3/15/09 Moroccan Christmas Decorations :)

Three months ago, the whole Berberville-SouqTown region held its breath, awaiting the king's visit. Public works projects exploded in a frenzy. Roads ignored for a decade were suddenly being repaved and widened. School buildings were re-roofed, rebuilt, wired for electricity.

And every available surface sported either a flag or a patriotic banner.

This was in mid-to-late December...just the time when I'd begun feeling homesick for Christmas decorations. I'd never thought I'd miss the sounds of tinny carols through mall speakers...but I did. I longed for an American-style, Christmas-saturated December. And then, lo and behold, the whole area covered itself in red and green decorations.

To the left: Springfield's central square, where dozens of flags grew out of the pavement overnight.

To the right: An apartment building in SouqTown. (Just out of view, to the left, stands the ritzy one where I've only spent one night. It felt justified because not a single shower in our usual hostel was working, so three of us splurged and shared a room with *its*own*hot*shower* AND a western-style toilet. Ah, luxury.)

Below: My own Christmas decorations. I had no tree, but abundant sticky-tak and a deep yearning for Christmas. The tinsel I inherited from a previous PCV, and cut to size. The ornaments were either bought at the expat store in Springfield or else make-'em-yourself craft ornaments from America, sent in a friend's care package and lovingly shared with us all. It's still up on my wall. It makes me happy. :)