Instead of the usual handing out of candy or wearing of way too skimpy “costume” I had a different experience of Halloween this year. Here in Morocco Halloween will go by as just another day, unless you take the time to share it’s appeal with the people of Morocco. Yorda, Rachael, Chris and I planned a little Halloween party for the kids at our local youth center. Chris and I started off by teaching the kids some phrases like “Happy Halloween”, “trick-or-treat”, and “It was a dark and scary night.” Chris took the liberty of finding a “pumpkin” and carving it into a jack-o-lantern. I have to say it was quite good and very spooky. We then told the kids that we had some activities planned. We went into the bigger room where we had bobbing for apples set up and a table for making masks. We also brought them candy and said they must say trick or treat in order to get it. I don’t think any of them had bobbed for apples before, but they really thought it was great. Only one girl was brave enough to do it, but all the boys had a riot sticking their heads in the bucket of water and then whipping their head back to splash everyone. I downloaded some classic Halloween tunes like Ghostbusters , Monster Mash, and the Addams Family theme. The kids were jamming to them, but I’m sure they didn’t even know how awesome those songs really are. The kids really did have a lot of fun but most of all the party acted as a little piece of home for us Americans. Chris was trying to explain trick or treating to the kids and to me it brought back some many memories of my childhood and the excitement of pouring all your candy out on the living room floor at the end of the night.
We did the party of Oct. 30th and on actual Halloween night we went over to another PCV’s house in our town to watch some scary movies. We watched Scream, and to me it brought back memories middle school when it came out. There were things we laughed at that we never had before, maybe because we were too young to have known. I would like to call Scream the classic scary movie of my generation. Anyone who would like to dispute that statement can take it up with me if they want! Oddly enough watching that movie made me miss the 90’s. One of girls in Scream wears a pair of flannel cloud pajamas and I know I had a pair too because they were so darn cool at the time. I want to say I got them at DEB, the store where I got half my wardrobe in the late 90’s. (I’m not sure why I just admitted that). I still go in there from time to time, strictly for old times sake. Anyways we watched another movie, which was really scary and good. I wont say what because I’m not sure it was exactly legal for us to be watching it on a personal computer in Morocco! We made dinner together and enjoyed the holiday away from home. Walking home at 11pm was fun and spooky. Of course there was nothing out there to get us, but after watching horror films our minds were creating the worse. I had a nice time this Halloween but I can’t wait until the time I can experience a real, American, Halloween night once again.