Reflections

In about 13 minutes, it will be 2014 here in Morocco. And let me tell you, this year has been nothing like I expected it to be. I did not expect to be living in Morocco, studying Arabic this year. I expected to be  in college, studying something that I had tricked myself into believing was what I wanted to study (read: Economics. Glad I dodged that bullet). Instead, I'm here.

And I'm more than grateful to be here, despite all the challenges that come with living abroad. Missing family, friends (not going to lie here, I'm sometimes homesick, although that is often curable with mint tea) feeling frustrated because sometimes you just cannot communicate, feeling frustrated because you wish you could call out the guys that call at you in the streets, and other things. However, the good certainly outweighs the bad. I'm studying Arabic, improving every day, I have finally reached the level at which I'm comfortable speaking with random people (taxi drivers or people in the Souk)...and finally, the looks of pure astonishment I get when I open my mouth and speak Arabic. It all pays off, and I'm very glad I was able to take this gap year.

Sorry for being a bit absent from my blog, but my parents have been in town and I wanted to spend time with them. As for now, Happy New Year, and may this new year bring happiness and health to all. 

Twas the night before the FIFA Club Cup final

..And all was still in Marrakech. The Raja fans adorned their houses with Raja flags, cafe's prepared for tomorrows big event. People prayed, people hoped, people got excited...for the grand Raja vs. Bayern match!!!

Hell, even I'm excited....mostly cause I'll get to go to the game!!! So pumped for that, and super pumped to see Raja play.

Raja is the team representing Morocco in this club cup. They beat Mineiro (Brazil's) soccer team 3-1 on wednesday, and it was very unexpected. Driving back home from the soccer game was insane, Morocco was so happy to make it to the finals. Insha'allah tomorrow everything will go well, I will let you guys know. In the meantime, GO RAJA.

Until next time, bsalama! 

Oh, I thought you were just LIVING in Morocco

Contrary to popular belief, I go to school in Morocco. And yes, it may not be as intense as college. But it still is intense. I talked about this already about how learning a foreign language in the country where it is spoken is a never ending learning process. I don't have breaks from learning, because lo and behold i have to use this language (not even Arabic, but Darija which we haven't had much instruction in) every day.

Alot of people say that study abroad is fun, and its nothing but good experiences. That is one of the biggest lies that I've ever heard. Sure, study abroad is fun, but there are difficulties. One thing is that you're learning what you have to immediately apply. There is no "understanding" period. There are no breaks. There is no bullshitting your way through class. You have to understand what you're learning, or else you're stuck in situations where you dont understand what is going on. Then again that is about 85% of your study abroad experience.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that study abroad isn't all fun. It's challenging, like almost everything else you choose to embark on.

We do have a final, and yes it is intense. So don't sound so surprised when I tell you I'm stressed from school. Just because it isn't college doesn't mean that it shouldn't be viewed as a real learning experience. 

The Holiday Spirit: study abroad version

In the United States, the holiday season is usually marked by the arrival of cold weather, sales in stores, the same ten Christmas songs playing everywhere, cities adorned with red and green decorations, and finally, my personal favorite part, the lights you see everywhere. People are excited for the upcoming holidays, to spend time with family, receive and give gifts as well as eat delicious food.
I was warned before coming abroad that the holidays would be vastly different. It made sense, we would be living in a Muslim country (so obviously Christmas isn't really a thing here), in Africa where it doesn't ever seem to get cold during the day. But I think I was trying to ignore those warnings. I half expected the holidays to roll around and Morocco to be decked out in Christmas gear, just like the US. But that's not the case. People here go about their daily lives, students stress because of exams, and they look forward to the short week long break they have at the end of December.

Now I have never viewed Christmas as a religious holiday (since I am Jewish) but rather as a time to spend with family, eat delicious food, and receive gifts (yea my family does the whole gift giving deal since we're Italian and it's in our blood). I was nevertheless excited for Christmas to roll around, the smell of winter to enter the air. I guess you don't realize what you like most about your home until your gone.

HOWEVER! Not the whole spirit of the holidays will be lost! My family is coming to visit me!! NSLI-Y changed their policies this year to allow friends and family (although the former is frowned upon) to come visit the students in their respective country. My family is coming to Marrakech, and I will be able to share with them the city I have grown to love, and call home. I'm beyond stoked to show them Jamaa el Fna (and the snails you can eat; they really warm you up in the evenings) , the small hole in the wall cafes and restaurants, the wonderful bus system of Marrakech (motto being: The more crowded the bus, the faster the bus driver will drive!) and the countless other wonders of Marrakech and the area surrounding it.

Unfortunately, the holidays coming also means term ending. Which means finals (well one final and one fifteen minute oral presentation (my topic will be...you guessed it! Politics in Morocco and the US)) and different teachers. Next term, we will be taught by a different teacher. Our beloved Ustedtha Lamia will be replaced with Ustedth Amine (who is a wonderful teacher, my classmate and I had the pleasure of observing his English class). I have grown to adore our teacher, Lamia. She is possibly the best Arabic teacher I have ever had. She is both understanding and strict, something that is crucial in a teacher. If I must be completely honest, I think I learned more about teaching from her than from observing any of the English classes. Alas, all good things must come to an end. I am excited to switch teachers, but I will be missing the many games we play in class along with the threat of chocolate buying for the class if we speak English.

I've never been good at ending blog posts. Oops?
Until next time, bsalama!

Craziness

Morocco is filled with strange things, including people. Tonight I had the pleasure to go to the Marrakech Film Festival. We watched a movie called Traitors which was a wonderful Moroccan-American movie about drug smuggling in Morocco. Then a couple friends and I walked over to Jamaa el Fna and watched Martin Scorsese present Hugo, and we watched Hugo.
It wasn't the movie that shocked me, more so the people that were watching. As we watched, my friends and I noticed a man standing in front of us. As I looked down, I saw his hand caressing a young boys ass (for lack of better word). This man was in his mid twenties, and this boy was around the age of 9 or 10. I was shocked. Fortunately, this young boy turned around and noticed. The man didn't leave, he just moved to be directly in front of me. At this point, two of my friends and I were keeping a close watch on this man. There was an even younger boy in front of him. Worried for his safety, I told him to move in front of another man who was watching over these kids. Finally the man left. What really surprised me was that the police who had seen the whole thing did nothing. More than surprise me, it angered me.
Thankfully nothing terrible happened.

As we waited for Martin Scorsese to come on stage to present his movie, a very catchy song came on. We asked the guys behind us who sang it, and they told us Fnaire. Turns out, this is a Moroccan band that sings in Darija, the local Moroccan dialect.
Here's one of their songs!

Also, my friends and I decided that it was worth it to get tickets for the final matches of the Club World Cup. We got them, and I couldn't be more excited. Insha'allah one of the matches will be Bayern (representing Europe) vs. Mineiro (representing South America). I'll let you know how those games go!

Bsalama for now!