Morocco!!!!

Since I never had access to internet in Morocco, I decided to try and journal as much as I could! I’m going to try and “summarize” my journal for the world wide followers of Paige’s blog. ;) I realize that there is a lot here… so if you don’t have time to read it, or don’t want to… don’t even try. It took up about 4 pages on my “Microsoft word.” For those of you who do, enjoy!
January 29, 2010
As of now I am in my very own single room in the hostel. I was pretty surprised as to how nice it was! Alex had a little run in with the shower… and ended up drenching her entire bathroom. So funny.  Anyway- today I found out that I was placed in lengua y cultura. I was pretty stoked about that. That means that I don’t have class on Fridays! Immediately some friends and I rushed to the computer lab, and booked a trip to Switzerland in fifteen minutes. They had already booked their trip because they knew that they would have class off for this next week…so I basically passed my credit card around and they took care of all of the details! I’m really stoked to go to Switzerland! Our bus ride here, to Algeciras was fine and took a little over three hours. I’m super excited for Morocco and to see what God has in store for me there. I can’t wait to talk to the people and try to understand them. I was reading our little handbook of Morocco, and apparently you can NOT use your left hand when you eat… sweet. They use that hand to wipe themselves… mmm. I’m going to be a little struggle bug at the dinner table trying to use my right hand. We’re waking up at 7 and taking the “last shower” for a while. I’ve been watching this show called “la busqueda”… and it’s about family members trying to find someone that they have lost touch with it. It’s been in Spanish, and I’ve found myself getting really into it- I even teared up at one part!
January 30, 2010
On the Ferry: We just passed a neat little strip of land named “Gibraltar.” Apparently it is owned by England because they didn’t want to be run by Spain. Our tour guide is named, Allen. AND he lived in Spain illegally for one year. Apparently the shortest point between Spain and Africa is only nine miles short! Andrew came up with the best idea ever- Him and I had to have a soundtrack for our first sight of Africa… and guess what I chose. “Hakuna Matata” We goofed around on the back of the boat and had salt water flying in our face. Great memory.  I have learned that “Inshallah” means if ‘God wills.’ A lot of the Moroccans say this at the end of phrases like, “See you later!” During the entire bus ride from Tanger to Rabat I sat in the front seat in between the bus driver and Allen. Today we got to have a talk with three women at a woman’s shelter. They all three brought different perspectives One of the ladies is married and is more ‘in between’ as far as traditional and more modern Islamic views. Another was very modern, and the other SUPER traditional. It was neat to hear them tell their own personal stories as far as dating perspectives, family structure, women’s roles, and dress. Apparently they can marry their cousins in Morocco and it’s very common. Dating is frowned upon, and arranged marriages are still very common. As of in 2004, women can now initiate divorce in Morocco. Our bus drivers name is Hasheem. We got to ride camels this afternoon! It was SO cool, except for the fact that the camel was super mean. After I was done riding the camel, I got off and wanted a picture with it. As the camel is sitting on the ground, I stand next to it and lean in. The camel then WHIPPED its head back and literally went for my nose. Good thing I have cat-like reflexes and jumped away, because even with me jumping I still had camel saliva on my nose. That could have been BAD. After that we walked through some shops in the city of Asilah. After that we had lunch at a little restaurant where I had my first experience trying Cous-Cous. I didn’t like it very much.. it was a bit bland for my taste. There WAS bread and olive oil though! The land here is so luscious and green. NOT what I expected Africa was going to be like! Also, the people of Morocco have been so welcoming already! Smiles are surrounding, kind hello’s and kids running/playing everywhere. Apparently 70% of the population is children! I absolutely love it here… I am currently sitting in the front of our van on our drive to Rabat. The sun is starting to set, and I have to keep pinching myself… I’m in Morocco! Its just like a dream. It is also so intriguing to see Arabic signs everywhere… everything is so traditional. There’s cats everywhere… and you rarely see dogs. This is apparently due to the fact that Mohammed was a cat person…? There are horse drawn wagons on the street, and tons of vintage looking cars. I did however have two little boys following me on the street trying to sell gum and trinkets. They huge brown eyes melted/broke my heart. These KIDS were begging… it was horrible to watch. We also drove past a few shanty towns… and then the King’s palace is basically right across the street…. Morocco is a place of great contrast in that manner…between the wealthy and poor. I can’t wait to meet my family. Apparently visitors are a gift from God. 
10:00
WOW. We are now in our home in Rabat. The family was very talkative for the most part, what they could do at least… but their daughter, Senah, was the only one that could speak English. She is 20 years old, but is SUPER shy. The food was really good though! We had a hash brown cake, bread, and a puréed green soup. I had to consciously tell myself to not put my food in my mouth with my left hand. It was tough to do! I’ve been kinda dizzy tonight and I’m not sure why… overtired? Sleep please? Our room is tight, and the house is fairly large. There’s tons of “beds” in here… which are actually just long couches. Alex, Tori, and I are all in one room in here. Its FREEZING in here, but what’s new?! We’re pretty used to it by now. As of now we’re trying to sort through a bit of culture shock. It was awkward at dinner because we really couldn’t even try to start a conversation. I feel really out of my comfort zone. The music, food, homes, decoration, language, religion… its all so different! Very cool and interesting, but different. The shower head was just chilling out on the bathroom wall with the toilet, and there were two bird cages above the sink. It was neat hearing the call to praer at various times a day.
January 31
This morning we had a panel discussion with five Moroccan men. Since we had already heard the perspectives from the women, it was neat to hear the guy’s as well. They said that they were aware of all of the assumptions that Americans have of the Arab people. They also said that the only impression they had of Americans was from the media as well. They believed Americans to be Egocentirc, imperialistic, and hypocritical. These men were so peaceful and full of joy when they were talking about their religion and way of life. They gave us some insight into why they live their lives the way they do, and the peace that comes from the core of their beliefs. One of the men said,” If we are not all brothers and sisters in Chris, we are at least cousins… So why fight?” They also said that if they could say something to Bin Laden they would tell him that he is NOT Muslim, and that he doesn’t belong to their ‘people.’ Muslims do NOT kill people, because they are not supposed to have any hate in their heart. They do not believe that Jesus is the son of God. They said that God doesn’t have sons because He is not human, and if He did… He wouldn’t have just let him die on the cross. They also believe that Mohammed was the last prophet, and that Jesus was just another prophet. Through talking to these men, I realized something about myself. Though I have always considered myself a pretty open and tolerant person, deep down I had some pre-conceived ideas about the Islamic culture that were COMPLETELY off line. You can never fully understand a person, or a culture, until you can put a face to it… and have a conversation with them. Its such a powerful thing, and I feel that trips and conversations like these should be mandatory for all cultures of our educational program. It would definitely benefit the direction of our future! After our discussion with the men, we went to visit the Roman ruins of Chellah and the Mausoleum (tomb) of King Mohammed V. The intricate detail here is SO amazing. There was a Mosque right next to it as well. The entire area used to be a huge Mosque that was in the process of being built in the 1100’s. It was supposed to be the second largest Mosque in the world at that time. Unfortunately, the designer/architect died before finishing it… and it was never finished. To this day there are the beams that would have held the ceiling up, as well as portions of the walls, but no ceiling. After that, we went back home for a quick lunch where we ate a full chicken with this Orange Sauce all over it. After lunch we were taken on a tour by two, 24 year old Moroccan guys. Their names were “Budr” and “Mohammed.” They were so kind to us, and were patient as we walked through the medina market in Rabat. They helped us bargain and taught us the ways of the street. I got a woven bracelet, two scarves, and a little bowl. The only bad thing was that there were beggers EVERYHWERE. Towards the end of our afternoon there were actually two little girls sitting behind boxes. They were albino and couldn’t have been more than 9 years old. The sight of these little girls being used as beggars broke my heart as well. They guys took us to a pool bar, and we chilled on a cushion bench, watched a soccer game, drank Moroccan tea, and listened to some techno music. I had a long talk with Mohammed, about dating, culture, his perception of American girls, and the hopes and dreams he has for his future. That was a really interesting 45 minutes! He also taught me how to pour my tea without burning myself or drinking crushed up mint leaves. He’s “dating” a girl, but he has to do it secretly because he could get in big trouble… not only from his family, but even the law. He said that if the police find out that you are having a ‘love’ relationship with a girl before marriage, they have the right to force you to either marry, or put you in jail for up to 5 years. CRAZY. These guys were really neat, and they ended up feeling like older brothers to me. We exchanged contact information, and I’m excited to keep in touch. After our goodbyes, we had a conversation with a peace core volunteer and a girl studying through a program called ful bright. They were really inspirational and passionate about what they are doing. It made me re-evaluate what I am giving back to the world, and the little steps I can do to make myself more effective. After that chat, it was time for a public bath. I was SO excited to experience this, even though I had no clue what to expect. When we got there, we walked up a couple flights of stairs. The higher we got, the more steamy the air became. We all stripped down, crossed our fingers, and took a deep breath. Once IN the bath, I absolutely loved it. It was like a steam room, and you would fill up your bucket of hot water and start scrubbing away. We were given gloves that were like scrub cloths and soap. It was so cute seeing little two year old Moroccan toddlers sitting in the buckets while their mama’s scrubben em down.  Once I was finished with my “bath” I left the room and attempted to find my clothes. They weren’t where I left them… so I figured someone either moved them or was just playing a joke on me. I started walking around looking, and 20 minutes later I discovered my buckle jeans and Northface in ANOTHER changing room. To humor the situation even more, an OLD, NAKED, Moroccan woman was sitting on my clothes. Yes, NAKED…. Completely and utterly naked. (Needless to say… my wide eyed gestures towards her rear end weren’t quite taken the right way at first). I got my clothes back, at dinner and went to bed ASAP. We’re really tired…. Until next time!
February 1, 2010
Today we woke up pretty early, and drove up the Riff Mountains to visit a family deep in the middle of nowhere. On the way there we drove past the typical roads with sheep crossing at various points… donkeys EVERYWHERE, and people selling fruits and vegetables as well. We had to hike up through the woods to reach the family’s little shack, and the entire way I was in awe with how magically green everything was. The land was so much different than what I had ever seen before… and there was something so clean and refreshing about the air. We had a translator sitting with us on our picnic blanket as all 17 of us tried communicating with this family. They asked us some pretty “off the wall” questions… like: How do you heat your homes? How do you get loans for college? These questions took me off guard because I guess I always thought those were just pretty obvious and self-explanatory. WRONG. These people are so sheltered, and just enjoy the little life they have for themselves in the beautiful Riff Mountains. It was really interesting to get to share a meal with them. After lunch we hiked deeper into the mountains with the family. They wanted to take us to a look out point where we sat for a while, took pictures, and just reflected. They asked us to sing them a song… so we appropriately chose “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” They enjoyed it  The time with the family has basically taken the entire day, so now we were heading back to our hostel, and will take the ferry back to Spain tomorrow. What an amazing, life changing experience is has been here in Morocco…… Until next time, Inshallah. :)