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.
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