I'm going where?

July 6, 1994 Rabat training

I’m fine and healthy now. I still have some snot but no shits. I’ve even used the water to brush my teeth. Pretty soon I’ll be able to drink it.

I had two shots today and two yesterday. We get Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, MMR, Rabies, Gamigoblin, any maybe more. I don’t know, about 13 shots altogether over the next week. Then we get them every three months.

I haven’t had jetlag too bad, but I did have a hangover from the New York flight to Brussels. It was our first bonding experience, which we all regretted later. Brian was tipped $7 from these Europeans because he took over the stewards’ jobs as bartender. The stewards even gave him his wings.

Arabic classes started today. The teachers are wonderful. It starts at 8 am sharp, lasting until 12:30. I have no problems waking up, for the sun rises around five and the roosters are crowing even before that. Every morning around 4 I hear the first call to prayer that shouts over the city.

Rabat is very modern, though there’s rarely air conditioning. I went into the city with 3 girls and I was surprised how little harassment we got. I only got harassed when I accidentally left my sunglasses up when walking out of a store. My beaux yeux can get me into trouble.

We went to the King’s father’s tomb. There’s a huge garden on the inside with every color flower you can imagine. I saw my first oranges on trees. There was a wonderful cafe there, too, overlooking the bay of the ocean.

I will be sent to one of two remote villages outside of a medium size city, where they’ve never had foreigners live before. I’ll be in the way-way boonies, more remote than I even thought. I will be speaking the Tashlheit dialect of Berber and can expect six months before I feel any comfort.

Yes, I’m scared. I have hives and am afraid to leave this safe, walled-in compound even to walk across the street. But soon enough, I will have to. Tomorrow we have a scavenger hunt that forces us to go into the city. Also, this weekend we have a small group trip to some other part of Morocco. Our Arabic teachers are taking us until Monday.