So much has happened since I was last able to update this blogspot.  First of all, I celebrated the first of three birthdays that will happen overseas during the next couple of years.  My ever-thoughtful husband Mal organized a surprise luncheon with the other volunteers in my darija class.  He also disclosed my secret to our host family, and they threw another surprise party with cake, gifts and the neighborhood kids attending.  It was a wonderful day.

The party continued into the next day, when all of us volunteers got together with our host families for an afternoon of tea and conversation.  We've made some life-long friends over the last couple of months with our gracious host families.

There was no shortage of cake and cookies at the gathering!

Last month, we also took turns teaching English to the boys of the dar chebab...

And then headed out into the neighborhood for a day of break dance filming.

The lighting at sunset is beautiful in this part of the world.

Peace Corps allowed us another partial weekend of r&r in Fes...

And then it was off to Meknes for more PC training, and cultural indoctrination:

I got my first henna!

And site announcements were made!!  We'll be in a small city not far from Marrakesh, in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains.  Mal and I will visit the town this week.

Enshala!