Just a quick note for those of you dying to look at a map. We got our permanent site assignments and for the next two years I will be in Akermoud, Essaouira. Akermoud is about 25 kms from the coast (though no direct road), and an hour from Essaouira city, which is supposed to be beautiful, and is on the coast. I'm so lucky!
I hope you are all doing well. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to write last week, since I'm just positive you all wait breathlessly for my updates, but sickness and a schedule change kept me from writing.
Bzou (pronounced b-zoo), is a wonderful, somewhat large village, or at least is large for a village in the bled. There are about 100-150 people living there and it is famous for 2 things in Morocco. The first is the quality of the men's djellabas it produces [a traditional hooded robe worn over clothing while outside]. Most of the women in the village are involved in the process at some point. They either card the wool, spin the thread, or like my host mom Tourea, they weave the fabric. It's beautiful and calming to watch and she makes the most wonderful pieces.
The second thing for which Bzou is famous is its "quality" of brides, and consequently its matchmakers as well. Men come (or send their mothers) from all over Morocco and Europe to find wives. Though the standard of arranged marriages is no longer really upheld, because of the way Muslim society works (at least here) there still isn't a chance for potential spouses to meet because unmarried women aren't really allowed out of the house, so there needs to be some intermediary, hence the matchmakers.
My host family is amazing. They literally dote on me, which is of course very good for my ego, but also a little tiring. There is my grandmother, who is probably in her early to mid-fifties (but the aging process here is accelerated by the relative harshness of life, so everyone looks at least a decade older than they really are), my mom, Tourea, who is probably early thirties, but looks about 50, my host sister, Farin (who is actually Tourea's sister, but so much closer to my age, I can't consider her an aunt), and her daughter, Shama, who is about 2, and looks it. Because the women in Bzou actually have a job "outside the home" they also have money, and hence more power than most women in Morocco. The fact that my family is composed entirely of women is not unusual in Bzou (husbands are either dead, which doesn't seem to be much of a loss, or in the case of Farin, work in a larger city). Also, unlike many other communities, especially in the bled, the women of Bzou go out, talk to men (shocking!) and generally conduct all of their business themselves. This is supposed to be quite different from the rest of Morocco, and even Ghizlane, my teacher who is from Rabat, was surprised at how much freedom women have in Bzou. She said even in Rabat or Casablanca, women don't have so much control over their own affairs. What makes this especially difficult from a Western perspective is that having control over their affairs is really in reference to the ability of women to do their own shopping, or just go out for a walk. It's not even as though they get to sell their fabric. That, sadly, is done by middle men, who take far too much of the profit. Also, something quite surprising, is that single women (though always with other people in the house since no on actually lives by themselves) will have men to whom they are not related in the house as guests. Anywhere else this would be forbidden, but in Bzou, its a matter of course.
Continue reading "3 marriage proposals, 2 beers and 1 birth" »
Are you all okay? I hope all of your families are okay, too. Let me know if there is anything I can do (though obviously from a distance). Several of my fellow trainees have friends and family in the N.Y./D.C. area, but so far, everyone is okay.
So, the scoop here is actually somewhat complicated (for me at least). Yesterday at about 2:30, just as we were all finishing naptime (the U.S. really loses out in not following that time honored tradition), we got a call on Ghizlane's (pronounced Rizlane) cellphone. Mike (another volunteer in Marrakesh) was calling to let us know that the Pentagon had been hit by a plane and had collapsed, the "WTO" had been hit, and no one knew what was going on. Luckily, the house in which we have class has a TV with a satallite dish, so after we sat in shock, we watched the BBC (which is really much better than American news-so much more evenhanded). Rachid called at about 4 to let us know, and to tell us that Barbara (Country Director) was in a meeting at the embassy with the ambassador and that he would call s back as soon as he knew anything. He called back around 5:30 and said that there was no reason to evaquate, so we could go home. At the same time, the Gendarmes came to the house and wanted all of our passport info so they could keep tabs on us to make sure we were safe. Obviously the rest of the day's language lessons were shot, and at about 6, we went back to our families. The following morning was somewhat restrained, but after an outdoor lesson (lots of fun), Rachid came at lunch and told us he'd just heard from Barbara that we should all be rounded up (including the current volunteers in the province) and should stay at the zween (nice) hotel in Azilal until further notice. So, now I'm here.
I have mixed feelings about the decision. I would actually prefer to be in Bzou (not for security reasons, just because I like it). Everyone is awfully worried, and rumors are flying around, one being that if the attacks are linked to an Islamic group we will probably be sent home. Not the best news as I am just really starting to feel comfortable. I think what everyone is really worried about (not least of whom is myself) is what possible retribution the US may dole out (especially given the current administration). We all feel quite safe here, probably even safer than we would if we were home, and all of the Moroccans have been terribly concerned and nice about the whole
thing, but the footage from the West Bank of some Palestinians celebrating was quite disturbing, and that seems to be where the POSSIBLE evacuation rumors come from.
So, that is the news from my small part of the world. The only added tidbit is that being here makes the news both somehow more dramatic and surreal. I actually have a lot more to say about the homestay, and just general info, but at this point I'm afraid anything else would sound flip.
I hope you are all doing well and that no one was hurt.