Amslane Day 13- Barley and Shoes, Day 14- Sickness Strikes
Day 13
During our first interview we helped a mother sort and clean the timzine (barley) that she had just bought at the souq (market). Was neat to finally see the seeds of the plants that are growing in so many of the fields and that we have been eating in bread. After wandering to find more houses we hadn’t talked, finally conducted another interview and the main women in the house served us tanort made with her timzine that she had ground into flower, was sweeter and nicer had a more complex flavour than the other tanort we have tried.
Something that I am so amazed by is how all the women do everything wearing little flats and slippers- even while out in the fields and climbing the mountains to gather firewood and tasaft to feed the animals they are fine in thin plastic flats with multiple layers of socks. It’s also rather freeing to be around people who really don’t care about what they wear as long as they are covered, mobile, and warm enough. Many of the women and children layer pajamas with their other clothing. I haven’t been wearing anything revealing, but was told yesterday when hot working in the fields alone with Souad and one women that I should put my flannel back on over my baggy T-shirt, as I should only show skin on my hands and head while living with them. Except one woman, nobody has expected me to wrap my head since I’m not a Muslim. But they are also confused (especially given how tan I am from the sun here), saying that I don’t look like a foreigner so expecting me to know more of their customs.
Day 14
Coughed up what looked like congealed blood, and Souad’s throat was also bad so we decided to take the day slower. I could hardly feel my hands after my morning hike, so I decided to head back after collecting some of the broom medicine plant to do work inside since my hands were too cold to write for plant surveys. It has been such a great insightful experience here, but being around so many sick people and the stress of fieldwork and a different lifestyle is taking its toll. Got some good videos of the tanort making process with Yemena and shot more plant id photos and wrote up data and field notes. Halti Hadija gave Souad some walnuts to share with me- the walnuts here are so good, these ones seemed more moist and flavourful than anything I’ve had before. Apparently they harvest the nuts and then keep the bags until winter to sell for a higher price- one large bag (just under 1m tall can go for 1000 dirham. Still quite ill so I went to bed before dinner, hoping more rest will give me more energy tomorrow since today was a bit of a struggle.