Goodbye Rabat

Our time in Morocco has been majestical, especially the last week in Essaouira where I had the amazing opportunity to ride camels, barter with shopkeepers, and most importantly, spend time with our Arabic speaking partners.  The week started off with wishing farewell to our homestay families and meeting students from the Marrakech group in Essaouira. In Essaouira, there is a multitude of places where one can find camels, especially along the beach.  Our group bartered with the camel herder for a better price to ride the camels.  Riding the camels along the sea with the harsh wind on our backs was amazing and a once in a lifetime experience. Their fur  was extremely soft and they almost purred in satisfaction when we petted them.  I am glad that I was able to ride a camel in Morocco since I had never ridden a camel before in my life.

The Medina of Essaouira (formerly “Mogador“) is a UNESCO World Heritage listed city, an example of a late 18th-century fortified town. Morocco is often called Africa’s little Hollywood and no city exemplifies this epithet more than Essaouira. Besides being the shooting location for blockbuster films such as Gladiator and Lawrence of Arabia, all the scenes of the city of Astapor in Game of Thrones were shot in the city’s Medina. I had a rendezvous of my own – the Bollywood movie ‘Tiger Zinda Hai‘, featuring superstars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif was being filmed during our visit, and we had an opportunity to watch the stars in action. 

Bartering with the shopkeepers was also an exciting and fun experience because it forced us to speak the Arabic we learned in our school.   Since Essouria is famous for its wooden-made products, I bought a  chessboard made out of wood and some other wooden products to give as gifts to my family and friends.  These experiences were so critical to my Arabic learning experience, because I was actually able to apply my language skills in real-world situations.

Lastly, conversing with our Moroccan partners in Arabic was very helpful because we were able to learn more Arabic and English from each other.  In addition, I was able to connect with these Moroccan friends and learn more about their culture and how religion influenced their lives.  I shared my opinion about Morocco’s beauty and how the people are extremely nice and hospitable.  But, I also pointed to my speaking partners about how sexual harassment seemed to be a real problem in the country.  They replied that in order to avoid sexual harassment in Morocco, women wear the hijab and avoid wearing “revealing” clothing.  In fact, my speaking partner did not even enjoy wearing the hijab, but only wore it because she did not want to get harassed.

In conclusion, Morocco has been an amazing place where I have been able to not only learn an extensive amount of Arabic, but also get a deep appreciation and understanding for Moroccan culture.  I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for their generosity and hospitality on my trip.

 

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Final Thoughts

Famous writer Cecelia Ahern once said, “Home is not a place. it’s a feeling”.  I find this quote especially relevant and applicable to my journey and adventure in Morocco.  When I was in Morocco, the people were hospitable and welcomed me like I was part of their family.  This type of generosity and kindness are qualities that were unique in every way.

In addition, the time I spent studying Arabic was truly wonderful as I was able to apply the material I learned in class to communicate with my host family, have meaningful conversations with the Moroccan people, and even bargain with the shopkeepers. It was also fun to surprise Moroccan civilians by speaking Arabic with them.  By becoming fully immersed in the Arab culture, I was able to fully appreciate and understand the Arabic language and culture.

Overall, the experience and knowledge I gained on this trip has been truly exceptional and I will never forget the friends I made on this trip, The knowledge I gained, and the epiphanies I acquired are truly priceless.  I thank everyone, here in America and Morocco, who made this experience possible.

This week, we were invited to visit the compound of the United States Peace Corps in Morocco. We met with the Country Director for Peace Corps Morocco and the former Country Director of Peace Corps Cambodia. We asked questions about her career with the U.S. Government, and we were able to take a tour of the compound before returning to the Bridges cultural center for classes.

We also had the opportunity to enjoy a special session on music styles of the Sahara Desert. Thomas Duncan, the manager and producer of Saharan music band Daraa Tribes, introduced the students to different music style of southern Morocco. He also discussed the importance of preserving music traditions in North Africa. I learned that the unique style of Saharan music stems from the mixing of cultures and traditions over hundreds of years along the ancient trading routes between Timbaktu and Marrakech. The cities and towns along this route have different tribes and cultures trace their routes to places all over Africa and the Middle East. As a result, the musical traditions of these communities are an amalgamation of different sounds and techniques from all over the continent.

Tomorrow, we will be spending the day with our host families and next week, we will ne traveling to Essaouira to complete our amazing journey. Essaouira, formerly known as Mogador, is an ancient trading city known for its high ramparts and ancient city walls. Can’t wait to see it!

Fes and the Blue City

Last week, we had the opportunity to travel to Fes (sometimes called Fez) and the Blue City (also known as Chefchauen).  Fes was the capital city of Morocco until 1925. We first arrived in Fes and the excruciatingly hot temperature took us by surprise because Rabat is a city that is usually cool and can sometimes be colder than Boston in the summer.  Upon arrival in Fes, we were taken to a ‘Moroccan Riyadh‘ style hotel, which is a rest house for a small group.  As a result, our Rabat group were the only inhabitants of the hotel and we had the lovely hotel all to ourselves.  On the first evening, we visited Bab Bou Jeloud, the famous gateway to the old city of Fes and we had dinner at a rooftop restaurant nearby. Next day, a guide took us around the busy and narrow streets of Fes.  We visited the ancient Fes tannery quarter, and we were able to see the tanning process steps, dye pits, and the final products. We were then introduced to high-quality leather shops that sold top of the line clothing and was significantly cheaper than stores in America.  Next, we went to a spices shop where we had the opportunity to buy spices exclusive to Morocco.  Finally, we went to a clothing shop where the clothes are hand-woven in the shop.  I bought a scarf with beautiful and intricate designs for about ten american dollars. The entire group had fun trying out a traditional Moroccan scarf. We also visited the oldest university in the world, University Al-Qarawayeen. According to UNESCO and the Guinness Book of World Records, this university in the heart of the Fes Medina is the oldest continually operating university. We had lunch at a well-known cafe in the old city, Cafe Clock, and returned to our hotel in the afternoon. Given the extreme weather, we cooled off at a nearby pool.

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Next day we traveled to Chefchauen blue city, which acquired that name due to the city’s many blue houses and buildings.  Chefchauen is a major tourist spot in Morocco, and famous for its sky-blue buildings. Immediately upon arrival, we checked into our hotel and cooled off in the swimming pool as the weather was quite hot and humid.  Later in the evening, we ventured into the city for dinner and exploration. We had a great meal at a restaurant overlooking the city.

After a good night’s sleep. we went on a dangerous and difficult hike to Talassemtane National Park (in Cascades d’Akchour), another well-known tourist spot in Northern Morocco,  with a skilled and helpful guide.  We had the opportunity to see ‘God’s Bridge’ (a huge naturally formed bridge spanning a small stream), which obtained that name for its naturally made bridge and was used by the area’s inhabitants for transportation.  Our guide, Said, had grown up in the park and surrounding areas, and shared some really great information about the park. He reflected on how things have changed over the years and shared the safest routes for us to hike in the park. By early afternoon, we were back in Chefchauen, and in the evening enjoyed a nice dinner at the hotel. After a slow Sunday morning, we returned to Rabat back to our host families. Overall, the trip was an amazing experience and arguably the best part of our visit to Morocco thus far.

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Food in Morocco

Food in Morocco is delicious and the style of eating is very interesting and unique.  In the US, one has three utensils to eat food: a spoon, a fork, and a knife.  However, in Morocco one uses four utensils to eat food: a spoon, a fork, a knife, and bread.  Yes, I said bread.  Going to eat soup?  Use bread.  Going to eat traditional Moroccan tajine (stir-fry with meat)?  Use bread.  Literally bread is a substitute for forks and spoons and it is actually the preferred utensil for such meals.  Additionally, the process of people eating food is quite different as well.  Food is typically laid out in a spread with plates of different types of food and one can choose what to eat.  These meals are typically eaten in a communal and social setting where it is extremely common for one to offer their food to another.  In fact, eating a large sandwich and not offering the sandwich to others at the table is considered rude and impolite in Moroccan culture.

Some of the food offered in a typical Moroccan meal is hrira (common Moroccan soup, also called harira), tajine, pastries, and other food made out of bread.  Hrira is a delicious soup which consists of chickpeas, tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables.  Of course, using bread when eating hrira is common and even encouraged in Moroccan culture.  Tajine is a tasty meal usually had with chicken and other vegetables.  In fact, tajine is the most common Moroccan food served in homes. It is typically eaten by using bread to scoop the tajine.  Overall, Moroccan cuisine is enjoyable and quite unique.

Hrira with bread

Moroccan “seven vegetables” tagine with bread

Culture in Morocco

One might wonder about the dichotomy between American and Moroccan cultures and as I have been in Morocco for a week and half, I would like to share my opinion.  To be completely honest, Moroccan culture shares vast similarities with American culture.  Not the answer you were expecting? It’s true!  My host brothers know more American music than I do!  They know Kanye West (literally all his songs), Drake, John Legend, and all the other popular teenager songs that are typically played on the radio.  Additionally, my host brother, Amine, has watched more American movies than I even though I consider myself as someone who has watched countless movies.  Their knowledge about American culture and world affairs is astounding and their proficiency in our language supports that claim.

However, there are differences between the two cultures.  For example, they always eat their meals in a communal fashion and it is customary to always have bread as part of the meal.  Eating food in a social setting and often is considered normal and a sign of prosperity and wealth.  Another difference is the influence of religion on people’s schedules and daily lives.  Although both my host brothers pride themselves on not being religious (in fact my host brother even claims he is not a Muslim), most Moroccan families’ daily lives revolve around religion.  Whether it be the call to prayer or moral and ethical decisions, most Moroccans use religion as a signpost to make decisions.

Another difference is the way that people interact amongst each other.  For example, Moroccan people are extremely hospitable and it is considered rude not to invite guests to stay over when someone visits the family for tea or dinner.  Moreover, people are never in a hurry like they are back home in America.  Moroccan people love to chat and pride themselves on their hospitable nature.

Overall, Moroccan culture is rich and full of positive aspects that make living in Morocco a fun and pleasant experience.  Observing the differences between American and Moroccan cultures was an interesting exercise for me and helped me appreciate different people and cultures.

This week, we participated in a lecture and discussion around the politics of Morocco and North Africa. We also invited another group of US high-schoolers participating in a 2-week exchange program for this discussion. This provided us a nice opportunity to meet with other Americans in Rabat.

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A meet and greet for the NSLI-Y students and all their host siblings was organized by Sanjay, our counsellor.  This ‘Ice Breaker’ helped to connect the host siblings to one another, as well as with the other NSLI-Y participants. The NSLI-Y Rabat group also baked a batch of cookies to share with everyone at this event.

First Week in Morocco

My first week in Morocco has been a lot of fun especially since my stay has coincided with the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month where people fast during the day.  In fact, today is Eid, which is the holiday where everyone breaks the fast.

Before Eid, we went to the Medina – which has a distinctly Andalusian style to its buildings. Most of the architecture in this area dates from the 17th century when Muslims from Spain’s Andalusian region arrived here. The area has a beautiful view of the sea.

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We enjoyed special Moroccan tea and talked about the purpose of our trip and international travel.  We also talked about our host family and what we liked about them.  My host brothers Taha and Ameen have been very hospitable and kind. They have provided me with transportation every day to my language school.  They speak English extremely well and are very inclusive in their group, while maintaining a vast appreciation for our privacy.  Ameen is constantly introducing us to new food and aspects of Moroccan culture.  Ameen wishes to visit America later in his life  – he has never left Morocco in his life and cannot wait to travel abroad.  Today, as part of Eid celebrations, we visited some homes and gave gifts to those who needed help such as widows.  Then we went to a family get-together where we ate food and talked to the rest of the family.  Most of the family had a limited understanding of English, so we communicated using the basic understanding of Darija we knew and then Taha would translate for us.  Later we talked to Taha’s cousin who knew more English than others in the family while two little kids ran around the home.  We played songs that we all could recognize on the guitar – we had a great time with the entire family.

First Days In Morocco

When I landed in Casablanca, Morocco, I could feel the heat touch my face and the longing for water fill my body.  As soon as we got through security and baggage claim, we were met with salesmen trying to sell us merchandise at the airport.  We smiled at them and cried out “laa”, which means “no” in Arabic.  At the airport, we boarded a bus that made its way through the city of Casablanca to a nearby hotel.  During the ride to the hotel, we got a fabulous opportunity to see one of the biggest mosques in Africa.

Our hotels were nice and big and we had dinner and breakfast.  In the morning, we took a diagnostic placement test for Arabic to place all of us at the right level.  Then we traveled to the U.S. Consulate in Morocco.  In the Consulate, we were met by a security officer with experience as a Green Beret and Special Forces Officer. He was a pretty impressive soldier with tours to Iraq, Libya, Iran, and Syria.  He briefed us on the security threats in Morocco and what to do when faced with danger.

After the presentation, I was taken to my host family who were extremely hospitable and friendly.   My host brothers Amine (22 years) and Taha (18 years) along with their parents live in an apartment. The host brothers live on the first floor while their parents are up on the second floor. I presented my host brothers with a Boston Marathon poster after which we went to the beach. Everyone stays up late in the night as it is the month of Ramadan. We walked on the beautiful beach where the sand felt extremely soft to my feet.

The next day, we began our Arabic lessons. We were instructed on Moroccan Darija the Arabic being spoken in Morocco. It has been heavily influenced by Berber, French and Spanish. While standard Arabic is used for official communication, Darija is the most commonly spoken language in daily life and naturally, we need to be able to converse in it. The instructor was quite good and had a very interesting manner about him. Attached is a photo of our Rabat group, taken this morning at the entrance of the Bridges Cultural Center in the Hay Riad neighborhood of Rabat.

 

Orientation Week in Washington DC

The pre-departure orientation was in Washington DC where the entire group traveling to Morocco came together. The NSLI-Y Morocco program was divided into two groups – one staying in Rabat (capital city of Morocco) and the other in Marrakesh. I was placed in the Rabat group. Today was the first real day where the NSLI-Y counsellors provided us an introduction about the program and the customs and traditions in Morocco. For example, they taught us how to greet people in Morocco and how to greet people from the opposite gender.  For guys, we were supposed to shake hands and then touch each other’s cheeks.  For girls, the girl could decide whether they wanted to shake hands, and if they decided not to, you were to put your hand on your chest and bow ever so slightly.  However, I look forward to learning more about Moroccan culture.

Our resident director, Sanjay, was very friendly and willing to answer questions I had about life in Morocco.  After multiple discussions, the group talked about other customs in Morocco such as food and what to expect in Morocco.  Later, we went on an excursion and traveled to the National Zoological Park (commonly called the National Zoo) using DC metro.  In the zoo, I took some pictures of pandas, elephants, birds, and many other animals.

National Zoological Park

National Zoological Park

Panda in National Zoological Park

Preparing for My Trip to Morocco

As a my trip to Morocco starts in a few weeks, I want to be prepared with everything before I leave for Morocco.  In addition, I would like to learn the Arabic alphabet before my departure.  Currently, my knowledge of Arabic is limited, but I do know a couple words in Arabic as well as half of the alphabet.  My goal is to know the entire Arabic alphabet before my departure.  In addition, I want to be aware of the different customs and rules in Morocco, so that I do not offend my host family in any way when I am there.  I have been placed in Rabat, the exciting capital city and I am looking forward to being there with the other NSLI-Y participants.  I want to use this incredible opportunity to gain a better understanding and appreciation of Arabic culture as well as the Arabic language.  This will allow me to understand and appreciate the Arab community better. Such programs are crucial to strengthening relations between the US and Arabic-speaking countries because currently our relationship needs improvement.  By learning more about the Arabic people, I can teach others in my community about their culture and traditions.

I received a very nice letter from the State Department congratulating me on my scholarship. I am hearing rumors that the State Department is thinking about cutting funding for the NSLI-Y program. That would be tragic and I really hope that this amazing program does not suffer from any budget cuts.

State Department Letter

I also had the opportunity to speak briefly with Congressman Joseph Kennedy, who is the House representative for my district (4th). He was extremely supportive of NSLI-Y and congratulated me on my trip and encouraged me to make the best use of my opportunity. I am looking forward to meeting him after my trip and sharing my experiences with him.

My Upcoming Trip to Morocco

I first learned about the language program NSLI-Y from my brother who had previously participated in the program and went to China to study Mandarin.  This language initiative was designed to send hard-working and ambitious American students to learn foreign languages in other foreign countries. These foreign languages would be languages that were not typically languages that were taught in American high schools such as Mandarin, Arabic, Korean,Russian, and other languages. After learning about this amazing opportunity, I decided to apply for Arabic because I believe that people are ill-informed about the Arab world.  By learning more about the Arab world, I believe I can clear up misinformation regarding the Arab community. After a long and tedious application process, I was given the unique and exciting opportunity by the US sponsored program, NSLI-Y,  to travel to Rabat, Morocco.  In Morocco, I will be inducted into an intense language study program to learn Arabic and I will be introduced to Moroccan culture and customs.  During the first three weeks of the trip, I will live in a dorm room with three-four other participants.  However, after the three weeks on the trip, I will be given the chance to live in a Moroccan household that is willing to host American citizens along with another NSLI-Y participant.  This opportunity will give me the ability to understand cultures better with more appreciation for different customs and rituals of others.  In addition, by speaking Arabic, I can communicate to a larger population of the world.