So it’s about 7pm and I haven’t left my house yet. For some reason, it’s just one of those days where I don’t feel like going out, drinking tea, and listening to sermons on religion and politics. It’s okay to have one of those days; I’m sure all volunteers have them.

These last couple of weeks have been busy! I got back to Guelmim earlier this week and have been working non-stop on the GAD Committee newsletter, GAD. Everyday. and typing up the Peace Corps Morocco Tašlнit language book. Because the newsletter hasn’t been published yet, here’s a pdf link to the last edition, if you so please.

What’s Tašlнit you ask? Tašlнit, or Tashelheet, is one of the Amaziġ dialects (the indigenous people of Morocco, found throughout parts of North and North-Central Africa, whose misnomer is Berber). No, I didn’t write it, but I’m typing it up, and it’s a monumental, yet enjoyful, task. Right now, the tašlнit words are being written in “PC Morocco”-Latin and Arabic transcription. Hopefully, once this version is finished, I can go back and add the letters from the Amaziġ alphabet, Tifinaġ. Here’s a Tifinaġ link. [The AB alphabet, Neo-Tifinaġ, is being used in Morocco]

Let’s see…last week, the GAD Committee submitted its proposal for The GAD Conference: Engendering Development in Rural Moroccan Leaders for approval. Once (if) it’s approved, it will go to PC Headquarters and will go up on their Partnership Program website, where you will be able to make a tax-deductible donation! Don’t worry, I’ll bug you about it.

In life in Guelmim, life is also busy. Guelmim needs a women’s carpet cooperative. I’ve been talking about it from day one and have been softly nudging the appropriate people to let’s do something. I had a revelation a few weeks ago, and now know that I must go around those ‘appropriate’ people to get anything done. I have a new attack plan, I’m determined to do it, so wish me luck. And while my planted seeds are germinating, I’m working on a new style of carpet that will become to be known as the “Guelmimi”. If anyone out there knows of, or has any good carpet-making (not weaving) software, please let me know; I would be forever indebted.

Oh and I started to work on my framed art idea again. I figured it was dead long enough and most people forgot about it, which allowed me to find a carpenter who is working with me. Nice!

And now I’m off to soupily eat my veggie soup. Have you souped lately?

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 27th, 2005 at 20:07 and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.