Okay, the time is flying by. It is unreal that I’ll be
ending classes and starting my independent study in a month. One. Month. Maybe I should start figuring that out soon,
as well as a place to live for the month and a half we’re not with host
families. Needless to say, this is kind of stressful. Figuring out A) where I’m
going to live and B) what I want to spend a month and a half doing extensive
amounts of research on to them right a 40 page paper. (This is their reminder
that, although you are in a different country traveling around, you are getting
college credits for this.) Fabulous.
This past week was kind of crazy with doctors’ visits
(which, by the way, with the doctor‘s fee, and the medicine, it didn’t come out
to more the 70 US dollars. Affordable!) Trying to find our way to a non-profit
(Which ended up being a waste of time). Becoming ridiculously overwhelmed with Arabic,
Thanks Abdel and then realizing, Um, we go to Amsterdam in less than a week? Oh
also, figuring out my ISP with the help of the wonderful Said (He’s the
director of the North African programs for SIT and has lectured in our classes)
Kind of a busy week. However, this weekend was spent being lazy and lounging
around a friend’s families apartment. (Thanks Ronja!) It was exactly what me,
and three friends needed. A chance to relax, get a good night’s sleep, prepare
our own food (And eat WITHOUT hobz and WITH silverware) and regroup before Amsterdam
and the final stretch before ISP. We went to the beach, which was fabulous, had
homemade guacamole and burritos for dinner and then pancakes and scrambled eggs
for breakfast. Oh the relaxation.
Oh, I have a riddle for you. Why is it, that the petit
taxi’s will only (by law) take 3 people. All three in the backseat, where there
is also room for a fourth person upfront; but the grand taxis (Which, is
basically an upgrade from a Prius to maybe a Buick or maybe even just a Camry) can
take six people, seven if you include the driver. Four in the back, two in the
front passengers’ seat. If you figure out the logic behind this, please, let me
know because there are something’s that just don’t make sense to me, and this
is definitely one of them.
Moving on, adventuring around the city is still always an
adventure, as the cat calls never cease. We were trying to hail a cab today and
we had two cars pull over, driven by just men, looking to “give us a ride.”
Sorry, just because I’m standing on the side of the street, does not mean I’m
looking for a creepy middle aged man to stop and ogle me because I’m foreign. (He
drove right past a group of Moroccans trying to get cabs as well. There is an
idea here that women who are “European” are easier.) Apparently some men decide to try and test
this theory by seeing if we’ll get in a car with him. Needless to say, we said
no.
We ran into my Arabic teacher, Abdel, who can’t be much
older than 24 or 25, and seemed surprised that we were taking cabs. Perhaps,
that should have been a sign at that point. He was incredibly helpful though,
on his way with friends to watch the rest of the Madrid vs. Barcelona soccer
match. (By the way, Moroccans tend to be extremely passionate about Barcelona.
Don’t ever say you like Madrid.) To quote my friend Leah, “Discussions to avoid
in company: politics, religion and Spanish football teams.” A true statement if
I’ve ever heard one.
Anyways, still very much enjoying myself here in Morocco!
There are little adventures every day here, (No, but seriously, crossing the
road is ALWAYS an adventure. Words of wisdom? Don’t trust the people on
scooters, they have no mercy.)
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