London and a Baby!

Tanie and I went on a small trip to London England a few weeks back. I have been before but this was Tanie's first time to see the great city. I love London. Honestly if there is one place I would like to live after Peace Corps it would be there. Something about the diversity of people and the amount of things to do, the public transportation, and so much more that makes it (in my mind) the greatest city in the world!

What can I say...it was amazing. I love the city more now then ever. Tanie and I explored the city so much! We got into town at 6 in the morning and nothing was open on the first day. We couldn't find a coffee shop that was open at 6! Starbucks opened at 7:30 so we went to Hyde park and walked around. It was peaceful and cold. I wasn't expecting that. Coming from Africa I think I am used to hotter weather now. Anyways, we spent that first day doing the Original Bus Tour. It was a great way for Tanie to get adjusted to the city. We got on and got off the bus all day seeing the big sites: St. Stevens Tower, Westminster Abbie, Parliament, etc.

Needless to say she loved the city as much as I do. Speaking of Hyde park, we ended up going to speakers corner, something I wanted to check out. It was pretty cool. There was not as many speakers there but it was still early summer still but there were little crowds. We ate in so many different places: Japanese, three different pubs, Italian, curry house, sandwich shop and not to mention the breakfast at the hotel. With Starbucks, we wanted to go there as much as possible so we went twice a day. I am glad we did because we miss it so much.

The second day we visited museums and churches and we booked a twilight flight in the London Eye. It was awesome! I was a little scared in the air but since we traveled I have gotten over my fear of heights mostly. Their were specials with the Eye and we got it for 10 pounds a piece. It was well worth it but I don't know if it is worth 23 pounds.

The third day we went explored the city more and saw some things that Tanie wanted to check out like Brick Lane and then we went to a concert at night. The concert was amazing and so much fun. We saw Tanie's favorite band and one of my favorites Switchfoot. They are a rock band from San Diego California. It was just random chance we got to see them. The next day we had to travel back pretty early but we still had a little bit of time to explore a little more. It was only a 4 day trip but it was awesome!

Next summer Tanie and I might go back but we are planning a Europe trip that we will see at least 5 European countries. I am so excited about that opportunity. So overall London was amazing. I can't wait to go back! Actually it was really tough to come back to our site. I felt like I got culture shock coming back and feeling the weight of confusion all over again. If I fell like that now just wait until next yet when we take our other planned vacation. We might not make it back :)

By the way some other awesome news, my sister gave birth the other day! Eean Eugene is so cute! I am excited that is a boy! My other sister was with us here at our site when it happened. We got to Skype with my sister and my brother in law before and after the birth. I am happy for the both of them. They will make great parents! Congrats to them!

Thanks for reading!

Marrakesh - I Am So Over It

Marrakesh is my least favorite city in Morocco. Why? Because it seems that every taxi driver is completely ridiculous. That is not the only reason I have many which I will go into later but for now let’s discuss this.

There a few ways to get into the city. If you are coming out of country you would fly in, or you might take a taxi or bus in. There are issues with all of these when you get there. Outside the airport, bus station, and/or taxi station there are petite taxi’s which are all waiting on the same thing: people which they can over charge. The problem is that the city is way to big to walk around without getting a small taxi. You have to have one to get from the airport to the square or where ever you are coming from.

Conversations with taxi drivers are typically is something like this:

Back story: I am coming from the CTM bus station and it should be 10-15 DH to get to the square where my hotel is.

Taxi Driver: Do you need a taxi?

Me: Yes but how much?

Taxi Driver: Where do you want to go?

Me: To the square?

Taxi Driver: 120 DH

Me: That is very expensive! Why is it so expensive? Use the counter(meter).

Taxi Driver: It doesn’t work….. okay 70 DH.

Me: No seriously, I know the price. 15 DH is a good price.

Taxi Driver: (laughing at this point) You will never get a taxi for that.

Me: I did yesterday coming from the same place.

Taxi Driver: Well there is a lot of sun today. My last price is 50 DH.

Me: Bye

Then I choose to walk out to the street get a better price, which I almost always do. What I don’t understand is how they can do this. Every time I have ever asked if their meter works it never does. I have even told the taxi driver to try to make it work and they pushed every button on the meter but the power button acting like I am a gullible foreigner.

Yesterday I was in Agadir, probably one of my favorite towns in country (they always use their meters), I was talking to a taxi driver there and he said the next time that someone tries to pull that stuff again that I should tell the police about the situation because they could get their license taken away for trying to do that to someone.

I know they don’t do this to everyone. I am obviously foreign but the fact that I am getting ripped off just because I am is not right. I have never on first try had a taxi driver in the city use their meter.  Just because of this it puts a big sour taste in my mouth and I will try hard not to go back.

It’s not just that but it other things there that bother me as well. I have seen too many fake touristy things that I can’t stand any more: snake charmers, men in Berber dress dancing around for no reason, monkeys, henna women, etc. This stuff isn’t real Morocco, not even close. It bothers me to think that people believe that this is genuine people of Morocco living their day to day lives trying to share their culture with others. Actually it is quite the opposite, these men and women are playing on stereotypes that most foreigners believe is real: people wear fezes, people charm snakes for fun, etc.

People who are trying to supply a product in Marrakesh are so pushy. Try walking in the square for a few feet and you will hear things like “Hello come to my shop I have something beautiful to show you.” Or I have heard people walking in the square and the next thing they know a monkey has jumped on their shoulder and the owner now demands 100 DH. Two times in two nights I had two different people say f-you after they didn’t get what they want. One was a beggar like the age of 9 and I refused many times to give him money and the other was a man touching my sister on the back and then started touching my wife and I stepped in the middle and then he put his fingers up like a gun to my forehead and said that I was a bad man and that I needed to f-off then he acted like he pulled the trigger to blow me away.

This is a lot to say that I just don’t feel welcome there. I don’t say this after one visit. I say this after over 5-6 visits. I wanted to give Marrakesh a chance but I am over it now. If you come here don’t spend more than 1 day in the city. I don’t think it’s worth your time or money.I speak Arabic and still get bad prices and people acting like I am a fool.

Remember this is only my opinion about Marrakesh and not my site or any other city. These are some pretty hefty generalizations which someone might disagree.That's fine. I am sure that there are many people in the city that are honest and trustworthy but most of the people which I have dealt with there have not been. There are many cities in Morocco that are beautiful and have wonderful people and I am glad for that. If it were like this everywhere I have went I don't know if I could take it. I could write more but it is already a long post and I think you get the idea.

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

The Land of The Beautiful Confusion

Things that influence Morocco to make it what it is today. 
Arab
Spanish
Mauritanian
African
Berber
French
Media (Globalization)

Languages Spoken
Arabic (MSA)
Darija
Tarifit
Tashelhit
Tamazight
French
Spanish (In the North)
and more

Conclusion
Beautiful confusion

Early Mid-Service Freak Out

I think I had my mid-service freak out early. Times get hard and you don't know what to do. There were a couple of times which I was trying to blog about it on here but I am sure my Peace Corps supervisors would have probably called me. Actually I still have them saved as drafts. I figured that if I woke up the next day then I could post it but my feelings were the same but the next day I felt quite the opposite of what I was feeling the day before. So I didn't post them but I think I figured out mostly what it is.

The roller coaster of emotions is the think that I believe I have the hardest time with. In one day's time I feel like I am so excited to be here and do what I doing and in the next hour I feel like trash and wonder what I am doing here. It's funny it seems that there are no in between emotions like a calm happiness or a little anger or a slight misunderstanding. In my opinion, when you are in a tense situation like this every emotion you feel are magnified times three. To be honest I don't think I have a very difficult job its just everything else. Teaching is the easiest part about Morocco. Trying to communicate with people is most difficult. The middle stuff is like trying to constantly figure out what in the world people are doing here or acting a certain way etc.

I would say the second hardest thing is the difference between boredom and extreme activity. Sometimes I have nothing to do at all. So I try to fill the time with doing random things. Other times I will have so much to do it is extremely overwhelming and I feel like I am going to implode.

Some things that have helped be with my early mid service freak out:
packages
Seinfeld, The Office, Parks and Recreation
Dr. Who, Star Trek, Curb Your Enthusiasm  
skype conversations
other PCV's
Tanie
trip to Agadir for my birthday 
my upcoming trip to London
my sister coming to see us
upcoming In-Service-Training
summer time
Tiberius

All this to say is that it feels great not to quit and make it on the other side of frustration and all those other extreme emotions. I feel more confident because of all of it. I feel like for me that is the best thing I could gain.

Thanks for sticking with me.

Matt

Tiberius the Turtle

Tiberius is my turtle. He is named after James "Tiberius" Kirk (Yes the Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise) because he is a little explorer. We got him from our Arabic tutor. He is very cute and he been with us enough that now he has a personality. He does things like constantly staring into red lights and hiding in toilet paper rolls :) I have never really been much of a pet person myself (well a dog or cat person) but it seems this is a pet that I will enjoy having.

Pros:
Super cute
Small
Eats flowers and weeds
Does not bark or meow
Sleeps almost all day
Hypo-allergenic
His head goes in is shell
Poops a tiny little bit
Gives us happiness
Good practice of having a real kid

Cons:
Does not snuggle
Might out live me (some live over 100 years)
Could become the size of a small watermelon
White pee
Might get salmonella from the shell


So you can see there are many pros! I was really bored I thought you would enjoy meeting my turtle.

Development and Peace

The following quotes are from an article off The New Yorker. If you are interested in the quotes you should read it. I will respond with some responses to the quotes. This article really made me think about my purpose here and it is very well written. It has been circulating around Peace Corps blogs the last month or so. I am sorry if it is repetitive by now but it’s a great article. I hope you enjoy it!

The New Yorker: The Doorknob

“The problem with Peace Corps is that the 27-month commitment is a major deterrent for young people"

-Nicholas D. Kristof

Before joining the Peace Corps I never met anyone who was a volunteer. Most people I do know who service oriented things like the short term projects. Leaving things like family, friends, and country is very difficult. I don’t know if I call it a problem. I think the time is about right because if you are not serious about developing others this would not be too big of a deal. Development does not happen overnight, or even in a 27 month period sometimes. Development in my mind is best described as a journey.

Peace Corps Volunteers as “résumé-driven, undereducated provincial American BAs with, all too often, little or no knowledge … even in teaching (or speaking) their own native language.”

- John Brown, Former Foreign Service Officer

I understand where he is coming from here. I feel this way when it comes to teaching. I have never taught English before. Sometimes I feel underprepared to teach something about a language I just naturally speak. For example, what in the world is a modal and what is its function? This is a question I got from one of my students. I had to answer him by saying, “I am not sure. I don’t know this kind of stuff. I just speak English but I am not a teacher.” Though it seems my primary job now is to teach English. I have no clue what I am doing most of the time.

“I’ve tried to educate Congress that P.C. is not really a development program. Nor is it a cross-cultural program. It sits on a sliding scale between. It’s about living humbly and understanding, and making lifelong friends."

-Rajeev Goyal, President of Push for Peace Corps

My primary job has not been teaching English. It seems my primary job has been peace. Imagine that. We promote peace just by getting a better understanding of the people here and also them understanding our culture and country. Getting people to understand misconceptions of American culture and its people makes peace more attainable. Development is a part of my job but without living humbly or understanding I could not do development. True development is done when you are at the level of the people you are with and they trust you. That way the journey of development is done with the people, not separate. Development is great but peace is better.

Thanks for reading :)

Negativity and Good Things

Camp Taroudant is over. It was a long exhausting week. I learned one big lesson in the week: I need to chill the crap out. The whole week I was stressed out. I guess it was mostly psychological. I think way too much about everything. It's the normal stuff like not knowing what to expect, and never doing it before. The thing is that everything went great! The Peace Corps volunteers were amazing and were taking things with stride. I blame it on my introversion (get energy from being alone). The thought of having to be around 110 different kids around that I have teach, talk to and entertain sounds like my worst nightmare just because people in general exhaust me. I am working hard to fix this but I am having little success. I think for the rest of my service I am going to try hard to work with kids of the amount of 15 or under. Then I can be my prime :)

Anyways, part of my chilling the crap out I am going to try and be more positive and that includes blog posts.

Things that I am excited about:

-My sisters upcoming visit. She is coming in the middle of June.

-London. My favorite city on earth. Tanie has never been and I hope she likes it as much as I do. We will be there at the end of May and a few days in June.

-Packages that are coming. Packages always make a bad day better. Thanks everyone for sending them.

-IST (In Service Training). This is time for us to get together with other Peace Corps volunteers. I am excited to see them again. We train for random things but the training isn't what I am looking forward to.

-Summer. This will be a great time to explore Morocco and relax in the scorching hot weather here around this area. I hear that everything shuts down during this time. Ramadan is something that will be very neat to be apart of again but in a different city.

-End of May. This is when my classes will end for awhile. We might be able to start up things like a film club or something else. Who knows.

-Broadband internet. My internet is now by a wireless stick that runs from cell phone towers. Needless to say the internet for us is very slow. Very soon we want to get broadband connection. It is a little more expensive but it will be worth it.

Thanks for reading :)

Matt