Back in Ain LeuH

S-salamu Ealaykum,

Back in Ain LeuH for round 2 of community based training. I would go over the pronounciation, but the ع sound is a bit difficult to explain...it's kind of like a throaty voiced H, which the sound H is pronounced as if you were putting voice into breathing air against a mirror. Yeah...arabic sounds are fun, ;). A link with more information on pronounciation and the language in general is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccan_Arabic

But yeah, back to life for me. I left Azrou on Saturday morning and returned to Ain LeuH to finish my community based training via taxi. This time we had to return to our site without the assistance of our LCF, we managed to successfully navigate our way back to Ain LeuH using our limited darija!!! I returned with the other two girls in our group and one of the guys. We were very proud of ourselves, :). I also learned some very sad news an hour before we left, :(. My mom called to tell me that my grandmother had passed away early saturday morning before I'd had a chance to speak with her. I wasn't able to see her one last time before I left and she didn't get the chance to call me, :(. I will always remember her and am sad she is gone, but I know she is in a better place now.

So, due to the above, I managed to forget a few vital things...I'm in for a fun month!

So far training has been good. It was odd returning to the host family as the mother was gone the first couple days and the schedule is different now that Ramadan is over. My host mother is now home again, :). We also now begin classes at 8:30am and end aroundf 6pm. We study language in the morning and technical training in the afternoon. I am working on an independent project that will assist the women in the coop with applying for grants and loans to build equipment capacity. I am excited, :). Everyone has different projects they are working to implement. The goal is to create something small that the women will be able to further utilize and implement themselves. Peace Corps tries to implement capacity building projects so that when we volunteers leave, the project doesn't die with us.

Thursday will be our first time this cbt phase to speak with the women Tomorrow we are learning how to navigate the souk and buy needed food items. I'm excited! It is on the schedule to cook for our host families on Sunday.

Sundays are always our self-directed learning days, aka, free days. This last Sunday I went hiking with 4 of the other 5 members of my training group. It was a lot of fun, we explored the nearby national park a little.

Well, those are my thoughts for the moment. I will be in Ain LeuH for the following alomost 3 weeks returning to Azrou in time for Halloween, at which point we will be sent on our own in different directions to view our final site placements, where we will be for the next 2 years. I'll know in a month where packages can be sent!

Bslama!