Photo synopsis of my first few days in Rabat

Learning about Rabat.

     The past few days have been so incredible and busy and exhausting. On Thursday afternoon I met my host family, and upon arrival to our new home we were amazed. While most of the other students on our trip live in apartment buildings a few blocks from AMIDEAST (our school,) our family is about a 10 minute drive to the suburbs -- and our house is practically a palace. High ceilings with light flowing in the windows each morning to wake you up, three ornately decorated living rooms with couches along the perimeter of the room that could seat at least 20 people each, a marble staircase, and beautifully designed rugs. It is incredible, the immense difference between the apartment we expected and...this.
     Moroccan families are known for hospitality, and ours is no different. An enormous amount of food is offered to us every couple of hours, and the biggest meal of the day is lunch. Moroccans welcome their guests by feeding them and feeding them until they practically reach a food coma, and when the guest declines another serving... Well, they are given another serving anyway. There is lots of bread (khobs) and food is supposed to be eaten with our hands, or using the bread as a utensil, but our host family gave us forks (they only own about 4) because Americans are not accustom to this eating style, and they have hosted Americans before. I actually really enjoy eating this way, but bread being served with every single dish is a little much.. Carbo-loading to the extreme. The food we are served is so delicious though. For breakfast (iftar) we are generally given a flat pan fried bread with jam, cheese, butter, or pretty much anything else you could put on it. Lunch is a type of tajine, but on the weekdays we will be eating lunch at cafes neat AMIDEAST each day until Ramadan begins. I haven't yet decided if I will be fasting. When we get home around 5 or 6 each day, there is tea time. Mint tea is the national drink of Morocco, and it is usually served with some kind of pastry. Moroccans don't eat dinner until MUCH later than we do at home, so dinner for us is served around 10:00 PM, but the family doesn't usually eat until around midnight..I'm pretty sure that Moroccans just don't sleep as much as Americans. My family consists of a host mom, dad, adult son, sister-in-law, and a few other siblings who do not live there but visit quite often. Two adorable grandchildren are also running around, and always speak to me in French expecting me to understand.. But I don't. My family is so kind to me, but there is one issue.
     The language barrier is unbelievably frustrating. At times it can be hilarious if you kind of but don't really understand the gist of what they are saying, and do something completely wrong, but its simultaneously a nightmare. I am so used to speaking to my family at home, effortlessly and without charades. Here, even the simplest task of putting my water bottle in the fridge involves pointing and hoping it makes sense.. I start official Arabic classes on Monday (though I have already had some survival Arabic, so there is one phrase I have used constantly - "Ana shbaet. I am full." I have an extremely limited vocabulary thus far, but my host mom keeps teaching me little words and I have already picked up on a few things simply by listening. When they are speaking to each other and I hear even one word I recognize, I get really excited. Sure, I am completely unaware of the context.. but hey, I recognize the word!! It's a good feeling. I can't wait until I am actually able to converse with people though, at least to some extent.
     The past few days have included a tour of Rabat - the Royal Palace, The Medina, the beach..just to name a few. I am so enamored by the Medina. It is the old walled city, and is a giant market where you bargain with vendors to buy any and everything. Another fabulous and useful phrase I learned - "Can I take a picture?" So, I guess survival Arabic has come in pretty handy. We met with Moroccan high school students who will be a wonderful resource for us as well - they are all alumni of the YES abroad program or will be coming to the US in August. The architecture here is incredible, and I have a slight obsession with doors (baab) that are in the Medina. Such an array it is inexplicable.. I will have to just post pictures. Seriously though, I could live in the blue and white neighborhood of the Medina, learn Arabic, and watch the ocean from my house and be content.. It is such a wonderful place. Miss-communications and all.
    On an ending note, today was wrapped up with a "barbecue" at the American School to celebrate Independence Day a little early. It was lovely to get into the pool after such a hot, long, day.

Monday marks the beginning of official Arabic Classes (three hours of MSA, one hour of Darija each day.) Insh'Allah I will be able to fend for myself in the city soon.

Love from Morocco, Marg

Morocco, here we are!

This day has come so quickly! I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Rabat, Morocco, unable to sleep because where I live it is 5:30 PM, not 10:30 PM, despite the fact that I got about 4 hours of sleep last night. Well I think it was last night.. All of this jet-lag is making us all a little crazy. Where do I begin? 

On Sunday afternoon, I flew to Washington to DC for our pre-departure orientation, which consisted of our group and leaders sitting in a sweltering conference room at AMIDEAST discussing what we would be doing, cultural differences, culture shock, and most excitingly - Arabic! We had amazing speakers from the State Department talk to us about future careers, and received some really wonderful lectures on Islam and the significance of Ramadan. We got to visit the Moroccan cultural center and the Moroccan embassy, and were offered the famous, delicious Moroccan Mint tea for the first time! The PDO was really well done and definitely got our group ready and excited to begin the REAL part of the journey -- living abroad.

Traveling in airports is always miserable, and something always has to go wrong of course. Despite the fact that I was almost charged $100 for my suitcase being 5 lbs. overweight (due to over packing, as usual) and frantically trying to reorganize, being patted down and hand swiped because they "detected" nonexistent metal (I am obviously an extremely suspicious looking person), being yelled at by a man for turning on a light to read my book, having my checked bag rummaged through twice, and, in the process, having them spill my shampoo and belongings, and other mishaps - I made it to Morocco in one piece! Can you believe it? I don't even care at this point that I got 4 hours of sleep, because I am actually here! Rabat is SO beautiful, and I have even been able to say a few, choppy, basic Arabic phrases to people with them actually understanding me. The man next to me on the plane even attempted to have a small conversation with me, and the people I have encountered thus far have been so hospitable and wonderful. The food tonight was scrumptious, the weather is perfect, the city is terrific. It looks a bit like the desert, though it's the coast, and the slight breeze is enough to keep you cool but not to blow you over. I haven't exchanged my USD for any dirhams yet, but I'll do that tomorrow. I love Morocco!

Tomorrow I meet my host family, and from tomorrow on I will be staying with them and my room mate, Kshama. She, as well as all of the other people on the trip, is awesome, funny, and has a similar personality to me. Meeting my host family is a really big deal because they will be my family for the next six weeks, and I hope they are as excited to meet me as I am to meet them. Insh'Allah!

Now, my Moroccan journey really begins.

Love, Marg

Pre-Departure

Hey everyone, welcome to my blog! If you're reading this, I am assuming that you know me, or that you have some NSLI-Y connection, or maybe you don't know me.. I don't know. Whatever. I'll begin by listing the basics.

1. I was notified that I recieved this NSLI-Y scholarship (through the State Department) to study in Rabat, Morocco for six weeks this summer. I will be representing the United States as an ambassador along with a group of 14 other high school students. I applied in November and had anxiously awaited results until March. Needless to say, I was shocked, ecstatic and overcome with joy when I realized that I had been chosen for such an incredible opportunity.
2. I will be enrolled in an intensive Arabic language program through my implementing organization, AMIDEAST. We will also be participating in volunteer activites, seeing the country, and meeting awesome people.. Oh, and riding camels :) 
3. I will be living with a host family, though I haven't received any further information on that.

Our official date of departure is June 23 for a 2 day PDO in Washington DC. From there, we will fly to Casablanca, Morocco on June 25. I have been preparing by attempting to teach myself Arabic (though it is incredibly difficult to do so if you have not a clue how to pronounce words), and searching every reasonably priced store for maxi dresses, skirts, and loose comfy pants. Of course though, I still haven't packed. Or made a packing list. Whoops! 

I'll make no promises, but I will try to keep this blog updated while abroad. I know this will be such an amazing journey. Morocco is so vastly different from the United States, and to be honest - I'm not yet sure what I'm getting into. I know it will be worth it though. If the State Department believes in me enough to invest in this opportunity, I absolutely believe in myself. 

11 days. Let the countdown begin.