain peaks.) 

Natural Dye Workshop

Last week, I set up a Natural Dye Workshop for the members of my cooperative here in the village. It was a huge success. We were expecting 35 participants from the village but had 50 show up. The women and girls were very engaged in the lessons and rushed to help stir pots, add materials, or rinse the dyed wool when asked. The only thing they were nervous about was coming up in front of the group to reiterate the lesson in Tashelhit (our local dialect.) Luckily, a few were brave enough each time and all the participants really seemed to grasp the concepts of how to use local materials to dye wool.

In order to pay for the workshop materials and presenter, I applied for a grant from Peace Corps. Thank goodness Peace Corps has a partnership with USAID to fund projects like this. Although I only needed a small amount of money by American standards, the amount needed was out of reach for the local cooperative. One of the business program staff at Peace Corps helped me get in touch with a teacher who is an expert in natural dyes and a wonderful teacher. (She traveled over 20 hours to reach our village for the workshop!) Despite the fact that the teacher, Amina, spoke only Arabic, she was able to use many visuals and the women understood each step very well.

Amina showing one of the colors - I think this one is madder root.

The workshop lasted two days.  On the first day, Amina showed the women how to treat the wool with aluminum powder, which helps the color set in the wool. She explained the correct proportions of water, aluminum and wool and had volunteers repeat the instructions several times in Tashelhit to make sure everyone understood how to prep the wool. She showed the women how to use some easily accessible materials, such as chamomile, onion skins, pomegranate skins, and madder root, to create colors in the wool. The participants were very enthusiastic when they realized they could dye wool with materials they can pick for free in the fields and create colors identical to store-bought wool.

This table, which held the materials from around the community, wasn't big enough to hold all the things the women brought in to Day 2 of the workshop.

By using local materials, the women were able to create all the colors below. Some colors were a big surprise - a branch from a fir-like tree created a beautiful beige while the leaves from an almond tree created a vibrant yellow. Some colors were created by boiling the wool first with one plant and then with another. Dipping the finished wool in a baking soda solution brightened some of the colors even more. The participants had a lot of fun comparing the colors they created "naturally" with those they had previously purchased from a store.

All of these colors were created using materials available locally. Most can be picked for free in our village fields.

At the end of the first day, Amina asked the women and girls to bring in materials from around the village to use as dyes the next day. They really took up the challenge. I arrived with Amina very early in the morning to help set up for the day. As each participant came in, they brought some leaves, or flowers, or some plant they had found around the village. I was astounded by their enthusiasm and so glad I had organized this opportunity for them to learn a new skill and experiment with materials from around our village.

 Thank goodness Linda, another PCV who lives in a neighboring village, was able to come and help out at the workshop on the first day. She helped take pictures, organize the materials and keep me company (since neither of us understood arabic, we spent most of the lesson lost.) The picture below is of Linda holding up one of the colors.

Linda, a PCV from the neighboring village, came to help out on Day 1 of the workshop

 I was so happy the workshop was such a success. The teacher, Amina, did a tremendous job, in spite of the language barrier. The participants were enthusiastic and really eager to learn. Thank you to Peace Corps and USAID for funding this project and to my wonderful counterparts for helping acquire the materials we needed. If they hadn't spent hours bargaining with shopkeepers for the pots, stoves, and buckets we needed, with the hotel for Amina's room, and with village shopkeepers for the gas cans, snack food, and other supplies, I would not have to been able to have this workshop.

This is my favorite color from the workshop. It was created from a bush that grows along the roadside in this area. The bush is the color of a redbud tree, but creates this amazing violet on the wool.

Thanks to everyone who helped me make this workshop a reality. I hope the women use these new skills to create new carpet designs with a natural dye color palette. Keep your fingers crossed their enthusiasm continues and they really take advantage of their new skills.

Sarah's Wedding

Sarah (in purple), her mom Wendy, and other PCVs on the afternoon of the henna ceremony.

This weekend was my friend Sarah's wedding. Sarah is a Peace Corps Volunteer in a tiny village about 3.5 hours southeast of mine. She married a local man, the brother of one of the weavers she worked with. It was a 100% traditional Amazigh wedding, which was lots of fun, even if I didn't understand the reason behind the traditions. Her family and a few friends came in from the U.S. to help her celebrate. While they got a bit overwhelmed by the many strange sights, sounds, and smells, they did a great job participating in the festivities. With Sarah's family and friends in attendence, along with the 12 Peace Corps Volunteers that came, there was a lot more English spoken at this wedding than at most weddings I attended.

The first day of the wedding was the henna ceremony. Sarah was dressed in a sparkly white dress, then veiled with a dark blue cloth to cover her hair with a brightly woven mesh cloth to cover her face. Henna was mixed in a large plastic bowl, then slowly applied to her hands and feet with plastic syringes. Once the designs were drawn on, black tea was applied with a wet cotton ball to help darken the henna. Her hands and feet were then covered with strips of cotton and wrapped in plastic bags to make it dry more slowly so that it will stain the skin a darker color. The whole process took a long time, as even after the henna was applied Sarah had to sit quietly as to not smear it while it dried. 

The henna from the bright orange bowl was applied to Sarah's hands and feet. As you can imagine from the intricate designs, the process of applying the henna took several hours. 

We left at about 1:00 AM Friday night, with Sarah still sitting with her hands and feet wet with henna and wrapped in plastic. When we came the next day, Sarah was getting dressed in her full bridal finery. She had a fancy white dress with gold stamps on it, a bright gold belt, and fancy gold shoes. We all went into the salon once she was dressed, where the women sang and danced. Her hair was covered with many brightly colored silk scarves, then her face was veiled with the same mesh fabric. Finally, the women gave her a headdress of bright red. Sarah said the whole headdress was very heavy and very hot to wear. After she was veiled, her hands were wrapped with yellow wool yarn. From what I understand, the wool is symbolic of her being "bound" to her husband and is good luck for a long and happy life together. 

Sarah and Brahim (her new husband)

Sarah's hands were wrapped in yellow wool to symbolize her being "bound" with her husband.

The women veiled Sarah's hair with many colorful scarves, then made a headdress of bright red wrapped around with green wool. Sarah said it was very hot and pretty heavy.

After a dinner of tajine and couscous, we all went outside for the entertainment. All of the weddings I'd attended previously had had music, but none had hired a band like Sarah and Brahim. With so many people in attendance (probably about 200), the band set up outside so that everyone could see and hear the music. The family had spread read carpets around on the road and grass and people were sitting on most every available surface. The band played traditional Amazigh and Arabic music. Unfortunately, there wasn't much dancing, as it was considered "shameful" (perhaps since we were outside.) 

Overall, it was a lot of fun at Sarah's wedding. It was great to hang out with other PCVs and to meet Sarah's friends and family from back home. Sarah and Brahim will leave for America in November, when Sarah finishes her service in the Peace Corps. I hope everything works out for them and that they have a wonderful time making their new life in America.

Babyhood Blues...

Today my 3 year old neighbor, Ilias, was circumcised. The whole extended family gathered in the house for the ceremony (while I wasn't there for the actual circumcision, I saw a video later.) He was dressed in a fancy jellaba and a ceremonial hat. The doctor, I was happy to see, wore gloves for the procedure. He was laid down on a cloth while his father and uncles helped hold him down. After the circumcision, he was bandaged and put on a blanket on his mother's lap in the bedroom.

Poor Ilias was pretty unhappy with the world when I got to see him a few minutes later. His aunt, who speaks English very well and has gone out of her way to befriend me during her stay in the village for Ramadan, came to get me and invited me in to see Ilias. He sat crying on his mom's lap, although I think some of his tears were from anger (that they did this to him) rather than from the pain of the procedure. While normally he is a very happy kid, today he was definitely not. He didn't want anything to eat, didn't want to see anyone but his mom, and was very unhappy that the rest of the family was celebrating. He threw a fit every time his picture was taken, tried to hit his uncles when they came in to kiss him, and called everything and everyone "UriHli" (which translates roughly as bad, ugly, horrible, etc.)

Other than poor Ilias being unhappy, it was a fun day. Every once in awhile, I look around and really feel like I'm in Morocco and integrated into the community. Today was one of those days. Since Ilias didn't want company, I sat out in the courtyard with his many aunts, uncles, and cousins and clapped along as they sang traditional songs and celebrated the circumcision. They had drums, some clappers similar to castanets, and even brought out a piano.  Everyone was very happy, as a boy's circumcision is a fairly big deal with many traditions involved. According to my neighbor (who is wonderful about answering my many questions about life here), a boys circumcision is one of the tenets of Islam and is set out in the Koran.

Although I'm sure the family would have welcomed me staying all afternoon, I left after lunch. (We ate couscous crouched around a table they brought out to the courtyard.) While I enjoy hanging out with my neighbors, I sometimes still feel overwhelmed by the loud and boisterous music, the many people milling around (there were probably 30 in the tiny house) and the mixture of Tashelhit and Arabic being spoken. Still, it was a fun day. Tomorrow, I plan on taking Ilias some M&Ms, since he asks me for some almost every day. Hopefully, he's feeling a bit more like himself.

Happy Ramadan

Happy Ramadan!

This month is Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar. It was the month in which Muslims believe the Koran was revealed to the prophet Muhammed. During Ramadan, which is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, all Muslims over the age of puberty must abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. When its over 100 degrees outside, and you still have to harvest in the fields, work at your store, and take care of children, this can be quite a challenge. Similar to Lent for Christians, Ramadan is a time of reflection and prayer for Muslims. I've been told fasting allows them to understand the suffering of those less fortunate and be thankful for the things they have.

Luckily, in my village in the mountains it was rarely above 100 degrees (In Marrakech it was in the 130s). Still, fasting makes most everyone tired and the village has slowed down quite a bit. The elementary and middle schools were closed, as were the weaving and carpentry schools and the cooperative I work with. Most stores are open shorter hours, if at all. With everything being closed, Ramadan gave me lots of extra free time which was very nice at the beginning of the month. I got to watch all the movies I wanted and read as many books as I could. While this was great the first few weeks, now that we've reached the end of Ramadan, I am VERY ready for things to open up again.

One of the best parts of Ramadan is families spending time with one another. Husbands that work away from the village take time off work to spend the month with their wives and children. Many relatives from big cities and abroad come back to the village to celebrate Ramadan with their relatives. (My neighbors have about 10 extra relatives from Ouarzazate and other cities that are living with them for Ramadan.) This means there are plenty of extra hands to help with chores when you are feeling tired from fasting and many more people around to break the fast with at sunset.

Breaking the fast during Ramadan is a very ritualized and family oriented affair. The fast is broken when the evening call to prayer is heard throughout the village. Families gather around the table in their salons to break the fast. Food is set out a few minutes before the expected call to prayer so eating can commence as soon as the call is heard over the loudspeakers. Once the call to prayer is heard, each family member is given a date. (During the first Ramadan, Muhammad broke his fast with a date.) Next, a delicious cookie called shebekia is served (fried dough soaked in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds.) Families then drink fresh juice and eat a soup called harira made with chickpeas, vegetables and meat (usually mutton.)

Families may also serve cake, more cookies, and sandwiches made with tomato and meat. (Some of these may be traditions of my village alone and not Morocco as a whole.) Dinner is served a few hours later and is more standard fair (tajine or pasta.) After sleeping for a few hours, the family wakes up at around 4:00AM to have breakfast before sleeping late. If someone is sick, elderly, traveling, pregnant, or menstruating, they are not required to fast, although anyone capable must make up the fast at a later date. (Young children are exempt from fasting as well).

Ramadan ends when the head imams sight the new moon. Families in Morocco celebrate with a holiday called l3id Imzin (or the small holiday in Tashelhit (the Berber dialect spoken in my village.)) I have been told by my neighbors that tomorrow is l3id, so everyone is spending the day preparing cookies to serve to visitors tomorrow. Villagers will spend the day visiting each other, wishing each other 'Happy Holiday' and eating lots of cookies. It should be a fun day.

Vacation!!!

The last few weeks have been full of traveling for me. My family flew into Morocco on July 16th (It was supposed to be the 15th, but their flight got canceled.) I met them at the Casablanca airport and we took the train to Marrakech. It was a nice change to ride first class and have a compartment full of my family. While everyone else fell asleep, my mom and I got to chat the whole way to Marrakech.

In Marrakech, we stayed at a very cute riad called Riad Nejma Lounge. It only had about 6 rooms, but was decorated in a very fun way and had a beautiful roof we had breakfast on each morning. I think the riad was a nice introduction to Morocco for my family, as it had a Moroccan "flavor" but still had air conditioning, clean towels and hot water.

Because of the travel problems, we had to make our visit to my site a daytrip instead of spending the night as we originally planned. While our time in my village was rushed, we did have time to see the weekly souk, visit the cooperative and meet a few of the women, and have a spaghetti lunch at my house. My family also got their first introduction to "real" Moroccan travel - hours smashed together in a grand taxi. For those of you that haven't experience the joy of a grand taxi ride, imagine riding with four people smashed together in the back seat of a normal sized sedan with another two sitting together in the front passenger seat.

The next day, we set out for the waterfalls at Ozoud. On the way we stopped by my host family from training. We had tea and I think both my family and my host family enjoyed the visit. Plus, my family got a real glimpse of how I lived for my first few months in Morocco. I was really lucky that I got placed with such a great host family and am really glad my real family got to meet them.

The rest of our Morocco vacation flew by, with just a few more hours spent in Marrakech and a night spent in Casablanca (where we went to Rick's Cafe.) After Casablanca, we took a plane to Rome, where we spent the night. Since only Emily and I had visited Rome before, we had to make the most of our time there. In just a few hours, we saw the Trevi fountain, the colosseum, and the Pantheon.

Our time in Egypt was great but went by too fast! Katie had found some amazing hotels for us to stay at in every city we visited. In Giza we got to see the pyramids and the sphinx. In Luxor, we got to see some amazing temples and visited the valley of the Queens and the valley of the king's (where King Tut's tomb is.) It was really cool to see all the hieroglyphics and go inside the pyramids. Plus, we had a few hours each day to relax by the pool (where I got horribly sunburned) and just hang out in the shade.

In addition to all the cool ancient relics, we took time to ride camels and take a felluca ride on the Nile. Although neither turned out to be exactly what I imagined, they were still fun. (The camel ride was through the ghettos on Luxor and the felluca had to be towed by a motor boat because there wasn't any wind.) Our last night in Egypt we stayed at the Grand Hyatt, which is on an island in the Nile in Cairo. It was AMAZING! We had great hotel rooms, a beautiful pool to swim in, and had a wonderful meal on the terrace overlooking the Nile.

It was a perfect vacation. Although it was really hard to say goodbye to my family, I'm so glad they got to come visit me. It was wonderful to share a bit of my daily life in Morocco and really cool to see all the ancient tombs and temples in Egypt. Take a look at my facebook to see more pictures of my trips.

Weddings

This week is a week of weddings in my village. While I attended a few weddings right after I arrived in the village, I haven't been to any since. I'm excited to be invited to these weddings, as I know the families of the girls getting married very well. Weddings in Morocco are very different than weddings in the US. They normally last several days and have parties that go on until the early morning. Yesterday was the beginning of the wedding for Malika, one of my host cousins. She is about 20 years old and lives next door to my host family. I was invited to the very beginning of the festivities, including where the bride gets henna done on her hands and feet. It was a lot of fun to see the wedding of a girl I know pretty well.

When I arrived at Malika's family's house, I was shown into the main salon, where I sat with about ten other women. We were served tea and cookies, then a meal of chicken (which I obviously didn't eat) and couscous. (I'm getting better at eating couscous with my hands, but am still not very tidy when I do it.) While we were eating, the bride came into the house in a large group of women who were singing and dancing. She was led to the back salon, where there was a throne for her to sit on, surrounded by beautiful embroidered tablecloths and pillow covers. (She'll take these with her to her new home.) She was wearing a white kaftan with silver designs on it. Her hair, for the first time since I met her, was not veiled, but instead was in a fancy bun and sprayed with glitter. She wore a gold crown and had a long veil attached to the bun. She wore kohl on her eyes and had lipstick and blush on (again, not anything I'd ever seen her wear before.)

After she sat down on the thrown, people took turns taking pictures with her. It was warm in the room, so her sister got a fan to put in the window and one of her friends stood next to her waving a paper fan for her. After a few minutes, a table was brought in with a bowl of milk, dates, a sugar cone and incense. Several girls walked over to the bride and helped her get situated so that the henna could start being applied. They had brought in a girl from outside the village to do the henna. She started applying a thick layer of henna to the bottom of Malika's feet. She then did intricate patterns about 8 inches up each ankle. Because of the intricacy of the designs, this took several hours. Malika had to sit quietly on her throne throughout the process. Henna was then applied to her hands and arms. I can tell you from experience, its difficult to sit still while the henna is drying on your hands and feet. It can take an hour or so dry and then has to be scraped off with a knife. Sometimes, paint thinner is added to the henna mixture so that the henna patterns last longer. Unfortunately, this really makes the henna burn when its applied. (I don't know if Malika's henna had paint thinner in it or not.)

After watching Malika get hennaed for awhile, one of my host sisters came to get me to take me to the "party." In my host families house, all of the women of the village had gathered to sing songs and dance to celebrate Malika's marriage. Most marriage celebrations in rural villages are gender segregated, with the women divided into two groups (married and un-married.) Luckily, I'm able to attend whatever parties I want, as I'm kind of in a special group of my own. Its fun to see all of the women and girls dressed up in their most fancy jellabas or dresses, talking and singing. Around 9 pm, tables were brought in and we were directed to sit in groups of ten or so around the table. (I always kind of dread this part of a party, as being a vegetarian can lead to lots of questions and strange looks.) We were served chicken, then couscous, then fruit again. After that, a prayer was said and everyone went home. Tonight is the party for the unmarried girls. I'll probably attend again, but I'll see how I feel. Tonight's party will probably end much later, as the younger girls have more energy.

Tomorrow, the sister of one of my English students is getting married. The parties will start all over again!