I'm Morockin it: A list of amazingness

I am sorry that I haven’t blogged in so long but life here in the best place on earth has become quite hectic in the best possible way. To maximize the information I can share I have decided to make a list of the most memorable moments from the past week and a half:

1. Service Project

We met with our language partners (Moroccan students who are studying English at Amideast) and travelled to a run down park on the other side of Rabat in a largely sub-Saharan neighborhood. The amount of trash was astonishing and the state of the park was definitely a culture shock moment for me. We found things ranging from glass and cigarette butts to bloody razors. Although in was hard work in the hot Moroccan sun, it was worth it to get to know our Moroccan friends better and to see the corner of the park that was clean and safe because of us.

2. Trip to the Hammam

After my first trip to the hammam I have reached the conclusion that a hammam chain should be started in the US. A hammam is a communal bathing house, and before the “ewww”s start, let me tell you it is a truly beautiful experience. When you enter the hammam you bring with you plastic shoes, a bucket, a scrubber (for your skin), and toiletries. The women only enter the hammam wearing underwear, which was a difficult reality for many of us on the program to accept at first. However once we entered the first chamber we realized that women’s acceptance of their bodies and non-judgmental acceptance of others’ was a true reflection of the Moroccan culture. There are three chambers of the hammam starting from the coolest to the warmest, most of us stayed in the middle chamber that resembled a typical wet sauna in the US. You then fill up your bucket with hot and cold water and begin to shower using a smaller bucket as a scooper. After the hammam, all of us were showing off our smooth skin to each other, and I swear I have never felt so clean. Charlotte and I have decided that since the hammam is so close to home we will make a weekly visit to scrub off that week’s grime.

3. The Start of Ramadan

Ramadan is truly a special time in Morocco, from a non-Muslim’s perspective it is all about the three Fs of Ramadan: Family, Fasting, and Feasting. The breaking of the fast is called F’tour, and it includes all sorts of special Ramadan treats. From pastries, to soup, to hard boiled eggs, f’tour is by far my favorite meal of the day. Dinner isn’t eaten until 1 am, so Charlotte and I usually go out with our friends after f’tour to explore the city or go to the beach. The very first night a Ramadan, our host uncle took us to a carnival on the beach where we had the opportunity to ride roller coasters and compete in bumper cars. By far one of the coolest experiences I have had so far! The only downside to Ramadan is that there are very little food choices during the day, so MacDo has become a regular spot for the NSLIY group. The one thing that I did not expect from this trip was an acceptance of McDonalds, but hey, a girl’s gotta eat. I love the way the city comes alive at night; it is almost as if Rabat has adopted a nocturnal schedule of sleeping during the day and partying late into the night.

Arabic Class

Although it may seem as though all I am doing is morockin it all the time, the reality is that a lot of my time is either spent in school or studying. Friday we had our fist test and I was surprised on the amount of material we have covered so far. In just over a week we already covered two chapters of the book which included possessive pronouns, a lot of vocabulary, basic verb conjugation in the present, masculine and feminine, and iDaafa. As of now I can have a conversation about what I do, where I live, and a detailed description of my family.

We have just gotten home from Fez, I will do a post on it soon... Ma3 Salama!