“Well this is frustrating” –Most commonly used phrase in my life these days:)

Monday
So as the plan is now, I’m staying in Rabat for the rest of ISP. I’m in a hotel in the medina with my friend Sarah for 60 dirhams a night/ 7 more for a hot shower. About $8.50 a day if that can even be possible!! So cheap! We are still planning on going to Chefchouen this weekend for a last trip, but at least now I’ll be here for Thanksgiving and I think we’re going to have a really fun, pot-luck, Morocco-style party on Thursday—I think the goal is rotisserie chicken instead of baking an entire turkey, but I think that’s our smartest, safest bet. Between all the houses, we only have one working oven, but it just has an on and off switch—no temp gauge. So that should all be very interesting!
Like I mentioned before, most people stayed in Rabat for ISP in the first place so many of them rented houses for super cheap—something I really wish I had went in on had I known I was going to be here anyway! But, last night we went to one of the houses and it’s so cute. I’m so jealous they have a kitchen and bedrooms! That sounds like a dream to me! But I’m sure I’ll be spending plenty of time there to get my fix.
I also leave Morocco exactly three weeks from today. That’s sooo soon! It’s like I can finally see the finish line! Woo-hoo. I guess now I just need to write this huge paper…?
Also, I must note that for some strange reason, the Moroccan food that I’ve complained about oh so much has been absolutely LOVELY since ISP started and it’s not even because I’ve gotten to make my own!! We have just had good luck I guess! Or maybe my host family just sucked—actually that is probably what it is. I’ve eaten so much CHEAP authentic Moroccan street food and it has been soo sooo good!! Today Sarah Elliot and I had a FULL meal and it ended up costing us less than 8 dollars total hahaha. Unveliavable… and sooo yummy.
I also signed up for stuffing on the Thanksgiving pot luck… I’m in charge of one of the most important additions to a thanksgiving feast? This will probably not go well…

Tuesday
At this point I have a total of two whole interviews under my researching belt. I know that doesn’t sound like a lot—and it’s not, but I feel good about it. I’ve honestly gathered so much more information out of those 2 interviews than I thought I would get even after 20. So writing this paper is going to be a lot easier than I initially thought! Of course, if I expect to call this paper even a little bit legitimate, I will have to conduct more than 2; but what I mean to say is that even if I don’t get to 20 interviews, my life will not be over and I’ll still have plenty to write about.

Wednesday
This morning I woke up and went to Rabat’s neighboring city, Sale with my friend Trena. Trena is volunteering at an association there that works with homeless children and other children in need. It’s technically a school but to put the laxness into perceptive, they gave Trena her own class time (2 hour classes twice a day) where she was to teach math and English within the first few days of her being there. So I went with her this morning to check things out and see if I could talk to anyone for my own project—and to help her out, etc.
I thought we might get to teach a “class” but we didn’t and I was a bit disappointed because I was looking forward to it, but we did wonder around the city with one of the activists that works there. First we walked to one of the public schools to get a kid’s “papers” because he was transferring schools. The story was not completely clear, but I think he and his bothers run away with his mother often trying to get away from an abusive father. They are kind of always on the run—the poor kid. Then we went to another home for a “follow up.” This woman had 5 children, the oldest is probably around 10 and her husband abandoned them all. Her oldest children have worked with this association for schooling and the man we were with was checking up on her and her family—mostly just to say hello, we’re still thinking of you and want to make sure everything is running as smoothly as possible in your home. She was so lovely. Her youngest child doesn’t have a birth certificate or any nationality card because so much of that information lies with the father and is under his responsibility or his name—and since the father is completely gone, it is very difficult for this mother to register her youngest son as even a HUMAN BEING in Morocco. (Trena said the day before she helped take a little girl to the doctor so he could tell her how old she was because she had no idea…)This country is so backwards in so many ways… But even though this woman is in a very very awful, sad situation, she still loves her kids so much. She told us that when she was growing up, it was just her father and she never got to “play” because he was very strict. They way she described it was that when she was young she had money but no liberty, but now her kids have no money, but at least they have liberty. It was very moving and while it was tremendously sad, it was also nice to see someone so optimistic when she could be giving up. “We don’t abandon our children until death,” she said.

Thursday
Thanksgiving was such a success!!!! First of all I made amazingggg stuffing. I don’t even know how it turned out so good. I was cooking it with Sarah and we were one moment questioning whether or not it would even turn out, then all of a sudden it was done and perfect! The bread wasn’t quite stale and we had to cook it on the stove top b/c getting to an oven wasn’t going to happen—nor was finding a pot that was oven safe. So my stove top stuffing worked out and everyone loved it. By the end of the night I was even considered a culinary expert which just couldn’t be farther from true—but I admit I happily took the complimentsJ .
Someone made lots of mashed potatoes, salads, green beans, fresh bread, apple pies… it was so successful and totally satisfying. There were about 30 of us there and we went to one of the small houses a group of girls are renting and it was just the right size, and there was plenty of wine not to worry.
Everyone was so upset—obviously—for missing Thanksgiving at home. Especially at this point in the program when we only have a few weeks/a few DAYS left and we’re really getting anxious to get home and see our families—a holiday like Thanksgiving could have easily just been a depressing day but instead it really worked out and I had a really fun time with everyone, AND I had incredibly satisfying, homestyle food! It was great!!!
(On a side note: I also got offered the RA job I applied for in the spring! Hurray!!! I also did NOT get into the Turkey program which was heartbreakingL. But at least I didn’t get doubly rejected in one week haha.)