OUTBREAK

My CBT group is dying off. Okay, maybe not dying, but everyone keeps getting really sick. A few weeks ago we were all feasting everyday on tagines and today I think half of us were able tochoke down some bread and apples.

Some random things before I sum up the past week:

Moroccans don't understand "what if" questions. Someone asked my teacher a hypothetical (if you could be the sun or the moon, what would you be?) and she just kept saying she would just be herself. Pfft, fatalism.

Some kid threw a rock at me today. Thankfully, I was inside and it hit the window, but it was kind of scary.

Onward!

Last Thursday was my birthday. I got to spend it at the training hub with all the youth developers. Everyone sang to me and it was really sweet/embarrassing. A couple of the girls bought me cake and tea that night, which was also really sweet. I was a little bummed I couldn't be with everyone in the states, but all in all it was a good birthday.

Friday was day 2 at the hub. A few of us got lunch at this delicious chicken place (pre gastrointestinal mutiny). A whole chicken, rice, french fries and four salads. Headed back to my CBT site in the afternoon via grand taxi (regular-sized car that 6 passengers pile into) and got home to find that my host dad had returned from his trip to France. He bought me a fancy tiramisu chocolate bar.

Saturday was a big day. In language class we took turns teaching and Jamila and I got to teach everyone how to tell time in Darija. Quite gracefully, too, I might add. In the afternoon I got a free moment to call the momma. Chatted for a bit until boys playing football near me got increasingly rambunctious and I needed to focus all my attention on not getting kicked in the face. Saturday night was our kick-off party at the Dar Chebab...it went really well! Although, I should warn you that teaching Uno to a large group of rowdy Arabic-speaking teenagers can be hazardous to your health/sanity. I also had an opportunity to showcase my sweet moves when we played a name game that involed standing in a circle, saying your name then doing a personalized dance, then repeating everyone else's. It's funny that this is my job, considering a few months ago I was sitting behind a desk processing employee hire forms (not that I don't love the lisner family).

Sunday=souk day. I fond a really pretty scarf but didn't want to cough up 20 Dhs...we got a ton of veggies though. Did some other stuff but my patience is wearing thin and it's not really very interesting.

I jotted down some stuff concerning the past few days, but most of it is sort of gibberish I wrote when I got sick of doodling. The shopkeeper that we buy food from a lot knows my name now which is really cool, Iplayed monopoly with my host sisters and won for I think the first time in my life (one of them tried to say she had rolled a fourteen at one point, honestly) and tonight I co-taught my first English lesson. The kids were way to smart for the lesson prepared, but nonetheless enthusiastic.

I gotta bounce, I'm falling asleep at the keys.