To Answer Your Question . . .

I was hit with so many follow on questions that I thought I would just do a post with all the answers. If you find your question, consider yourself one of the blessed ones. lol

Q: Is the furniture our or does it come with the house?
A: The furniture is not ours. But it doesn't exactly come with the house. That would just be too easy. Each department within the embassy has its own "furniture pool." We are with the Foreign Area Officers, so all our furniture comes out of the pool of furniture for all the FAOs. How much you get and what you get depends on the size of your house, the number in your family, if there are any school age children, etc. At the present time, we are still awaiting another family to move out so we can get more furniture. The family that was in here before us was a different department, so all their furniture was removed when they left.

Q: How do you get around?
A: We have shipped over our minivan from the states to drive here. However, it has not arrived yet, so we are driving a vehicle that belongs to the embassy. I should say Jake is driving, because I am not authorized to drive the embassy vehicle. Boo hoo.

Q: Where will the kids go to school?
A: There is the Rabat American School (RAS) here that all the embassy kids attend. All instruction is in English, and all the kids will learn French and I believe also Arabic. But I'm not 100% sure its both. It may be one or the other. The website is www.ras.ma if you want to take a look.

Q: Will I have help to keep the house clean?
A: We wasted no time in hiring a housekeeper. We moved in on Friday and she started on Monday. Her name is Aicha (Eye-sha) and she comes 3x/week. I take great comfort in knowing that for the next year I will not have to do laundry, wash the sheets, scrub floors, or dust/polish. Ahhh.

Q: Is Jake here with the government or a church assignment?
A: Jake is still in the Army. We are here, really, for a year's worth of training for him in language and diplomacy. Then for the rest of his career we may bounce back and forth between the states and the North Africa/Middle East area.

Q: Are the cockroaches just down in the basement or do they come upstairs?
A: To my great dissatisfaction, they do come up on occasion. I've been told that in Aug/Sept the government sprays the sewers and gutters with insecticide, so the cockroaches get worse as they come in to avoid the poison. Oh yeah, I can hardly wait. I'm sending Jake back to get more killer. We put all of it in the basement, but obviously need some upstairs as well.

Q: How are the kids adjusting?
A: I have found, as have other military parents, that the more positive the adults are in the move, the easier adjustment the kids have. And our kids have done amazingly well. Other kids here had heard of us coming and were excited for us to get here, so we were welcomed with open arms and instant friends. It has been very nice.

Q: What is church like? Is there a group you meet with?
A: There are about 8 other LDS families here in Rabat, and other members who travel here for business. We meet in a member's house each Sunday and church consists of the Sacrament, one talk, and then Sunday School. The kids get a short sharing time and then break up into 3 classes based on age. After church there is a pot luck lunch every week. It is really fun to be with such a small group. And before you ask, its at the same house every week because not everyone's house is large enough to accommodate everyone.

Q: Have all your things arrived?
A: No. We have 2 shipments of things coming. One is supposed to be faster than the other. The fast shipment was supposed to have arrived in Morocco last Thursday, but we haven't seen anything yet. And Ramadan is starting next week, so chances of us seeing anything until the end of August is slim to nill. (Ramadan is the Muslim fasting month when they don't eat/drink/smoke during day light hours. Because of this, not much strenuous labor is done. You know, nothing that would make someone thirsty.)

Q: What is the food situation like?
A: We have shipped over a year supply of most non-perishable foods and that is because the value of the dollar makes things very expensive for us. There are several grocery stores here so we can get eggs, milk, bread, fruits and veggies, and all the perishable stuff no problem. There is also a "commissary" here where you can buy a few American items, like Doritos and sausage. Gotta love that pork!

Q: Do you feel safe on the streets?
A: If at all possible, I won't cross any busy roads on foot. To me that is just suicidal with the way people drive here, and there are no clear cross walks that drivers actually pay attention to. But as far as walking in the neighborhood goes, I do feel safe. I don't think I would let the kids run rampant through the streets, but to just go out for a walk in our neighborhood with an adult is fine. I also feel safe shopping (because they have shopping centers. Only Jake has been brave enough to venture into the land of the open markets).

Q: Are American's treated well?
A: I believe you are treated as you treat others. If you are making an effort to speak the language and follow the local customs, then you are welcomed. If you try to be the loud, obnoxious American, then you are not welcomed. Its all about fitting in. But on the whole, Moroccans are very gracious people and love children. Mothers are very well respected here.

Q: Do women wear burkas? Do I wear one when I go out.
A: I do not wear a hijab (head covering) when I leave. And there are people dressed in all manner of dress here. You see some girls wearing tank tops and short shorts, others wearing regular pants/long sleeved shirts with a head covering, some wearing the clothing cover I think looks like a house-coat with the hijab, and I saw one woman so completely covered not even her eyes were showing. It all depends on their interpretation of modesty, or fashion. But I do not feel uncomfortable wearing jeans and a t-shirt here, at all.

Q: Are Jake's assignments secret or can he talk about them?
A: Jake's trips will be to meet people and learn about the culture and political atmosphere in different countries and here in Morocco. I'm sure that he will be privy to some top secret information, but his trips will not be, in and of themselves, top secret. And when he goes on a fun trip I'll have him update the blog so you all can hear.

Q: How can we get a hold of you?
A: Good news. You can call us on my cell number and reach us just fine. We had the 801-649 number switched over to Vonage, and with the hard internet line hooked up, we are rockin' and ready to go. We only ask that you keep in mind that we are 5-8 hours ahead of you depending on your time zone, so please don't call us at 8 pm your time. We'll be asleep. If you do, we may return the favor. ;)

If there are any other questions you have, just let me know. I will do my best to answer them.