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Date: Fri, 08 Oct. 1999 05:49:18 PDT Salaam A'lykoum, The 4 classes I have now are electronics students and technical science students. I have both 1st and 2nd year students. It's been fun so far (while I'm actually in class). But the bureaucracy and dealing with administration and even other teachers, as well as trying to get copies and supplies is getting me a little down. I'm always afraid that the language barriers will somehow create this chasm that makes me completely unaware of the pitfalls in front of me. The paperwork has taken forever, but it looks as though I'll have my carte de séjour on Mon. That means that since two Mondays ago, I'm in this country illegally. I just keep trying to stay out of trouble so I don't get deported!!!!! Due to the difficulties with the paperwork.... We haven't gotten a phone yet, sorry! I'm starting to feel that everything in this country requires those damn stamps. They've got these stamps that you have to buy and have someone official put on everything you do. I'm surprised they don't stamp the tissue when you blow your nose. It ends up making us have to run all over town to get copies, then get the copies legalized , then run back out to get the right stamps. Anyway... I believe most of the running around for the legal stuff is almost over. I need to concentrate more on my classes. I have yet to get a desk of my own. I'm always offered someone else's desk, or office and they're all quite nice, but it would be nice to have somewhere that's just mine. It's a long way to go to my house to work. I'm settling in at home and have started to figure out the cooking.(I'm going to cook some good stuff when I get back). I'm also figuring out that I don't much care for washing clothes by hand. It's a pain and it takes forever. AND I don't seem to be able to do that great of a job! It's hard for me to keep studying my Arabic, first of all, almost everyone in the university knows French and it's easy to fall back on. Secondly, most people I run into on the street, like the shop owners, taxi drivers and even people in the post offices speak Teshelheight, which is a Berber dialect. Some of the words are the same, and they'll say "Oh! You speak Teshelheight?" And I'll say No, I only speak Derija and they get very sad. They don't seem to be impressed at all that I know Derija. I would have been better off learning a Berber dialect during training. I've been reading lots of books and hope to tackle "War and Peace" in the next few months. I have a friend who will be reading it with me, so we can discuss it and try to keep everything straight. I'll be starting that in a month or so. Meanwhile I'm studying the Koran (The Muslim Holy Book). I picked up a copy that is in Arabic and English, with explanations. I'm also reading books for pleasure at the same time. I only have one more pleasure book left and then I'll be scrambling (trying to trade with other volunteers) for more. My APCD ,or immediate supervisor from the Peace Corps, came by this last week to check on us and take a few of us out to dinner. It was nice to see some other volunteers, I forgot what hangin' with Americans was like. Even though I am so busy during the days, once everything slows down in the evening, I haven't had much to do. I go home, work out, read, prepare lesson plans. I spend allot of time alone. A little bored. It's been hard. I don't have a guitar and still no possibilities in sight. If it is possible for people to send my cheap one from home SAFELY I'd be interested in footing the bill. I'll e-mail you separately about that today 'cause there are some nights when I'm going stir crazy. Especially since I didn't have any money for awhile. They send our money by what's called Mondat, sort of telegram/electronic transfer. It's supposed to be here like the 29th or 1st or some time around then. The 7th rolled around yesterday and mine still wasn't here. I was freakin' and nobody knew where it was. It finally came, but I couldn't go out or do anything for a while, It just made me go even more stir crazy. I really appreciate the letters that have been written, though it seems they have stopped coming. Is it because I moved and there's a problem with the mail, or have you all stopped writing letters? The weather has cooled off here, though it's only drizzled one day a couple weeks ago for about 3 hours or so and then it was blazing hot again (and muggy). Being in Agadir (a beach city) the weather has generally been ... beautiful. Nice cool breezes, sunny days, temperate nights. I have all this cold weather gear, and I'll probably only use it if I go camping in the mountains. I wish I had my sleeping bag, I'm still bummed about it being stolen ... oh well. I guess that's all for now. In general feeling good and moving forward. Wishing all of you the best. M'a ssalama (with
peace) thella frahsek (take care of yourself), |
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