So, I'm back in Chicago. I could say "I'm home" but I don't feel like it would be any more true than it would be to say that before I left Morocco. It's like I have 3 completely different lives now. I have a home, family, and life in each Chicago, Ann Arbor, and Rabat. It's impossible to choose one because all 3 are amazing. I know I am lucky to have this, but it's really difficult because I really want to be in all 3 places. It's so weird that they are all in the same world. Seeing the differences between my life in Morocco and my lives in the states is bizarre and seems unreal. However, I knew my amazing, stress-free life in Morocco couldn't last forever, and I guess it was time to come back to the real world.
It was amazing seeing my family and friends last night. My mom made softshell crab (one of my favorite foods) and the whole family sat around the dinner table and caught up. I made Moroccan mint tea and gave them horns de gazelle (moroccan cookies) and some small gifts. Afterwards, three of my best friends came over and I showed them all my pictures and told them stories. Then we went out and I got to see most of my guy friends and it was just really great to see everyone. I'm so happy to be in Chicago, but at the same time I'm so sad to not be in Morocco.
There were a few things that bothered me when I arrived, though.
First, I wanted to play my djembe (as any of my friends in Morocco know is one of the things that makes me happiest) and my mom and sister kept yelling at me to stop because it was loud. When I was in Morocco, we were always playing music and everyone was always happy to hear it. It's the way that I learned to liberate myself and just really be content and I'm worried about losing that.
Then, my mom asked if someone could set the table and my brother and sister both did "noes goes" so they wouldn't have to do it... as if it's that difficult. I did it easily and happily in 2 minutes, and it just made me miss the group effort that we always had in Morocco. Everyone was usually willing to help and no one complained about it. We wanted to help eachother because we care about eachother, but unfortunately it's different here for some reason. It's such a small thing, but it has a big affect on my first impression back in the US.
These are just small things that I immediately noticed upon my arrival. I'm still really happy to see everyone and be back into one of my lives, but I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY miss Morocco and the "Wonderful" team.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
trips to the north and essaouira
I have spent the last 2 weeks traveling around Morocco and having the most amazing time. I have seen and experienced too much to try to write here, and I know it would be impossible to fully express everything, but I'll try to give an overview.
Hicham and I took a bus to Chefchaoen, then biked to Oued Lau (very difficult), took a taxi to Tetouan, bus to tangier, biked to Assilah, and took a bus to Rabat. What was supposed to be a 2 day trip to one city spontaneously turned into a 5 day trip to 5 cities, and definitely the highlight of my time in Morocco. Highlights of the 5 days include:
camping and cooking amazing meal by fire in Chefchaoen
finding and swimming to the "Sheltering Sky" Island on the way to Assilah
randomly riding a camel on the beach
exploring the medina in Assilah
Two days after we got back from that trip, we went to Essaouira for the Gnaoua music festival, which was absolutely amazing. The whole weekend was a huge party, playing music, shopping in the medina, seeing music at night. Essaouira is a really cool city, one of my favorites in Morocco, and the festival was absolutely amazing. We stayed for a few days after the festival was over, so we got to see the city without all the tourists, which was cool.
Some things I noticed in these 2 weeks:
We had an hour between buses in Casablanca, so we went to see the huge mosque there. While I stood outside and Hicham went in to see (I wasn't allowed in), I noticed 2 young boys, about 8 years old going in. They both stood at the door and took off their shoes and put them in plastic bags before going in. No one asked them to do it. They weren't with any adults to remind them. I think it says a lot about the culture that kids as young as that have customs like that ingrained in their minds.
Music here is a HUGE part of the culture. It really brings people together here in a much different way than I have ever experienced before. When we were all sitting around the apartment in Essaouira, all the Moroccans were playing Gnaoua music and all of them were singing along. It's very different than the way everyone in the states can sing along to pop music on the radio. This music has a history and plays a huge part in the culture of the people.
At one of the concerts during the festival, I saw a girl shaking her body and her head uncontrollably along to the music. Her mother and relatives were all standing around her for support. I was a little concerned and wondered what was going on, and Hicham told me it's a normal ritual. When a girl comes to a certain age without being married, it's believed that she has bad energy in her body, so they do this to exorcise that bad energy from her body. She would do this until she starts to seizure, and it's believed that this will actually help her to have better luck in finding a husband.
Hicham and I took a bus to Chefchaoen, then biked to Oued Lau (very difficult), took a taxi to Tetouan, bus to tangier, biked to Assilah, and took a bus to Rabat. What was supposed to be a 2 day trip to one city spontaneously turned into a 5 day trip to 5 cities, and definitely the highlight of my time in Morocco. Highlights of the 5 days include:
camping and cooking amazing meal by fire in Chefchaoen
finding and swimming to the "Sheltering Sky" Island on the way to Assilah
randomly riding a camel on the beach
exploring the medina in Assilah
Two days after we got back from that trip, we went to Essaouira for the Gnaoua music festival, which was absolutely amazing. The whole weekend was a huge party, playing music, shopping in the medina, seeing music at night. Essaouira is a really cool city, one of my favorites in Morocco, and the festival was absolutely amazing. We stayed for a few days after the festival was over, so we got to see the city without all the tourists, which was cool.
Some things I noticed in these 2 weeks:
We had an hour between buses in Casablanca, so we went to see the huge mosque there. While I stood outside and Hicham went in to see (I wasn't allowed in), I noticed 2 young boys, about 8 years old going in. They both stood at the door and took off their shoes and put them in plastic bags before going in. No one asked them to do it. They weren't with any adults to remind them. I think it says a lot about the culture that kids as young as that have customs like that ingrained in their minds.
Music here is a HUGE part of the culture. It really brings people together here in a much different way than I have ever experienced before. When we were all sitting around the apartment in Essaouira, all the Moroccans were playing Gnaoua music and all of them were singing along. It's very different than the way everyone in the states can sing along to pop music on the radio. This music has a history and plays a huge part in the culture of the people.
At one of the concerts during the festival, I saw a girl shaking her body and her head uncontrollably along to the music. Her mother and relatives were all standing around her for support. I was a little concerned and wondered what was going on, and Hicham told me it's a normal ritual. When a girl comes to a certain age without being married, it's believed that she has bad energy in her body, so they do this to exorcise that bad energy from her body. She would do this until she starts to seizure, and it's believed that this will actually help her to have better luck in finding a husband.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
farewell to romain
Romain left on Tuesday. Hicham and I stayed up with him until about 5 am raiding the empty kitchen and talking. Everyone went with him to the airport in the afternoon and we sang songs and took pictures and waved goodbye while he went through security. Everything here is changing so dramatically. All the people I started my stay with are leaving and new people are coming. It's fun to have new people, but I selfishly wish everything would stay the same. The only reason I'm ok with leaving and going home is because I want to remember everything as the way it has been, and not how it might become. Even if what it becomes is great, it's not the same. I want to remember it as the entire "wonderful de chez wonderful" group in the crazy house in the oudayas... singing songs, having dinner parties every night, and dealing with ridiculous, hilarious, and unnecessary drama at all times.
For the past 4 nights in a row, I've been awake for the 4 am call to prayer, which is the most beautiful. It's more melancholic than the others and I love lying in bed listening to it. I guess I haven't been able to sleep because I've been thinking so much. I can't believe I have to leave in 3 weeks... my time here has gone by so quickly. I've seen and experienced more in the past 2 months than I normally would in a year. I've learned a lot about friendship, love, religion, culture, and myself. I've started to consider Morocco a third home-- I feel comfortable, happy, and safe here. Even so, I feel like I just got here yesterday, and I know the next 3 weeks will go by just as quickly, if not more so. On Sunday, Hicham, Gabriel, and I are leaving for a bike trip to Essaouira. It will take 4 days and we are camping on the way. When we get there, there will be a 4 day gnawa music festival. After we bike back, I only have a week left. I don't
For the past 4 nights in a row, I've been awake for the 4 am call to prayer, which is the most beautiful. It's more melancholic than the others and I love lying in bed listening to it. I guess I haven't been able to sleep because I've been thinking so much. I can't believe I have to leave in 3 weeks... my time here has gone by so quickly. I've seen and experienced more in the past 2 months than I normally would in a year. I've learned a lot about friendship, love, religion, culture, and myself. I've started to consider Morocco a third home-- I feel comfortable, happy, and safe here. Even so, I feel like I just got here yesterday, and I know the next 3 weeks will go by just as quickly, if not more so. On Sunday, Hicham, Gabriel, and I are leaving for a bike trip to Essaouira. It will take 4 days and we are camping on the way. When we get there, there will be a 4 day gnawa music festival. After we bike back, I only have a week left. I don't
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Meknes
Friday, I decided I needed to get out of Rabat, so I went with Caitie and Gabriel to Meknes. We had dinner at a little pub while watching the france vs. netherlands soccer game and then got a cheap room in a little hotel. In the morning, we had a walking tour around the city from a guy we met on the street. Meknes is a cool little city, and is a lot less touristic than most of the other cities I have visited. I'm starting to notice and appreciate more the color schemes of the different cities. Each city has a different color, which most of the buildings are painted. Marrakesh is red, Rabat is white, Meknes is green. It's really cool to notice the differences when traveling around morocco. Our guide got us a taxi and took us to vouluboulis, which are the Roman ruins just outside of Meknes. It was awesome to see and imagine the Romans living in the middle of morocco. There was even a room in the castle that was specifically for vomiting because the Roman's were so lazy and ate too much. We ran into a tour group, and a girl from New Orleans started talking to me and when I told her I was living in Morocco for the summer she responded, "really? there's nothing to do here" and walked away. I just laughed.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Becoming Moroccan
I've been told recently by a few different people that I am "becoming Moroccan," whatever that means. I guess it might have something to do with the way I'm adapting to the culture here. I have been feeling very at home and relaxed here, and right now Moroccan life is making me really happy. There are a lot of things about the way of life here that I love and will definitely miss when I go home.
First of all, everyone here shares everything. No matter what or where it is, people share it. You open a sandwich on the bus, you break it in half and give the other half to the stranger sitting next to you. You have one small bottle of coke at a party, you divide it into 10 small glasses. It's a very important and special part of the culture here. I also love how people here want to cook and share their food. Anytime you go to someone's house, they cook a tagine or a couscous for you. They'll spend hours preparing a meal for you, so even if you're not hungry you feel like you have to eat it.
Another thing I love is the call to prayer that takes place 5 times a day. No matter where you are in the city, you can hear it. The call is based on the location of the sun, so it's at approximately the same time every day. There is a mosque right outside my house, so I can hear it especially well. When it is time to pray, the Muslim people gravitate towards the nearest mosque. The medina is dead and the city is quiet just for a short period of time.
My favorite thing here is the music. I've realized nothing makes me happier than being surrounded by and playing music. I really wish music was a bigger part of life at home because it really brings people together. I have friends here who I don't even speak a common language with, but who I can just connect with by playing music.
Last night, I spent the night at Hicham's mom's house in Kenitra. As always, she was very hospitable and prepared us a huge dinner and helped us with our laundry. It's very cool to spend time in a home with a real Moroccan family. She and I talked about culture and stereotypes while Hicham and Gabriel were in the other room. I was a little bit intimidated because it was in French and I couldn't tell exactly what her mood was, but it was an interesting conversation. She wanted to know how she would be seen in the United States with her head scarf and if it would be difficult to get a job and also wanted to tell me about how Islam is a religion of acceptance and tolerance.
I've learned a lot in the past few months. I've made a lot of Moroccan friends and experienced much of the culture. It's probably one of the most valuable experiences I will ever have-- to really change stereotypes and prejudices of the Arabic world. It's what I came here to do, and even though the project wasn't 100% successful, I feel like my goal is being fulfilled thus far. I still have a lot to learn and see, which is why I decided to extend my stay by a few weeks. I want to learn as much as I can so that I can bring home the knowledge and extend it to my friends and family. The other day, Caitie was on skype with her mom and her mom asked her if she had seen any terrorists yet. I couldn't believe it. I understand it was kind of a joke, but I want people in the states to realize how hurtful that is. It's the reason there is a problem between Americans and Arabic people and if people don't stop stereotyping and making judgements like that, the problem is never going to be solved. Then, when I told my mom I had a Moroccan boyfriend, she immediately said something about STD's. I didn't think about it until later, but I wonder if she said that because she's worried about me having a boyfriend in general or worried about me having a boyfriend in Africa. The more time I spend here, the more I appreciate the culture and really understand the people and the way of life here. Life here is different, yes, but that doesn't mean bad. In conclusion: most Arabic people are NOT terrorists and most Africans do NOT have AIDS.
First of all, everyone here shares everything. No matter what or where it is, people share it. You open a sandwich on the bus, you break it in half and give the other half to the stranger sitting next to you. You have one small bottle of coke at a party, you divide it into 10 small glasses. It's a very important and special part of the culture here. I also love how people here want to cook and share their food. Anytime you go to someone's house, they cook a tagine or a couscous for you. They'll spend hours preparing a meal for you, so even if you're not hungry you feel like you have to eat it.
Another thing I love is the call to prayer that takes place 5 times a day. No matter where you are in the city, you can hear it. The call is based on the location of the sun, so it's at approximately the same time every day. There is a mosque right outside my house, so I can hear it especially well. When it is time to pray, the Muslim people gravitate towards the nearest mosque. The medina is dead and the city is quiet just for a short period of time.
My favorite thing here is the music. I've realized nothing makes me happier than being surrounded by and playing music. I really wish music was a bigger part of life at home because it really brings people together. I have friends here who I don't even speak a common language with, but who I can just connect with by playing music.
Last night, I spent the night at Hicham's mom's house in Kenitra. As always, she was very hospitable and prepared us a huge dinner and helped us with our laundry. It's very cool to spend time in a home with a real Moroccan family. She and I talked about culture and stereotypes while Hicham and Gabriel were in the other room. I was a little bit intimidated because it was in French and I couldn't tell exactly what her mood was, but it was an interesting conversation. She wanted to know how she would be seen in the United States with her head scarf and if it would be difficult to get a job and also wanted to tell me about how Islam is a religion of acceptance and tolerance.
I've learned a lot in the past few months. I've made a lot of Moroccan friends and experienced much of the culture. It's probably one of the most valuable experiences I will ever have-- to really change stereotypes and prejudices of the Arabic world. It's what I came here to do, and even though the project wasn't 100% successful, I feel like my goal is being fulfilled thus far. I still have a lot to learn and see, which is why I decided to extend my stay by a few weeks. I want to learn as much as I can so that I can bring home the knowledge and extend it to my friends and family. The other day, Caitie was on skype with her mom and her mom asked her if she had seen any terrorists yet. I couldn't believe it. I understand it was kind of a joke, but I want people in the states to realize how hurtful that is. It's the reason there is a problem between Americans and Arabic people and if people don't stop stereotyping and making judgements like that, the problem is never going to be solved. Then, when I told my mom I had a Moroccan boyfriend, she immediately said something about STD's. I didn't think about it until later, but I wonder if she said that because she's worried about me having a boyfriend in general or worried about me having a boyfriend in Africa. The more time I spend here, the more I appreciate the culture and really understand the people and the way of life here. Life here is different, yes, but that doesn't mean bad. In conclusion: most Arabic people are NOT terrorists and most Africans do NOT have AIDS.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Bitter/Sweet
Olga left yesterday... very sad. We spent the last week having people at the house almost every night, spending time at the beach, and shopping in the medina. We had a big going away party Tuesday night at the house and a ton of people showed up. We ended up going to the beach and having a huge bonfire and playing the samba drums. Olga was supposed to leave wednesday evening, but she decided on wednesday to wait until thursday because she wasn't ready to go. We spend the day shopping in the medina and then hicham and i made her a going away present by decorating glass schepp's tonic bottles and putting letters inside. We spent the night sitting around and practicing our song "wonderful de chez wonderful," which we now have perfected. Hicham's birthday was at midnight, so Olga took him up to the roof and then when they came back down we surprised him by singing happy birthday in 5 different languages with candles, and then we gave him the bow and arrow toy that we made him. Then, we made a painting, where each person painted another person. It ended up being awesome and we now have it on the ceiling of our living room.
Thursday morning, Olga gave us all small gifts and letters to remember her by and we saw her off to the bus. Hicham, Caitie, and I watched the bus drive away... it was very emotional for me. Olga was the best friend I had here. She helped me through a lot and I always had so much fun with her. Things aren't going to be the same here without her.
I spent the rest of the day with hicham to celebrate his birthday. I'm starting to really, really like him, which is great, but also sucks because I don't have that much more time here. I guess I just have to enjoy the time I do have.
So basically, the past few days have been very bitter/sweet. I really miss Olga already, but everything here has been so perfect and I'm just enjoying myself so much. I love it here! I never want to leave...
Thursday morning, Olga gave us all small gifts and letters to remember her by and we saw her off to the bus. Hicham, Caitie, and I watched the bus drive away... it was very emotional for me. Olga was the best friend I had here. She helped me through a lot and I always had so much fun with her. Things aren't going to be the same here without her.
I spent the rest of the day with hicham to celebrate his birthday. I'm starting to really, really like him, which is great, but also sucks because I don't have that much more time here. I guess I just have to enjoy the time I do have.
So basically, the past few days have been very bitter/sweet. I really miss Olga already, but everything here has been so perfect and I'm just enjoying myself so much. I love it here! I never want to leave...
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
midway evaluation
I've been in Morocco for a month now, and right now I'm basically in a mode of bliss. Everything about my experience right now is amazing and I really couldn't be happier. Last night, after another fun day at the beach, I was sitting in the living room of my beautiful traditional Moroccan home with all my friends. Recently Monica and Nadia moved out, and Romain, Hicham, Rachid, and Gabriel moved in, so now we can have people over here whenever we want and not worry about upsetting anyone. Nouh made dreadlocks for Olga, I played music with a bunch of the local guys, and some of the guys cooked tagine in the kitchen. It's really amazing what music does for me, especially lately. If I'm upset or bored or angry, the one thing that makes me feel better is drumming with Nouh and his friends-- it's like a medicine. By the end of the night, I was sitting in a room downstairs with Olga, Romain, Sarah, and Hicham singing an impromptu harmony of "wonderful de chez wonderful" with Romain on the guitar and later went up to the roof overlooking all of Rabat. This morning, I went surfing and the water and the sky and the sun were all amazing. I was standing up on every wave, so I can tell I'm really improving. Basically, I know I'm cheesy, but I'm happy and it's hard not to be. The only things I'm sad about are that a) my time is already halfway over and I wish I could stay, and b) Olga's leaving on thursday, and I know things won't be exactly the same without her here.
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