Okay, so LAST weekend, I went to Fes. I apologize for the late blog post...I was just writing a 6 page paper in ARABIC!!!! So yeah, that took forever, and I STILL didn't quite make 6 pages, but whatever.
Anyway, so Fes. Yeah, it was a cool city. I liked it. The medina there is HUGE, so we decided to "rent" a tour guide for the day. It's a good thing we did...we would've been so lost without him.
The adventure starts on Friday at approximately 6:12pm. On the way to Tangier, we were spoiled and had this big open space with tables as our seats. I assumed it would be the same for Fes. I assumed wrong. The train arrived and we were like, fighting people to get on. When we got on, it was compartments- Harry Potter style. However, the passageway wasn't nearly as big as on the Hogwarts Express. It was nice and tight and uncomfortable. And the train was full. So, for the first 2 of the 3 hour ride, I stood/sat in the aisle. Oh, and don't get me wrong, folks. The aisles were packed with smelly men who still haven't quite grasped the concept of a stick of deodorant and the train had no air conditioning. It was so wonderful. And then some creepy guys our age were looking at us and talking and laughing with each other. Okay, bro, I might not speak your language that well, but I know you're talking about me when you stare and then talk to your homies. It's the same in every culture and I'm not stupid.
So we finally got a compartment after a while. It was still hot, but a lot better than the aisle. We finally got to Fes around 9:30 or so, got some bevvies, and made our way to the hotel. It was a nice hotel with air conditioning. I love air conditioning.
So at 10am on Saturday we met up with Ahmed the Tour Guide. We took a little van to King Mohamed VI's Fesian palace and I managed to get a picture of a gate/wall that people aren't supposed to take pictures of. Granted, I didn't know, and there weren't any po-po around to make me delete it. And Ahmed the Tour Guide didn't care, so it was all good!
After the palace, we went to the fortress on top of the city. It was quite pretty. After that, we went in the medina to explore around. I saw a nice little hanoot (store/stand) where they were preparing camel meat. The head was hanging from the ceiling. It was awesome.
We then went to a weaving shop and witnessed a man weaving a blanket. I bought a shirt. I splurged a bit on it, but whatever, I like it. And it was what I'd pay in the US so I don't feel bad :p
We then had lunch and then went to the tannery. Fes has the country's largest tannery. It was big! Basically what they do is dip animal hide into vats full of chemicals (including pigeon poo) and leave them out to dry. After that, they take them to another vat and dye them. I bought some pretty shoes made from goat, camel, and cow.
After visiting the tannery, we walked around the medina a bit more and then went back to the hotel to hang out. For dinner, we went to Café Clock, a restaurant owned by Americans. There, we ate camel burgers. Yes, burgers made of camel meat. I'm glad I did it, but I am in no rush to eat camel meat again. I ate a freaking camel. Badassery at it's finest.
We went back to the hotel, slept in the next morning, and then headed back to Rabat. Thankfully, the train ride back wasn't nearly as bad as the ride getting there.
Fastforward a week...Friday afternoon, we decided to go shopping in the medina to get some last minute presents for people. Fastforward a few years ago...a fellow Irish dancer from Oklahoma named Miranda friend-requested me on Facebook. I accepted the invitation and we've been Facebook friends for a while. A few weeks into my trip, I decided to see what she was up to and I discovered that she was in Morocco!!!! So we met up on Friday and did a little bit of shopping together. It's funny how small the world is...
This weekend, a few of us took a train to Casablanca. A woman in our group, Andrea, actually works for the State Department and is now stationed to work in Casablanca. She graciously invited us to her place, saving us some money! We had grand plans, but ended up lounging around a lot. We went to a restaurant called "Rick's Café" for lunch. It was modeled after the café in the movie "Casablanca". It was a bit pricy, but we got a free postcard at the end of our meal. And the food was delicious.
We went back to Andrea's and napped, then later, we went to an Irish bar.
The next day, we woke up and cooked a nice American breakfast...pancakes, eggs, and BACON!!!!! It was glorious. We napped again. Then we went to the Hassan II Mosque- 1 of 3 in Morocco that non-Muslims can go to. It is the 3rd largest mosque in the world next to those in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia, and the mosque with the tallest minaret. The tour was really pathetic, but it was so worth it to go inside. It was absolutely beautiful!
So now I am back in Rabat. I have one more night with my homestay family and then I spend a night in a hotel and fly to France. I can't believe the trip is almost over!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Chefchaouen
I think I can honestly say that Chefchaouen is the most beautiful place in the world.
We arrived in Chefchaouen around 5 pm, after a very windy drive. Thanks a heap, I've now discovered that I have the ability to get carsick.
We stayed in these gorgeous rooms that had canopy beds. We all felt like princesses! (And when I say we, I mean definitely me and my friend/roommate Megan R.)
We then had dinner at a restaurant called Casa Hassan. We ended up eating there for 3 meals. Needless to say, a bunch of us didn't feel so hot after 2 meals there and I now officially hate chicken.
That night, we mainly wandered around the medina and met up with some new friends we met when we went to Tangier last weekend. I ended up conking out around midnight, waking up at 4am, and talking to Megan for about an hour or so. It was fun...it was like a sleepover all over again :-)
The next day, we slept in and explored the medina. I did some shopping and bought a few presents for people. :-) I ended up buying gifts from the same woman twice, so she gave me a good deal AND gave me a keychain as a gift!
A few of us went to a hotel bar the 2 nights we were there. We ended up meeting this British guy named Dylan. He was quite a character. He was a "sound therapist" and was in general, this huge, crazy hippie. His stories were strange, but it was highly entertaining. He suggested that we just randomly wet ourselves and that it's just so relieving to rebel against society telling you where you need to pee. Ok, Dylan, yeah...I'm going to just wet my pants at band camp this year....
On Wednesday morning, we took a bus to Tetouan to a beach on the Mediterranean called Cabo Negro. My sunscreen attracted a ton of bees and I ended up getting stung in the back. Unfortunately, I had to go straight into the water without waiting for it to soak in more (to avoid more beestings), so I got a nice sunburn. Despite this small fact, it was so neat to go to the Mediterranean!!!! The water was cold but refreshing, and it was so clear! We also rented these paddleboats and paddled out a ways and dove off of it. It was really nice! I am looking forward to swimming in it again in a few weeks!!!!
I am proud to report that the ride home was not as stomach-lurching as the ride to Chefchaouen. We did, however, stop at a lovely little gas station to use bathrooms that were still under construction- no doors, no toilet paper, no soap, no running water, no working flushers. It was horrendous. Another thing that is different here is that there are bathroom attendants for public bathrooms and you have to pay them. I was not about to pay some little old biddie a dirham for peeing for an audience, but our program coordinator paid for all of us. Seriously, I should have been the one getting paid....
I am currently blogging from Fez. That, in itself was a fun adventure, but more on that later...
We arrived in Chefchaouen around 5 pm, after a very windy drive. Thanks a heap, I've now discovered that I have the ability to get carsick.
We stayed in these gorgeous rooms that had canopy beds. We all felt like princesses! (And when I say we, I mean definitely me and my friend/roommate Megan R.)
That night, we mainly wandered around the medina and met up with some new friends we met when we went to Tangier last weekend. I ended up conking out around midnight, waking up at 4am, and talking to Megan for about an hour or so. It was fun...it was like a sleepover all over again :-)
The next day, we slept in and explored the medina. I did some shopping and bought a few presents for people. :-) I ended up buying gifts from the same woman twice, so she gave me a good deal AND gave me a keychain as a gift!
A few of us went to a hotel bar the 2 nights we were there. We ended up meeting this British guy named Dylan. He was quite a character. He was a "sound therapist" and was in general, this huge, crazy hippie. His stories were strange, but it was highly entertaining. He suggested that we just randomly wet ourselves and that it's just so relieving to rebel against society telling you where you need to pee. Ok, Dylan, yeah...I'm going to just wet my pants at band camp this year....
On Wednesday morning, we took a bus to Tetouan to a beach on the Mediterranean called Cabo Negro. My sunscreen attracted a ton of bees and I ended up getting stung in the back. Unfortunately, I had to go straight into the water without waiting for it to soak in more (to avoid more beestings), so I got a nice sunburn. Despite this small fact, it was so neat to go to the Mediterranean!!!! The water was cold but refreshing, and it was so clear! We also rented these paddleboats and paddled out a ways and dove off of it. It was really nice! I am looking forward to swimming in it again in a few weeks!!!!
I am proud to report that the ride home was not as stomach-lurching as the ride to Chefchaouen. We did, however, stop at a lovely little gas station to use bathrooms that were still under construction- no doors, no toilet paper, no soap, no running water, no working flushers. It was horrendous. Another thing that is different here is that there are bathroom attendants for public bathrooms and you have to pay them. I was not about to pay some little old biddie a dirham for peeing for an audience, but our program coordinator paid for all of us. Seriously, I should have been the one getting paid....
I am currently blogging from Fez. That, in itself was a fun adventure, but more on that later...
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Ouazzane and my Rural Homestay
From July 8-12, I was on an excursion to northern Morocco with my program group. 5 days is a lot to cover, so I'll be breaking this blog up into sections, most likely by city. FYI.
So we left for Ouazzane on Saturday morning at around 8:30 am. We got to Ouazzane a little before noon and ate lunch at the home of our program coordinator, Farah. We all napped and then left for our homestay in Taouniya, a village a few kilometers outside of Ouazzane.
We stopped at a women's NGO outside of what we all thought was the village where we met some members of our family. (My 16-year-old sister, Faiza, came to pick me up.) We then all walked about 2-3 miles to the village to meet the rest of our families.
When I say we stayed in a village, I mean we stayed in Rural-ass, Morocco. There was electricity, but we needed to go to a public fountain for water. The toilet was "Turkish style"- a hole in the ground. A lot of my friends have Turkish toilets in their homes in Rabat, but I have been spoiled with a western toilet. (Yes, it is a HUGE deal.) It was a bit scary and strange, but I now feel like a citizen of the world for having used one! Most of our families were farmers, so we got to spend a bit of time on the farm. It was a lot different than farms in the US. A bunch of the families all shared land (or so it seemed). There were no silos or big barns or tractors. Donkeys were used to help with difficult jobs (such as carrying water and a lot of crops at once). There were cows, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats, and a few horses. I got to ride a donkey :-)
The oven was made of stone and it was outside of the house. In order to heat it up, Faiza and I took the donkey to collect a bunch of sticks and hay, brought it back, and then put some in the oven and lit it on fire. We made bread for dinner. (I kinda destroyed mine, but it was a valiant effort). The house was a long building that curved and the central courtyard was in direct sunlight. There was a stable for the animals and a tower of some sort.
The families in the village speak only Moroccan Arabic, so it was very difficult to communicate. It involved a lot of pointing, charades, and me following someone. Despite the difficulties in communication, we all became quite close and almost attached to each other.
The next day, we had an Arabic calligraphy session back at the NGO. We all practiced writing our names in Arabic calligraphy, but in the end, our teacher, Mohamed, made us stencils. We cut them out, painted over them, and then had awesome wood blocks with our names on them :-)
The second night, there were 2 weddings in the village. One was the wedding of Chloe's host brother, so she, Laura, and Jeff went to that (Chloe for obvious reasons, Laura to keep Chloe company, and Jeff because the other wedding was only for women). Weddings in Morocco tend to last a few days. It was the first day of the wedding that most of us went to, so it was rather low-key. Regardless, we all looked beautiful in our kaftans! (I borrowed one from my host mom in Rabat.) Beforehand, I was able to shower, which was dumping a bucket of water over my head (much like in Rabat), but I did it in the toilet area (it was a big room). Faiza heated up some water over the stove in a teapot so I didn't freeze, but, again, no running water, so I didn't have the ability to have hot water straight from a faucet. That was okay, I just thought it was interesting :-).
We got back from the wedding at 2:30 am, got up at 8:30, and had a cooking session at the NGO. We made salads. It was epic. Afterward, we went back to our village families for lunch and to say goodbye. As we were making our way back home, we passed by Chloe's house, where there were musicians playing extravagant traditional music. We stopped and danced a little, then continued home.
Saying goodbye to my family was very sad. It will be hard to keep in touch with them because of the language barrier and they don't have internet access. Also, I don't know how much they can read, because most of the people in that village do not get a lot of education. We took a family photo and then an extended-family photo. Jeff and Laura lived in the same "complex" (our families were all related), so we spent a lot of time together.
My feelings about my village homestay are as follows:
~I like donkeys. They're cute.
~Charades go a long way.
~I had a great time.
~I am a better person for living a life WAY different than mine.
~I am thankful for what I have, but glad to have experienced the alternative.
~You never know just how much you have until you no longer have it.
~Appreciate the little things, even if it's out of your comfort zone.
Stay tuned for Chefchaouen.
So we left for Ouazzane on Saturday morning at around 8:30 am. We got to Ouazzane a little before noon and ate lunch at the home of our program coordinator, Farah. We all napped and then left for our homestay in Taouniya, a village a few kilometers outside of Ouazzane.
We stopped at a women's NGO outside of what we all thought was the village where we met some members of our family. (My 16-year-old sister, Faiza, came to pick me up.) We then all walked about 2-3 miles to the village to meet the rest of our families.
When I say we stayed in a village, I mean we stayed in Rural-ass, Morocco. There was electricity, but we needed to go to a public fountain for water. The toilet was "Turkish style"- a hole in the ground. A lot of my friends have Turkish toilets in their homes in Rabat, but I have been spoiled with a western toilet. (Yes, it is a HUGE deal.) It was a bit scary and strange, but I now feel like a citizen of the world for having used one! Most of our families were farmers, so we got to spend a bit of time on the farm. It was a lot different than farms in the US. A bunch of the families all shared land (or so it seemed). There were no silos or big barns or tractors. Donkeys were used to help with difficult jobs (such as carrying water and a lot of crops at once). There were cows, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats, and a few horses. I got to ride a donkey :-)
The oven was made of stone and it was outside of the house. In order to heat it up, Faiza and I took the donkey to collect a bunch of sticks and hay, brought it back, and then put some in the oven and lit it on fire. We made bread for dinner. (I kinda destroyed mine, but it was a valiant effort). The house was a long building that curved and the central courtyard was in direct sunlight. There was a stable for the animals and a tower of some sort.
The families in the village speak only Moroccan Arabic, so it was very difficult to communicate. It involved a lot of pointing, charades, and me following someone. Despite the difficulties in communication, we all became quite close and almost attached to each other.
The next day, we had an Arabic calligraphy session back at the NGO. We all practiced writing our names in Arabic calligraphy, but in the end, our teacher, Mohamed, made us stencils. We cut them out, painted over them, and then had awesome wood blocks with our names on them :-)
The second night, there were 2 weddings in the village. One was the wedding of Chloe's host brother, so she, Laura, and Jeff went to that (Chloe for obvious reasons, Laura to keep Chloe company, and Jeff because the other wedding was only for women). Weddings in Morocco tend to last a few days. It was the first day of the wedding that most of us went to, so it was rather low-key. Regardless, we all looked beautiful in our kaftans! (I borrowed one from my host mom in Rabat.) Beforehand, I was able to shower, which was dumping a bucket of water over my head (much like in Rabat), but I did it in the toilet area (it was a big room). Faiza heated up some water over the stove in a teapot so I didn't freeze, but, again, no running water, so I didn't have the ability to have hot water straight from a faucet. That was okay, I just thought it was interesting :-).
We got back from the wedding at 2:30 am, got up at 8:30, and had a cooking session at the NGO. We made salads. It was epic. Afterward, we went back to our village families for lunch and to say goodbye. As we were making our way back home, we passed by Chloe's house, where there were musicians playing extravagant traditional music. We stopped and danced a little, then continued home.
Saying goodbye to my family was very sad. It will be hard to keep in touch with them because of the language barrier and they don't have internet access. Also, I don't know how much they can read, because most of the people in that village do not get a lot of education. We took a family photo and then an extended-family photo. Jeff and Laura lived in the same "complex" (our families were all related), so we spent a lot of time together.
My feelings about my village homestay are as follows:
~I like donkeys. They're cute.
~Charades go a long way.
~I had a great time.
~I am a better person for living a life WAY different than mine.
~I am thankful for what I have, but glad to have experienced the alternative.
~You never know just how much you have until you no longer have it.
~Appreciate the little things, even if it's out of your comfort zone.
Stay tuned for Chefchaouen.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Trials and Tribulations
Today, a 50/60-year-old man spit at my friend and then at me. What a loser.
One thing that I've noticed since being here is how protective I've become of my language. It makes me angry when people harass me in English, not only because it is annoying to be harassed, but mainly because I feel like harassers are disrespecting my language, since that is the language they use to be disrespectful. It also ticks me off when people assume I can't speak any other language than English. The other day, I went to sort out a bank issue for my friend with her and the security guard there, although I was speaking fine French, asked if I spoke English and then automatically switched over to that. The thing was, he wasn't that good at English, so to prove him wrong, I responded to him in French. And then in Essaouira, another friend and I were trying to solve an issue at a café. I was understanding and communicating well in French, and then a guy sitting at the bar tried to translate for us. I just find it rude when people try to speak to me in English outside of the United States because it makes me feel like I am viewed as incompetent, and I am NOT okay with that. I don't intend for this to be a complaining entry- everything in this blog is about my observations and experiences. Although I love it here in Morocco, it is not perfect and there have been many trials and tribulations that I have experienced in terms of a lot of different things. However, although I experience some negatives, I take everything to heart and I am thankful that I experience them anyway, because it makes me stronger and braver and more willing to try new things. When I come back home, I will have a new outlook on life and the world. The good thing about the bad things is that I feel like I am still living life, but in another place....I am definitely "experiencing", not vacationing.
On a happier note, we had a little orientation today on our Northern excursion. We will be doing a village homestay for 2 nights in Ouazzane. I am living with a family with 5 kids and 2 parents. My host mom is Latifa, my host dad is Rachid. I then have 2 sisters- Faiza, 15 and Kaoutar, 11, and 3 brothers- Ilyas, 18, Ali, 9 and Houssam, 3. I am excited to live a rural Moroccan life, albeit brief, but at least it's something! And two days is plenty of time to bring back some fun stories :-)
One thing that I've noticed since being here is how protective I've become of my language. It makes me angry when people harass me in English, not only because it is annoying to be harassed, but mainly because I feel like harassers are disrespecting my language, since that is the language they use to be disrespectful. It also ticks me off when people assume I can't speak any other language than English. The other day, I went to sort out a bank issue for my friend with her and the security guard there, although I was speaking fine French, asked if I spoke English and then automatically switched over to that. The thing was, he wasn't that good at English, so to prove him wrong, I responded to him in French. And then in Essaouira, another friend and I were trying to solve an issue at a café. I was understanding and communicating well in French, and then a guy sitting at the bar tried to translate for us. I just find it rude when people try to speak to me in English outside of the United States because it makes me feel like I am viewed as incompetent, and I am NOT okay with that. I don't intend for this to be a complaining entry- everything in this blog is about my observations and experiences. Although I love it here in Morocco, it is not perfect and there have been many trials and tribulations that I have experienced in terms of a lot of different things. However, although I experience some negatives, I take everything to heart and I am thankful that I experience them anyway, because it makes me stronger and braver and more willing to try new things. When I come back home, I will have a new outlook on life and the world. The good thing about the bad things is that I feel like I am still living life, but in another place....I am definitely "experiencing", not vacationing.
On a happier note, we had a little orientation today on our Northern excursion. We will be doing a village homestay for 2 nights in Ouazzane. I am living with a family with 5 kids and 2 parents. My host mom is Latifa, my host dad is Rachid. I then have 2 sisters- Faiza, 15 and Kaoutar, 11, and 3 brothers- Ilyas, 18, Ali, 9 and Houssam, 3. I am excited to live a rural Moroccan life, albeit brief, but at least it's something! And two days is plenty of time to bring back some fun stories :-)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tangier
First of all, Happy Independence Day to all of my American friends and family!
In other news, this past weekend, I went to Tangier with my friends! I almost didn't make it because I was extremely sick on Friday, but I managed to pull myself together. I looked like crap, felt mildly like crap in the early evening when I went to catch the train, but I was NOT about to miss out on a fun weekend at the Strait of Gibraltar with my friends! We got some amazing food at a place called Ali Baba's and I just went back to the hotel and slept...(it was 11pm by the time we were done).
We all slept in really late and got ready to hang out at the beach. We went to a small café for lunch and finally got to the beach around 2. It was really cool because the beach was actually the Strait of Gibraltar- the thin strip of water that separates Morocco from Spain. So I saw Spain from the beach! :-)
I bought a waterproof camera in May and so I decided to take some water photos...but then the screen stopped working! I was really upset and I was afraid it was completely broken, but once I got back to Rabat and charged the battery a bit more, it started working again. But my $10 waterproof digital watch actually did get waterlogged. I am surprised it survived Ouzoud but not Tangier since Ouzoud's water was really cold but the water in Tangier was really warm. Oh well, I can definitely find another watch here :-)
So we did have fun at the beach, but we did encounter hardships- sharks. No, not the actual fish, but creepy Moroccan men who swarmed around us like they were, well, sharks. Literally, the water would be totally empty and we would go in. A minute later, swarms of boys and men would casually go into the water and "accidentally" swim into us. I then decided to coin the term "shark".
Shark (n): A creepy man or men who casually (or not so casually) swarm around a lady like she is a struggling fish. Seem to have never seen a woman before. Generally travel in packs for protection, as the prey could potentially be dangerous in a one-on-one situation. Generally attracted to poor, innocent American lassies simply minding their own business. (Ex: Dude, there's a shark behind you checkin' out yo' biz.)
It was really annoying to be on a little vacation trying to enjoy ourselves when people wouldn't leave us alone. It even got to the point where it was ridiculous. On the bright side, there was a really nice lifeguard who came into the water with us and shoo'ed the sharks away. He was about our age, but he was very respectful to us and made sure we had a good time, without asking for our numbers.
We then left, went back to the hotel, showered, and went to a restaurant. I forgot the name, but there were AMAZING milkshakes. We then parted ways for a little- some people wanted to go to the carnival thing outside the train station, but the rest of us stayed back and bought a birthday cake for our friend Mikaela! When they came back, we all ate cake and then we went to a discotheque. The hotel receptionist was a 22-year-old guy named Anwar, and he finished his shift as we were leaving, so we invited him to come with us! He managed to pull some strings and get us into a club for free! I danced for about 3 hours straight. We went back to the hotel around 3:30, got to bed at around 4:30, and woke up at 8:30 to catch a train back to Rabat.
When we got back to Rabat, we dropped our bags off at my house and then took taxis to the American School in Rabat for an Independence Day party. It was fun, but it was lame that we had to pay a cover charge AND for food when we got in. I went swimming in the pool and it was very refreshing. The people there were really uptight about the party, but we had fun with each other as a group of friends...and it was nice to eat hotdogs and hamburgers!!!!
In terms of school, I am busy as hell. I have to write 2 papers- one in English and one in Arabic. They aren't very long (5-8 pages), but there simply aren't enough hours in a day to get everything done, because on top of that, we have Arabic homework, 4 hours of Arabic class, 1.5-3 hours of lectures in the afternoon, and we only have internet access until 10pm when the café closes. It is getting to the point where all of us are stressed out because we are lacking sleep and we have too much on our plates. The good news is that the staff here are really chill, so they don't get bent out of shape if things get turned in late from time to time.
I haven't really been able to do much shopping....I still have to get stuff for people as well as a few things for myself :-P. I got myself the scarf in Marrakech and some shoes, but that's about it. Other things on my personal shopping list include:
1. a dress
2. a djellaba
3. a Moroccan flag
4. some other clothes since I am running low/things are easily getting destroyed
I HAVE bought a lot of postcards...I just haven't written many! :-/
This upcoming weekend, we will be going on our second group excursion to the north. This one will be a little bit longer than the first...and I'm excited to explore some new cities!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
The Key to Successful Bargaining
When you have pearly white skin like myself and go to a country like Morocco, you automatically have two neon signs posted to you. They say:
1) I'm Foreign
and
2) Rip Me Off
And then you speak and it's even worse. It's stress at it's finest. DO NOT LET ADVANTAGE-TAKING HAPPEN TO YOU!!!! Although the signs will never go away, you CAN prove shopkeepers wrong. I seem to have a firm grasp on bargaining (not excluding room for improvement), so I would like to share my secrets for a successful shopping trip in the souks and bazaars.
(First look at a few shops to check out the quality, price, and options before you pounce.)
1. Do NOT show any interest/do not react to how pretty/awesome something is.
2. Ask how much it is. Start from less than half the price he is asking.
3. Tell the guy you saw the same thing in a close-by shop for less than what he's asking, whether or not you actually did.
4. He will tell you his quality is better. This is horse crap. Tell him he's wrong and the quality is the same at the other shop.
5. Tell him the price is too high and to lower it significantly.
6. When he asks you for a higher price than what you originally offer, go up by 5 or whatever is equivalent to 1 US dollar or less (5dh is less than a dollars). For example, he asks for 200, you say 50, he asks you to make the price higher, you say 55 AND DO NOT BUDGE.
7. When he asks you your maximum price, stay at the most recent price (like 55).
8. If he's desperate, he will cooperate. If not, raise it a little bit more...in increments of 5 (or $1).
9. Do not go more than 75% over what he is originally asking.
10. If he does not cooperate, say thanks and goodbye and start to walk away. Chances are, he'll call you back. If he does not, go to another shop and start over.
11. If he does call you back, he will give you a lower price than his lowest price. STAND YOUR FREAKING GROUND AND STICK WITH YOUR "MAX" PRICE.
12. Get your way.
A few extra pointers:
A few extra pointers:
Chances are, if you really want something, it might take a while to bargain the object(s) down to your price. Be patient. And whatever you do, DO NOT feel bad for them. They might make excuses, but don't fall into that trap. (Ex: "Oh, I originally bought this scarf for 100dh, so I won't go any lower than 110 so that I can make a 10dh profit." This is a lie. Nobody can live off of 10dh...that's about $1.25.)
Don't be rude, just play "hard to get". And if you're American, chances are, they'll think you're pretty, so be a little bit flirty.
Keep a straight face in the sense that you do not want to look desperate for this item. I guarantee you will find it somewhere else. The more desperate you look, the less they'll budge. The less desperate you look, the more desperate the shopkeeper gets, thus putting YOU in control.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't be rude, just play "hard to get". And if you're American, chances are, they'll think you're pretty, so be a little bit flirty.
Keep a straight face in the sense that you do not want to look desperate for this item. I guarantee you will find it somewhere else. The more desperate you look, the less they'll budge. The less desperate you look, the more desperate the shopkeeper gets, thus putting YOU in control.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shopping in other countries is fun and necessary. I mean, tell me you haven't been told to bring something back for someone when you go on a trip, especially to another country. The key to success is to stand your ground. Take your time, have confidence, and have fun. Sometimes, it is best to go with a friend for moral support. It takes practice, but soon enough, you'll even enjoy arguing with people :-)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Marrakech/Essaouira
This past weekend, we went on our first program excursion to the south of Morocco. We left at 8:30 on Friday morning for Marrakech and got there around noon. Our "assignment" after lunch was to go to the main square (Jumaa al Fina) and "experience our senses". We were divided into 5 groups- one for each sense and then set loose. I was put in the "seeing" group, so we pretty much had the easiest job. We walked from the hotel to Jumaa al Fina, which took 45 minutes, and it was hot as hell. We read on a bank information screen that it was 53 degrees celsius, aka 127 fahrenheit. We later found out that it wasn't quite that hot, but it was pretty close. Honestly, it felt like we were walking through a scenic Hell. We got to Jumaa al Fina and it was less than impressive. There were people there, but it wasn't as exciting as I assumed it would be. We saw some tents with snake charmers, which was neat, but they made you pay to take pictures, so I didn't take any. The vendors are very pushy and a lot of them speak English because Marrakech is the touristy area of Morocco. They were extremely rude, too. In Rabat, I get heckled by men saying that I'm beautiful or "Hello, how are you" in either Arabic, French, or sometimes English, but in Marrakech, I was legitimately verbally harassed....in English. My favorite was the guy who told me I had "nice chips". I couldn't help but laugh. I know that he was trying to say "nice tits", but here he was trying to be a wise-ass and failed miserably. Who's laughing now? :-DSince there are so many tourists in Marrakech, the vendors also try to rip you off really badly. Nobody, NOBODY rips off Megan Babb. I got myself a nice pashmina scarf for 55dh when it was originally 280dh. This dude was so desperate and it was hilarious. I just gave him a really hard time until he did what I wanted. I am not a manipulative person to begin with, but I have become QUITE good at bargaining. It's to the point where all of my friends want to take me with them when they go shopping so that they can get low prices :-)
So it began to rain and it cooled down significantly. We needed to get back to the hotel for dinner at 8, but the walk was long and we were all exhausted, so 7 of the 12 of us decided to take a carriage ride. We all crammed into 1 carriage and made it back to the hotel with time to spare, and it was fun! :-)
We wanted to go back to Jumaa al Fina after dinner because EVERYONE comes out at night and it's essentially one huge party. Unfortunately, we were all really exhausted, so we stayed at the hotel and ended up going to bed.
The next morning, we woke up at 7am to leave for Essaouira at 8:15. We were still really exhausted, so we got on the bus in hopes of sleeping. Unfortunately, the ride was really bumpy, so none of us got a decent nap in. On the bright side, Essaouira was about 70 degrees Fahrenheit...significantly cooler than Marrakech. We stopped about 15km outside of Essaouira to check out a women's cooperative where they grind down argan pits into oil and then sell it. What is argan oil?, you say. Well, there are these Argan trees that grow in the Essaouira area that grow fruit. The trees are really knotty, so goats are able to climb them and eat the fruit. They cannot digest the pits in the fruit, so they poop them out. People then collect the pits and crush them into oil that is used for cosmetics and food. It's all quite sterile, and we got to sample some of the stuff they make. The edible oil tasted amazing and the cosmetic oil is great for the skin. Unfortunately, it is very expensive, so I did not buy much of it.
We stopped again before getting to Essaouira to check out this overlook of the city. There were some camels there. They were kinda cute and surprisingly, very nice :-)
Essaouira was so nice! The weather was great because it is right next to the beach. During the day, we walked around and checked out the medina. A few friends and I went to check out the beach before dinner and found a MASSIVE jellyfish washed ashore. It was the biggest jellyfish I have ever seen!
We then got some dinner at a different hotel from the one we were staying at. They played some nice American music for us. Then Justin Bieber came on and I for some reason found myself doing the stanky leg to "Baby". Then the rap section of the song came on and I randomly had the urge to bust a move. My entire group was laughing until they cried, and some of the Moroccans were just staring and laughing. I was very happy to provide such wonderful entertainment. Then some real entertainment came- some traditional Moroccan musicians!!!
The next day, we went to a woodworker's shop to watch how he made wood designs. We then got to try doing it ourselves! It wasn't as easy as he made it look...
We had lunch at the same restaurant again. We were served shrimp as the first course. They still had heads attached.
We then had dinner at the same hotel again, then went out to explore the medina at night. We went back to the hotel around 11, showered and hung out in my room for a bit. We then got up the next morning to head back to Rabat!
On the way home, we stopped in Al Jadida for lunch and then hung out at the beach for half an hour. We got back to Rabat at about 5pm and I went home and passed out.
In conclusion, the excursion was great. The best thing about it was that we had a lot of time to explore and do stuff on our own, but we had an experience, not a vacation. We had some ups and downs, but I definitely enjoyed my time, no doubt about that. It was neat to experience Moroccan culture in different cities...it DOES differ from place to place!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Beni Mellal and Ouzoud
This past weekend, a group of us went to Ouzoud to check out the waterfalls. It was quite the adventure to say the least. Our teacher let us out of class at 4:00 and we had to catch a train across town at 4:30. So we booked it, and thankfully made it on time. We took a 1-hour train ride to Casablanca where we had plans to walk to the bus station, however once we got there, all the tickets were sold! So we had to come up with plan B....take a taxi.
The ride was about 3 hours long. As you can see from the photo, lanes do not matter. Let's just say that the driving is a lot different here. While leaving the city, 2 guys got in a fight in the middle of a traffic circle. Like...one guy went up to the taxi (not ours) and started yelling at the driver. They yelled and yelled, and the guy standing up started swinging his arms. The driver then got out. It was freaky. Our cab driver laughed at us because we were all screaming. We didn't see much more because we kept driving, but oh man...
We had reservations for a hotel for 2 nights in a town called Beni Mellal, about 2 hours away from Ouzoud. We got there around 10:45 pm and went to bed. The next morning, we woke up and left for Ouzoud in another grand taxi around 9:00 am. The drive was very scenic, as Ouzoud is in the Atlas Mountains. :-)
When we arrived in Ouzoud, we were greeted by a guide waiting for tourists so he could bring us around. The price was decent, so we went with him. We walked down a steep "path" and arrived at an un-busy part of the falls so we could swim. He even showed us places where we could jump into the water! It didn't look like it was that high above the surface, but once you were standing on it, it totally was. I jumped twice. It was really fun!
The water was surprisingly cold, but it felt so good compared to the humidity and heat outside. I stayed in the water until we decided to bounce.
We went to a cafe that looked out over the falls. The food was good and the view was quite nice. Before that, we took a group picture. :-)
There were also monkeys in the wild! They would actually come up really close to you. They were kinda cute :-)
On the way back up the mountain, we took the normal path, so I didn't feel like I was going to die. It was really steep and made Cardiac Hill in Pittsburgh seem like a bump. Needless to say, we made it up alive and rode back to Beni Mellal for the rest of the evening.
The next day, we slept in pretty late, grabbed some food, and then caught a bus to Casablanca. Interestingly enough, the CMT bus isn't as sketchy as Greyhound, which I found quite surprising. We then took a train from Casablanca to Rabat and got back at 7pm, giving us enough time to grab some food.
On Friday, King Mohamed made a speech in regards to the constitutional amendments. Apparently, some people were unhappy and there were 3 protests scheduled to take place, one of them being in Rabat in front of the Parliament building, which just so conveniently happens to be right next to the train station. Thankfully, the protest didn't happen, so we all made it home safely without getting caught up in any trouble.
In terms of normal, everyday life, I really love my Arabic class, my new friends, and pretty much everything about Morocco. The food is really good, but it's cooked with a lot of spices. My host dad made a comment today at lunch that I really don't eat very much. I'm actually quite surprised...I eat as much here as I do at home (in terms of portions), but it really isn't that much! If I say I only want a little bit of food, I get a smaller heap, but it's still quite large. I thought I ate a lot, but apparently I don't!! I thought Americans ate a lot, but I can honestly say that the Moroccans beat us! (Only I think we're a fatter nation because our food isn't as healthy.) I'm thinking I'll lose some weight here because I don't eat as much as everyone else, we walk a lot, and it's really hot. The only thing that's hard to avoid is the carbs...bread is eaten at EVERY meal and it is essentially it's own food group. I try not to eat too much bread because I don't want to carbs to blow me up.
This weekend, we will be going on our southern excursion to Marrakech and Essaouira! I am so excited, but it will be really hot. And I'm going to the hammam again today! My days are very busy and it's hard to find the time to post blogs, send emails, and get all of my homework done. It can get a little overwhelming, but I'm managing quite well and I'm still having fun!
We had reservations for a hotel for 2 nights in a town called Beni Mellal, about 2 hours away from Ouzoud. We got there around 10:45 pm and went to bed. The next morning, we woke up and left for Ouzoud in another grand taxi around 9:00 am. The drive was very scenic, as Ouzoud is in the Atlas Mountains. :-)
The water was surprisingly cold, but it felt so good compared to the humidity and heat outside. I stayed in the water until we decided to bounce.
We went to a cafe that looked out over the falls. The food was good and the view was quite nice. Before that, we took a group picture. :-)
On the way back up the mountain, we took the normal path, so I didn't feel like I was going to die. It was really steep and made Cardiac Hill in Pittsburgh seem like a bump. Needless to say, we made it up alive and rode back to Beni Mellal for the rest of the evening.
The next day, we slept in pretty late, grabbed some food, and then caught a bus to Casablanca. Interestingly enough, the CMT bus isn't as sketchy as Greyhound, which I found quite surprising. We then took a train from Casablanca to Rabat and got back at 7pm, giving us enough time to grab some food.
On Friday, King Mohamed made a speech in regards to the constitutional amendments. Apparently, some people were unhappy and there were 3 protests scheduled to take place, one of them being in Rabat in front of the Parliament building, which just so conveniently happens to be right next to the train station. Thankfully, the protest didn't happen, so we all made it home safely without getting caught up in any trouble.
In terms of normal, everyday life, I really love my Arabic class, my new friends, and pretty much everything about Morocco. The food is really good, but it's cooked with a lot of spices. My host dad made a comment today at lunch that I really don't eat very much. I'm actually quite surprised...I eat as much here as I do at home (in terms of portions), but it really isn't that much! If I say I only want a little bit of food, I get a smaller heap, but it's still quite large. I thought I ate a lot, but apparently I don't!! I thought Americans ate a lot, but I can honestly say that the Moroccans beat us! (Only I think we're a fatter nation because our food isn't as healthy.) I'm thinking I'll lose some weight here because I don't eat as much as everyone else, we walk a lot, and it's really hot. The only thing that's hard to avoid is the carbs...bread is eaten at EVERY meal and it is essentially it's own food group. I try not to eat too much bread because I don't want to carbs to blow me up.
This weekend, we will be going on our southern excursion to Marrakech and Essaouira! I am so excited, but it will be really hot. And I'm going to the hammam again today! My days are very busy and it's hard to find the time to post blogs, send emails, and get all of my homework done. It can get a little overwhelming, but I'm managing quite well and I'm still having fun!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Hammam
Classes commenced yesterday. We have Arabic for 4 hours every morning! I guess that's why it's called Intensive Arabic :-P My teacher's name is Abdelaziz and he's really cool!
After our lecture in the afternoon, my friends Megan R, Chloe, and I went to the hammam, or "public bath". We had to buy a small bucket to dump over our heads and some rough scrubbing gloves. While at the hammam, we bought some soap made of olive oil that cleans all the dirt and crap out of your pores. We got into the changing room and had to take off all of our clothes, except for our underwear. We knew we were going to have to do it, but by the time it came down to taking off our bras, the three of us were a little nervous. It took a minute to adjust to being in front of a bunch of women completely shirtless, but eventually, it didn't bother us at all.
We were given big buckets to fill with water and then we went to the bath rooms. There wasn't a lot of room in the first 2 rooms, so we went back to the third room and it was hot as hell. I was nervous that I would pass out or stop breathing, but I adjusted. We sat down in a corner, filled our buckets, and scrubbed. The scrub gloves we had were black, so we could see all of the dead skin that came off. It wasn't gross or excessive, but it's amazing to see how much dead skin just sits on your body.
And of course, there aren't shower heads, so we used our small buckets to dump clean water on our bodies to rinse off. By the time we were done, we felt like new people. I've never been so clean in my life, only I was still sweating from how hot it was in there and then I had to walk home. It was certainly a bonding experience. If anyone goes to Morocco, they MUST go to the hammam. And since everyone there is almost naked or completely naked, nobody thinks twice or stares at you or judges you. Even though I was told that before I went, I learned better through experience. You just have to be comfortable and get over any insecurities you may have. :-)
Today, we had a guest lecture to talk about the Arab Revolution. On the way there, a little Moroccan baby followed us and ran around with us. He loved us! He was really cute and he held hands with Laura. It was so adorable!
The Moroccan Culture Seminar has been really interesting. The past two days, we have been mainly discussing religion. Yesterday, we talked about the significance of the hijab and reasons and meanings for veiling, and today we talked about the significance of Mary in Islam.
Everything is still going quite well with my family. They are so nice and helpful. They are easily approachable if I need something. I really like Zineb and it's fun playing with and talking to Aya. Unfortunately now that I have homework, I don't get to spend as much time with her.
It's starting to get hotter outside. Some rooms in the academic buildings are air conditioned, but in general, we just have to rely on a nice breeze to keep us cool.
After our lecture in the afternoon, my friends Megan R, Chloe, and I went to the hammam, or "public bath". We had to buy a small bucket to dump over our heads and some rough scrubbing gloves. While at the hammam, we bought some soap made of olive oil that cleans all the dirt and crap out of your pores. We got into the changing room and had to take off all of our clothes, except for our underwear. We knew we were going to have to do it, but by the time it came down to taking off our bras, the three of us were a little nervous. It took a minute to adjust to being in front of a bunch of women completely shirtless, but eventually, it didn't bother us at all.
We were given big buckets to fill with water and then we went to the bath rooms. There wasn't a lot of room in the first 2 rooms, so we went back to the third room and it was hot as hell. I was nervous that I would pass out or stop breathing, but I adjusted. We sat down in a corner, filled our buckets, and scrubbed. The scrub gloves we had were black, so we could see all of the dead skin that came off. It wasn't gross or excessive, but it's amazing to see how much dead skin just sits on your body.
And of course, there aren't shower heads, so we used our small buckets to dump clean water on our bodies to rinse off. By the time we were done, we felt like new people. I've never been so clean in my life, only I was still sweating from how hot it was in there and then I had to walk home. It was certainly a bonding experience. If anyone goes to Morocco, they MUST go to the hammam. And since everyone there is almost naked or completely naked, nobody thinks twice or stares at you or judges you. Even though I was told that before I went, I learned better through experience. You just have to be comfortable and get over any insecurities you may have. :-)
Today, we had a guest lecture to talk about the Arab Revolution. On the way there, a little Moroccan baby followed us and ran around with us. He loved us! He was really cute and he held hands with Laura. It was so adorable!
The Moroccan Culture Seminar has been really interesting. The past two days, we have been mainly discussing religion. Yesterday, we talked about the significance of the hijab and reasons and meanings for veiling, and today we talked about the significance of Mary in Islam.
Everything is still going quite well with my family. They are so nice and helpful. They are easily approachable if I need something. I really like Zineb and it's fun playing with and talking to Aya. Unfortunately now that I have homework, I don't get to spend as much time with her.
It's starting to get hotter outside. Some rooms in the academic buildings are air conditioned, but in general, we just have to rely on a nice breeze to keep us cool.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
My family
On Friday, I met my family. I have a mom, Khadija, a dad, Abdelilah, 2 sisters, Zineb, 21, and Aya, 6, and a brother, Mohamed, 24. They are all very nice! Zineb studies law at University Mohamed V in Rabat, Mama Khadija is a nurse, and Baba Abdelilah works in journalism. Zineb speaks English, as does Baba Abdelilah. In general, the family speaks Moroccan Arabic (Darija) but they speak French with me. Aya is very cute. She was so shy the first day and wouldn't talk much to me, but now she talks to me all the time. She really likes Dora the Explorer and Snow White. :-)
Yesterday, we went to the circus. It was neat!
The house I live in is beautiful! Everything is tiled! There is a central indoor "courtyard" (so to speak) and there are four rooms around the courtyard. There is the main door, which leads to the toilet (not the bathroom, because there is no bath). There is another area split into 2. Behind the curtain is Mohamed's room and then a small door leads to the girls' room, which I share with my sisters. Then there is my parents' room, and then the kitchen. Through the kitchen is a sink for handwashing and for brushing teeth, and to the right is the shower. It is not a shower like you'd find in the United States. There is a faucet and a shower head that I use to fill a large bucket. I then turn off the faucet and use the water in the bucket to wash. I dump water over my head and body with a smaller cup. I really like showering like that because it's different and it does not waste much water. In order to shower, we have to turn on the gas. Hot water is ONLY used for showering because it is too expensive otherwise.
I was able to send an email to my parents from Zineb's computer in her room. She has a wired internet connection, but I am at a cyber café today to do homework, send emails, and write on my blog!
Today was the first day I ventured the streets of Rabat alone. It was a little bit stressful, but I walked with a purpose. I was heckled a lot more. It doesn't make me nervous anymore to get heckled because it is normal, in fact, it boosts my ego a bit because hecklers think the hecklees are pretty :-). One guy helped me find the internet cafe today because I went a little too far down the street. I was about to go into a shop and ask where the cafe was right as he turned the corner. He spoke French to me and asked if I was looking for something, so I just asked. He was nice, but I was still nervous. Luckily, I was on an open, visible street with some people, so I was still safe. When he showed me where it was, he asked me for my number. I told him I didn't have a phone, but then he was going to give me his. I said no thanks, but thanks for the help and went to the cafe. It was flattering, yes, but I am not about to give any information of my whereabouts.
Yeah, I DEFINITELY stick out. I notice people looking at me. Although I was told that there are pale, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Arabs, I have yet to see one. I CLEARLY do not look the part. Although I dress modestly and appropriately, I'm Irish and I look it. In fact, a lot of people think I'm French because they automatically speak French to me. The good thing is, I have a strong head on my shoulders, I walk with a purpose, and soon, despite my looks, I will fit in quite well.
Tomorrow, I begin my classes. I have Arabic for 4 hours in the morning, then Moroccan Culture Seminar in the late afternoon for about 1.5-2 hours.
Yesterday, we went to the circus. It was neat!
The house I live in is beautiful! Everything is tiled! There is a central indoor "courtyard" (so to speak) and there are four rooms around the courtyard. There is the main door, which leads to the toilet (not the bathroom, because there is no bath). There is another area split into 2. Behind the curtain is Mohamed's room and then a small door leads to the girls' room, which I share with my sisters. Then there is my parents' room, and then the kitchen. Through the kitchen is a sink for handwashing and for brushing teeth, and to the right is the shower. It is not a shower like you'd find in the United States. There is a faucet and a shower head that I use to fill a large bucket. I then turn off the faucet and use the water in the bucket to wash. I dump water over my head and body with a smaller cup. I really like showering like that because it's different and it does not waste much water. In order to shower, we have to turn on the gas. Hot water is ONLY used for showering because it is too expensive otherwise.
I was able to send an email to my parents from Zineb's computer in her room. She has a wired internet connection, but I am at a cyber café today to do homework, send emails, and write on my blog!
Today was the first day I ventured the streets of Rabat alone. It was a little bit stressful, but I walked with a purpose. I was heckled a lot more. It doesn't make me nervous anymore to get heckled because it is normal, in fact, it boosts my ego a bit because hecklers think the hecklees are pretty :-). One guy helped me find the internet cafe today because I went a little too far down the street. I was about to go into a shop and ask where the cafe was right as he turned the corner. He spoke French to me and asked if I was looking for something, so I just asked. He was nice, but I was still nervous. Luckily, I was on an open, visible street with some people, so I was still safe. When he showed me where it was, he asked me for my number. I told him I didn't have a phone, but then he was going to give me his. I said no thanks, but thanks for the help and went to the cafe. It was flattering, yes, but I am not about to give any information of my whereabouts.
Yeah, I DEFINITELY stick out. I notice people looking at me. Although I was told that there are pale, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Arabs, I have yet to see one. I CLEARLY do not look the part. Although I dress modestly and appropriately, I'm Irish and I look it. In fact, a lot of people think I'm French because they automatically speak French to me. The good thing is, I have a strong head on my shoulders, I walk with a purpose, and soon, despite my looks, I will fit in quite well.
Tomorrow, I begin my classes. I have Arabic for 4 hours in the morning, then Moroccan Culture Seminar in the late afternoon for about 1.5-2 hours.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Day 3
Today was a fun and exciting day! We spent a lot of time outside on the streets! First thing in the morning, we had a Moroccan Arabic class for an hour and a half, then went to see the other CCCL annexes.
The library
The annex where our Arabic classes will be held.
I am also surprised at the amount of stray cats all over the medina.
This kitty was really cute. It was the smallest cat I've ever seen in my life. Most of them aren't very cute, but this one definitely was :-)
After lunch, we had a lecture on bargaining, then had a field exercise in the souk (market). We were each given 10 dirhams, which is about $1.30 to work with. I first tried to bargain with a guy to get some sparkly slides that were originally 15 dirham. He wouldn't lower the price, even though I told him that was all I had, so I left. I ended up getting a scarf that was originally either 15 or 20 dirhams. I bought it with the 10 dirhams I had :-)
After we did our bargaining "field exercise", we got a little bit lost on our way back to the CCCL. Some kids started heckling us playfully. It was really funny.
Tomorrow, we are taking a bus tour of Rabat, taking another Moroccan Arabic class, and meeting our homestay families! I am so excited to meet my family! I am a little bit nervous, but I bet we will get along really well. I am mainly nervous about there not being a western-style toilet, since that is what I am used to and have always used. I am glad to be getting away from the shower in our hotel room, not because it is small or that I have to keep pushing the button to keep the water running, but because the curtain doesn't go all the way to the ground and water gets EVERYWHERE! Not that it won't happen in my family's home, but one can always wonder. In terms of the homestay, my biggest stress is the toilet, whereas for some others it is the shower. Not all of the homes have a shower. I would be okay with using buckets and dumping water on my body, but for some other people, it's a huge stress. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
Unfortunately, I probably will not be able to post daily blog entries since there will be no internet access in my home, but I DO have internet access at all of the CCCL buildings and internet cafés.
In terms of food, everything I've eaten has been great! Even stuff I wouldn't normally eat in the United States tastes good here! Before I left the US, I recently discovered that I like many cooked vegetables, which was a huge epiphany for me. Here, they are even better!!! (I do not like very many raw vegetables, but all the vegetables that have been served to me have been cooked and mixed with spices.) Everything also feels really healthy when I eat it. I don't think I've put one "fake" thing in my stomach since being here. One thing I have noticed about Moroccan cuisine is that bread and rice are separate food groups ;-)
Everyone in the program is getting along great! It's only been a few days, but we are all so comfortable with each other and so close that it's like we've been friends for a lot longer!
I am now adjusted to Moroccan time and doing quite well! The first full day was really hard, but today was a lot better.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The First Full Day
Today was my first full day in Rabat. It consisted of getting some breakfast, spending all day at the CCCL doing orientation stuff, and hanging around town. We get hotel breakfast while we are still staying in the hotel, and it's not your typical continental breakfast. We got a coffee/espresso thing (which was awesome), fresh-squeezed orange juice (which was awesomer and so much better than Tropicana), and a croissant-type thing.
Jet lag hit me really hard today. It was hard to stay awake, so I am going to bed at a decent hour tonight.
In orientation, I took a placement exam, met some of the CCCL staff, learned a little bit about Moroccan history, and sat through a health lecture and a harassment lecture. The harassment lecture was interesting. Basically, if you are out in public, it is normal to get bumped...it's public space! Also, Moroccans are not as strict about personal space as Americans. Your body is your own, but any other space, even if it's a centimeter away, is fair game. And in Moroccan culture, being whistled at or having people say things to you is just "attention", and sometimes even liked. Of course we were told what to do if things get out of hand or if we get really uncomfortable, but just to be aware of the "culture" of harassment/attention. This evening while walking through the souk with some friends, a guy apparently did a double-take on me and checked me out hard-core. I didn't notice, but one of my friends couldn't stop laughing. I guess it's nice to know that someone thinks I have a hot bod ;-)
As a group, we really stick out. Everyone knows we aren't Moroccan, however, a lot of people assume we can speak French. Regardless, everyone is super nice to us.
Tomorrow we are learning how to bargain! I remember a bit from Moroccan Arabic class, but it'll be a good review. We will also be learning some Moroccan Arabic to help us in day-to-day situations.
I'm still absolutely loving it here and I really enjoy all the people in my program!
Jet lag hit me really hard today. It was hard to stay awake, so I am going to bed at a decent hour tonight.
In orientation, I took a placement exam, met some of the CCCL staff, learned a little bit about Moroccan history, and sat through a health lecture and a harassment lecture. The harassment lecture was interesting. Basically, if you are out in public, it is normal to get bumped...it's public space! Also, Moroccans are not as strict about personal space as Americans. Your body is your own, but any other space, even if it's a centimeter away, is fair game. And in Moroccan culture, being whistled at or having people say things to you is just "attention", and sometimes even liked. Of course we were told what to do if things get out of hand or if we get really uncomfortable, but just to be aware of the "culture" of harassment/attention. This evening while walking through the souk with some friends, a guy apparently did a double-take on me and checked me out hard-core. I didn't notice, but one of my friends couldn't stop laughing. I guess it's nice to know that someone thinks I have a hot bod ;-)
As a group, we really stick out. Everyone knows we aren't Moroccan, however, a lot of people assume we can speak French. Regardless, everyone is super nice to us.
Tomorrow we are learning how to bargain! I remember a bit from Moroccan Arabic class, but it'll be a good review. We will also be learning some Moroccan Arabic to help us in day-to-day situations.
I'm still absolutely loving it here and I really enjoy all the people in my program!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Day 1
I made it to Rabat in one piece! Everything is so completely different here. I can't lie...I'm going through some serious culture shock. Nothing is like it is in the United States...even the toilets.
I landed in Paris around 11:30 am. I got off the plane and had to catch a bus to another terminal, which happened to be at the complete opposite end of the airport. Boarding for my flight to Rabat commenced at 12:10. So I was stuffed on a bus with a million other people and driven to my other terminal. The arrows in the Charles De Gaulle airport were weird, and I ended up at a security check line. Honestly? Like, what the hell could I have POSSIBLY done between one terminal to another? Needless to say, that took a while, bringing me to 12:10. I had to go to the bathroom, I really wanted to brush my teeth, but I just kept booking it until I got to my gate. I recognized 4 girls from my program, so I sat with them. Luckily, the plane was boarding a little bit later than planned, so I had time to catch my breath. We then boarded the plane and headed off to Morocco!
My first flight took about 7.5 hours. I don't think I slept much, if at all. At 3am (USA time), I was wide awake and just decided to play the "video games" and watch the TV. I figured it was good to be awake at 3am, considering it was 8am Moroccan time, so I suffered no jet lag.
My second flight took about 2.5 hours. I pretty much slept that entire flight. It was awesome, and surprisingly comfortable.
The Rabat airport isn't your typical US airport. It was actually really small with just a coffee stand. The bathrooms were gross. I had to use the handicap restroom for toilet paper and I couldn't figure out how to flush the toilet. It was horrible.
The hotel wasn't what I expected either. In the US, even the cheapest motels are rather large. This hotel, the Hotel Majestic, is actually quite small and connected to other buildings. The reception lobby is on the 2nd floor, and there are no elevators. I am on the 4th floor sharing a room with a girl named Cristal. I was surprised at how small the room was! It is comfortable enough, but definitely not as big as an American hotel room. In fact, it's probably even less than half the size. The bathroom is really small too. To flush the toilet, you have to pull a chain that goes up almost to the ceiling. And the toilet paper is pink. The shower is absolutely tiny, but large enough to get in and get clean. The water doesn't run constantly either; you have to push the button over and over again, like a sink in some public bathrooms.
I am looking forward to meeting my family, but right now, it is nice to stay in a hotel to get used to everything.
We have orientation for the next few days and I take my Arabic placement exam tomorrow afternoon. We will learn some Moroccan Arabic (Darija), learn how to bargain, how to handle harassment, etc.
It is absolutely amazing being here. It is nothing I've ever experienced! It's so fun to speak Arabic and French (although its mostly been French so far) with the natives- I finally get to put my hard work on foreign languages to the test!
I landed in Paris around 11:30 am. I got off the plane and had to catch a bus to another terminal, which happened to be at the complete opposite end of the airport. Boarding for my flight to Rabat commenced at 12:10. So I was stuffed on a bus with a million other people and driven to my other terminal. The arrows in the Charles De Gaulle airport were weird, and I ended up at a security check line. Honestly? Like, what the hell could I have POSSIBLY done between one terminal to another? Needless to say, that took a while, bringing me to 12:10. I had to go to the bathroom, I really wanted to brush my teeth, but I just kept booking it until I got to my gate. I recognized 4 girls from my program, so I sat with them. Luckily, the plane was boarding a little bit later than planned, so I had time to catch my breath. We then boarded the plane and headed off to Morocco!
My first flight took about 7.5 hours. I don't think I slept much, if at all. At 3am (USA time), I was wide awake and just decided to play the "video games" and watch the TV. I figured it was good to be awake at 3am, considering it was 8am Moroccan time, so I suffered no jet lag.
My second flight took about 2.5 hours. I pretty much slept that entire flight. It was awesome, and surprisingly comfortable.
The Rabat airport isn't your typical US airport. It was actually really small with just a coffee stand. The bathrooms were gross. I had to use the handicap restroom for toilet paper and I couldn't figure out how to flush the toilet. It was horrible.
The hotel wasn't what I expected either. In the US, even the cheapest motels are rather large. This hotel, the Hotel Majestic, is actually quite small and connected to other buildings. The reception lobby is on the 2nd floor, and there are no elevators. I am on the 4th floor sharing a room with a girl named Cristal. I was surprised at how small the room was! It is comfortable enough, but definitely not as big as an American hotel room. In fact, it's probably even less than half the size. The bathroom is really small too. To flush the toilet, you have to pull a chain that goes up almost to the ceiling. And the toilet paper is pink. The shower is absolutely tiny, but large enough to get in and get clean. The water doesn't run constantly either; you have to push the button over and over again, like a sink in some public bathrooms.
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| Our little bathroom! |
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| Looking studious in the room |
I am looking forward to meeting my family, but right now, it is nice to stay in a hotel to get used to everything.
We have orientation for the next few days and I take my Arabic placement exam tomorrow afternoon. We will learn some Moroccan Arabic (Darija), learn how to bargain, how to handle harassment, etc.
It is absolutely amazing being here. It is nothing I've ever experienced! It's so fun to speak Arabic and French (although its mostly been French so far) with the natives- I finally get to put my hard work on foreign languages to the test!
Monday, June 6, 2011
And So the Adventure Begins...
In just 2 hours, I will be leaving for the airport. All my packing is done, and I am ready to go! I will fly Air France, flight 27 @ 10:05pm (15 min late, already!) out of Dulles International in Washington, DC/Dulles, VA, connect at Charles De Gaulle in Paris, France tomorrow morning at around 11:30 (Paris time), and then fly Air France to Rabat.
Words can't even begin to describe how excited/happy I feel! I can't believe I am FINALLY going after months and months, (almost a year, actually) of planning!
My suitcase is stuffed...there was so much stuff I had to bring! I hope that I will be able to get rid of things as I go so that I have room for new things :-) Some of them will be obvious, like shampoo, sunscreen, lotion, etc. I also am using a trick my Uncle James uses- bringing old underwear so you can throw it out! It kinda stinks that I had to bring 2 towels...they're so bulky! I bet if I didn't have to bring them, I would have a lot more room in my suitcase. Oh well, what can you do?
I may or may not post while waiting for my flight at the airport. If I don't, I will be doing any/a combination of the following:
~studying Arabic
~reading magazines
~playing sudoku
I am ready to embark on my journey. If this is my last post before I leave, Ma'a Sala'am, and see you on the other side :-)
Words can't even begin to describe how excited/happy I feel! I can't believe I am FINALLY going after months and months, (almost a year, actually) of planning!
My suitcase is stuffed...there was so much stuff I had to bring! I hope that I will be able to get rid of things as I go so that I have room for new things :-) Some of them will be obvious, like shampoo, sunscreen, lotion, etc. I also am using a trick my Uncle James uses- bringing old underwear so you can throw it out! It kinda stinks that I had to bring 2 towels...they're so bulky! I bet if I didn't have to bring them, I would have a lot more room in my suitcase. Oh well, what can you do?
I may or may not post while waiting for my flight at the airport. If I don't, I will be doing any/a combination of the following:
~studying Arabic
~reading magazines
~playing sudoku
Monday, May 30, 2011
1 Week Left!
So I have 1 week left before I go and I couldn't be more excited! I've started talking with some people on my program (well, really 1), but we're all starting to become Facebook friends and whatnot. We all come from really awesome schools and all different experience levels with Arabic (so I've noticed), so we're bound to have a great time and learn a lot! One of the students even created a Facebook group for all of us to chat and discuss our upcoming excursion. I have a feeling we're all going to become very close, especially since there are only 12 of us!
My last day of work was on Sunday. I originally thought about requesting to work this week, but then decided against it so that I'd have time to dedicate to getting some last-minute items, get in some last hoorahs with friends and family, and, of course, STUDY AND READ!!!! I am also going to stick to my weekly goal of going to the gym 4 times. It shouldn't be difficult since I don't have to go to work, but it's hard to motivate myself since it's hot and I'm putting pressure on myself to get mandatory trip-related things done. Since I've been home, I've been super busy with working, volunteering, seeing friends, working out, etc. It'll definitely be nice to have a bit of down time before leaving (or at least more down time than I'm used to). Good news is that I've been getting enough sleep. Even more good news about not working- I won't be commuting to Baltimore a few times a week....the trip can be really energy-draining. So with a little motivation and drive, I'll get everything done that I need to. Six days and counting!
My last day of work was on Sunday. I originally thought about requesting to work this week, but then decided against it so that I'd have time to dedicate to getting some last-minute items, get in some last hoorahs with friends and family, and, of course, STUDY AND READ!!!! I am also going to stick to my weekly goal of going to the gym 4 times. It shouldn't be difficult since I don't have to go to work, but it's hard to motivate myself since it's hot and I'm putting pressure on myself to get mandatory trip-related things done. Since I've been home, I've been super busy with working, volunteering, seeing friends, working out, etc. It'll definitely be nice to have a bit of down time before leaving (or at least more down time than I'm used to). Good news is that I've been getting enough sleep. Even more good news about not working- I won't be commuting to Baltimore a few times a week....the trip can be really energy-draining. So with a little motivation and drive, I'll get everything done that I need to. Six days and counting!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
My Program Group
Yesterday I got a list of people that will be in my program! There are 12 of us in total, so it will be nice and personal :-). I am the only one from the University in Pittsburgh! In the list, we were given the names, universities, addresses, and email addresses. Hopefully we will all get in touch before the start of the program, but if not, just another 11 days!
There are two other girls from the DC area. One girl is from Dulles and goes to a non-traditional university and the other is from DC and goes to American University. Maybe we'll be on the same flight out of Dulles?
I recently realized that I'll be missing a VERY important annual event this summer whilst abroad- Shark Week. But that's okay because I'll be visiting two different continents!!!!! Sooooooo worth it!
There are two other girls from the DC area. One girl is from Dulles and goes to a non-traditional university and the other is from DC and goes to American University. Maybe we'll be on the same flight out of Dulles?
I recently realized that I'll be missing a VERY important annual event this summer whilst abroad- Shark Week. But that's okay because I'll be visiting two different continents!!!!! Sooooooo worth it!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Two Weeks!
Two weeks left to go! I am so stoked! I know all 3 of my posts so far have been about how excited I am, but in all seriousness, it's going to be great :-)
Yesterday I bought some new sneakers from DSW. They were on sale for 30% off AND I had a $10 off coupon. When all was said and done, I spent about $26 on them. They will be excellent for the amount of walking I'll be doing!
I'm still in freak-out mode about all the stuff I need to do before I leave- pack, laundry, clean up my room, get in some last-minute visits with people, read my mandatory book, and study Arabic. I've been studying Arabic when working at the door in the Kid's Room at the Science Center. Thankfully, I've gotten through 7 chapters. I think I have roughly 12 or 13 chapters left in this book, then 4 in my other book. Yikes! Good news is that reviewing has been fun (and not very stressful) and it's been good practice. What's great about all of this is that I'm getting paid to do it, since I'm doing it at work! I used to spend door duty reading my required book, "Morocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges", but I'd get distracted and lose my place when I'd let people in and out of the door. Needless to say, I've been working on that book elsewhere. My plan is to spend some time at the library during my last week here. I'll go there for a few hours like it's finals week and just chug away at my work. I have 2 days left of "job" work, so I'll have plenty of time to get my life straightened out.
In the meantime, I'm also looking for stuff for my apartment. My mom is the best...she found me a round table, 2 matching chairs, and some cookware at a yardsale the other day- all in great condition! I'm currently surfing through Craigslist for a fouton and other various sites for a Little Mermaid shower curtain :-P I have some plastic drawers and a wooden dresser to bring for my clothes, and my dad recently found a table in excellent condition to use as a desk. I am very glad I don't have a lot of apartment accessory hunting to do- it makes planning for Morocco/France that much easier!
Yesterday I bought some new sneakers from DSW. They were on sale for 30% off AND I had a $10 off coupon. When all was said and done, I spent about $26 on them. They will be excellent for the amount of walking I'll be doing!
I'm still in freak-out mode about all the stuff I need to do before I leave- pack, laundry, clean up my room, get in some last-minute visits with people, read my mandatory book, and study Arabic. I've been studying Arabic when working at the door in the Kid's Room at the Science Center. Thankfully, I've gotten through 7 chapters. I think I have roughly 12 or 13 chapters left in this book, then 4 in my other book. Yikes! Good news is that reviewing has been fun (and not very stressful) and it's been good practice. What's great about all of this is that I'm getting paid to do it, since I'm doing it at work! I used to spend door duty reading my required book, "Morocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges", but I'd get distracted and lose my place when I'd let people in and out of the door. Needless to say, I've been working on that book elsewhere. My plan is to spend some time at the library during my last week here. I'll go there for a few hours like it's finals week and just chug away at my work. I have 2 days left of "job" work, so I'll have plenty of time to get my life straightened out.
In the meantime, I'm also looking for stuff for my apartment. My mom is the best...she found me a round table, 2 matching chairs, and some cookware at a yardsale the other day- all in great condition! I'm currently surfing through Craigslist for a fouton and other various sites for a Little Mermaid shower curtain :-P I have some plastic drawers and a wooden dresser to bring for my clothes, and my dad recently found a table in excellent condition to use as a desk. I am very glad I don't have a lot of apartment accessory hunting to do- it makes planning for Morocco/France that much easier!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Packing
19 days left to go before my departure and I can't believe it! Where is the time going?! I still have so much stuff to do... I have recently been compiling stuff to take with me. I've noticed that the everyday things you use (or weekly, I guess) are the hardest to remember, such as nail clippers, Q-tips, etc.
Here is my packing list (as provided by my program):
Clothing:
~1 nice outfit (for festive events, farewell family dinner)
~4-5 pair more casual pants (capris may also be brought)
~1 or 2 pairs of jeans
~2 or 3 skirts
~5-7 blouses or shirts
~1 light sweater
~2 week supply of underwear
~one week supply of socks
~sleepwear not revealing and covering legs to knees
~1 'workout' outfit
~1 pair comfortable, everyday shoes which are decent and good for walking
~1 pair of sandals for outdoors
~1 pair of flip-flops for the house
~1 pair of sneakers
~all-purpose jacket
~light raincoat
~1 swimsuit
Travel Documents:
~Passport
~tickets
~yellow WHO immunization card
~money belt large enough for passport
~photocopy of passport
Health Items:
~prescriptions meds
~over the counter meds, such as Advil, decongestant, laxative, Imodium, Pepto Bismol, etc
~thermometer
~small First Aid kit
~sunscreen (don't worry, I already have 3 bottles packed)
~bandaids
~bug spray
Toiletries:
~deodorant
~feminine products
~soap and shampoo
~bath towel and beach towel
~hand sanitizer
Other:
~alarm clock
~locks for luggage
~bookbag
~ipod
~pocket sewing kit
~sunglasses
~hat
~camera
~flashlight
~extra batteries
~Homestay gift
So as you can see, I have a LOT that I need to bring. As I was typing the list, I was feeling a bit stressed out, but when I really think about it, I don't need to worry as much. Some of the mentioned things are things I don't intend on bringing, for example, a sewing kit. If I need to sew something, I will find stuff there. And I don't wear hats unless I'm at a band function. And I won't bring extra bandaids if I already have some. And I have a lot of stuff packed/laying by my suitcase, so I'm doing ok.
As for a homestay gift, I already bought the family a mug from the Maryland Science Center (my workplace) with pictures of Albert Einstein and a quote of his in English. I also intend to buy a few bags of candy and possibly some magnets from Washington DC. Since I do not know anything about my family, I cannot get individual presents, so I'm just sticking to generic things that everyone can enjoy.
You may have noticed how specific my packing list is in terms of clothing. For those of you that don't know, Morocco is a fairly liberal Arabic nation, so I will see people dressed like "westerners" and I will also see people dressed in traditional Islamic garments. I was worried for a long time that I would only be allowed to wear pants and floor-length skirts, but I was so relieved to find out that I can wear capris! I generally wear capris in the summer because shorts just aren't that comfortable.
On a side note, my Facebook profile picture is of me in Epcot Morocco in 2008. I picked it out especially for my upcoming summer. InshaAllah, the next time I change my profile picture, it will be of me in real-life Morocco :-)
Here is my packing list (as provided by my program):
Clothing:
~1 nice outfit (for festive events, farewell family dinner)
~4-5 pair more casual pants (capris may also be brought)
~1 or 2 pairs of jeans
~2 or 3 skirts
~5-7 blouses or shirts
~1 light sweater
~2 week supply of underwear
~one week supply of socks
~sleepwear not revealing and covering legs to knees
~1 'workout' outfit
~1 pair comfortable, everyday shoes which are decent and good for walking
~1 pair of sandals for outdoors
~1 pair of flip-flops for the house
~1 pair of sneakers
~all-purpose jacket
~light raincoat
~1 swimsuit
Travel Documents:
~Passport
~tickets
~yellow WHO immunization card
~money belt large enough for passport
~photocopy of passport
Health Items:
~prescriptions meds
~over the counter meds, such as Advil, decongestant, laxative, Imodium, Pepto Bismol, etc
~thermometer
~small First Aid kit
~sunscreen (don't worry, I already have 3 bottles packed)
~bandaids
~bug spray
Toiletries:
~deodorant
~feminine products
~soap and shampoo
~bath towel and beach towel
~hand sanitizer
Other:
~alarm clock
~locks for luggage
~bookbag
~ipod
~pocket sewing kit
~sunglasses
~hat
~camera
~flashlight
~extra batteries
~Homestay gift
So as you can see, I have a LOT that I need to bring. As I was typing the list, I was feeling a bit stressed out, but when I really think about it, I don't need to worry as much. Some of the mentioned things are things I don't intend on bringing, for example, a sewing kit. If I need to sew something, I will find stuff there. And I don't wear hats unless I'm at a band function. And I won't bring extra bandaids if I already have some. And I have a lot of stuff packed/laying by my suitcase, so I'm doing ok.
As for a homestay gift, I already bought the family a mug from the Maryland Science Center (my workplace) with pictures of Albert Einstein and a quote of his in English. I also intend to buy a few bags of candy and possibly some magnets from Washington DC. Since I do not know anything about my family, I cannot get individual presents, so I'm just sticking to generic things that everyone can enjoy.
You may have noticed how specific my packing list is in terms of clothing. For those of you that don't know, Morocco is a fairly liberal Arabic nation, so I will see people dressed like "westerners" and I will also see people dressed in traditional Islamic garments. I was worried for a long time that I would only be allowed to wear pants and floor-length skirts, but I was so relieved to find out that I can wear capris! I generally wear capris in the summer because shorts just aren't that comfortable.
On a side note, my Facebook profile picture is of me in Epcot Morocco in 2008. I picked it out especially for my upcoming summer. InshaAllah, the next time I change my profile picture, it will be of me in real-life Morocco :-)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A Brief Overview of my Adventures
Ok, so I've had many requests to start a blog for my adventures in Morocco and I figured I'd give it a shot. This whole blogging thing is new to me, so we'll see how it goes...
I am still currently in my hometown of Frederick, Maryland. In 20 days, I will be kissing my parents goodbye and flying to Rabat, Morocco for a study abroad excursion. I will be studying Arabic intensively for 7 weeks and I will be living with a family. I know nothing about them yet, only that I will be living in the medina, or old city. I requested a family that did not speak any English so that I could focus solely on speaking Arabic, or French if I needed to.
Why Morocco?
My parents bought me a book for my 8th birthday called "Children Just Like Me", a non-fiction book about children from all over the world and their lifestyles. The one that stood out the most to me was Houda from Morocco. I have no idea why I found her so interesting, but I did and knew from then on that I wanted to go to Morocco. About 10 years later, I started studying Arabic and wanted to study abroad in an Arabic-speaking country. I chose Morocco because it is a safer country for a walking snowball from the United States and because I could revert back to French if I was having trouble communicating in Arabic.
I am very excited about my trip! This will be my first time leaving the country and I am stoked! To me, this feels like the beginning of the rest of my life- traveling the world, studying cultures, and speaking a ton of languages.
My flight leaves out of Dulles on June 6 and I will be coming back on August 9. For 2 weeks after my studies in Morocco, I will FINALLY be going to France to visit my friends who live there. I will spend about a week or so in Paris, then go down to the South of France for a few days. That, too, should be awesome!
In the meantime, I've been doing a ton of stuff- getting things ready, making sure I have all sorts of necessities, reading a 400 page book that's mandatory for my program, and studying up on my Arabic to prepare for my placement exam. I've also been working at the Maryland Science Center (which is generally an all-day affair), AND volunteering at my mom's school, Spring Ridge, assisting the 2 new students from the Central African Republic who speak French, but absolutely NO English. And on top of that, I need to start searching for things for my apartment for next year. Needless to say, I am pretty busy.
More to come!
I am still currently in my hometown of Frederick, Maryland. In 20 days, I will be kissing my parents goodbye and flying to Rabat, Morocco for a study abroad excursion. I will be studying Arabic intensively for 7 weeks and I will be living with a family. I know nothing about them yet, only that I will be living in the medina, or old city. I requested a family that did not speak any English so that I could focus solely on speaking Arabic, or French if I needed to.
Why Morocco?
My parents bought me a book for my 8th birthday called "Children Just Like Me", a non-fiction book about children from all over the world and their lifestyles. The one that stood out the most to me was Houda from Morocco. I have no idea why I found her so interesting, but I did and knew from then on that I wanted to go to Morocco. About 10 years later, I started studying Arabic and wanted to study abroad in an Arabic-speaking country. I chose Morocco because it is a safer country for a walking snowball from the United States and because I could revert back to French if I was having trouble communicating in Arabic.
I am very excited about my trip! This will be my first time leaving the country and I am stoked! To me, this feels like the beginning of the rest of my life- traveling the world, studying cultures, and speaking a ton of languages.
My flight leaves out of Dulles on June 6 and I will be coming back on August 9. For 2 weeks after my studies in Morocco, I will FINALLY be going to France to visit my friends who live there. I will spend about a week or so in Paris, then go down to the South of France for a few days. That, too, should be awesome!
In the meantime, I've been doing a ton of stuff- getting things ready, making sure I have all sorts of necessities, reading a 400 page book that's mandatory for my program, and studying up on my Arabic to prepare for my placement exam. I've also been working at the Maryland Science Center (which is generally an all-day affair), AND volunteering at my mom's school, Spring Ridge, assisting the 2 new students from the Central African Republic who speak French, but absolutely NO English. And on top of that, I need to start searching for things for my apartment for next year. Needless to say, I am pretty busy.
More to come!
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