Happy St. Pat's from Azilal

Salam! Kif dayr? We're now in Azilal, the provincial capital of the region, near Ourzazate. It's just the health sector people now, or as the peace corps refers to us, H/San (hygiene and sanitation educators). I've been reading a great deal of literature about latrine construction in anticipation of our technical training, in addition to studying darija, or Moroccan Arabic. This dialect of arabic is different from what is spoken in Egypt, Sudan or Iran. It incorporates and borrows many words from french, spanish, modern standard arabic and english. We've been practicing arabic script (which is universal in the arabic speaking world) so we can read signs and directions. However, I just found out today that the language I will be speaking at actual site of service will be a Berber dialect called Tamazight (pronounced ta-ma-zert). We will continue to learn more script and basic arabic phrases, but starting tomorrow, we concentrate on our local languages.
When we're not studying, we spend a lot of time walking around this small city and meeting shopkeepers. Also, since this past sunday, a group of volunteers, including myself, has been playing soccer with the local kids after our training sessions. They usually get out of school the same time as us, so we meet at whatever field is open and play for an hour or so. This is where I've learned all the arabic I know thus far, and it has been a great chance to get out and meet the members of the community. The kids range from ages 10 to 18, and aside from being ridiculously good at soccer, are all tremendously nice.
I've come to look forward to the end of the training day when I can get out of the seminar site and enjoy the beautiful moroccan weather. Since we've arrived, not a drop of rain, and it's been between 50 and 80 degrees during the daytime. It gets damn cold at night, though.
Speaking of cold, my "field trip" where I go visit a current volunteer starts this sunday, and goes until saturday. Turns out, it takes two days to get there, and it's in the highest of the high atlas mountains. If you don't know what that is, look it up. One clue: it's above 10,000 feet, and there's plenty of snow...
I hope all is well state-side, things couldn't be going better here. I thank you all again for your continued support, and look forward to hearing from you via e-mail or snail mail (my contact info is in the previous post). Until I get another chance, Happy St. Patrick's day, and God Bless!