It's Friday night and I am sitting in Cafe Arab while outside, the streets of Rabat are coming to life. Cafe Arab is located on the corner of Mohammed V and Hassan II, the two major roads that intersect just in front of the Medina. Over the past three days, it has become quite clear that this cafe is the established internet cafe for laptop toting students enrolled in the various programs at the CCCL. We overwhelm both the cafe and the connection a bit I think.During Ramadan, many shops, banks, and official buildings are closed during the day and do not reopen till after the traditional breaking of the fast or the Iftar. Of course, the majority of the official buildings remain closed, leaving the cafes, restaurants, and shops to handle the crowds of people eager to take advantage of their new found energy. I find it quite remarkable to be in a city where everyone around me is going day after day with no food between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. All things considered, the moderate level of patience and focus the people maintain throughout the day rather impresses me.
Since I last wrote, much has taken place. Aside from various orientation lectures covering everything from Ramadan in Morocco to Morocco as a Multilingual Nation, there have also been two crash courses in Moroccan Arabic or Darija, a drop-off exercise, a non-touristy bus tour of Rabat, and an exercise in bargaining in the medina. The lessons on Darija were fascinating and of course, challenging! since I do not have any prior knowledge of the Arabic script, I spent the majority of the time listening to the words in Darija and transcribing them into English script. Needless to say my notebook is full of words that make no sense in English, but that provide me with just the ammunition I need for feigning knowledge of the Moroccan dialect. I had a chance to practive my Darija while I was taking part in the drop-off exercise. In order to force us to come to terms with our new home in Rabat and understand the layout of the city, our program directors put us on a bus and drove us to random spots in Rabat, directing us to try and find our way back to the CCCL in a certain amount of time. Although I tried to find my own, a few of us caved and resorted to asking for directions in French. The people I approached were very helpful and seemed eager to help me on my epic quest! So, in keeping with the theme of buses, the next activity was an informative bus tour throughout the different neighborhoods of Rabat and across the river into Rabat's sister city, Sale. Rabat is an absolutely gorgeous city and the variety of architecture provides an enrapturing narrative of the Moroccan story. In particular, the pressure of modernity is visible in many of the construction projects that are underway across much of the city. Thus far, I think my favorite part of orientation has been the bargaining exercise in the souk of the medina. Not only did I get to practice Darija, but I also had the opportunity to practice my French. You should be proud-I bought two notebooks and two mini packs of q-tips for 10 dirham! Which is the equivalent of just under $1.50. Although I wish I had splurged on delcious dates and wonderous treats, I was disciplined and used my funds on practicality galore!
Whilst these descriptions provide a bit of a window into my orientation, I have saved the best for last...I met my host family today! I was racked with nerves in the hours leading up to my introduction, but shortly after my host sister Souad bounded up to me and introduced herself, I was enjoying trying to converse in a mixture of French, broken Darija, and spotty English. Coincidence of all wonderous coincidences, it turns out that my host family also hosted an incredible girl by the name of Carolyn. Before I left for Morocco, a past participant of the BU program, Carolyn was ever so helpful in advising me on everything from what to pack to what to expect from daily life as a student in Rabat. I only hope I can be the host daughter that Carolyn seems to have been-I can tell you, she made a sincerely wonderful impact with this family. Althugh I am still a bit timid, it is a comfort to have already heard so much about how loving this family is!
With my move to the house tomorrow, I think I will feel like my experience in Morocco has truly begun. It's a strange mixture of emotions-anxiety, excitement, curiosity, and also hope-hope that I can become part of this family and grow close to all its members, learn about them and their everyday lives, and establish yet another place in this beautifully, mind-blowing world to call home.
Peace and love to you all!