CBT - phase one!

I'm back!

We just got back from our first phase of CBT- what fun! We broke into groups of five trainees and one LCF (my LCF is really sweet and a lot of fun and spread out into seven sites in the area. Mine is a small village of probably under 200 people on the shores of an enormous lake that is straight from a postcard. Literally. Every day, several times a day, I'd look at the reddish mountains and the bright blue lake and wonder "am I really here?"

All six of us got into a taxi (three in front including the driver, four in the back)and went about an hour away to our site. When we stopped, I didn't know we were there; it looked like we just pulled over in a driveway... but that's our cbt site. The entire duwar has two hanuts (small shops), a madrasa (primary school) and houses. And I can't forget the Maroc Telecom cell phone tower that is the sort of beacon for my house. We live maybe 100 feet from it.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. We all met in what we jokingly refer to as our madrasa, the LCF house where she lives and we have classes while at CBT. Our families came to meet us, or should I say a representative. We ate bread (tish agrome, Tandrout!) and drank tea and finally headed off to our respective homes.

My family is slightly untraditional: there's a mother who is probably in her 50s, her daughter who is 8, her son who is 14... then the two kids (15 and 20) from her deceased husband's previous marriage AND the 30 year old cousin who is related through her deceased husband. All are women except the 15 year old... and it means that it is a very relaxed and fun environment. We have informal impromptu dance parties to Tamazight music pretty much every night. The first night, we also walked to Tandrut's house (the nickname of the one guy in our CBT group) and ate bread and drank tea. As far as small glasses of tea and fresh homemade bread go...well... think bread and tea (sugary, sweet, minty tea) for breakfast, at about 10 am, with lunch, at four, as soon as I get home, and whenever you go to someone else's house. Yeah. It's pretty big here in Morocco.

Anyway, we walked to Tandrut's house, with my "cousin" making sure I don't fall. She's so motherly, it's endearing and has actually come in handy. Anyway, that night is kind of a blur. My Tamazight was terrible so there were lots of gestures, but I was able to communicate pretty well to two of the girls.

I don't even know where to begin with describing the homestay. Comfortable. I've done homestays before, but the two I've done in Morocco have been the most comfortable as far as feeling welcomed. Everyone calls me their sister (to which I reciprocate, of course). I have my own room, per PC policy, but usually four or five people sleep on these sort of cushiony couch things called ponjes with these big heavy blankets. There are a lot of wild dogs (thank God for the pre-rabies shots!) that howl at night but just lay around during the day. My family has a mule, 9 baby chicks, 6 chickens, 2 rabbits, and a cat. There are lots of sheep in the community, and, yes, electricity and running water (but not hot water).

Food is communal: we sit on the ponjes or on short little stools and eat with your right hand using bread usually as a tool. There's usually a tajine (or on Fridays or holidays couscous)and maybe a few saucer-sized plates of salads. I told my family I was vegetarian after some careful soul-searching and I think that was a good choice- everything has been delicious and I'm slowly but surely learning the Tamazight words for foods. Matesha, xisu, ksksu, agrom, zit, zitune, frmj... The olive oil is homemade (and even though it was bitter, I tried an olive fresh from one of the trees), the bread is homemade, and the almonds taste like almond paste or almond extract- more potent. There are almond trees too and when you break off a little green pod there's a 'baby almond' inside that has sort of the taste and consistency of a grape. My little sister likes to pick them for me when we go on walks.

As far as bathing, I took one bucket bath since Thursday and that's all! But the Hammam today was so wonderful it didn't bother me that I was literally stinky yesterday. I think I have to be more assertive next CBT phase and see if I can get a warm bucket bath every other day, or at least twice during the stay.

I got sick once but I think it was food poisoning and that's all. For that night, I thought it was giardia but it seems to have subsided. Hamdullah.

Class is fun but a lot of work: four hours of language a day (!) and then cross-cultural class or activities in the afternoon. We get to set our own lunch menus and shopped for it last Wednesday and let me tell you- during training we've eaten like royalty. Really. Fruit after every meal, three or four salads with the main course... coffee and tea whenever we want it, and fresh baked bread with nutella or oil or fig jelly. Yum. We laugh a lot during class and as soon as I think I can't take anymore, we have a little break, so the pace is really nice.

One of our tasks this week was a community walk and creating a map with the resources of our duwar, which turned into a bonifide three-hour hike. The day before, we had walked along the lake shore for two hours or so, so I've certainly been getting my excercise! I can't upload pictures for some reason, but I'm trying. Truly an awe-inspiring place with old kasbas to explore, gorges, mountains, the river, cacti, flowers, olive trees, wheat fields...

Our self-directed-learning day (read= no class) was quite productive with my family. I took my bucket bath, I helped make couscous, helped make bread, washed my clothes, walked along the lake, took a nap, watched Gilmore Girls on their sattelite tv, and ate dinner at Tandrut's house, thanks to my host-sister. She was invited over there to eat but said "Not without Katy!" and got me an invite. She really does take good care of me.

And so life goes. Even though I'm using squat toilets in an adobe house without hot water or central heating and eating on short stools with my hands with people I can't really talk to, it feels comfortable and right. It doesn't feel strange or foreign or exotic. It feels like a community I'm excited to be a part of for the next two years. They say I should build a house right next to theirs. When I think of some of the stuff that goes on in the US, it's tempting to want to lead a life like that sometimes, in such a close-knit community. It's not perfect or ideal, don't get me wrong, but CBT is a lot of fun and though it's good to be back in a small city for a few days, I'm glad to be able to do CBT in such a welcoming community.