Couscous.
By far one of the staples of the PC Morocco experience is couscous. Most (not all) eat couscous every Friday in Morocco. There are seven vegetables in couscous - onions, pumpkin, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, and turnips. There's usually a piece of meat or fish buried in the center. It's very delicious. That aside, it also serves an emblem of hospitality as families gather and frequently invite you in to share the meal. In the picture you see above, my neighbor Aicha brought this plate of couscous to me as she often does. Her couscous has a regional twist as it is spicier and more peppery than what I've had in different regions. It's something I will remember about the experience always. Nous mangons couscous chaque Vendredi en Maroc. Il y a sept légumes en couscous du Maroc- oignons, citrouille, courgette, aubergine, tomates, navet, et carottes. Il y a la viande ou poulet aussi. Mon voisin Aicha me améne couscous sovent. Sa couscous trés délicieux.
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Over the course of my third and final year of service with the Peace Corps, I hope to highlight the people and the places that have been constants throughout this experience.
Two life lessons reasserted themselves this week. In fact, these are constantly being reinforced throughout this experience in one way or another. I believe they hold great value. First is respecting other people's boundaries. We love for others to respect our boundaries, but what about when they draw out one for themselves and we find ourselves outside the lines. I recently had someone send me a message in Arabic that indicated there wasn't a compatibility between us for friendship. Initially, this was confusing because we had always had great conversations. This person had invited me on a retreat. I had attended celebrations at the their house. I'm still connected to many members of the family. Reading the message was confusing at first and immediately my brain began asking, "What have I done wrong?" "How did I offend this person?" "What's going to happen next?" I remained in that chaos for a much shorter period of time (praise God) realizing that it could very well have nothing to do with me at all. Why did I always put myself as the saboteur? I hadn't done anything wrong from my point of view. I didn't draw the boundary. But, I do have to respect them and their boundary and hope that when the other person is comfortable, they will remove the boundary and invite me back into relationship. I had a similar situation when asking someone if I could take a picture of them and their establishment to show friends and family stateside. This person who I've known for quite some time said "no" presumably because of discomfort. Truthfully, I was a bit dismayed because my intention was positive and lite, but I reminded myself that this person has a right to say "no" and had drawn a boundary. Respecting others' rights to draw boundaries has actually granted me freedom. The second lesson is one of power and ownership. I don't have to take it personally. Their boundary isn't a barricade preventing me from forward progress. You simply ask someone else. You find away around. You don't waste time being deflated because a potential friendship doesn't set sail or the door your knocking on doesn't get answered immediately. You also increase your personal awareness of the things you say no to because of initial discomfort and unfamiliarity. Realizations like these are the most meaningful and I consider them a form of compensation which if invested pay dividends for everyone I meet in the future.
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AuthorWelcome. After years as a manager in the education field, I accepted an invitation in 2014 to serve with the U.S. Peace Corps in Africa in the Youth Development sector. There have been no regrets. Disclaimer: The contents of this site and opinions expressed therein are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Peace Corps, the US Government, or the Kingdom of Morocco.
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