Sat. 31, July 1999 10:24:09 PDT

Sorry it took so long to write again. Last Friday, the 22nd, My grandmother died and I was heartbroken. I attempted to return to Rabat so that I could fly home for the funeral, but unfortunately the King of Morocco also died on Friday and the services were held in Rabat. Not only was everyone trying to get to Rabat, but out of respect for the King everything was shut down for 4 days. Now only the very necessary businesses are open and all others are closed for 40 days. It has been very hard to go through the grieving process alone, but I believe I have made my peace with my grandmother and she is able to hear me from wherever I am. She was a wonderful, caring woman, who was stronger than most people knew how to handle and she will be missed by everyone who knew her.

I continue to struggle through my classes, but I'm on the downhill side now. The language is coming along and I can fret my way through everyday conversations on the streets. I still revert back to French when the going gets tough. It's hard to pick out things to write all of you about because everyday is an adventure. I will tell you that I'm getting used to the bathroom situation. We affectionately call them squats, They are holes in the ground and the position we take over them should be self explanatory. At least my leg muscles are getting a workout. When I was in Agadir, the girl I stayed with had a western-style toilet and I took my book in with me WOOHOO!!!! Well, that's probably more info than you needed Thanks for all the emails and I'll send more later.

Fritz