We know how to have fun!

Our first day off.  Ah the weekend.  It’s a beautiful thing.  Today we’ll be going out to see the sites, practice some Arabic (which I am looking forward to), do a little shopping (possibly), and just have a day to relax.  These past few days have been crazy.  Last night, we had a Moroccan-American party in the top conference room.  It was so much fun to dance around with my new friends, see a Berber dance, watch how to the Moroccans get down, and just have fun.  It was a nice break from the go go go we’ve all been dealing with since we arrived.

I came to the café around the corner that’s supposed to have wifi, but alas, it is also not working.  I think I’m destined to not get in touch with anyone else while I’m here.  There’s also a bill that needs to be paid.  I should have set up automatic debit; wouldn’t have had to worry about it.  There should be plenty of internet cafes in Rabat, right?  Now to just find one.  Once I get through CBT, I can decide to get internet in my place, if I choose.  Right now, I choose to.  This is getting old, although I’m pretty sure it’s part of the Peace Corps experience.  Live off the grid, in the middle of nowhere, by yourself, right?  ;-)  Wrong according to many people I’ve spoken with.  So many of them have internet, iPhones, more technology than they know what to do with.  I guess that bodes well for my time here.

PC did give us phones.  The only issue is that, as of right now, we can’t call anyone outside of Morocco, no matter how many credits are on the phone.  I’ll figure it out.  What is nice that our plan is such than any call within our network in Morocco is free, incoming and outgoing, and any incoming call is free.  We only have to pay for calls outside of our network and text messages.  I’ll figure all this out one day.

Everything is so overwhelming.  Besides the whole being in a new country not understanding the language thing, it’s having every moment of every day planned out, knowing there are places I can’t go, dealing with the stares and comments (we all stick out like sore thumbs), and trying not to offend anyone.  We’re a large group; there are still people I haven’t met and probably won’t since we all part on Thursday for our CBT sites.  What a ride that will be.  Grand taxi to a mountain side town full of stairs.  Stairs again.  J  At least I’ll have some strong thighs after all this.  From there, who knows what.  I’m just trying to survive the next few weeks.  And find working internet.