I won't be posting regularly to this blog for the next couple of weeks. So please excuse my absence and again feel free to browse my blog for other entertaining things like my radio features, photo projects, or short stories.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The large woman
Last night I made a trip to the hammam, or public bath house, like I often do. I like to go in the evenings because it is when there are the least amount of women there. But sure enough even with only a few women present it always proves to be a memorable experience.
Moroccan women are not shy about their bodies in the hammam. As much as they may cover themselves outside they surely shed it all inside. I usually go alone which means that I have nobody to scrub my back. During my last half of my visit I was alone with another single women in the room. She was a rather large woman, buck naked, not even wearing underwear.
She came over to me and handed me her "black thing" as we PCVs call it. It is a black fingerless hand mitt that is only a few degrees softer than sand paper. Moroccan women use this to scrub layers off their skin as they think this is the only way to get clean. With this black mitt they scrub their skin and end up with flaky pieces of dead skin that look like tiny bits of wet paper all over their bodies. When I first encountered this I figured it was unhealthy to do this to your skin. However now I am hooked. I enjoy the feeling of sloughing off so much dead skin to reveal new, fresh skin underneath.
The large woman sat down in front of me and I began to scrub her back. I was doing it as hard as I could but I knew I was not up to par with what one of her Moroccan friends would do. After I felt I was satisfied that I got her back clean I knew that it would be my turn. You scratch my back I'll scratch yours, right?
There are a couple of things you can think when a large Moroccan woman is scrubbing your back and touching you in places that no stranger normally would. You can go with "Oh my God this is so wrong. I don't even know this woman and this is so uncomfortable!" Or you can go with "This actually feels so nice, I'm going to relax and just pretend this woman is my mother and enjoy this."
I chose to go with the latter. That is the Moroccan in me coming out. Being comfortable with a total stranger scrubbing my back. In the hammam it is kind of like the duty of women to take care of each other. When people see me alone they don't want me to be alone.
Aside from the fact that this woman scrubbed a place on the back of my neck raw I was glad that she was there to clean my back. It was nice for a minute or two to completely let go of what I think should be weird and just enjoy something.
Moroccan women are not shy about their bodies in the hammam. As much as they may cover themselves outside they surely shed it all inside. I usually go alone which means that I have nobody to scrub my back. During my last half of my visit I was alone with another single women in the room. She was a rather large woman, buck naked, not even wearing underwear.
She came over to me and handed me her "black thing" as we PCVs call it. It is a black fingerless hand mitt that is only a few degrees softer than sand paper. Moroccan women use this to scrub layers off their skin as they think this is the only way to get clean. With this black mitt they scrub their skin and end up with flaky pieces of dead skin that look like tiny bits of wet paper all over their bodies. When I first encountered this I figured it was unhealthy to do this to your skin. However now I am hooked. I enjoy the feeling of sloughing off so much dead skin to reveal new, fresh skin underneath.
The large woman sat down in front of me and I began to scrub her back. I was doing it as hard as I could but I knew I was not up to par with what one of her Moroccan friends would do. After I felt I was satisfied that I got her back clean I knew that it would be my turn. You scratch my back I'll scratch yours, right?
There are a couple of things you can think when a large Moroccan woman is scrubbing your back and touching you in places that no stranger normally would. You can go with "Oh my God this is so wrong. I don't even know this woman and this is so uncomfortable!" Or you can go with "This actually feels so nice, I'm going to relax and just pretend this woman is my mother and enjoy this."
I chose to go with the latter. That is the Moroccan in me coming out. Being comfortable with a total stranger scrubbing my back. In the hammam it is kind of like the duty of women to take care of each other. When people see me alone they don't want me to be alone.
Aside from the fact that this woman scrubbed a place on the back of my neck raw I was glad that she was there to clean my back. It was nice for a minute or two to completely let go of what I think should be weird and just enjoy something.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tip Tuesday
A tip used by Franklin Roosevelt, who always impressed everyone by remembering the names of nearly everyone he met. When you meet a new person picture their name written across their forehead. It gives you a visual and just may help you remember their name for next time.
2. Insect repellent
For a sweet smelling and safe insect repellent mix one tablespoon of pure, clear, sugar free vanilla extract with one tablespoon of water and mix well. Apply with a cotton ball to all exposed areas.It should work for about 30-45 minutes so
reapply as needed.
3. Coffee stains
Beat one egg yoke and with a white cloth dab the yoke into the coffee stain on any fabric. Then rinse with clear water.
Monday, July 25, 2011
What I miss right now-July 2011
1. Target trips with mom.
2. The feel of a car's accelerator underneath my foot.
3. Ellery.
4. The wide selection of food Meijer has to offer.
5. Drives down Stonewall road, under the canopy of trees, with my elbow hanging out the window.
2. The feel of a car's accelerator underneath my foot.
3. Ellery.
4. The wide selection of food Meijer has to offer.
5. Drives down Stonewall road, under the canopy of trees, with my elbow hanging out the window.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The green South Bronx
Majora Carter, from the South Bronx realized that if she didn't care about her neighborhood, then nobody else would either.
As a teen Carter's attempts to leave her crime-ridden, polluted neighborhood of Hunts Point in New York City's South Bronx were successful. Having good grades in high school she earned her way into Connecticut's Wesleyan University.
After returning to New York City to begin her Masters degree Carter found herself broke and had no other option than to move in with her parents. Back to the neighborhood she wanted to escape.
After an impromptu visit to an illegal dumping ground near the Bronx river, Carter's environmental tipping point had been reached.
She founded the Sustainable South Bronx in 2001 and in 2007 opened the Hunts Point Riverside Park.
"Environmental justice, or as I like to call it environmental equality, means that no community should have to bear the brunt of lots of environmental burdens and not enjoy some environmental benefits," she said.
Carter says that this area is home to 30-40 % of New York City's commercial waste handling, with about 60,000 diesel trucks driving through the community weekly.
With each truck coming in Carter is coming up with initiatives to expand the green space.
The South Bronx Greenway will eventually be 11 miles of pedestrian and bike pathways complete with storm water management and recreational systems.
With one woman's love of a community many can live in a more beautiful place.
Watch as Carter speaks passionately about her cause.
As a teen Carter's attempts to leave her crime-ridden, polluted neighborhood of Hunts Point in New York City's South Bronx were successful. Having good grades in high school she earned her way into Connecticut's Wesleyan University.
After returning to New York City to begin her Masters degree Carter found herself broke and had no other option than to move in with her parents. Back to the neighborhood she wanted to escape.
After an impromptu visit to an illegal dumping ground near the Bronx river, Carter's environmental tipping point had been reached.
She founded the Sustainable South Bronx in 2001 and in 2007 opened the Hunts Point Riverside Park.
"Environmental justice, or as I like to call it environmental equality, means that no community should have to bear the brunt of lots of environmental burdens and not enjoy some environmental benefits," she said.
Carter says that this area is home to 30-40 % of New York City's commercial waste handling, with about 60,000 diesel trucks driving through the community weekly.
With each truck coming in Carter is coming up with initiatives to expand the green space.
The South Bronx Greenway will eventually be 11 miles of pedestrian and bike pathways complete with storm water management and recreational systems.
With one woman's love of a community many can live in a more beautiful place.
Watch as Carter speaks passionately about her cause.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Newborn has same birthday as parents
A birth always calls for a celebration, little Mason Parker's day of birth is also the birth date's of not one but both of his parents.His mother, 29-year-old Jacquie Parker of Long Island, spent her 28th birthday in labor. Meanwhile, his father 32-year-old Paul Parker stood by awaiting his son celebrating his birthday too.
The couple was excited when Jacquie went into labor at three a.m. on July 19th, a day before her due date. Then began a race against the clock in hopes to deliver Mason and have a triple celebration.
In the afternoon Jacquie's contractions stopped, but finally after 20 hours of labor, just one half hour before midnight Mason was born, naturally.
The couple had planned on a quiet restaurant dinner for their birthdays but ended up with a much better thing to celebrate.
The two are already planning a special party for next year to celebrate Jacquie's 30th birthday and Mason's 1st.
From the dailymail.co.uk
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Team Canada
Each of the five teams had the responsibility of putting on a short presentation about who they were as a team. Team Canada chose to make this short film. Please enjoy it as my last bit of camp 2011.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Talking about journalism
One of the club activities that our campers got to choose from was the creative writing/journalism club that was led by my friend Liz. On the last day of the club we decided the kids would get a visit from a guest speaker. A real live journalist. Me.
It was so much fun talking to the kids about journalism. Coming back to what I am most passionate about really felt comfortable and fulfilling. I have never gotten the chance to teach about journalism and taking this opportunity made me think that this is something I could merge into in my future.
I put together an hour long program for the kids. Which included a discussion about what journalism is, some important style factors in different news sources, and some ethical issues in journalism. The kids were very receptive to what I had to say and I enjoyed having their attention to talk about what is important to me.
It was so much fun talking to the kids about journalism. Coming back to what I am most passionate about really felt comfortable and fulfilling. I have never gotten the chance to teach about journalism and taking this opportunity made me think that this is something I could merge into in my future.
I put together an hour long program for the kids. Which included a discussion about what journalism is, some important style factors in different news sources, and some ethical issues in journalism. The kids were very receptive to what I had to say and I enjoyed having their attention to talk about what is important to me.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tip Tuesday
This summer seems to be shaping into a scorcher for both Americans and Moroccans. Please take a look at this variety of tips to stay cool without running your air conditioning bill through the roof. 1. Consumerenergycenter.org says if you have venetian blinds, close them or angle them upwards. That way, light is reflected up and into the room and direct rays of the sun are not let in.
2. Read this website for LOTS more tips on how to keep cool.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Support
The thing that I want to talk about most is how supportive the campers were of each other which I felt was the most visible out of any camp.
The third night was the camp talent show. All that day the Moroccan staff was busy setting up the sound system and piecing together components to make it possible for us to have music and a microphone. By the time of the talent show the audio was far from perfect. And the first person to perform had to some how get through it.
Mohammad, being first, chose to sing "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull and Neyo. Sure go ahead and have a little laugh. Firstly the music started playing, muffled and the microphone had a constant buzz layered over it. It resulted in us barely getting to hear Mohammad's performance.
He made his way through the first verse but just as the chorus started something magical happened. One camper raised their hands high above their head and created a clap that quickly infected the entire room. Soon everyone was singing and jamming to the song and we out sung the poor sound of the audio. It was a beautiful moment.
This is only one example that I saw the campers supporting each other so strongly. Throughout the entire camp during any performance the crowds cheered like each person had their own bit of celebrity.
Whatever doesn't kill you
I'm back from my long hiatus. As quickly as it came summer camp 2011 is now behind me. Please look forward to my stories in the coming days of all that is camp. For now I'd like to tell you the about the most unfortunate event of my camp experience. But please know it's all up hill from here.
In summer Peace Corps volunteers are allowed to bring 3-4 kids from their town to summer camp on a full scholarship. The kids are given transportation to and from the center in El Jadida and all their camp costs are covered. Transportation is supposed to be arranged and carried out by each region's local delegation. My four boys got to the camp ok but getting home was another story.
Out of 88 kids at the camp all got picked up but my four. I was going to leave El Jadida myself at 10:30 by train but having gotten held up I figured out that I was too late to make the train. I just stayed at the camp hoping to catch the next one after two hours. Meanwhile my four boys and 10 other kids from nearby cities were all anxiously waiting for their provided transportation to pick them up. All the other kids had gone, starting their trips to far away cities. But the 14 kids who lived the closest had yet to leave.
My boys still did not know how they were going to get home. Apparently the man who drove them did not know when he was supposed to come back to pick them up so he wasn't coming. I then realized I didn't want to go anywhere until I knew what would happen to them.
It is not the job or the responsibility of the volunteer to travel with the campers. For liability reasons technically we are not allowed to. So even though the responsibility was out of my hands I realized I might be the only one who could get them home.
The director of the camp told my kids that a bus would be coming to pick up the 14 remaining kids and drive them to a city near all their homes. This bus was supposed to arrive at 11 am but at 12:15 something finally arrived which was not a bus.
It was a van with only six actual seats. The driver said he was given instructions to come and pick up 10 kids, my four not included. Due to the police patrols on the road the driver was too scared to drive all 14 kids. I didn't blame him. But then that left me with four boys that ultimately had to get home by public transport.
I was hot, tired, hungry and I had four boys, all with baggage, one having an emotional meltdown, and three without any cash. Christopher, my good friend and savior, was another volunteer who's kids had gotten in the van. He easily could have gone with them in a quick and free ride. But me being in a city I barely knew with all the other factors that I just mentioned didn't feel confident tackling the task that was at hand alone.
It didn't take long to talk him into staying with me. With Christopher by my side we walked the boys first to an ATM machine where I could get money to cover the trip and then to the bus station to catch a bus first to Casablanca. I told Christopher I would pay for his journey because he was doing me such a great favor.
After a two hour bus ride we arrived in Casa. Luckily one boy's aunt and another boy's father met us at the bus station to pick up their child. I made sure to apologize to each parent for the confusion of the day and was thankful to them for being there to get them. Each one was thankful to me for getting them home. I was glad no one was upset.
Lastly Christopher and I boarded a bus with the last two boys for Berrichid where three of us would get off before Christopher would continue on to his hometown.
The trip was hot and took just over four hours. The whole time I was upset that the delegation didn't properly do their job and get these kids home the right way. At the beginning of the experience I had a teary moment myself but by the end of it I was actually glad to have had it. It did make me a little stronger and gave me some unique memories.
In summer Peace Corps volunteers are allowed to bring 3-4 kids from their town to summer camp on a full scholarship. The kids are given transportation to and from the center in El Jadida and all their camp costs are covered. Transportation is supposed to be arranged and carried out by each region's local delegation. My four boys got to the camp ok but getting home was another story.
Out of 88 kids at the camp all got picked up but my four. I was going to leave El Jadida myself at 10:30 by train but having gotten held up I figured out that I was too late to make the train. I just stayed at the camp hoping to catch the next one after two hours. Meanwhile my four boys and 10 other kids from nearby cities were all anxiously waiting for their provided transportation to pick them up. All the other kids had gone, starting their trips to far away cities. But the 14 kids who lived the closest had yet to leave.
My boys still did not know how they were going to get home. Apparently the man who drove them did not know when he was supposed to come back to pick them up so he wasn't coming. I then realized I didn't want to go anywhere until I knew what would happen to them.
It is not the job or the responsibility of the volunteer to travel with the campers. For liability reasons technically we are not allowed to. So even though the responsibility was out of my hands I realized I might be the only one who could get them home.
The director of the camp told my kids that a bus would be coming to pick up the 14 remaining kids and drive them to a city near all their homes. This bus was supposed to arrive at 11 am but at 12:15 something finally arrived which was not a bus.
It was a van with only six actual seats. The driver said he was given instructions to come and pick up 10 kids, my four not included. Due to the police patrols on the road the driver was too scared to drive all 14 kids. I didn't blame him. But then that left me with four boys that ultimately had to get home by public transport.
I was hot, tired, hungry and I had four boys, all with baggage, one having an emotional meltdown, and three without any cash. Christopher, my good friend and savior, was another volunteer who's kids had gotten in the van. He easily could have gone with them in a quick and free ride. But me being in a city I barely knew with all the other factors that I just mentioned didn't feel confident tackling the task that was at hand alone.
It didn't take long to talk him into staying with me. With Christopher by my side we walked the boys first to an ATM machine where I could get money to cover the trip and then to the bus station to catch a bus first to Casablanca. I told Christopher I would pay for his journey because he was doing me such a great favor.
After a two hour bus ride we arrived in Casa. Luckily one boy's aunt and another boy's father met us at the bus station to pick up their child. I made sure to apologize to each parent for the confusion of the day and was thankful to them for being there to get them. Each one was thankful to me for getting them home. I was glad no one was upset.
Lastly Christopher and I boarded a bus with the last two boys for Berrichid where three of us would get off before Christopher would continue on to his hometown.
The trip was hot and took just over four hours. The whole time I was upset that the delegation didn't properly do their job and get these kids home the right way. At the beginning of the experience I had a teary moment myself but by the end of it I was actually glad to have had it. It did make me a little stronger and gave me some unique memories.