Year number 2 in Casablanca

So far it has been a good week of school with the new 6th graders at CAS. I am happy to be in a new apartment in Casablanca. The cool breezes that come through the front balcony and back are really nice. I have an excellent view of the mosque. Ramadan holidays began August 21st the day I came back from the States. I am amazed at how quiet that the city gets at 7:00 P.M. when the family breaks the Feture after fasting all day. I really enjoy the peacefullness.

Casablanca

My adventures in Casablanca, Morocco have begun! I have had an adventurous month. I have had a great start to the school year. The first week was full of learning many new things: where I would be living, where I would be working, etc.

Casablanca is a city full of many people. The traffic is unbelievable! I have been amazed, though there are lanes on the streets, all drivers just move in any direction.

Just this past week I witnessed some interesting things going on in the streets. One day coming home from school a man was riding his bike without holding on the handles, shortly we all noticed that he was carrying a baby! Then yesterday on the way to school a gentleman is out on the street picking up the fish that had just come out of his truck. The back door had swung opened and he is in the middle of the street picking up the fish. There is always some type of action among the streets, especially during Ramadan. As I was walking with Barbara and Mark one afternoon two cars stopped in the middle of a street and the guys got out of the car and looked like they were ready to fight. During Ramadan they have fasted all day and are tired, hungry and quite ill.

I am getting adjusted to living in the city. I hear lots of horns and lots of traffic. Fortunately I am sleeping well and staying cool. The weather right now is warm, but there are nice cool breezes. The past few days there have been some scattered showers, which has been nice. I love to hear the thunder and rain. I've heard that this much rain is not usual, so I am glad to see it.

The first week of orientation, the school took us out to eat some each night. Each night we had various restaurants to try including Moroccon, Indian and Italian food. There are lots of cafes around that serve various foods, in addition to coffee, tea and ice cream. The mint tea is nice. I have not had the chance to try the ice cream, but I hear it is a very nice treat. There are many, many bakeries here in the city. The pastries are wonderful!

The beach is about a 15 minute walk from my apartment. Hassan II Mosque overlooks this beach. During the first week of orientation the school took us on a tour of the mosque. A few of us (including me) just about didn't have the opportunity to go inside. The sleeves of my blouse were not long enough. Fortunately they allowed me to borrow as scarf to wear over my shoulders. This ordeal was quite interesting.

I am enjoying the fresh markets near by. Each Saturday I go to the markets and pick up my fruits and vegetables. The people are friendly. Though I know very little French, I am able to at least point and nod. During the first week of orientation one of the teachers at the school was kind to show us around the market and give us some tips. Here is a picture of me and Paul in the market near my apartment. Paul and his family just moved here from North Carolina.

I am enjoying my students. They are typical middle school students who enjoy talking. They seem to want to do well. They sometimes struggle with taking their turn to talk, but they are improving.