It's studying time

I hate to admit but this is the most I've studied in years for any subject. Hours have been spent on learning Moroccan Arabic, or Derija, and it's mentally exhausting but it's rewarding being able to start talking with people in the community. (Sorry biology or chemistry majors who would laugh manically at my mere hours of studying and saying that's exhausting, but this is coming from a psych and poli sci major.) We have been doing a couple hours of studying and language training in the mornings and then the afternoons have been mostly cultural lectures and time to spend with the language trainers and other volunteers to study more. Today is our first day off and I'm getting ready to head out with some friends to Old Fes and see some of the sites of the ancient city. Towards the end of next week we will be leaving Fes and going to smaller communities to live with our host families to do more immersed cultural and language training for a couple months before we will receive the information on our permanent site. In that site that I'm travelling to in November will be where I find out the dar chabab (youth center) that I will be working at for the two years then. More to come soon! Peace.

First days in Morocco

I am just finishing up my second day here in Fez and already am loving this new country. The language training is coming along and I'm quickly learning how much of a sponge I need to be. Getting used to Turkish toilets is rather interesting (google it if you want to) and the food has been fantastic, the fruit and vegetables are very fresh and tasty. I'll continue to update when I get the chance! Bslâma!

The Day Before

Well folks, the day that I have been so nervous for finally came. I am now connected with my whole group in Philadelphia and will be heading to New York tomorrow to fly out to Casablanca. I say I was so nervous because I had this weird anxiety that I would miss the group or had the wrong date or something. But now that I am with these amazing 40 individuals the reality is now setting in. I will be in Morocco in just over 24 hours and this is one of the most exciting days of my life.

Contacting me throughout training

I promise that I will try and blog more frequently once I make it over to Morocco, which is just a couple days away. I wanted to put my address for the next couple months on here if anyone wanted to contact me. I will be keeping my facebook for people who like to use that for messages, as well as keep my email. But this will be my address throughout the next couple months of my training:

David Maddox

s/c Corps de la Paix

2, Rue Abou Marouane Essaadi, Agdal,

Rabat 10100, MOROCCO

I can't have packages sent to me during this time but letters are welcome! 

If I successfully complete Pre-Service Training then I will be sworn-in on November 17, 2011 and find out  my permanent work site at that time.