Hotel Terminus Rabat

... looks like luffah sponge, but is it surprisingly edible. Their tagine dishes are especially rich, baked in a cone shaped ceramic pot, full of whatever combination of fish, meat, vegetables, fruit and spices might be handy. They are eating pigs heads and sheep entrails, but at least a guy can identify it as flesh. And most everything is garnished with cous cous.

Morocco’s literacy rate is 53%, average age 25, 72 year life expectancy ...

... Using my Moroccan Arabic words - I'm proud of the few words I know (shwiya) :-)
Gaining comfort level with the people and places - it gets better every day
Learning about the culture and religion
Being the minority (this has been a first for me and a great learning experience)
Being constantly reminded of the difference between 'want' and 'need'

Things I am looking forward to at home:

My Cleo-kitty!!!!
Ice ...

... through Q&A and preparation plans for our Sahara trip this coming weekend. (!!!!) So, so excited for that.

I'm going to sign off now and get to bed. I'm still trying to shake this cold, and need all the rest I can get. So many in our group are sick with colds, I'm afraid we're just going to pass it back and forth. I bought some Vitamin C tablets today and hope they do something to boost my immune system!

B'esselama,

Patty

... I can't explain how it made me feel, but I really felt like I was doing something important in that moment. Our "little man" was back again today and showed me that he'd gotten another shot in his arm - I just went along with it. He was sweating, so I'm guessing he had to walk quite a ways to get there. He is really something. He helps with the kids, and is very tender with the ones who need it the most. At one point, I saw him ...

... tomorrow or just get shown around, but we're ready either way. We learned that we will be working in the asthma ward exclusively, so that means we'll be based in a hallway of the hospital, setting up our activities on a table out there - keeping sure to stay out of the way of the nurses and doctors! It should be interesting. Apparently, the only time these kids get to play are when ...

... campsite so sunbathed, fell asleep, caught up on diaries and organised the tent for pack up tomorrow. At 2 Martin, Ania and I caught a bus to a supermarket as it was our turn to cook again. Taxied it home and started prep straight away. Sooo much food and all on a budget of US$1 per person per day. Bargain. On tonight's menu were two ...

... the Medina. Some workers were doing some work along the way and had a very large hose strewn across the cycle path which I should have hit square on but didn't so the bike went one way and I went the other. How embarrassing, sprawled across the ground like a 6 year old, grazed knees and elbows to boot. Still, haven't had a tumble for a while so one was due. Lonely Planet have come up trumps again with our accommodation. The hotel is clean, cheap (130) and right in the ...

... anyone else to tell me that I can't come, go, or do exactly as I please. I'm still in the process of negotiating a balance with my family, so that even as much as I love my homestay, it is sometimes absolutely necessary for me to leave the house immediately and just wander where I want, without anyone asking me where or why or how long. A large garden in the center of town and the crowded, winding lanes of the Medina souq serve this impulse perfectly. A real description of Rabat ...

... mother, who unfortunately only speaks Berber and Darija, not the classical form of Arabic (called Fus-ha) that I learned previously, I rely on a few key words and lots of gestures and translations. I really look forward to the day when I can have a conversation with her, but for now she shows her kindness by nice acts and attempts to teach me new words. She also seems to get a lot of amusement out of my blank stares. As a whole, the family is an amazingly sweet, fun, and kind ...