‘What am I doing here?’ Part 2

To the questions asked in Part 1 of  ‘What am I doing here?’ I have only rudimentary answers: I am here learning about the world, staying employed, hoping to make the world a better place and myself a better person. But in another way, the question ‘What am I doing here?’ is a practical one, encompassing questions like,  ‘What is Peace Corps?’ and ‘What do I do every day?’ These questions at least are easier to answer:

The Mission of the Peace Corps, as established by John F. Kennedy in 1961, is “to promote world peace and friendship”

That mission is broken up into three goals:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women
2. Helping promote a better understandings of Americans on the part of the peoples served
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans

In joining the Peace Corps your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to promote world peace and friendship. So that is what I am doing here, promoting world peace and friendship! Naturally that is a wonderful mission and one that I am proud to have accepted, however it does leave a lot of room for independent and creative action. Even the three goals, which determine how I spend my day, are a bit lack luster when it comes to specifics. Therefore everyday is unique and different, but I will try to explain, in general, what I am doing here.

Part 3 to follow…

‘What am I doing here?’ Part 1

On Wednesday, March 3^rd 2010, 71 Peace Corps Trainees landed at Casablanca airport and began their service here in Morocco. As of now I am no longer a member of the youngest and most inexperienced staj (training group) in Peace Corps Morocco.

So the question hit me… What am I doing here?

I have now been in country since September 9^th. My initial curiosity at being in a new and different place has worn off. I no longer think twice about not wearing a seatbelt in a grand taxi crowded with seven people in it. It is totally normal to stand at a counter and order the storeowner to get you milk, spaghetti and all the groceries you want and bring them to you. It is second nature use a squatting toilet.

In a word I am adjusting to being here. Moreover it is clear that, if I were to return to America today, I would face the serious challenges of re-entry shock. All this leads one to wonder, ‘What am I doing here? Why did I leave my home country, give up the language I am used to, leave my friends and family and ruin my ability to cope with living in America? What did I go and do that for?’

Maybe the answer lies in figuring out how I got here in the first place, after all, ‘How did I get here? I remember being on BART on my way to Oakland, and it was raining and I was wearing a tie because I was going to a job interview. And BOOM, now I am in Morocco! That does not make any sense at all. Is it really possible that just because I wore a tie and didn’t give a bad interview, now I am living on my own in a house on a muddy street in a small village in Morocco, talking in Darija and eating tagines?’

Part 2 to follow…

On Greetings

“Salam walkeum. Labas. Bexir. Labas. Hennia? Kulshi myzen? Lahemdullah. Labas? Kif Dihr? Lahemdullah."

The above, in English, roughly translates to “Hello.”

It is usually accompanied by shaking hands and then placing your hand over your heart, though sometimes, with those who are not one’s social equals, kissing your hand after shaking is the required etiquette. Also kissing each other’s cheeks is normal. The number of kisses on each cheek relates to the local norms and the level of intimacy. Then the following is usually said:

“Labas? Labas? Bexir? Hennia? Kulshi myzen? Li bark fik. Labas. Myzen? Lahemdullah.”

This, in English, roughly translates to “How are you?”

In some cases it is then followed by the following:

“Labas? Kulshi myzen? Ash Katgul? Ash xbark? Lifti Shwia?”

This, in English, roughly translates to, “Ok, I have just stood here kissing your cheeks, shaking your hand, and talking incessantly for the last minuet, but now I actually want to know, how is everything?”

This is then generally followed by a comment about the weather.

On Shopping for Jeans

I am a skinny person. Though I say it about myself, I think it’s an objective comment nonetheless. Not only am I naturally skinny, but I have lost weight over the last couple of months. I am down a belt size from my normal, slender self.

But I went jean shopping today…

Of the five different pairs of jeans I tried on, I could not get one of them to button. The numbers on the tags didn’t matter (not that I thought that they would) 34 to 44, nothing could make it around my apparently gigantic waist. Of course, one of those numbers is probably in centimeters. The point is, it seemed every pair of jeans I saw had fallen off the back of a truck on its way to the house of someone who is about two inches skinnier then I.

I went home defeated and drown my sorrows in a bar of chocolate.

My Dwar

On The Sun

You will never believe what happened today. Today, after almost three straight, continuous weeks of storms and rain, of grey skies and unrelenting cold, of flood warnings and snow-toped mountains, today the sun came out. And it brought joy. Blue skies with lazy white clouds floated over healthy green fields. It was a nice reminder…

On Loneliness

“If you find yourself struggling with loneliness, you’re not alone. And yet you are alone. So very alone. “

One of the biggest challenges facing Peace Corps Volunteers across the world, and the biggest challenge for those PCVs serving in Morocco, is loneliness. Living as the only foreigner, in a small town, hours away from the nearest friend is tough. Furthermore, even as you try to integrate into your community, overcoming language and cultural barriers, the fact of the matter is that, while welcomed by your community, you will never be a full member of it. Your stay is only temporary. You are not expected to marry, settle down, have children or do the countless other things that are expected of full-fledged community members. Because of this omnipresent social semi-isolation loneliness is the most common stressor experienced by PCVs.