Hey everybody.....

I can,t believe I,m actually in Rabat RIGHT NOW!!!! I,m staying with a host family..... They have 4 daughters and 4 sons. I sleep with 2 of the sons in a big room with couches. So far I haven,t felt TOO sick, but I also haven't drank the water yet:( Hope you all understand the letter.... I'm typing on a French Keyboard and all the keys are in different places. Please excuse any mistakes.

The last 5 days have been crazy... Our group .. There are 86 of us...is the first EVER to be thrown directly into host families. The idea is to help us learn Dareeja quicker by being in host family houses right away. What that means for me is trial by fire. From 8am to 5pm, we have classes in cross culture, language, technical skills (how to teach) and starting today, we got shots for Hepatitus B, Parvo, measles, etc. The country is beautiful... from what I've seen so far. The weather has been nice too, about 80-90 degrees or so, nice ocean breezes.

The other volunteers are amazing. We are quite a diverse group and from what I,ve seen so far, extremely motivated, talented and smart. I truly feel that I belong here.

There is much to do. I see trash everywhere, animals dead or dying in the middle of the roads and streets. Poverty is everywhere of course. The unemployment rate is about 60 percent. One of the main things that surprised me are the smells and sounds. It is impossible to think I am in America at any time. Definitely a foreign country.

I will continue to take pictures, be sure to check the web site for them, and Copies of the letters.

Love and Peace Fritz