Tapas or Topless?

Ahhh... so I feel settled in already! Today was great for easing any worries I had because we had an orientation where they answered all questions and gave us as much info as we could stand (or more).

Let me take a minute to tell you (especially you mom) that I am EXTREMELY well fed here. The food is wonderful, some of it's weird, but I try it all and MOST of it is delish! And it's super fresh and clean and healthy.. I think I may lose weight here if I don't eat too much gelato and that yummy nutella-like spread that they put on bread :P

The people here are fantastic and eccentric! There's Arlene who immediately wins everyone over with her smile and seems to know a little about everyone since she made a cheat sheet of names and notes on everyone's introductions (why didn't I think of that?!). Then there's Christine who is closer to my age and has studied in paris, explored the outback, swam with sharks, and is an auditor (which, she sarcastically tells everyone, "is very fulfilling"). There's also Judy, a matter-of-fact lady with almost a buzz cut and really prefers animals over people, so much so that she's planning on living with silverback gorillas after this! I could go on about everyone else but there are 27 other volunteers and that would take up way too many words :D

During our orientation today, I learned that the "Home-Base" that we're staying in used to be the spanish ambassador's house. I think he said it was the spanish one... don't quote me on that though. I also learned that my particular placement, which is with the East West Foundation, does not start until NEXT week. So for this week I'm volunteering at an orphanage with most of the others. I'm excited to be working in two different placements, just to see what they're like, but it's also a little unnerving since I didn't read any of the orientation material on the orphanage since I was preparing for the East West Foundation. Apparently the directors don't think it's a problem, so... I guess neither do I!

I also had my first meeting with Mohammed, the CCS director for the Morocco home-base. He is the one who will be meeting with me weekly (or more) to make sure my internship and studies are on track. I don't know how I expected him to be, but he seems to be a very happy and caring person. He gave me a book to read and a bunch of resources that will help me chose my main focus for my time here. There are so many things that I could make my area of focus so it's a little overwhelming trying to tie one particular idea down. I'm leaning towards focusing on Women and their role in Moroccan society and how it's changing.

Lastly, there was a mass exodus after tea time today since everyone wanted to go to the Medina and check out the shops. We piled on the bus and explored the piles of spices, walls of shoes and clothes, rooms filled with chandeliers and hookahs, and pretty much anything else one could think of. The most memorable parts include: a man showing me his chameleons, bargain hunting for a cell phone in broken french, and a crazy man asking me why I wouldn't marry him on the bus ride home. This afore mentioned crazy man also gave a long speech in french to everyone on the bus about rich americans and something about thanking God, but I couldn't follow his slurred pronunciation.

There is so much more I could write but I have to get up in 7 hours to go chill with my new best friends at the orphanage. And you don't want to hear about my enjoying "ghetto hookah" on the back deck or visiting a tapas restaurant full of cats. Nope, I'll spare you because that's just BORING ;D

S-salaamu 'alaykum!


-Sarah-

P.S. Oh! And be careful how you say Tapas because it sounds dangerously close to Topless!

P.P.S. I will post pics later since the comp wont let me upload them to the blog at the moment :/