Our Journey Up North...

This weekend we had Friday off from school so decided to head north to Chef Chaouen with another friend for the long weekend. The plan had been to rent a car, however, that proved to be more difficult (and more expensive) than expect...Plan B, the bus!

Background info: There has been a lot of rain all over Morocco for the last 3 weeks.

So on the way there we came across some flooding. And, no, not just minor flooding. Thigh-deep water flooding! And you guessed it (or maybe you didn't) we drove right through! It was incredible but all the while I'm thinking, "Oh no. My bag!" Everything came out at least a little wet...but not my Bible! Thank you Jesus!

Saturday was a Moroccan holiday celebrating the birth of the prophet Mohammed. Many things were closed, but not nature. We spend a few hours hiking up hills, rocks, across water falls...it was breathtaking! When we got back we went to the local hamman, a community bath, to relax. Dinner, tea, dessert, bed...Thank you Chef Chaouen for a wonderful relaxing weekend :)

Fellowship in Ifrane

Our crazy adventures in Italy left Sarah and I a little "traveled out". After a few low-key weekends, we were ready to go again :) Last weekend we spent time in Ifrane with some friends from Tangier. The plan was to go skiing, however with a week of 60's and rain, snow was no where to be found! But it was still a wonderful weekend of friends, food, and fellowship. We were picked up by a girl from Marrakesh and met the rest in "the little Switzerland" of Morocco. Sarah and I came back from the weekend so refreshed. 11 people sharing an apartment for 4, sunshine and hiking, chili and spiced cider...can't get much better than that!

Valentine's Day...Moroccan Style :)

So today the students celebrated Valentine's Day with flowers, cards, and chocolates that they could purchase to be delivered to their friends. I left this exchange for the end of class (knowing I would never get them to focus again). After everything was passed out, one of my 6th grade boys asked if he could give me his gift. He came to the front of the room, got down on one knee, thrust the gift bag in the air, and said, "Miss, will you marry me?" I said, "No. But thank you for the gift :) I don't date younger men!"
My story doesn't stop there...in the morning, one of my 6th grade students showed up to my class with a bag. I thought he was leaving it in my class for later, but he told me it was for me...sweet, right! During my first break I decided to open it...a red fuzzy heart pillow...a pair of underwear...a gold tube top!!! So needless to say I was freaking out because this is completely inappropriate on so many levels. Then I noticed a business card on the floor...it had the student's mom's name on it. My best guess is that his mom put together this gift for me from the store she owns/works at. I'm sure he didn't know what was in it because if he did, that would have been the talk of 6th grade! So I guess that means his mom got me underwear and a tube top for Valentine's Day :) Still inappropriate but better (I guess).
It was quite the eventful Valentine's Day for me...going to be tough to beat that!

Soccer and the Zoo!

On Monday I attended a middle school soccer (futbol) match between our school and CAS (another American school in Casa). Although we lost 0 to 6 it was fun to support our team and watch them do something they love. I even got some girls to start cheering with me! Sarah tried to convince them to do a pyramid but that didn't go over so well...something about Miss Smallegan volunteering to be bottom middle :)
(Pictures are in my AAC album on Picasa)
Today (Saturday) we went to the zoo in Rabat! One of our co-workers has a little boy and invited us to join them on their adventure. We weren't expecting much but it turned out to be pretty cool. I never would have expected to see a chipmunk in a cage...but I suppose in Africa you don't see many of those :) The craziest/coolest part was the lion exhibit. The "lion keeper" started to get them riled up...and soon we had a lion choir! It actually was a bit scary. He wasn't being very careful and one time I thought he was going to be a goner! It was a powerful display of the might of a lion...wouldn't want to meet it when it was angry (or hungry)!
(Pictures from today are in my Morocco album on Picasa)

Here we go again...

Getting back into the routine of things has been difficult these past two weeks. Snooze button...a must! Being productive at night...not really happening :) I've found my kids struggling with the same thing. Coming back from break was like starting school all over again. Rules, expectations...what are those? A positive change at school is the addition of our new 6th/7th grade English/Social Studies teacher. This fall one of our teachers left unexpectedly. She was a favorite of the students and my "partner in crime" with the 6th grade. The students have had to deal with the inconsistencies of substitute teachers and I often feel like I am the only constant for them (aka the only one keeping them accountable) So, having someone to crack the whip with me and work to mold them into responsible students is a huge gift.

Something you should know about my 7th graders is that they are a tight bunch and can gang up if they don't like something. After their first encounter with the new teacher (he is quite strict...which they need, but don't like), they came running to me about how they didn't like him. In this conversation they shared about playing tricks on teachers they didn't like and indicated plans to do something similar to him. I sat them down and told them they needed to give him a chance because I thought they would really like him (He's a funny guy with a quirky sense of humor). Next day in class..."Miss, he's so cool!" Success :)

Another new activity in our lives is weekly Arabic lessons. Over these past months we've developed a relationship with an English-speaking Moroccan. She has become a friend and offered to tutor us. Sarah and I are both excited about learning the language and all the new doors that will open with being able to communicate with people.

One final funny story about this week... My last period is a math assistance course for 11th grade students. It was near the end of class and I was not being as strict about working. I was at my computer entering in grades and all of a sudden the girls started to scream and were running to the other side of the room. What scared them you may ask...a tiny bird that decided to join us :) SO I have the girls huddled in one corner and one of my boys trying to capture it! After a few tries I was able to get the bird out. What a way to end the day! BUT the story doesn't end there. Two days later another bird rams into my window, almost knocks itself out, and then flutters away...crazy. There must be something about my classroom that is attractive to the birds...or maybe they just like math ;)

I think I want to be Italian :)

After visiting Italy, I'm convinced that I could live there and be quite happy! The history, the buildings, the landscape, the food... Honestly I don't even know where to begin or how to capture the incredible time we had. My conclusion: to let the pictures do the talking and give the highlights :)
1. Milan: parks covered with snow, castle, shopping, beautiful church, outdoor concert (brrr)
2. Pompeii: remains of an old city after a tragic volcanic eruption...really cool
3. Naples: churches, palace, castle, the Mediterranean, "real" pizza, coffee at the cafe where espresso was invented!
4. Rome: Spanish stairs, the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, and more...we literally didn't sit down for more than 15 minutes from 7am to 4pm! That's what happens when you try to see Rome in a day...call us crazy ;)
5. Florence: New Years Eve party at the hostel, rainy New Years Day...saw the city but put a damper on our day :(
6. Bologna: good food, beautiful buildings, great sales that we didn't have time to hit
7. Cinque Terre: beautiful scenery...I thought places like this were only pictures in books
8. Venice: 6 trains and 8 hours later we arrived!, interesting Australian hostel worker, more rain, incredible church, lots of wandering

We packed a lot into that week and a half. By the end we were exhausted and ready to come home...the sign of a good vacation :) If ever given the chance, I would love to go back!
http://picasaweb.google.com/laura.smallegan/RomaniaAndItaly#

Christmas in Romania

Sarah and I have spent the past week in Galati, Romania visiting her brother John. He works at a center with children from very poor homes. The center provides the children with one meal a day, showers, clothing, tutoring, counceling, devotions and worship time, and love! Because it was a vacation week, the activity at the center was a little different. On Monday, the kids put on a Christmas show for their parents and sibilings. It was really cute...the kids did a great job! After the show, the children presented their siblings with Operation Christmas Child boxes (that they had to "earn" by doing work around the center). Each year my family puts together boxes for Operation Christmas Child...it is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. This year I was able to see the faces of children who recieve them! What a gift to witness the joy on their faces!
The next two evenings were spent caroling with the children. The first night we went around to many of the children's homes. The second night was to the homes of people who support the center. Since the carols were in Romanian, I was mostly singing jiberish :) What I enjoyed most about those evenings was the relationship I build with one of the girls (each adult was paired with a child). She taught me some words in Romanian but most of our communication was through hugs, laughing, and making faces.
On Christmas Eve, we had an all-nighter at a local family's home. We played games, did crafts, decorated cookies, sang carols, had a time of reflection and thanksgiving, affirmed the children, ate a delicious Romanian meal, the kids opened their Christmas gifts (Operation Christmas Child boxes), and we watched movies until morning! The most precious moment of the evening was when one of the little girls opened her box and there was a baby doll on top (Just what she'd asked Santa for!)...she closed the box and wasn't interested in looking at anything else :) She was so excited! These kids will forever hold a special place in my heart.
Christmas day...after sleeping a few hours (we were all tired from the all-nighter), we spent the majority of the day in the kitchen :) Pancakes, coffee, mimosas, fruit and chocolate...what a yummy breakfast! Then more food prep for dinner with friends in the evening...I made Grandma Smallegan's wonderful egg nog (they had never had egg nog before!) and Sarah and John made a broccoli casserole and apple crisp. The best part was surprising my family with a skype call! It as so good to see them and just talk. I later realized that was the first time we had really "seen" each other since I left (my internet always makes the video freeze when we talk on skype). What a great Christmas present!!! What a wonderful Christmas...