This week is the week of prayer for GT (24/7 people praying, usually 15 minute intervals each during some scheduled time of day), so I asked Myrna if it was ok for me to have just night shifts this week, and being the wonderful person she is, she let me. That means that, between 6am and 8am, instead of getting ready for work, I'm using some of my extra sleep time at the hospital to do my 4 intervals, which is nice. Four nights of work this week (since the new volunteer didn't show, we're covering her shifts), but I enjoy it, so that's fine with me.
Also, Ramadan started about a week ago, so that's brought about a lot of changes here. First of all, for those of you who aren't familiar with the holiday, Ramadan's main rule, as far as I can tell, is no eating nor drinking during daylight hours (or when the sun is over the horizon). So from about 7am to 7:30pm, none of the citizens are eating. Cafes and stores are usually closed, the town bakery hasn't opened it's doors (as far as we can tell) since the beginning of the holiday, and this trend continues for a month. Now, though we're not fasting, we're also not eating in public during daylight hours - it's rude and would probably get people ticked at us, so it's a little inconvenient, but good for self-control I guess. ^_^ Unfortunately, people tend to be more grumpy during this time, and I'm having to leave realllly early for work in the evenings, because taxis aren't running (before the sun rises and right at sunset is a huge QUICK GO HOME AND EAT time, so EVERYONE is home - not even taxis are out). BUT, along with the cons come the pros... well, kind of - the month of Ramadan has a lot of traditions, most of which concern food, and oh good lord - the pastries - there are SO many for SO cheap and SO delicious... there goes my waistline... worth it.
I picked up my two souvenirs while in old town with the girls yesterday - a lovely scarf and a satchel bag - if and when you see them, you're going to tell me that I could have found similar things anywhere, but A) I like them a lot, B) They were cheaper here than most other places, C) Even though they're not specifically Moroccan, they're still from here, and I'll enjoy that, and D) the typically Moroccan stuff - I don't have room nor desire for any of it, so I'm not bothering, hehe. But all in all, I love them and am very happy ^_^ The bag will be a bigger purse (for flying - score one on not getting another suitcase at least until Denmark) and the scarf will be very very appreciated in Denmark, I'm sure!
Now it's been a busy couple of weeks - last weekend, Marjorie left for home (she was only here for about a week, as work wouldn't let her off for longer), so that cut us down to three girls in the apartment. Sadly, Christina also came to the end of her more extended tenure here this morning while I was at work - she and Enrique headed off to get her to Tangier for her flight back home, so I won't be able to see her again before leaving Spain myself - she is a lovely woman, and I'm very pleased to have been able to have the chance to get to know her.
And with those two gone it just leaves me and Lola - we're both laptop junkies, but I'm still significantly less interactive than her (lack of hispanic blood, I think), so I'm going to try and work on that to make her more comfy and less lonely. We get along very well and have lots of interest in going to old town (of course, I prefer walking, but I'll deal with taxis) so we're going to have fun rambling around I'm sure. She's here for two more weeks, until she heads home for exams, so that'll leave me alone for my last bit of stay here - but I'll love those two weeks I have!
Having been here for two months now, I find I'm settling in fairly well - I'm used to being the strange person on the street, the obvious foreigner in the group, and the quiet person in the conversation. I can't pretend I won't enjoy getting home (or at least back into an environment where I won't stick out so much), but I think this last month will be easier. That and my parents are excellent about keeping up with me on Skype, so I'm incredibly grateful for that!
POST SCRIPT: Also, something I'd just like to point out - for the eating times here, at the end of the day, a giant siren goes off basically saying 'You can eat now' - loud, somewhat unsettling if you weren't expecting it. Not only in the evening, but to wake people up for their breakfast, the same, incredibly loud (because it has to reach the whole valley) siren goes of at 4 am... heart attacks come daily now. That or I think I'm waking up in the middle of an air raid during the Blitz... *sigh*
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