Time flies!

I am writing this blog post from New York, where Justin and I have been spending the Christmas holiday with his family. It's so hard to believe that we have been back in the U.S. for nearly 5 months! I've been a bit delinquent on posting (it's on my New Years resolutions list to be more frequent!), so let me catch you up on the last few months.

New City:
We're now settled into Washington, DC where we are slowly but surely getting used to life there. It's a slower pace than New York City and certainly very different from Morocco! The transition has taken a while but I think we are finally getting used to both life in the U.S. and life in our new city.

New Apartment:
After living in a temporary place for a month or so, we moved into a permanent apartment in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, which I just recently read has the largest concentration of returned Peace Corps Volunteers in the world! So I'm happy that we're in good company. It took a few months but we're almost fully unpacked and settled in.

New Jobs:
Justin has started back at school to get his PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland (proud wife brag: It's the number one program for this in the country!) and he's doing really well and enjoying the work. I am working as a Marketing Manager at an amazing education technology company called EverFi. The company creates interactive, web platform-based programs to teach critical skills to students that might be missing from either the school or their home (for example, financial education for high schoolers or alcohol abuse prevention for college students) and partners with corporations to bring these into schools free of charge. It's very much a change from my days working in corporate advertising, and I love coming to work knowing that my work has the potential to enrich and improve people's future prospects.

New Year:
Now that we are finally feeling more settled, I'm so excited to begin the next year and to see what adventures are ahead! From our home to yours, wherever you may be in the world, wishing you a year filled with learning, wonder, and beauty. I look forward to continuing to chart our journeys in 2014!

Ringing in an exciting new year

It's hard to believe that an entire year has come and gone! As we move towards 2013, I can't help but reflect upon the past year and think about how much has developed and changed. This time last year, Justin and I were new residents of Tiflet, knowing a handful of people, not sure about what we might plan or accomplish during our time in Morocco, and certainly very nervous about our new lives. Today, we have established strong relationships with people young and old in the community, we have developed some great programs, and we now look at each obstacle and challenge with confidence and readiness. And another big difference from last year - I haven't broken any bones!! 

In looking back on some of the goals that I set for myself at the end of last year, I wanted to call out a few for which I am particularly proud of my progress:

1. Take better care of myself
Coming out of a year in which I broke bones in both my hand and leg, I wanted to make sure that taking care of my health became a priority. And I am happy to say that I have made amazing strides. In November I had a mid-service physical check-up and the doctors reported that I am in great shape - not only that, but I have lost 44.5 pounds since I came to Morocco! This has come mainly from exercising regularly and eating lots of healthy vegetable-rich meals that we cook for ourselves.

2. Explore and travel 

If you've kept up with this blog, then you have seen lots of travel-related posts. I'm happy to have had the chance to see many of Morocco's beautiful places and in the coming year, I hope to visit many more! (Going up to Tanger for New Year's, my first time up north, stay tuned!)

3. Develop a support network

Over the last few months, I have begun to develop some truly strong friendships in our community. And with these friendships, I have been able to learn much more about Moroccan culture and to teach about American culture. Beyond the support network in our community, I have developed a strong support network of Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco and friends and family in the U.S. who have provided more love and strength than I could imagine. Please know that I am so very grateful for it! 

It's been a tough year, full of uncertainty, confusion, and disorder - but out of all this has come so much learning, beauty, and adventure - and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store!

From Justin and me, wishing you a year filled with learning, beauty, and adventure. 

I look forward to continuing to chart our journey in 2013!

Mountains and camels and pumpkin pie, oh my!

Greetings and happy December! Justin and I are settling back into Tiflet after a few weeks of traveling - first with friends from the U.S. in Morocco and Spain, and then with Peace Corps Volunteers in a small town in southern Morocco for an authentic Thanksgiving celebration. I was very happy to have lots of travel and adventures this month, because this same time last year I didn't do much more than stare unhappily at the cast on my leg! Thankfully, this year we were able to spend the holidays with new and old friends and take on new experiences, explore new places, and eat lots of yummy food :) Enjoy a few photos from our Moroccan adventures below - photos from Spain will come in another blog post soon!

Justin and I and snowy mountains! Never thought I would see this in Morocco!

Our friends from the U.S., overlooking Ait Benhaddou

Camel trek in the desert near Zagora! My ride for the afternoon :)

I'm not sure if this is just me, but I swear that Justin and his camel
have the SAME facial expression :)

I have been wanting to ride a camel for a while, so you can see I am very excited!

Camel shadows on the desert

Our Thanksgiving feast, some of which required key items to be shipped
from the U.S. (thanks to Justin's parents!). Stuffed chicken (no turkey to be found),
vegetable quiche, cranberry sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, green bean casserole,
sweet potato casserole, stuffing, and gravy. I think I'm still full from it!

Even some authentic apple and pumpkin pies!

A very happy group of Peace Corps Volunteers, about to partake in the meal.

Morocco 101: Eid al-Adha

Today is the third day of Eid al-Adha, one of the most important celebrations in the Moroccan calendar. "Eid" means "Festival" and "al-Adha" means "of the sacrifice." We spent the day with one of our good friends and his family, so I thought I would use this blog post to talk a bit about the day and also include a few photos from our experience (don't worry, nothing too graphic!).

So what is this sacrifice?

Eid al-Adha honors the story of the prophet Ibrahim (or as many may know from the Bible, Abraham), who was commanded by Allah (God) in a dream to sacrifice his first-born son Isma'il (Ishmael), as a test of his faith. Ibrahim blindfolded himself as he could not bear to see the sacrifice of his son, and as he cut Isma'il's throat and removed his blindfold, Ibrahim was astonished to see that Isma'il was unharmed and instead, he found a slaughtered ram in his son's place. As a reward for his faith, Allah granted Ibrahim the good news of the birth of his second son, Is-haaq (Isaac).

Wait, didn't Abraham sacrifice Isaac in the story?

This is slightly different from the story that many may know. In the Torah and the Christian Bible, Isaac is the son that Abraham was about to sacrifice, whereas in the Qur'an, Ibrahim (Abraham) was about to sacrifice his first son, Isma'il (Ishmael). The theological importance of the distinction is that Jews trace their descent from Isaac and Christians believe that Jesus was a descendant of Isaac, whereas Muslims believe that the Prophet Mohammed was a descendant of Isma'il.

Special Practices during Eid al-Adha

Preparing for Eid
To prepare for Eid, Muslims are encouraged to put on new or best clothes available, and to ensure personal cleanliness (people get haircuts, sometimes women will do henna). Muslims pray in the morning of the first day as a congregation before performing the sacrifice.

Justin and I in traditional clothes (the sheep, in his birthday suit)

The Slaughter
Muslims who can afford it purchase an animal prior to Eid to be slaughtered after the morning prayers. Those who cannot afford a sheep buy a goat or a less expensive animal. Justin and I guesstimated that there were about 10,000 sheep in our town the night before Eid, and we could hear the "baaaaaaaa's" echo through the night! After the morning prayers on Eid, the head of the family slaughters the sheep, or in some families, a butcher comes to the house and performs the ritual.

The men getting the sheep ready for the slaughter (don't worry, I didn't post a photo of that!)

Charitable giving  

As with many other Muslim holidays, in Eid it is important to give to the poor, through money or through sharing meat of the sacrificed animal.

The Hajj
One of Islam's revered observances, Eid al-Adha corresponds with the end of the Hajj - the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that annually draws 2 million Muslims.

Greeting Friends and Family
It's important during this time to visit friends and family and to wish them a "Mbrouk L'Eid" (Congratulations on Eid).

The Foods

Breakfast
Families eat sweets and cookies for breakfast, along with traditional bread-based fares. Here are some of the foods that were on our breakfast table!

Milwi, a traditional pancake type dish. Also called msemen in some places.

Lots and lots of cookies!

Post-Slaughter Meal
It's Moroccan tradition to prepare organ meats such as the liver and the heart on the day of the slaughter. What seems to be typical is wrapping pieces of the liver and heart in a fatty film that surrounds the stomach, skewering these on kabobs and grilling, and then eating with bread and spices.

Making kabobs with the family

The spices: cumin, salt, and hot pepper (here they call it sudaniya).

The finished kabobs... pretty tasty!

Other Meals
The days following the slaughter are very meat-heavy, as families continue to eat the remainder of the animal. Almost no parts of the animal go to waste - even the head and legs, these are roasted and eaten in the days following the slaughter.

And there are a wide variety of cooking methods, from roasting to grilling to slow cooking in tagines or otherwise.

Sheep head and legs roasting on the fire (I won't be eating this!).

This was our second year to celebrate Eid al-Adha (last year was during our training period). I found that it's a really great feeling to be experiencing things a second time around, to compare our experiences from town to town and year to year, gaining a better understanding of how customs and traditions can differ even within the country. And once in a while, having an idea of what to expect can be really nice when each new day in Morocco can bring us something very unexpected!

On an unrelated note - Thinking about everyone on the East Coast with Hurricane Sandy approaching. I hope that the damage is minimal and passes through quickly! And doesn't mess too much with Halloween :)

Jews in Morocco... Part One

I just returned from a week of travels in Rabat and Marrakech, helping the Peace Corps to plan and run some training sessions with the newest group of Volunteers. On Monday, I had the amazing opportunity to attend services in a Marrakech synagogue for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). It was a small group of people attending services, no more than 20, in a little building that you'd never know was a synagogue from the street. Through the experience, I felt like I joined a rich Jewish history in Morocco that, while dwindling today, began nearly 2,000 years ago and saw at its highest close to 350,000 Jewish people.

I've learned a bit about Jewish history in Morocco and thought some basics might be interesting to share. The history of the Jews in Morocco began during the spread of the Roman empire, in which an increasing number of Jews began to settle in what is now modern-day Morocco. Over the centuries, as rule over Morocco shifted between different groups (Romans to Arabs, Almohads to the Spanish, multiple ruling dynasties to the French, and finally, independence), the treatment of the Jewish population has ranged from very good to heavily strained. Following the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the majority of Jews emigrated from Morocco to Israel, and today, Israel is home to nearly one million Jews of Moroccan descent, around 15% of the nation's total population. Today, approximately 7,000 Jews reside in Morocco, mostly in Casablanca, and some in other major cities (Fes, Marrakech, Meknes, Rabat). Many Moroccans with whom I have spoken are quick to point out that Morocco has a strong relationship with the Jewish people; in fact, the king's top advisor is Jewish.

Below are a few photos from the Monday service as well as some photos of Jewish sites that I have seen on my travels in Morocco. As I continue to learn more about Jewish history over my time here, I'll be sure to share it. Wishing all of my Jewish family and friends a sweet, healthy, and happy New Year filled with inspiration, forgiveness, and love!

Just before Rosh Hashanah services in Marrakech - the view from the women's section.

Mezuzzah at the synagogue in Marrakech.

A synagogue in the old medina in Fes.

Remains of a synagogue in El Jadida.

Overlooking a Jewish cemetery in Marrakech.

Saying goodbye to Ramadan

Eid Sa'id – Happy Eid from Morocco!

Last Monday, we concluded the month of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr, the day of festivity that commemorates the breaking of the Ramadan fast. On this day, Muslims do not fast (some continue fasting for several days following Eid, but on this day everyone eats). In our community, families celebrated with a festive breakfast consisting of VERY sweet foods, followed by visiting family and friends, partaking in tea and wishing each other a happy Eid. Justin and I joined in the festivities by baking a cake for breakfast (yes, cake for breakfast - we deserve it, we've been fasting!) and celebrating with our host family. A few food and family shots here:

The Eid spread - cookies, cakes, and lots of fried breads!

Justin, our host mother, father, sister, and a friend.

Close-up of our cake - 3 layers chock full of butter and sugar ;)

The afternoon of Eid, Justin and I left our community for a few days of traveling in Morocco with friends from New York: Emily, Chris, and Jeremy. We had the luxury of being driven around in their rental car for a few days (Peace Corps doesn't let us drive in Morocco) and learned that having a car in Morocco allows you to visit some amazingly beautiful sites that are quite difficult and time-consuming via public transportation. As an example, check out the below photos taken along our drive:

Yes, these are goats, and yes, they are climbing in trees! This is the beginning of how argan oil is made, and it's quite a site to see in person. I think you will all enjoy my next blog post, which will be FULL of photos from these and other adventures on the road.

Now, we have returned from our travels and are settling back into post-Ramadan life in Tiflet. It's interesting to see how the community has totally shifted from last month's nocturnal schedule - whereas before the town was dead quiet until about 4 PM, now I hear children playing outside in the mornings and the markets and streets are filled with people throughout the day. As wonderful as the Ramadan experience was, I have to say that I'm happy to be back into a more regular routine. Schools will begin in mid-September, which means that soon Justin and I will be setting up a schedule for our English classes and beginning to plan fall programs for youth in the community. Hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of the summer; I know we are!

Back in Morocco!

After 2 weeks of traipsing through the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, Justin and I are back safe and sound in home sweet Tiflet. It was a wonderful trip, with so many things to do and experience! But by the end we were happy to return to Morocco and get back to our lives here.

We're now back into the Ramadan routine, fasting during the days and breaking the fast with our host family or friends in the evening (if you missed it, you can read more about Ramadan in my post here). Ramadan continues for another 7 or 8 days (depending on the moon) and then concludes on a holiday called "Eid al-Fitr" (literally means Festivity after Completing the Fast). I don't know too much yet about the traditions associated with this holiday in Morocco, but I'm sure I will be reporting more soon!

More to come over the next week (a big day is coming up on Thursday, blog post forthcoming) but for now, enjoy some of my favorite photos from our trip! To see my full album, you can click here - It's a public album on Facebook, so as long as you have an account, you should be able to view it.

"I Amsterdam" sign in front of the Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam, of course!

View of the Anne Frank House and an Amsterdam canal
from the tower of Westerkirk (translated "Western Church").

The beautiful Tuschinksi Theater in Amsterdam.

The House of Bols experience in Amsterdam, where we learned
how smell affects taste - really beautifully designed!

In Kinderdijk, with the largest concentration of windmills in the Netherlands.

Portrait of a beautiful windmill!

At Aalsmeer, the largest flower auction in the world, 
where over 80% of the world's flowers come from!

Justin tries to model a famous MC Escher work at the museum in Den Haag.

Smiling on a boat cruise in Prague.

Breathtaking stained glass windows 
at the St. Vitus Cathedral at the Prague Castle.

Inside the church at the Vysehrad National Monument in Prague. 
Beautiful art nouveau designs.

Prague by night!

The famous Sedlec Ossuary in Kutna Hora, an old mining town. 
Estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, 
whose bones have been artistically arranged to form decorations 
and furnishings for the chapel. Creepy but beautiful!

In a prison in Terezin, which was used as a holding camp/ghetto for Jews 
during World War II before they were sent to concentration camps. 
This says something like "Work will make you free."

Amazing Dutch cuisine! Here are meat dumplings with cabbage and beets.

More Dutch cuisine - beef goulash (so good!) and more dumplings.

The beautiful Karlstejn castle, outside of Prague.

A band playing at Konopiste Castle, also outside of Prague.
Lots of hunted animals on the walls behind them, which filled the castle!

The beautiful Spanish Synagogue in Prague.

Morocco 101: Ramadan

Today is the second full day of Ramadan in Morocco. Justin and I are only going to be in Morocco for the first 4 days of it (we leave on Wednesday for a vacation) and then we'll be back for the remaining 2 weeks, but we are trying to experience as much as we can in the beginning! I thought I would use this blog post to talk a bit about Ramadan and our experiences so far.

The most well-known aspect of Ramadan for non-Muslims is the month-long fast between sunrise and sunset. For the last month or so, just about everyone we know or meet has asked the same question...

Are we fasting?

The answer is yes - sort of. Justin and I have committed to fasting while we are in Morocco, out of respect for the community and to try to get a sense of Ramadan from a closer perspective. However, since we are leaving on Wednesday to travel out of the country for 2 weeks, we'll be starting with a mini-fast of just 4 days, and then we'll try to resume fasting when we return. It's been really interesting to hear people's responses when we tell them that we are fasting - Some seem happy and proud of us, others are confused as to why we would fast if we are not also praying, and most warn us that it will not be easy! But people seem to really love Ramadan - they say that it's a beautiful time when the community comes together and experiences something very special. And just in our first day, I felt like fasting was something that mentally tied me to the community - As I walked around yesterday, I felt that I shared something in common with the whole community, which is a pretty cool feeling when you are living far away from home. And the flip side of fasting is that you have an amazingly delicious meal to break the fast each and every night. Some pictures from our first break-fast meal are at the end of this blog post!

As I mentioned above, Ramadan has started in Morocco - but exactly when it started is not as simple a question as you might think...

When does Ramadan start?

Well, that's a funny question that has been baffling me.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and as with all months in the Islamic calendar, its start is based on the sighting of the new moon. There appears to be a lot of disagreement over the starting date of the month.

Since Muslims live all over the world, but Islam started in what is now known as Saudi Arabia, they may not agree as to which country’s first moon sighting marks the start of the month. Some Muslims believe that a new moon sighting from their individual country marks the start of Ramadan. Other Muslims believe that the sighting of the new moon from Saudi Arabia marks the beginning of Ramadan. And yet other Muslims believe that technology should be used to mark the true date, and use astronomical calculations instead to determine the start of Ramadan.

In Morocco, it was based on the sighting of the moon here. So for several nights we stayed awake, waiting for a friend to tell us whether or not the new moon had been sighted. Seems like a tough way to mobilize a whole country to start fasting, but it works for people here!

Many of you may already know a lot about Ramadan, but here's a bit more information that I have learned during my time here.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the month-long period of fasting that Muslims all over the world observe to commemorate the month in which the Qu'ran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Many Muslims also believe that during this month, the gates of Heaven are open, the gates of Hell are closed, and devils are chained in Hell. So it is a very holy time, filled with special practices which are only done this month.

Special Practices During Ramadan

Fasting all month

Although Muslims fast during other times of the year, Ramadan is the only time when fasting is obligatory during the entire month for every able Muslim. From sun-up to sun-down, Muslims (with exceptions for the ill, travelers, nursing mothers and pre-pubescent children) are required to abstain from eating, drinking, or sexual relations during daylight hours.

Charitable giving

There is also an increased emphasis on alms-giving during Ramadan. Many Muslims believe that their good actions bring a greater reward during this month than at any other time of year, because this month has been blessed by Allah. 

Increased prayer and recitation of the Qu'ran

In addition to fasting, Muslims are encouraged to read the entire Qu'ran. Some Muslims perform the recitation of the entire Qu'ran by means of special prayers which are held in the mosques every night of the month.

Iftar (the break-fast)

At sunset, the family gathers for the fast-breaking meal known as Iftar. The meal traditionally starts with the eating of three dates (as this is what the Prophet Muhammad did). Then a festive meal is served after prayers. This is a time of fellowship with families, friends, and the community.

Suhoor

A small meal eaten just before dawn; the final meal before the day's fast begins.

And very important... some special foods during this time!

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the eating portion of this month. There are many special types of food that, while available in Morocco at other times in the year, are emphasized this month. Here are the 3 big ones that I have seen so far:

Shbekia: A sesame cookie which is folded into a flower shape, fried and soaked in honey, then sprinkled with sesame seeds. Justin and I have spent HOURS making shbekia with our host family; it takes a really long time but is very good!

Sellou: Made from toasted sesames, fried almonds and flour that has been browned in the oven - very sweet!

Harira: A very tasty chickpea and tomato soup. Although eaten year-round, it seems to be especially popular in Ramadan for breaking the fast.

Making shbekia with my host mother.

The shbekia "before" picture - sesame-based dough
that will be fried and then drenched in honey.

The completed shbekia! Covered in honey and sesame seeds.

The break-fast table - Ours was a little nontraditional; note the pizza in the middle!
Also pictured are sellou, fried fish, shbekia, juices, and harira to come.

Close-up on the sellou.

And last but not least, the harira!
I could eat this stuff ALL. DAY. LONG. When I'm not fasting of course :)

I hope you enjoyed hearing a bit about Ramadan. Wishing you a Ramadan Kareem, a month filled with generosity and holiness!