This is a lake on the ride to our training site.
This is the most spectacular view from the roof of our hotel.
And this is us doing out laundry
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Finally Some Pictures
So the process of uploading is quite a lengthy one so don't expect pictures often. The ones I'm posting here are from the drive to the site where we are at now and the view from the roof of the hotel where we are doing training. For security purposes I can't tell you where we're at, but I'm sure if you are resourceful... (cough, cough... ask my parents) you'll be able to find out.
This is a lake on the ride to our training site.
This is the most spectacular view from the roof of our hotel.
And this is us doing out laundry
This is a lake on the ride to our training site.
This is the most spectacular view from the roof of our hotel.
And this is us doing out laundry
Monday, March 12, 2007
A Word on Terrorism...
This is a difficult subject to sift through especially through this medium, but for those of you who watched the news today it is a necessary one. For those who haven't heard the news from Morocco today check the link below...
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/03/12/morocco.blast.reut/index.html
... I want to give you the same word that our in country director gave to us. If you are worried about acts of terrorism being committed against us humble Peace Corps volunteers, don't be! Terrorism by its very nature is an hyper-public act and, as we are going to be stationed out in the middle of nowhere there is very little risk that we will be caught in any cross-fire. I have encountered no hatred, no resentment, and certainly no danger as of yet and although I am not naive in the thinking that the entire country is representative of the few people I have come across thus far, I do know that those who would do harm to a stranger out of sheer frustration at a country's foreign policies are few and far between. The vast majority of the people I have encountered have been horrified that something like this would happen in their country. We are safe, the Peace Corps makes sure of that, and in the unlikely event that we are put in danger they will not hesitate to remove us from that danger.
On a personal note, even if every person I had come across thus far had screamed from the top of their lungs at me and threatened me with bodily harm simply for the eagle on my passport, I would still be here because it is my job superficially as a Peace Corps volunteer and far more profoundly as a "minster of reconciliation" to stand in the face of blind hatred, not with a gun or with hatred, but with love... even though it may cost me greatly. In times such as these, we cannot afford to hide in our corners and objectify each other. We need these interactions to remind us that we are all brothers and sisters who share the same fate on this earth. This is the only way to fight terrorism...
... and it takes great sacrifice.
To creating a world better than the one left us,
Samuel
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/03/12/morocco.blast.reut/index.html
... I want to give you the same word that our in country director gave to us. If you are worried about acts of terrorism being committed against us humble Peace Corps volunteers, don't be! Terrorism by its very nature is an hyper-public act and, as we are going to be stationed out in the middle of nowhere there is very little risk that we will be caught in any cross-fire. I have encountered no hatred, no resentment, and certainly no danger as of yet and although I am not naive in the thinking that the entire country is representative of the few people I have come across thus far, I do know that those who would do harm to a stranger out of sheer frustration at a country's foreign policies are few and far between. The vast majority of the people I have encountered have been horrified that something like this would happen in their country. We are safe, the Peace Corps makes sure of that, and in the unlikely event that we are put in danger they will not hesitate to remove us from that danger.
On a personal note, even if every person I had come across thus far had screamed from the top of their lungs at me and threatened me with bodily harm simply for the eagle on my passport, I would still be here because it is my job superficially as a Peace Corps volunteer and far more profoundly as a "minster of reconciliation" to stand in the face of blind hatred, not with a gun or with hatred, but with love... even though it may cost me greatly. In times such as these, we cannot afford to hide in our corners and objectify each other. We need these interactions to remind us that we are all brothers and sisters who share the same fate on this earth. This is the only way to fight terrorism...
... and it takes great sacrifice.
To creating a world better than the one left us,
Samuel
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Language Has Started
Ok, so we FINALLY started language today and already we've split into ability groups. There were a couple of us who came already able to read and write (maybe without knowing what it was we were reading and writing) So we didn't have to go throught the learning the alphabet process with the rest of the group. I think the few people we have who know the script are all very dedicated to learning the language and I'm excited about that.
I went out today to get some change and I was quite sure that I wouldn't have any difficulty communicating since I'm pretty proficient in French, but the lady I was talking to had little to now French at all and it was a challange. I forgot what it was like living in Germany and Hungary and not speaking the language. In addition to that our hotel has hot water showers, but not in the rooms and some of us are going ahead and using just the cold water to get used to it since we are going to have to anyway. I forgot what that was like too. I have been in the States for far to long to remember experientially what our life was like in Eastern Europe. It saddens me, but it also invigorates me. I'm pumped up about the next two years.
I'm on our lunch break right now and I just got done playing some soccer with the local kids which was a blast. They weren't running circles around me like the little kids did in Romania and Moldova, but the altitude was definitely getting to me. We are about 2000 ft. up here in this town and combining that with the fact that I am inexcusibly out of shape, it wasn't a pretty sight. Well, I don't think there was much of a sight, but it didn't sit well with me. Some of us are going running later tonight. A couple of us are thinking about starting to train for the Marakesh marathon a little less than a year from now.
I need to get back to my room to study for our afternoon classes but a quick blog administrative note...
... For a while I was thinking about password protecting my blog so that I could be a little more liberal with my stories and words, but I quickly abandoned that idea realizing that it just wasn't practical for the vast majority of people who would be reading my blog. So if you got some sort of email invitation from either Kristy or my mom then just disregard it. Everyone can access. I'm not sure what it takes to comment, but all of you should be able to do that to.
Talk to you soon.
صاموىل كنتر
I went out today to get some change and I was quite sure that I wouldn't have any difficulty communicating since I'm pretty proficient in French, but the lady I was talking to had little to now French at all and it was a challange. I forgot what it was like living in Germany and Hungary and not speaking the language. In addition to that our hotel has hot water showers, but not in the rooms and some of us are going ahead and using just the cold water to get used to it since we are going to have to anyway. I forgot what that was like too. I have been in the States for far to long to remember experientially what our life was like in Eastern Europe. It saddens me, but it also invigorates me. I'm pumped up about the next two years.
I'm on our lunch break right now and I just got done playing some soccer with the local kids which was a blast. They weren't running circles around me like the little kids did in Romania and Moldova, but the altitude was definitely getting to me. We are about 2000 ft. up here in this town and combining that with the fact that I am inexcusibly out of shape, it wasn't a pretty sight. Well, I don't think there was much of a sight, but it didn't sit well with me. Some of us are going running later tonight. A couple of us are thinking about starting to train for the Marakesh marathon a little less than a year from now.
I need to get back to my room to study for our afternoon classes but a quick blog administrative note...
... For a while I was thinking about password protecting my blog so that I could be a little more liberal with my stories and words, but I quickly abandoned that idea realizing that it just wasn't practical for the vast majority of people who would be reading my blog. So if you got some sort of email invitation from either Kristy or my mom then just disregard it. Everyone can access. I'm not sure what it takes to comment, but all of you should be able to do that to.
Talk to you soon.
صاموىل كنتر
Friday, March 9, 2007
A pure heart
I am so excited to have this avenue to you. I am also looking forward to taking this journey with you even if only in text. My heart is full of respect and admiration for you. Your life is such a source of joy to all who know you. Life is a better place with you in it. Your family is very proud of you. We will continue to hold you up in prayer............Love, Aunt Sherri
Training
We have arrived at our training site in the Atlas mountains and it is absolutely breathtaking. Strangely enough it reminds me very much of the Carpathian Alps in Romania. A lot of the countryside has reminded me of Romania and it makes me somewhat nostalgic to a certain degree. The drive was very windy though and I was starting to get car sick. I really wish I had my bike though because the climb was amazing both in grade and length, not to mention the view.
We begin language training tomorrow and i cannot wait to get started.
I hope all is well with you.
We begin language training tomorrow and i cannot wait to get started.
I hope all is well with you.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Finally Here
OK, so this can't be a long post because the internet is expensive and I don't really make that much money as a volunteer...
... We finally arrived in country and made it to the capitol city. We've been in and out of more meetings since we've been here and mostly they have been more general stuff from what we got at staging in Philadelphia. Today, though we had a talk about why we came here.
We all wrote whatever various reasons we had for joining the Peace Corps down and then at the end of that the man leading the session asked if anyone wrote down that they were here for training and of course none of us stood up because that was not our interpretation of the question posed us.
His advice... the moral of the story... we are to set aside whatever idealistic tendancies brought us to morocco and whatever ideas we have about helping people because we start training tomorrow and that should be our only focus.
i have a feeling that out of my time here that the time I will have the least amount of access to communication will be the next 11 weeks of training. Bear with me because I will be intensely focused on something else.
You are all in my thoughts though, and email me when you get a chance. Whenever I get to check email it will be a welcome escape.
... We finally arrived in country and made it to the capitol city. We've been in and out of more meetings since we've been here and mostly they have been more general stuff from what we got at staging in Philadelphia. Today, though we had a talk about why we came here.
We all wrote whatever various reasons we had for joining the Peace Corps down and then at the end of that the man leading the session asked if anyone wrote down that they were here for training and of course none of us stood up because that was not our interpretation of the question posed us.
His advice... the moral of the story... we are to set aside whatever idealistic tendancies brought us to morocco and whatever ideas we have about helping people because we start training tomorrow and that should be our only focus.
i have a feeling that out of my time here that the time I will have the least amount of access to communication will be the next 11 weeks of training. Bear with me because I will be intensely focused on something else.
You are all in my thoughts though, and email me when you get a chance. Whenever I get to check email it will be a welcome escape.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Day 1
Well, my first day as a trainee is done. I'm here in Philadelphia with 62 other volunteers headed to Morocco split amongst the Health and Environmental fields. It's strange to think once again that this particular group of people is going to be with me for quite some time, and that I'm not headed home in a short while. It's a lot like the feeling I got getting to know some of the Texas 4000 people for the first time. You have it in the back of your head that you are going to form some profound relationships with these people, but for now they are just an array of trivial facts and possibly names if my memory is working really well.
I'm excited about flying out of here on Monday for Morocco, and the orientation sessions today did little to quiet that restless excitement. I had lunch and dinner with different groups of people and so far it seems that there are a good mix of personalities. It is going to be interesting seeing how everyone does when we take them out of their comfort zones... including me.
I"M READY TO FLY!!!
I'm excited about flying out of here on Monday for Morocco, and the orientation sessions today did little to quiet that restless excitement. I had lunch and dinner with different groups of people and so far it seems that there are a good mix of personalities. It is going to be interesting seeing how everyone does when we take them out of their comfort zones... including me.
I"M READY TO FLY!!!
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