Rolling Blackouts

1. Blackouts

I was making the final adjustments to my vacation schedule the other night when it happened. The lights went out, the wifi internet stopped working, and the music that usually plays every night in the street went silent. What was strange was that it would happen at around the same time every night; the power would go out for about fifteen minutes starting at eight o'clock, come back on for another fifteen minutes, go out again for half hour, and then remain on for the rest of the night. For some reason, however, I had connected the power outages with the construction that had been going on.

In hindsight, it should have been obvious that wasn't the case since they usually stop construction work around seven, but it never occurred to me that the power company would just choose certain parts of the city to not have power for a specific period of time. I talked to Dipesh about it, and he told me that they were called rolling blackouts. I had heard of the term before, but I wasn't familiar with the actual meaning of it, nor had I connected it with what was happening.

In America, we take for granted that, so long as we pay our electric bill, any time we flip a switch there will be light. But this was the first time that I had actually experienced the fact that electricity, as with other forms of energy, is finite and has to be measured out. We understand this in America - that we need oil for cars, coal and other catalysts in the creation of energy, but there is enough energy in America so that it is always available. For now, at least.

This night in particular, I was making final preparations for my vacation to Los Angeles to be with David. The plan was that we would stay at his parents' house for the month of August, except I would fly home at some point for the week. The power had turned back on when I got the message.

"Marcus, I have some bad news."
"What is it, David?"

lights go out, internet dies.

"Shit."
"What is it?" Dipesh asked.
"David has some bad news."

We waited for fifteen minutes. The lights came back on, and after a few minutes, the internet started working on my computer again.

"What is it, David?"
"We can't stay at my house for August."
"What do you mean?"

lights go out, internet dies.

"Damn it!"
"What?" Dipesh asked.
"We can't stay at David's parents' house. I don't have the money to stay anywhere else."
"These blackouts seem more frequent tonight. I wonder why."

We waited for half an hour. I lazily pick up a cigarette and light up. I know it's a terrible habit, but fortunately, the stress is only here, in Morocco, so I will stop when I return to America. Finally, the lights came back on, and the internet started to work again.

"What do you mean we can't stay at your parents' house? An extended motel would end up costing us another 2000.00 dollars."
"I know, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do? You aren't mad at me, are you?"

lights go out, internet dies.

"Oh damn it!"

I know that there are numerous sources of renewable energy - wind, solar, hydro - but so far, none of these energies are taking off in America. It is only now that the country is doing anything serious about mileage standards on vehicles. Apparently, most Americans seem to equate the fact that we have a responsibility to not destroy the earth and keep it habitable with socialism. I bet that if rolling blackouts were to return, we would find a huge market for these other energies within moments. The lights came back on, as did the internet.

"No, of course I'm not mad at you."
"Are you sure?"

I began to type.

"No, it's just that we're having rolling blackouts, so I don't know when-

Lights go out, internet dies.

"..."
"You're simply accepting it now?"
"May as well."
"You do realize that you've lit up a cigarette about every time the internet went down, right?"
"Shut up, Dipesh."

By this time, the brief exchange that should have taken about five minutes has gone over the course of over an hour. A friend, Princess Leia, once gave me a piece of advice; no matter what else life throws at us in America, we'll always be content with the fact that it's not happening in Morocco. It's true, I can no longer think of anything that could happen in America that would make me very frustrated. Traffic jam? Meh, I was driving too fast anyway. Long line at the grocery? I'm just glad they know how to make lines and go in turn. Taxes? That means I get to use the interstate, the library, the police, the firemen, and the EMTs. The lights come back on and the internet works.

"I'm sorry, there are blackouts."
"I have great news! I talked with a friend and you can stay with her."
"That's great. Okay. I'll talk to you later. Bye."
"Bye."

I turn off my computer and stare at the wall. I shuddered to think about what would happen to the developed world if, heaven forbid, an electromagnetic pulse were to erupt from a nearby supernova that would cause electronic devices to fail. Much of the developing world would be able to get along just fine, but as for America, Europe, and the rest of the developed world, most of our lives are dictated by electronic devices. All of our money is electronic, placed in banks, stocks, and other bytes of information that float around. If the power went out, we'd be left with basically nothing. And our farms are based on electronic devices now, except for small family farms. It would be so disastrous for us if that were to happen. I think I am going to reread my old boy scout manual at some point to refresh myself, and perhaps look into properties where I can learn to grow my own vegetables.

You know, just in case.

Three Things I Didn't Expect to Miss

1.) Cheese: I never realized how delicious cheeses are, but after sampling some Spanish cheeses earlier this year, I now look upon my selection of cheeses in Morocco, and, well... this is how I begin to feel.



When I go to Los Angeles and back home next month, I will have to go to a wonderful little shop that I know that sells Parmigiano Reggiano, just the popular parmesan cheese from Italy, but still, delicious, especially when paired with a nice, dry Pinot Grigio.

2.) Personal automobile: Obviously, since my driver's license expired, I will have to get that renewed before any driving takes place. I miss this because it is a freedom that many people in America take for granted. The automobile industry has contributed greatly to the American identity, I feel, because it instills a sense of freedom. We have the ability to travels great distances, to see so many things, because we have access to individual cars. Just to be able to go see some friends back home.

3.) World of Warcraft: My name is Ikeene Stridersoul. I am a tauren druid whose goal is to destroy the Mauderon of Desolace to avenge my mother's death, and to find the rare glomsblood to make the elixir that she was hoping to make for my father. I will use my alchemy and herbalism skills to make it so that my father will love me again.

Roleplaying is something that I definitely think is the strangest thing that I miss. But I love it.

Patriotism and Freedom: Definitions, Pt. 2

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Patriotism and Freedom: Definitions, Pt. 1

The association that I have formed with a group of Moroccans held its first event on July 4th; the event was a look at the history of Independence Day and our continuous relationship with Morocco. Morocco, being the first country to recognize America as a sovereign nation, is an especially important relationship that America has, due to it being an Islamic state, it being close to Europe, and its unique position as a syncretic country that combines the cultures of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. As I studied the history of Independence Day, and our subsequent relationship with Morocco, I began to ask myself what it meant to be proud of one's country, and what it meant to obtain freedom. I wrote an article exactly one year ago about about being a liberal patriot, and I feel that it defines what I believe to be the American culture, but I didn't expand on how I actually define patriotism or freedom.

I have never been the type of person to be "proud" of a America just because I was born there, I need to know the why. From what I have always seen, most Americans show their patriotism during Independence Day parades, waving plastic American flags that were made in China while military personnel walk by. To many people, making any criticism of America, and even more so its military, is equivalent to treason, and an almost hanging offense. But do we really appreciate our veterans? According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans,

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) states the nation’s homeless veterans are predominantly male, with roughly five percent being female. The majority of them are single; come from urban areas; and suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders. About one-third of the adult homeless population are veterans...

VA estimates that 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year, approximately twice that many experience homelessness. Only eight percent of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly one-fifth of the homeless population are veterans.

With numbers like these, one would think that any self-respecting country would devote resources to combating this social ill; after all, our veterans sacrificed their lives, limbs, and mental stability just so we could wave our flags. But with every budget debate that has occurred, rather than using our wealth to help those who have made these ultimate sacrifices, we instead sacrifice them so that we can keep our taxes low. When given a choice, social services have always been the first so-called "entitlements" to go - mental health facilities, substance abuse programs, housing programs for the poor - all of these programs that actually help these veterans are instead sacrificed in support of trickle down economics, the belief that the fewer taxes rich people pay, the more money trickles down to the poorest of Americans. I cannot fathom how anybody can claim to be patriotic only to support politicians who would rather let veterans die on the streets rather than establish a decent living wage, housing, and health programs to ensure that they are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

In international media, most of the articles revolving around American budget debates focus on the fact that so many people are so willing to cut services with the neediest among us. Even when I do force myself to read American media, the same outcome is evident. Most people refer to these programs as "entitlements", as if supporting the least among us is a luxury, not a necessity. From this, I have to conclude that Americans aren't proud of America as a single entity, but are instead proud of themselves for being American. As I stated in a previous blog, America is unique among other countries. Most countries are defined by a common ancestry, religion, race, or some other physical attribute, but America is unique in that what unites Americans is not a physical or religious trait, but an ideal. I believe that ideal is found within the Preamble of the United States Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,[note 1] promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

And in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

The fact that an ideal, instead of a religion or physical characteristic, is the link that binds us is both positive and negative. It is positive because it means that all human beings in America, whether they are from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, or South America, whether they are male, female, or transgender, heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, whether they are Atheist, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, or Muslim, are all endowed with the right to those qualities listed in those two statements. It is negative, however, in the fact that it requires Americans to view each other as equals. Sometimes, this can be difficult. It can be difficult for people to see someone who is physically different from him or her to view the other as equal. Racism, sexism, xenophobia, and other traits that serve to separate us from one another are bred into us from an early age. It is biological, and to fight it requires us to fight very dark, very deep-seated negative qualities that reside within us. Many people, I have noticed, cannot fight those dark impulses within them, and so feel no remorse by the fact that there are fellow citizens who experience hardships because they do not feel a connection to them. How many speeches have we heard in America that talk about so-called "Real America", as if there are people in America who don't deserve to call themselves Americans. The truth of the matter is that we are connected. A country is only as strong as its weakest member. We are only as successful as our most downtrodden of citizens. We are only as good of a country as the one who is least cared for. We are in this together. The ability to recognize our unity is what differentiates a country from a simple collection of people.

Living in Morocco, I have noticed a sense of community. I feel that it is made easier due to the physical and religious aspects that they share. Again, it is easier to feel a connection to someone when they share physical and religious characteristics. America is the most religiously, ethnically, and physically diverse country. That doesn't negate the fact that we are all still connected by an ideal that transcends petty physical and religious differences. Americans used to be taught that we are better than that, that we are capable of looking past our superficial differences and seeing, instead, the common qualities that bind us.

Living in a developing country for as long as I have, I am finally able to see this about America. It is this that I hope to bring back to America. I am patriotic. I am proud to be an American, but I am proud of that because I want to strive to see the commonalities that all Americans share. It doesn't matter if you can trace your lineage back to the Mayflower, or if you are a first-generation immigrant. None of these physical characteristics matter. That is the difference that I see. Many people who claim the mantle of patriotism while supporting cuts to the social services for the least of their brethren are not proud of the greatness of America - they are proud only of the greatness of themselves.

Updates on Moroccan Constitution Reform Vote

Moroccans are going to the polls to vote on a series of constitutional amendments and reforms.

The vote, which represents the first constitutional referendum under the king's 12-year rule, has been described by one Moroccan newspaper as "a date with history".

The king himself has described the reforms as: "A decisive historic transition."

"I support the king, he keeps Morocco safe. It is not like Algeria and Yemen, it's stable here," Rachid Aboul-Hassan, a cab driver in the capital, Rabat, told the AP news agency.

"There are problems here, but we are taking small steps, slowly."

Under the draft constitution, the king remains as the head of state, the military, and the Islamic faith in Morocco, but the prime minister - to be chosen from the largest party elected to parliament - would take over as head of the government.

The reforms, the king has pledged, would reinforce the independence of the judiciary, boost efforts to tackle corruption, guarantee freedom of expression and gender rights and make Berber an official language, alongside Arabic.

Read more on some questions regarding the reforms here.

From the Q&A page, a list of key reforms:

1. The king will select a prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in parliament. At present, the king can make anyone prime minister.
2. A reference to the king as "sacred" in the constitution will be removed, though he will remain "inviolable".
3. The prime minister will be the head of government, not the king, and will gain the power to dissolve the lower house of parliament.
4. The prime minister will preside over the Government Council, which will prepare policy before presenting it to the cabinet.
5. Parliament will have more oversight of civil rights, electoral and nationality issues.
6. Women will be guaranteed "civic and social" equality with men. Previously, only "political" equality was guaranteed.
7. The Berber language will become an official state language along with Arabic.

Again, simply posting without commentary. Peace Corps rules, you know.

Some Future Plans in Regards to Peace Corps Activities

Work with the Moroccan-American Association for Human Development and Cultural Exchange (MAAHDCE)

The association that I created with some Moroccans and fellow PCVs will have an event to mark Independence Day. This is going to be a great opportunity to explain to kids the history of the American holiday as well as compare it to the Moroccan Independence Day, which celebrates the return of their king from exile and the freedom from Spain and France. We will also talk about the relationship between America and Morocco going all the way back to the founder. Did you know that Muhammad III was the first leader to recognize America as a new country? Hopefully, this will lead to other PCVs doing cultural events. My hope for this association is that it will become the group for PCVs in the Er Rachidia area to go to when they want to host such an event. Later, I hope that we can partner with the private schools here that teach English with American schools so that they can talk back and forth through Skype sessions.

Work with Dar Chebab Medina in Er Rachidia

As I have stated before, most of my work is in Er Rachidia proper now. Before the summer break, I would hold weekly meetings for the general health club. It made for a very slow work week. In September, I hope to increase that to in between four and five days a week. My hope is to teach conversational English with the current English teacher there two days a week, and then to teach a combination of yoga, pilates, and general health each day. Depending on what I can get, I will do them all over a five day week, or just vary which class I teach on a specific day of the week. I finally feel like I'm useful. I know that people have said that the changes that I am making are far more deep than I realize, but I like the fact that I have a schedule now.

*****
This is coming on a final countdown, sort of, I suppose. I only have 44 weeks left. It's just coming by so quickly, especially when I factor in that I'm sending in a request to travel to America for the entire month of August. When I return in September, it will be only 35 weeks. I hope to visit some friends in Pensacola at some point while I'm in America. It will be great to see how people are doing.