Ready for Ramadan?

That's right, Ramadan is here, and from what I've heard it is going to be tough.  The locals consider it fasting, and to an extent that is true... If one is "fasting" then they should eat no food, and drink no drink (including water) from dawn to dusk.  This seems to me incredibly difficult as Ramadan falls this year from the beginning of August until early September.  However, from what I've heard, as soon as the evening call to prayer goes off people guzzle water and scarf down sugary treats galore.  This seems to me less like fasting, and more like living nocturnally for a month.  But whatever it is, I'll be participating this year.  I'm not Muslim, but I think that this will help me integrate into my community better, and get me some major brownie points.  I guess you could call it peer pressure.

Coming from the Northwest, specifically the Washington coast, I don't think we have a good idea of what "hot" really is.  I was in the water and forestry office today, picking up my mail and checking some email.  This office is one of the few places in Taza that has air conditioning, but that almost makes it worse.  You see, when I stepped out of that office I think the closest experience I could equate it to would be opening an oven.  Except in this case, you don't close the oven and let whatever is cooking finish, you step into the oven and cook yourself.  And let me make perfectly clear that Taza has nothing on the raging inferno that is Fes, especially when you are in a crowded souk bus that has decided to stop for 15 minutes in the middle of the day.  

The projects continue!  From all the information that we gleaned at PPST, J and myself sat down and created not one, not two, but fourteen potential project ideas for the next two years, including everything from efficient wood stoves to international school skyping, and everything in between.  I'll be doing some of the initial research this coming month, feeling out the community for what they view as priorities, and formally and informally meeting with the local associations to get them onboard.  My first step right now is to get a few things in the ground... by the end of the month I'd like to have lavender, saffron, and vetiver (an erosion control grass) all planted in a small community garden/nursery.  This way we can see how well these plants will survive the winter, and begin to propagate new plants.  Depending on how well these plants do, I plan on expanding this into a small nursery project in the not too distant future.  

That's all I have time for today unfortunately, so I'll let you know how Ramadan is going next time. Have a good week back in the states, or wherever you happen to be reading this from!