Chilblains

Are small blisters which form on extremities of the body due to prolonged exposure to low temperatures.  They can normally be prevented by wearing gloves and thick socks, but if those gloves get soaked through by 9 hours of rain and sleet, there's really no point, is there?


Today was a very, very long day.  My hands hurt.

5 months in

The last month has been difficult, to say the least.  It's not the weather (cold and rainy for the most part, though this weekend was spectacular), work (while it has become routine, it's never boring), or even homesickness, but I've just been feeling as though time has come to a halt.  Next week Sunday will mark the halfway point of my time here, and I don't feel like I've really accomplished anything.  I think it's the inability to talk to anyone other than who I work and live with about my experiences.  I've always been the type of person who feeds off of people's reactions, and without that it's hard to stay inspired.

Fun Fact:  I've conversed (that is, a back-and-forth which goes beyond the basic 'hey how's it going') with 5 people in person since I got here.  That's an average of one a month.  My Arabic is progressing, but has reached a plateau.  I either need to start studying it a lot more to get to the next stage, or be content with what I can speak now (which I'm not -- I guess I see where this is going...).

There are, however, a few lights on the horizon.  February will see a lot of changes to our lives here.  Among them, the addition of two new people to the house (a French masters student and her assistant, who will be studying tourist interactions with a separate group), the habituation of a new group in a different forest (more on this later), and a personal trip to London.  OK, so I'm ridiculously excited about this last bit.  I'll be meeting my mom, stepdad, and (enshallah) an old friend there for a week of museums, big old buildings, pubs, and talking to people who I can understand.  We're also going to meet up with my uncle and his family.  I can't really comprehend how it could not be a friggen' amazing time.

Tonight Chris, Dave, and I are going upstairs for a couscous dinner and then going to a small peace-corps super bowl function organized by a new friend and acquaintance who lives in Azrou.  Unfortunately, the time difference means it's going to last from 10 at night until 4 in the morning.  Because we have to wake up at 5:30, we'll only be able to stick around for an hour or so before retiring, but it should be a great opportunity to meet some fellow Americans who work in the surrounding areas (and at least double the number of English speakers I've spoken to!).

All this alone time also has its bonuses:  because my iTunes library has become a veritable minefield of memories (it's good sometimes, other times notsomuch) I've been discovering great music at an incredible rate.  I know this isn't a music blog, and I know raving about these tunes will reveal my ignorance of some great stuff to some of you, and I really don't know who would be interested in what I've been listening to, but some of these discoveries are just too good for me not to try to share:

The Swell Season -- Feeling The Pull. 

The Books ft. Jose Gonzales -- Cello Song.  One of my favorite bands covering one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite singer/songwriters.

Givers -- Saw You First.  It's so bouncy!  They're playing SXSW this year...hm....

The Weakerthans -- Our Retired Explorer.  Silly music with extremely clever lyrics.  They cannot write a bad song.  This song contains the words "yes, a penguin taught me french back in Antarctica."
Parts and Labor -- The Gold We're Digging.  Turn it up to 11 and drive faster than you should.
Drive-By Truckers -- Goddamn Lonely Love.  Natty Fro, I'm not sure if you read this or not, but if you do thank you, thank you, thank you, for showing me this band. 
Also, I can't stop listening to Japandroids -- Post Nothing (album).

Right, enough of that.

That's all for now.  I hope you're all doing well.  I'm planning on updating at least once a week from here on out.  If I don't, a little scolding goes a long way.  Sorry about this post being a bit all-over-the-place, it may take a while for me to get my groove back.

brb

Hello all,
Apologies for the unannounced hiatus.  Hope I haven't lost too many of you!


Update coming soon.
-M

just one more: 11 monkeys

(click to enlarge)

no words for today

T-talj kayn henna (the snow is here)

Situation I found myself in today which, a year ago, would have seemed unimaginable/ludicrous:
Having a conversation in Arabic with a shopkeeper in Morocco (remember, it's in Africa) about how much it's snowing.


Needless to say, it's snowing! Like mad. Around 10 it had accumulated to about 4 inches, and it's still falling now around 1.30.

I shot these photos on my way to and from the haddaf. I'm still angry at myself for not getting any of the haddaf itself, but I'm still crazy self conscious in that place and I just couldn't bring myself to take out my camera and play the tourist.


Dave and Chris are in the forest today. I have no idea how they got there or how they plan on returning, but they've been gone for most of the day so I'm assuming they made it and are gathering quality data. I'm sure they'll have some good stories to share upon their return.


Roasting a chicken tonight. Yum.

Soundtrack: Richard's Rainy Day Mix (It also works on snowy days!)

Monkeys, monkeys, monkeys

(top right corner)

The mating season seems to be coming to a close. Males who a month ago wouldn't be seen within 15 meters of each other are now grooming on a regular basis. None of the females have been fully swollen (which indicates fertility) in about 3 weeks. We still get the odd coalition but stuff has, for the most part, calmed down considerably.

The next couple months will be spent going over the data we collected during the season as well as finding and starting habituation on a second group of monkeys. I'm pretty excited about this second bit, as it means exploring new parts of the forest AND getting to know a whole new group.

I've grown very attached to the group we've been studying (The Greens, as we call them). Each monkey has its own distinct personality, and it's fantastic to see how all of those personalities mesh into one crazy group that I get to be right in the middle of every day.

Winter is entering full swing. Snow in the forecast for Friday.

Nick hanging out near our car.

Helen, the most photogenic female.

Every morning Oz finds a good spot in the sun (when the sun is out) and relaxes for a while.

I know now. Trees really do make the best playgrounds.

Hope everyone's new year has gotten off to a good start!