Travel Weary

After more than 36 hours of travel over three flights, and seven hours of time zones, the travel is not done.
My partner Mrs. Haas and I have to now travel to our teaching destination in Agadir, and it looks like bus is our best option. 
Oh my.

Those of you who traveled to the Yucatan Peninsula with me on the bus might remember the nifty shades of green I turned.

Booking dot Yeah!

With my chemistry travel partner Stacey Haas, we were finally able to figure out where we are staying while teaching in Ait Melloul. And from Google Maps, it looks fantastic!

The hotel appears to be a vacation resort only minutes from the beach. I am sure we will be spending all of our time inside the classroom teaching, planning, and grading lessons.....

French out Moroccan in

I checked out two more language on CD recordings to attempt to learn French while driving. The first item was an extended conversation between two people on something about bread and a hotel, I think.....
It melted my resolve, so back to the library they went.
Instead I purchased this book which received high ratings on Amazon and have high hopes for.


Maybe local Moroccans will be more forgiving of my terrible Moroccan than if I had tried terrible French.

Choukran Bizzef!

A fellow teacher and PAEMST awardee Ms. Dwyer from St. Louis put me in contact with one of her students whose family is from Morocco and who had visited there several times. 

Zak and his mother were so kind to Skype with me and help me with some of my pronunciations. In addition they gladly answered many of my questions about the culture. Online I had been reading contradictory information about how to dress and how to act. They calmed my worries, telling me that Moroccans are very interested in Americans and our culture, that I could be myself, and that the people are very friendly.

Thank you to my first new Moroccan friends!

Spanish out French in

Yeah, right.

So I just found out my travel details after time in the capital Rabat, I am going to Ait Melloul, the inverse distance to the usefulness of my Spanish. Spanish (which I have been practicing daily) is spoken in Northern Morocco, I am going 5 1/2 hours south.......

So, back to the library. Turn in my beloved Spanish on CD course. Check out the dreaded French course once again. Oui. I can do this.

What do you want to know?

As part of my visit, I will spend a week in  Ait Melloul, with a US teacher and a local host teacher. We will be in a classroom for a week and have been told that Moroccan students are very curious about the United States. Please comment about some of your favorite things as a teenager: music, vacation spots, food, school subjects, sports, movies, anything!

Coast near Ait Melloul

Speaking Moroccan

Since I am travelling to Morocco it only makes sense that I prepare to talk to Moroccans. Only problem, which language to choose?!!! The official governmental language is French, the Northern half of the country often speaks Spanish due to the proximity to Spain, the rural regions speak Berber, and a dialect of Arabic, Darija.

I tried French for two weeks and failed miserably! I sounded like Joey from Friends when he thought he could speak French.

So now I am trying Moroccan Arabic. I am not faring any better. However, I can hope the locals will have more pity for me trying Arabic than French. Currently, I "think" I can say six words......

Listen and Speak Moroccan Arabic

Morocco here I come!

Preparing for my trip to Rabat and a yet to be revealed region. According to the WHO a typhoid vaccine is recommended.
What other vaccines should I get? Why should I be vaccinated against typhoid?