tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-139660342009-07-08T22:25:21.604-04:00Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-31997555440590734842008-10-09T10:27:00.017-04:002008-10-09T11:56:28.641-04:00

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stumbled, in great part, due to demands by congress that they make more loans available to low-income borrowers (see Herald Tribune, http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/05/business/fannie.php). They are called "risky borrowers" hailing from the "treacherous corners of the mortgage market". Maybe this label only applies relative to higher strata of American borrowers.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-51658580921357924012008-10-09T10:24:00.002-04:002008-10-09T10:25:40.944-04:00

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-68374645360264023912008-10-09T09:17:00.008-04:002008-10-09T12:04:04.238-04:00

I am studying, as I mentioned before, at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (at the Bologna, Italy campus for the first year; DC for the second year). Five years ago, a recent graduate of Cedarville University, I was advised by a former professor/life mentor and good friend, Dr. Frank Jenista, to read the Foreign Affairs Journal to keep up with current events and

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-44447833530250302182008-09-26T12:06:00.016-04:002009-03-13T10:18:07.049-04:00

So I suppose I should be showing you photos of me pouring over the books, squirrled away in the library at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Bologna, Italy.It's more fun to show what one does on the weekends ... hop, skip, and a jump over to Cinque Terre. I must say, one must feel truly blessed to visit Cinque Terre, Italy two times within a year's time, on separate

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-83404768713828191802008-09-26T11:20:00.016-04:002008-09-26T13:06:22.118-04:00

I am now a student at Johns Hopkins University, in Bologna, Italy. Nine months lie between my new life here and that ferry ride across the Straits of Gibraltar.Those months were spent working at Play Mart, the family playground business ... including working with a great team certifying our playground equipment to meet international playground safety codes, analyzing the recycled content of our

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-64762200504378424042008-04-10T07:52:00.008-04:002008-04-10T08:37:43.999-04:00

My few faithful readers (when encountered on rare occasion) have slyly hinted that "even a paragraph would be nice, you've been on that hiking trip for almost half a year now!" So, I shall write.I finished Peace Corps December 1. It was bliss to goodbye to Peace Corps forever ;)This is our group. Those who lasted two full years. Youth Development & Small Business.Dancing out of Peace

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-86195012782640850212007-11-08T19:29:00.000-05:002007-11-08T19:57:44.776-05:00

I brought rock climbing shoes to Morocco. After two years I finally got to use them. If you like nature, I recommend going to both the Todra and Dades Gorges (between Ouarzazate and Errachidia).Let's go...!Ropes snaking up the cliff... And that little white speck? Yes, that's me. Actually the routes I climbed were pretty easy, but it was my first climb in two years so I didn't push too hard...

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-70841209183706769772007-11-08T17:43:00.002-05:002007-11-08T19:59:32.380-05:00

(Mona - Antoine's Youth Development replacement, Me and Kate)Kate F. has been chosen as my replacement volunteer. I met her during one of the several sessions I was invited to facilitate at the Stage training site (near Agdz). The sessions gave me the opportunity to talk about my various projects and activities. Kate approached me one afternoon and said that she had a background in IT and

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-28719264558822715402007-11-06T17:08:00.000-05:002007-11-08T19:28:11.275-05:00

A couple weeks ago I was invited to participate in a survey-tallying and website development project in Figuig. Bob and Linda, the wonderful couple that Frank and I hiked Toubkal with, thought it was an excellent opportunity for a reunion of the foursome.On the drive out to Figuig, we noticed adorably grubby little children, or women strapped with many bundles clapping their hands to get off the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-46778728662752885592007-10-17T03:33:00.000-04:002007-10-17T04:00:43.362-04:00

My new site mate, Mona and I spent the first holiday morning of Leid Sghir - celebrating the end of a month of Ramadan fasting (we weren't, they were ;) - by touring the neighbors' houses. If a it's possible to get drunk on mint tea and cookies ... we did. By the end we were groaning and looking at each other with these eyes, "no more, please, no more... ?"My good friend, M'barak, from the

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-18792176995044475312007-10-14T06:55:00.000-04:002007-10-14T08:04:24.193-04:00

I fully realize I have not posted in a while, and minimally before that. There is a reason why. Morocco has become my home. I no longer wanted my frustrations bared before an unknown public. It made fantastic the daily life. Fantastic, versus commonplace or normal. My little world in Agdz has become my world. My private world. My angsts of work and friendship, the joys and spills in life:

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-60067401080346743322007-08-23T13:20:00.001-04:002007-08-23T13:40:50.983-04:00

Between travels, a couple girls from the Neddi will come over on the occasional late afternoon to work on a brochure for Mubarak's campground: Zahra, Nafissa and Saida. Zahra has proved most consistent and insightful.We started by going to Mubarak's campground, and taking photos one evening. The goal was to make an advertising brochure for tourists. I explained the idea to all of them. And

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-75605915471614314452007-08-23T12:36:00.000-04:002007-08-23T12:37:52.962-04:00

Thank you to all my visitors over the past two years.... all 25,000 of you!

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-52919158716891301812007-08-21T06:44:00.000-04:002007-08-21T07:38:06.047-04:00

Yesterday efficiency was on its worst behavior. It put the idea in my head to get up at 6:30 A.M. instead of the standard 10 A.M. I obeyed.By 10 A.M. I had already gone on an hour run/walk, with the quiet morning air rustling palm leaves and the sun twinkling gently on the river. I haven't been on a run in six months.I had taken a shower, made breakfast, and done the dishes from the day

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-19355318240996042912007-08-20T08:53:00.000-04:002007-08-20T10:33:33.197-04:00

Summer in Morocco brings many things, among them ...- 100+ Temperatures (indoors and outdoors)- The world shuts down between 10 A.M. and 3 P.M. (read: too hot to function)- Fresh Figs- Incessant evening drumming and chanting emanating from all corners: weddingsUsually I avoid wedding affairs as they usually equate shaking one's rear in a flurry of lace, ruffles, henna and mint tea until 5 A.M.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-43666983027634171772007-08-13T15:55:00.000-04:002007-08-14T10:46:35.470-04:00

My friend Jen Hobbs (whom I haven't seen for four years!) and I have long dreamed of prancing about Europe together. It was always a maybe, someday, sounds like a good idea...But she, in a spirit of Carpe Diem, took off two months this summer to travel extensively through nine European countries. And I, after a failed attempt in planning a trip to Italy with my parents and sister last spring,

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-19904023372754714892007-07-09T10:18:00.001-04:002007-07-09T13:19:30.643-04:00

As if climbing Jbel Toubkal once was not enough for me ...The mind, in ebullient anticipation seemed to forget pain and misery ...Participants: Bob & Linda Smith, Frank Sposito, MeAll Photos taken by Frank SpositoWe stayed in quaint little Asni,At the foot of Morocco's famous (tallest) peakMeditated by the streamsIn the evening before our ascentFound random inscripted rocks ...And rose early of

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-48547101249383056032007-07-01T11:47:00.000-04:002007-07-01T18:27:44.694-04:00

On my way from here to there...I stopped for a bit of fresh mountain airWalked to a precipice and away fell the earth ...And water rushed too and with it my breathFor until your feet are standing on edgeNo one can fathom what awaits you aheadIrrigation trench streams turn into fallsClamorous, glamorous, uproarious and tallAnd the mouth of the world opens wideBefore your toes into a great

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-19258414627894798042007-06-03T16:49:00.000-04:002007-07-13T14:19:13.770-04:00

I have lots of excuses for why you haven't heard from me since April 8th. Some are valid. Some not so valid... like just not being in the mood to share much... But I did head to Rabat twice in April, flew back to the States for a vacation with the family in Virginia Beach, returned to deal with a severe bit of culture shock, and then the latest.. a craft fair in Zagora.Bouchra (my PC program

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-35623288274709705942007-04-08T12:57:00.000-04:002007-04-09T17:23:04.576-04:00

Normally I just breeze through Marakesh on my way to everywhere else... It is always streaming with tourists which proves annoying. I'd rather not be thrust into a throng of happy shoppers and site see-ers just to find a place to sleep for the night.(A scene at La Majorelle Gardens)When I woke up Thursday morning and found the transportation strike still in effect I had no choice but to stay put

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-13110198692496368342007-04-05T16:45:00.000-04:002007-04-05T17:25:55.260-04:00

I'm afraid I'm stuck in MarrakechBut with local I admit I've been blessedIt could have been M'Hamid or TingdadOr another particular douar unsaid Why, you ask, am I sitting here?Well therein is a tale to hearThe taxi drivers and busesAre worried and all making fusses About a new government policyRegard: driving-accident injuriesLet's say your bus, as along it fliesAccidentally hits someone who

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-28770314695654613022007-04-01T17:45:00.000-04:002007-04-01T17:50:13.947-04:00

In my continuing attempts to highlight enamored landscapes of Morocco... I bring a few shots from my friend Andrea Lueke. Tafroute valley region.

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-58187855032747459122007-03-30T20:54:00.000-04:002007-03-30T20:59:33.194-04:00

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-49576907287011534672007-03-30T20:16:00.000-04:002007-03-30T20:51:11.308-04:00

The repercussions of traveling always seem to take a toll. I came back to Agdz on a "high".. very excited about all the things accomplished, progress made, prospects of new projects and organizations to work with, follow-up workshops, more presentations in Rabat, etc. But coming back to my little village, people asked where I had disappeared for so long. To make matters worse, after a couple

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13966034.post-21388271316772650102007-03-30T20:00:00.000-04:002007-03-30T20:14:59.543-04:00

There is apparently no end to bizarre health issues with me. I know most of you probably do not care to know, but in some ways, I see it as an integral part of my Peace Corps experience ... so why not share? After two insane weeks, my body needed rest. I rested over the weekend. That was last weekend. Monday morning I rushed down to Zagora to meet with a certain Delege regarding our April

Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01262397650192409507noreply@blogger.com0