CBT cont'd

OK, so the bibi (turkey) showed up in the most delicious couscous on Saturday night for dinner at 10:30. L-Hamdullah! We ate early! The neighbors brought over a brochette of the lamb (wasn't clear what it was when it was presented, but I bravely took my piece, popped it in my mouth, and was rewarded with lamb-L-Hamdullah!). Saturday was a special day-the last Saturday of the Ramadan month-it's spent w/family, eating (esp couscous) and the men go to the jame (mosque) from around 10pm until 3am.

We woke to beautiful skies on Sunday, a perfect day for the hike that we (the trainees) planned with a couple who are Environment PC volunteers living here. It was a steady, slow climb that was rewarded w/a great view up at the entrance of the national park area that surrounds this area. We watched for monkeys on the way down-they live in the hills, but weren't around that day. Must have been sleeping off the couscous, like everyone else in town. The town was still asleep when we got back. We chatted w/the couple-they gave us great insight, advise and stories. These include getting around in the grand taxis and buses (which incl. someone posted on the bus top to keep the goats from falling off). They also shared how they shop for what they need, where to get stuff, and introduced us to the concept of the "go straight to hell" section of the Marchon in Fez (liquor, and other haram-forbidden-items can be purchased here).

OK so I've got to share the hailstorm that blew in later last night (got my laundry off the line just in time l-hamdullah). I was ok, but one of the other volunteers had a more exciting experience. Here goes-he decided to take a cold bucket shower in the bit lma (bathroom), which is outdoors, standing over the turkish toilet. He gets soaped up when the hailstorm starts and it's hitting the tin room of the bit lma with fury. If that's not bad enough, the lights go out. And what's he worried about? The host family one-eyed grandma who's in the house alone who speaks only Tamazight! I'm thinking, I'm outside, in the pitch black, soaped up, naked, with a hailstorm around me-granny may not be my first concern! OK, so the lights came back on and nothing else happened. Maybe our sense of humor is getting really skewed by our shared experience, but we couldn't stop laughing.

More later!