My neighbors just slaughtered a sheep...

This is just one of the many pleasant sound clips from my site mate Lynn. Upon hearing this I didn't even flinch. Instead I started thinking.... how can I get some of that meat!??? I suppose this is just a small example on how my environment has changed the way I think. 10 months ago, this statement would have made a much larger impression on me. "A sheep... they slaughtered it... does that mean they killed it? How did they do it? Wheres the blood? Why?" Now, all of the questions and more have been answered. Additionally, the act of slaughtering an animal seems quite quotidian. I walk through my market everyday with goat head on my left and hanging intestines on my right. The smell always leaves something to be desired, but the sight is merely a part of my everyday happenings. So, for those who ask me about the differences between America and Morocco here is one: you have a much closer relationship with the animals you eat here than the average American.

For the rest of this entry I'd like to talk about the World Cup. As I hope you are aware, the World Cup is currently going on in South Africa. This has probably been one of the best things to happen to me so far in my town. Let me explain why.

The world cup brings people together. More specifically it brings all of the men in my town together for four hours a day at the cafe. Usually, the cafe is full, but nobody seems to go at the same time so it is hard to "run into people". Now, there is a set four hours a day when all of the important, do something, folk in my town are at the cafe. Consequently, it has served as an excellent opportunity for me to hold some business meetings. I get to the cafe a bit early, stake out a prime table. Then when the important community members come in, I invite them to sit down with me. From here we shoot the xra for a while and then I start bouncing some ideas off them. Its great because even if my ideas are horrible, they aren't going to leave because SOCCER IS ON.

This convergence of a few factors has made a huge impact on the productivity of my work. Projects are starting to look like they might happen. An environmental education camp that I am trying to do this summer might actually happen. All of this is a result of the world cup. SI must admit before I came to Morocco I was very much opposed to watching soccer on T.V. But now, I love it. It has helped me network and has given me a perfect space for talking with members of my community. I never thought I would say this before, but can the World Cup please last forever?!

The heat is setting in. Laundry is being done more often. Life is good.