More from Mike

Well we are definitely on the back end of our 2 month stay, and it is a time to reflect on what we have learned and the many things we still need to try to get our head around. During the past month and a half we have, on occasion, had to catch a few pigeons that live with us and throw them into the homemade house that is above the entrance to our house. The logic of putting birds that have no regard for where they “go” directly above the entryway has evaded me thus far. Regardless, about 2 weeks ago the local troublemaker cat snatched one of these birds because we didn’t throw some of them up in the house. Well, this week he came back and ate 2 birds in 2 nights. It was beginning to feel a bit like survivor, sure a slightly more gruesome version, but still they were dropping like flies, (actually the flies seem to be multiplying here) to where there is only one lonely bird left. I haven’t told him yet but there is not really much of a prize for being last one in the house, just the knowledge that he’ll be extra plump when the cat does eat him, and he will get him!
Growing up in the rainforest of the Philippines I always loved the rains we had there. They would usually come in the afternoon, while we were taking our afternoon nap. The noise it made on our tin roof is a sound I will always remember. After living here for a month and a half, we have had only one real rain and 3 other sprinkles. The effect these have on the temperature is amazing. There is almost always a breeze here for which I am grateful, however, when it is really hot here, it feels like you are sticking your face in an oven that just cooked thanksgiving turkey The few times it has rained, the temperature drops to a much more bearable degree. Even though there is dirt particles in the rain that makes everything feel grimy, people, including me, still go out and enjoy the cooler weather. I wrote in my journal that it feels like a big spray bottle, which by the way, I have come to love and use daily. Other volunteers have said that when it rains really hard, houses in this area sometimes crumble since they are made primarily out of clay and mud, with some cement. We haven’t seen anything close to this yet.

Okay, more from me too -- Jana here. :)

Just some lists of things!

Things we miss...

1. people, of course. we couldn't even begin to name you and all we love and miss about you! and the ability to talk to you whenever we want.
2. ice water! it was everywhere in the u.s. and we did not appreciate it! the belief here is that drinking really cold water will make you sick, so it's hard to find.
3. eddington's soup and breadsticks on a chilly day
4. chilly days :)
5. fall (okay, we haven't even missed it yet, but i LOVE fall!)
6. chipotle
7. coffee shops
8. dear old AC

things we appreciate here...
1. fruit equals dessert here. it is eaten sometimes for snacks, but mostly at the end of meals! it is just a good thing.
2. the hospitality morocco is famous for really does exist. people are so generous and open with their homes.
3. orange blossom tea... when we were up north a little during training, the orange trees were in blossom, and if you rinse them and put them in tea they taste as amazing as they smell!
4. community. if someone is sick or injured, or leaving town, or whatever, everyone goes to visit. it's cool to be a part of that!
5. public transportation and local produce are just cool things -- good for the environment and all. :) that's all we've got here baby! okay, we miss the convenience of our cars...but learning patience is a good thing too. :)
6. i've always wanted to live by some mountains, and now we do!
7. courtyards -- you are outside, but inside. :)

this is a pretty upbeat blog, and things here are generally upbeat, but as can be expected when two different cultures collide, there are some struggles too. here's a list of things are difficult here, because we want to be honest and it's part of our experience too...
1. moroccan ideas of privacy, i think mike alluded to, are pretty different. people have grown up being together all day, all the time. they sleep and eat and just plain live together! it's not a bad thing, but definately different than the states where we have our own space and personal time. our host family has been very accomodating, i think we just feel guilty when we take our personal time, because we know they don't really understand!
2. although public transportation is admirable, travel is definately a hassle!
3. relationships between men and women here are different. it was something we were aware of before we came, but navigating how to be in day to day life is a struggle. we want to be respectful of the culture we are here to be a part of, but not lose ourselves in the process. and don't get me wrong! mike's job of supporting me and knowing when to push the issue and not is just as difficult as mine -- and he's doing a rockstar job.
4. we are foreigners. most foreigners here are tourists, and are perceived as having a bit of money to spare. a couple of results of this are that we get asked for money at times and when we go to buy things, we, not always but at times, get the "foreigner" price. it doesn't always happen, and there have been a lot of positive experiences developing relationships with store owners. as we have gotten to know people in our town and the big town near us where we do our shopping, these have gotten better and better, but at times, it is just a nuisance, you know? :)
5. one last thing, not necessarily a morocco thing even, is small town life. :) we go on a walk and talk to someone, and news of what we said gets home before we do! or if we ask a silly question at the local shop, we hear about it at home... we are a novelty still and what we said was probably pretty funny...but it will be nice when we are old news. :)

that's what is going through our heads! we have been purchasing lots of things to move into our house august 1st, which has been a little stressful, but a lot of fun too. mike made the comment that it is like getting married again, because we are setting up a house from scratch, which is really true! we are hoping to get the key in the next week or so, so we can start cleaning and moving things in, so hopefully we'll have pictures soon!