Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I am off for a field trip

Hello everyone I am leaving for a four day field trip to shadow a current volunteer to see what I will be doing. I will inform you all about it when I return. I have just been training about nutrition for the last two days so I dont have anything interesting to report today. Nikki you would be happy to know I have started eating one raw tomato a day and somedays some cucumbers.
I love you all
Emmy
I am grateful for this experience.
Thanks Heidi and Aunt Jean for sending me letters I got them today, I was elated!!!
I will be talking to you all again on Sunday.

3 comments:

Don Josefson said...

Talked to Emmy on Sunday, Easter, when she called. This is a little more information, questions I had and the answers.
Her host family lives in the town of Tundout (TUNE-doot). There are 9 people - mom, dad, 3 daughters, 4 sons - living in a 2 room house no bigger than Sachel's house, about 24 x 32 on one level with 3 rooms, Emmy's bedroom with a lock on the door, a bathroom with a Turkish toilet, search "squat toilet" on google if you really want a better description, althought the adjective squat says it all, and the other room where they eat, cook, sleep, sit, read, and do everything people do in houses. It must be like when I lived at the Bemidji Hotel in college and you're not home much except I didn't have any kids and did have some place else to go. The family has futonlike cushions folded and pushed against the wall for sitting during the day and rolled out for sleeping at night.

The town, Tundout, I didn't ask for a population or biggest employer, questions that come to mind as I write this, although Emmy's family works as weavers of rugs, is about 20 miles from Ouarzazate. Persian rugs bought direct from the weaver, huh; makes one wonder.... Emmy rides from Ouarzazate to Tundout in a taxi, an old station wagon, that holds only her and her Peace Corp companions, 6 others training in Tundout.

The family does indeed eat out of a big communal dish/pan from which they take vegetables and "chunks of meat",lamb, beef, and chicken. Considering this description Emmy sounded cheerful, confident, and happy and looking forward to ghetto living in America with a one bedroom apartment and a real toilet.

Jean said...

Wow, I had such a clever comment written, then lost it when I had to set up an account! Technology--a blessing and a curse!

We have been wondering how you were making out a mealtime. I have to say, though, eating a tomato and a cucumber and even out of a communal bowl seems like a piece of cake compared to the hole-in-the-floor thing! Just pretend like you're eating with long-time friends who always want to eat off your plate (do you have some relatives like that?)!

I was a little disappointed to learn that you're using a taxi to get to work rather than a magic carpet! Stereotypes! How many of those can you get in a carry-on?!

Amazing that we learn that your brother has gotten engaged via YOUR blog! What a family we Josefsons are!

You were looking for an adventure, and it sounds like you have one! (I thought I was being very adventurous to stay at the Super 8 in Buckhannon, WV this past weekend!) Don't miss out on anything! Learn to love that food so that you can learn to cook it so we can enjoy a Moroccan feast!

nikki said...

emmy!
i was in oregon when you posted your last blog, i read it aloud to zach and allie and we all got a couple of laughs imagining our emmy girl off in africa. happy, concerned and love laughs, of course. i was happy to have shared the information with them though. we all had our own feelings on how this experience is impacting your life and by sharing them it was almost like we had a little piece of you sitting there with us. allie now has this website and zach enjoys hearing the updates. keep them coming!

horray for vegetables, emmy! you're my hero.

xoxo my friend.
love nikki