Rich's Travel Blog
Back to the States in 4 days!
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Happy Tuesday! I have 4 days left here in Africa. Well, 3 full days technically. I leave Saturday morning from the house around 4-4:30am, and should be back in Boston sometime late afternoon same day. I've really enjoyed my time here, but I have to admit, I'm missing home, school, friends, and family. This whole trip has been an awesome experience - so thank you again to all that helped make it possible. I think I have a new outlook now on my own life as well as the world around me. I'm looking forward to getting back to the swing of things with school, too.
The orphanage is a little more difficult this week as all the grueling physically draining work in the morning is harder because the other 3 volunteers that were with me went home. So now it is just me this week, and the nurses are stretching me pretty thin! I'll be in the middle of one thing and I'll hear my name called. I'm running around like crazy trying to help - hopefully they think I'm being helpful! The kids are great, though, so just being able to spend time with them making them laugh or smile is great. I've got almost all of their names give or take one or two. It is sometimes hard to understand what the nurses are saying, but it is getting much better. I know a few basic Arabic and French words now, and hand gestures go a long way. Three days more of work and I'll be on my way home!
That's all for now, gotta go to lunch, hope things are good at home, I know there has been a TON of snow in MA lately, maybe I'll be fortunate and it will be gone by the time I get home. I also hope my flight is smoother on the way home and lets hope for no delays! Take care.
Third Week at the Orphanage
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I am wrapping up my third week of placement and things are really going well now. We have a bond with the kids, they recognize us when we come in, and they're always very happy to see us. While it is still very draining in the morning, having fun with the kids makes it all very worth it.
Otman, Me
The nurses alternate days; it is very interesting to see how the two sets of nurses vary in how they run things. One group is much smoother than the other. They are warming up to us I think. It took them much longer than the kids. One of the nurses seemed very happy with me today when things were getting a little hectic, so it was kind of nice to have a pat on the back. It is easy to lose sight of the good we are doing when it gets stressful, dirty, or hectic. I went to get one of the kids out of bed and he was covered in his own vomit, and it kind of makes you step back and think about the greater picture. This kid was left there all night in her own vomit. It seems like they aren't watched very closely (if at all) at night. It's very sad. Then during the day, they sit (or we wheel them around) in their wheelchairs.
Where the kids are bathed/changed, etc.
A few of the kids now can say my name, which is exciting. Nadir, Otman, Meriem, and Nuna. Nadir can be really fresh, he picks on some of the kids and is really aggressive towards the nurses, but he has a good side and can be fun. He seems to act as though he owns the orphanage, though. Otman is a really great kid, and then Meriem can speak very well, and Nuna just kind of repeats what you say to her - but she has a great memory! Then there's Jamal, who laughs hysterically when you sneeze. He thinks it's the funniest thing in the world. Ali loves women, and cars - typical guy, I guess - so he's not really a fan of me, unless I have his lunch. Then there's this funny little girl Hajar, who just smiles all the time, it is rare to see her without a smile. Then there is a little boy, who wears blue practically every day, who we have nicknamed "Little Boy Blue" because we aren't sure of his name. Sufien is another funny kid, he just lays there, but he’s always smiling and laughing. They range from all ages, about 8 to maybe 29. They're really great kids!
"Little Boy Blue" - Pretty much want to take him home... sorry, Mom!
Things are much different here than they would be in the US. The kids are bathed every day, but just in basic soap and water in the same tub as everyone else without it being cleaned. No one wears gloves, they use the same towel on all 25 kids, and you never see any of the nurses wash their hands. Meanwhile we come in with our bottles of hand sanitizer, gloves, and wipes.
Outside of placement, the city has been bustling with protests against the Israel and Palestine conflict. People in Morocco are outraged at Israel for its attacks on Palestine, and they are upset with Americans, as well, for the support of Israel. Unfortunately, we are not pro-Israel right now, but we are associated with the American government. Rabat had a protest with over 1.3 million people, so most of us steered clear of that area that day. Overall, though, the people have been very, very friendly to us. We do get the usual stares as we don't exactly blend in, but Morocco is a fairly hospitable country. When we shop in the medinas, though, the salesmen are very aggressive. They don't take "no" very well, and you must (it is rude not to) bargain with them on the price of everything. This can be both good and bad. Seeming disinterested in a product seems to work like a charm on a good price, though.
I am not planning on going anywhere this weekend to save on money and get some rest. Then I have one more week of placement and I'm flying home to Boston next Saturday morning! Missing everyone and can't wait to get home. Hope you are all doing well. Let me know if you have any questions or anything.
Sahara Trip
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This past weekend was very interesting. We camped in the Sahara with the Berbers, rode camels, and it was incredible! I had such a good time. Here are some pictures and videos!
"Rich's Camel Ride in the Sahara"
"Dancing with the Berbers"
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A New Perspective...
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I just got back from the Sahara desert. We rode a camel at sunset into the desert with the Berbers, had tea, ate dinner, then we danced by the fire as they played drums and sang. It was overall an incredible experience. Words can't describe what an amazing time it was. Fortunately, pictures and videos will help! =) Then we woke up very early and watched the sunrise and rode our camels back out of the desert. One of the coolest things I have ever done - because of all of you who have supported me in this whole trip. Camping with the Berbers and dancing around the fire was such a cross-cultural experience. It is so interesting to think that all of these cultures exist while we live our everyday lives. We get too caught up in our own little worlds to realize that there is so much more out there.
I just want to thank all of you that helped me out in paying for this trip. I really didn't think it would be possible, and now I'm here, two weeks into my month long trip and I'm seeing so much. It is giving me a new perspective and making me so much more grateful for what I do have.
When working in the orphanage, I see these kids that have what most of us think would be a rough life. They are severely disabled, malnourished, and don't get a lot of love. When we walk in there everyday, we see them smile, laugh, and enjoy themselves. While we may only see them smile sometimes, that is what makes a huge difference. I'm so happy to be here helping out, even if it gives the nurses a break for just a month, I'm glad to do it. I may not be making a huge change while I'm here, but every time one of the kids smiles or the nurses say "Shokran" (Thank you in Arabic), it makes me so grateful and I feel so blessed. So thank you for all of this!
Happy New Year!
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Happy 2009 from Morocco! A bunch of us just went out and celebrated the new year. It was a great time! =) Hope you all had a great holiday.
Lindsey, Greta, Me - Ringing in 2009!!!
Friday & the Weekend
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So, last Friday went incredibily well. We are beginning to communicate better with the nurses at the orphanage. We are learning some Arabic and some French, and they are helping us a bit. It's a slow process, but we're getting there! I also got three of the kids to say my name, (Otman, Nadir, and Maryam), which was really cool, since most of them aren't really able to speak. It was a really exciting day.
Then for the weekend, we did a lot of travelling up to Chefchaouen, a beautiful town up in the Atlas Mountains. Then (after a very long scary bus ride that involved a mudslide, and also a scary taxi ride) we went to Fes, and we saw the King's Palace and also a huge medina with lots of shops, we saw a tannery and a few other shops, too. It was really cool!
Chefchaouen (Greta, me, Sagal, and Jessi)
Fes
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Domino's on Christmas
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So, Christmas was rather interesting. I went to Casablanca to get my luggage, finally got it! So I have clothes, which is good. Then in the evening some of us went out to Domino's (Yes, the pizza place) for dinner. It was actually kind of nice to just have a regular American pizza, although not exactly a Christmas dinner, but oh well! Below is a picture of my friend Greta at the Domino's. Hope you all had a nice holiday =)
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Finally in Morocco... Merry Christmas!
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Merry Christmas! So, after two and a half days of snow delays and layovers, I finally made it to the home-base in Rabat Sunday night. Unfortunately, my luggage didn't make it. I am going today to Casablanca to retrieve it though.
The trip has been quite an experience so far. My placement is very difficult and frustrating at times, but the kids are great so it is rewarding. I'm working with severely disabled (both physically and mentally) children from ages 8 months - 22 in this disabled ward. We take them out of bed, bathe them, and feed them during the day. All but two or three of them can't do anything for themselves. It is very draining overall, but I'm glad I'm there to help. The nurses speak only Arabic and French, and sometimes Spanish, or a combination of all three which is very hard to communicate with. There is a lot of pointing, yelling and clapping.
We've seen a bit of Rabat so far, and even went to TGI Friday's and pretended it was my birthday because we liked the song that they sang. I've uploaded it so everyone can see. I'm hoping to go to Chefchaouen and Fes this weekend, and then Marrakesh for New Years next week, and then the desert that weekend. So I'll let you know how everything goes!
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CCS Morocco - Departing Thoughts
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CCS Morocco put together a packet of information about the place for me, if you'd like to read it, I've uploaded it for you here! Check it out, it has a lot of great pictures and cool information about my destination of Rabat.
CCS Morocco Home Base
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Someone going on the trip with me showed me this video she found on YouTube. It is a little tour of the house I will be staying in for a month! Thought you all might like to see. Enjoy!
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