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!
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!
No comments:
Post a Comment