Bon Appétit

The past few days have taught me to stop comparing training in Mauritania with training in Morocco (re: living arrangements [hotel, not a warehouse], location [beachfront, hookah bars, surf camp, amusement park], shops [ice cream, check…not that I bought any yet since it’s Ramadan], architecture [pretty], cultural openness [much more so]…). Locals have told me quite proudly that Morocco is nothing like Mauritania, so I guess I have to compare Morocco to America. Specifically, food-wise since I’ve missed out on Restaurant Week (www.opentable.com).

Meals in the hotel dining room have been decent, not up to par with French Laundry but very much appreciated and devoured. As you’d expect (or not), we have tablecloths, salt and pepper, chairs, utensils, and appropriate dishware/cutlery for each course. Because it is seat yourself, I recommend coming early to avoid sitting in the middle seat, which one shares with two table legs.

A typical lunch at a table of 8 consists of a family-style appetizer of cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, and other veggies. Then, we’ve each gotten a small plate of protein in the form of whole fried fish, Mexican-like meatballs, or spicy chicken. For the third course, the table shares a tagine, a cone-shaped clay vessel used for slow-cooking meat in a sauce. Dessert has been a piece of fresh fruit, which is exciting for some and disappointing for chocolate lovers like me. Overall, the extra courses, interesting conversations, and quick service are worth coming back again for. How we sit attentively through arvo training sessions with all this food in our stomachs, I do not know.


Dinner reservations are at 8pm, and somehow, I’m hungry again. Ladled from a locally-made bowl, a tomato vegetable soup is accompanied by fresh french bread. The second course consists of some sort of meat (so far, we’ve had lamburgers, rack of lamb, filet of lamb, and turkey) and starch (pasta or rice), served family-style. Yogurt or chocolate cake/pudding are available for dessert.
Pictures to come, inshallah. I’d rate the experience 20/20 (Peace Corps monitors our blogs…but I haven’t exaggerated how great it’s been toooo much).

Registration Day #1

About 60something PCTs flew into Philadelphia for our one day of registration and training state-side. We are divided into two groups, 20something small business development PCTs and 40something youth development trainees (I'm a trainee again...). So glad that what was three days of reg./ice-breakers/skits/Q&A/intro. last year in Atlanta was condensed to one day this year. This group is interesting, much more diverse in ages and experiences than the Mauritanian group (and there's a few other hawaiians!). I look forward to our two years together. After 7 hours of introductory sessions and policies, my roommate and I got our last mexican/sangria meal (it was delicious). Exhausted from the weekend, 10-hour flight, and session, I slept so well.

Today, we take a bus to JFK and fly out to Casa. We stay in a hotel for 5 days in a small beach community, then move to our CBT (community-based training) sites for two months. Rumor on the street is the CBT sites, one for SBD and one for YD, are gorgeous (and chilly). Great setting to learn a new language and culture. When I think back to sweaty Rosso's three-room (girls’ room, boys’ room, and dining/session room) warehouse with the goat poop and trash outside, I can't stop thinking I'm on vacation right now. Especially since I'm typing this on my cushion-filled, well-padded queen-size bed in my hotel room with complimentary wireless. Did I mention we don't meet until 11am? I doubt the next two years will be this comfortable, but we’re off on a good start.