jeudi

Maybe the one thing I miss about Monterey right now is that I wouldn't be covered in mosquito bites.

Nightime pic. from my new flat:

Basics

Who I am working for:
Search for Common Ground
(I will probably be updating this website)

Where:
Rabat, Morocco

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au Maroc!

So un peu de Mary is now writing from Rabat, Morocco for the next 4 months! I just arrived a few days ago and am already really liking what is going on around me so far. I have come into this new adventure with very little expectations, other than to just be open to a completely new culture. This is my frist time in Northern Africa and a Muslim country, so it should be quite interesting.

I am completely jet lagged and could not sleep last night and can barely stay awake now at the office...I have found an apartment! It is in the neighborhood called "Hassan", basically the center of the city and I can grab a taxi for $1 to get to and from work, which is in Agdal (the chic neighborhood where many expats live). I will be living with a Moroccan lady, who grew up in Rabat, so she seems to know everyone in this city. Just walking down the street with her to her flat, we stopped 3 times to speak with shopkeepers, friends she passed, and neighbors. In Paris I was on a 6th floor walk up and now I find myself on a 7 floor walk up! I am finding that most elevators are out of order in buildings because people refuse to pay for them and landlords are not attentive to repairs. The apt. has a magnificent view on both sides of the entire city (I will send pics soon). The rent is a good price at 2500 Dirhams (all included), which is about $300.

Tomorrow I am going with my boss to Bouznika for a field visit to meet with some of the youth that we train on mediation techniques for resolving conflicts. One of my main projects will be coordinating Development, Monitoring and Evaluations on the projects at SFCG.

Everyone at my office is really friendly, helpful and good at what they do.

Rabat is pretty easy for a westerner to live in. Things are Europeanized here, dress is much less conservative, people are used to foreigners, there are a lot of tourists...I look forward to getting outside and seeing other parts of the country.

It is VERY hot here! 80-90 so far. I wake up at 4 am to the Mosque chanting. Today I was trying to buy an adapter for my computer cable and all of a sudden the guy behind the counter disappeared...I was confused to where he went because he had been standing in front of me just a moment ago...then I realized he had bent down on the ground and was doing his daily prayers. So I waited patiently for a few minutes until he was finished! So much fun, living in a new place and experiencing these things.

Oh, the coffee he is delicious! They put cardamom and cinnamon in it and it tastes soo good with that powdery milk stuff.

-- bzslema