A little bit of venting and complaining.... it was bound to happen some time during the trip! :(
I can't swallow... I make a cringing face every time I have to swallow my saliva. If that weren't bad enough, eating is probably 10 times worse. And of course, I have to be sick in Morocco, where they eat TONS of bread... bread with every meal. It's not the soft type of bread either, but the dry scratchy kind that feels like corse sandpaper as it goes down your throat. For every meal today I've sat at the table, only eating because it would be rude not to, painfully taking my meals one swallow at a time, and on the verge of tears. I don't want to complain to Mounia, but I also want to make sure she knows this isn't just a cold. I just looked in the mirror and both sides of my throat are red with little white boils. It seems to be getting worse, despite the Zithromycin anti-biotics I started today. Of course, when I got back from walking 1 hour in the 100 degree heat (30 min each way to the pharmacy... as just about every pharmacy is closed on Sunday), I found out that Strep Throat is best cured with Penecilin, not zithro. I guess I just have to give this a go for and see if Western medicine gets it...
I went down to the park with Faisah (either 6 or 7 years old) tonight. It was a beautiful sunset and I sat with all of the mom's in the community who were watching their kids play. I got some stares, not only because I was a westerner wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but also the only adult male there. Everyone above their teens (which were women only) were fully covered and wearing their hijabs. As you can image, I pretty much stuck out like a sore thumb. I'm thinking all the women starting gossiping; "who is this white guy bringing a Moroccan boy to the play ground?" At least it gave them something to talk about :)
It was great to see that at 9:30 at night, there were still about 100 kids at this park. By American standards, this park was pretty much a dump, not even suitable for the Bronx or South Central LA. There was trash everywhere, dirt, rocks, weeds, and broken cement. As I sat there watching the kids play, I just thought how ironic this was. It made me think about parks in America. First of all, there would be no kids out playing at 9:30pm on a Sunday night in America. Kids' bedtimes are now 7 or 8. Not these kids. I had to drag Faisah back home around 10pm, and the play ground was still packed with long lines for the 4 foot metal slides. This park... old, all metal, a dump, and swings informally made of thin rope with a cardboard seat... was more than enough for these hundred+ kids. In America, new parks are built to meet to the demands of both kids and parents. Cork ground is put in (instead of dirt or broken cement), slides are made of plastic, and still, after all this, kids could really care less that there's a park down the street. They would much rather stay at home and play Playstation or Wii. In America, we are so busy trying to protect our kids, make parks cleaner and safer, when all we are doing is raising the standard to an absurd level. Fewer kids are falling off the monkey bars, bruising their knees, getting in fights and learning how to wait in line in the playgrounds. This is a necessity of growing up. Without conflicts on the playgrounds, how will these kids learn to deal with conflicts in the "real world"? The real world is more about the playground than it is about Playstation, Wii, or a computer game. If I were able to step outside the realm of reality and had to choose to be brought into this world again, I would choose the dumpy playground over the clean over-protective suburban neighborhood where the kids are inside spending countless hours in front of an electronic box.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
New City. New Family. New Language.
I hope these following words will be as inspiring to you as they have been to me...
"We travel to open our hearts and eyes to learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again -- to slow time down and get more taken in, and fall in love once more."
-Pico Iyer, "Why We Travel"
As I'm sitting in my white-walled 15' x 10' room, I notice that it lacks any sort of colorful decoration, except for the framed Arabic calligraphy of a verse in the Qur'an (I assume). It's a large room for just myself, but not a place where I'd like to spend lots of time. Unable to read the Qur'anic excerpt on the wall, I'm stuck with myself, a few cockroaches here and there, and the fair amount of academic reading that I brought with me. If I'm in my room, chances are I'm either one: exhausted and wanting to rest, or two: I need a break from the crazy teething two-year-old who is more than a handful. I'm not the greatest with kids, so these next six weeks will definitely be a trying time for my patience and attitude toward the little ones. :)
Thursday morning, I left Tangier and caught the direct train to Fes- about 5 and 1/2 hours. Without thinking ahead, I took the mid-day train, which means sun... and lots of it. It was close to 100 degrees outside, and the little 6 inch openings at the top of the windows didn't do much to cool down the inside for the 5 hour ride. Let's just say that for the whole ride, I was dripping sweat, and I'm pretty sure I haven't even stopped yet (2 days later). I'm trying to decide if I have a fever, or I'm just not used to the heat yet. Not only is Fes hot, but there is no wind in Fes. The air is still and the sun is strong. It makes for much needed rest and water.
Fes, like most cities in Morocco, is separated into two major areas. The older, more historical, and medieval Arabic part of the city is called the Medina. Each Medina in Morocco is a unique labyrinth of streets and alleyways, sometimes only suitable for donkeys or scooters. The Medina here in Fes dates back to the early 800s (yes, almost 1,000 years older than the United States!!!) is Morocco's first World Heritage sight. Also, it is both the largest living Islamic Medieval city and the biggest car-free urban environment in the world (according to Lonely Planet). As you can imagine, I'm dying to get to the Medina... and probably get lost in the giant maze. Unlike the Medina, the Ville Nouvelle (New City) is the modern, administrative part of the city that was constructed by the French within the last century. Although I was a bit disappointed when I found out I wasn't going to be staying in Fes' Medina, I know that the Ville Nouvelle is just as much as the "real Morocco" as the crammed donkey lanes in the Medina, only a bit less picturesque. In fact, it is the Ville Nouvelle, not the Medina, that is seeing tremendous growth due to the widespread residential and commercial building projects. Living in the Ville Nouvelle isn't as ideal or aesthetic as in the Medina, but it sure is a more accurate portrayal of the everyday life of the working class Moroccan.
When I arrived at my language school (ALIF), I met with the housing director who coordinated a homestay for me on the spot. Mounia, a middle-aged woman, met me a few minutes later at ALIf to escort me back to her residence in the Ville Nouvelle. Most students studying Arabic at ALIF tend to stay in the Institute's residence. However, I came to Morocco not to stay with 20+ other Americans and Europeans in a dorm-like facility, but instead to live with a family. Staying with local families whenever I travel is always an amazing experience. It also opens the door to learning about family dynamics, traditions, and customs across culture. My professor (Slimbach) says, "living with a local family not only provides a fascinating 'window' into the dynamics of the larger national culture; it can also be a profound personal experience". And so far, it has done exactly that!
Mounia is a single Muslim lady, who comes from a large family of 8-10 brothers and sisters, and she lives with her mother. Every day, several sisters drop by for meals, and her nieces and nephews are always around. I am beyond blessed to be staying in her home and with her family. Mounia and her older sister are the only ones who speak a little English. Although I can't communicate to the rest of the family, except by piecing together some broken French words that sometimes make a sentence (only when I'm lucky) or managing to remember the few words in Darija (Moroccan Arabic) that I've picked up, the universals of laughing, pointing, smiling, and other means of sign language have been warmly welcomed and practiced (though not perfected) these past few days. When I first arrived, her grandmother said, "Texas?" and pointed to me. I answered "California". She repeated in a loud voice, "CALIFORNIA!!!" and gave me a high five! I wish you could have seen this old grandma--head covered, with long sleeves and an apron down to her feet, about 5 feet tall, always stern but smiling--give me a high five! Priceless!
Meal time is always a highlight of the day. I am still full from the Couscous that I ate yesterday. Every Friday is a day of corporate worship--similar to Sunday for Christians--and in Morocco, everyone eats Couscous after the Friday afternoon prayer. The couscous is served on this huge deep-dish plate and placed in the middle of the table. The plate barely hits the table before everyone digs in, after saying "besmillah", or "in the name of God". The mountain of couscous, topped with meat and vegetables, is gone within minutes. All the women ( Mounia, several of her sisters and grandma) are laughing, shouting, and I even saw them feed one another! It is definitely a "cultural experience" for me and just another Friday afternoon for them. I'm sure it would make a great snapshot to see 5 women around the table, covered in their hijabs, while the young American guy is also at the table, eating and watching with amusement. The huge meal is followed by a nap and then a stroll along the promenade from 8-10pm, when families are out walking with their kids and trendy teenagers are making the rounds. It's definitely a great time and place to people watch!
My language school starts on Monday. My classes in Classical Arabic will be from 8-10am, and then 2-4pm. This is a common schedule for school and work, having a large break in the middle of the day, similar to the Spanish "siesta" time. My school is about a 2.5mi walk, so I'm not sure if I'll be walking or taking the local bus every day. It comes down to 4 trips to and from school, so to say the least, I will be walking a lot these next few weeks. Spending 20 hours per week in the classroom will be rewarding and challenging. I am anxious and excited, as I have been waiting to learn Arabic for a long time now. I am privileged to have the opportunity to apply what I learn in the house. Staying with Mounia and her family will be a perfect compliment to the formal instruction. Language is not learned in a classroom, but in real life. Therefore, I dedicate these next six weeks to intensive language study and practice. In times of frustration, I will try to keep in mind the humbling words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "No man should travel until he has learned the language of the country he visits. Otherwise he voluntarily makes himself a great baby -- so helpless and so ridiculous."
"We travel to open our hearts and eyes to learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again -- to slow time down and get more taken in, and fall in love once more."
-Pico Iyer, "Why We Travel"
As I'm sitting in my white-walled 15' x 10' room, I notice that it lacks any sort of colorful decoration, except for the framed Arabic calligraphy of a verse in the Qur'an (I assume). It's a large room for just myself, but not a place where I'd like to spend lots of time. Unable to read the Qur'anic excerpt on the wall, I'm stuck with myself, a few cockroaches here and there, and the fair amount of academic reading that I brought with me. If I'm in my room, chances are I'm either one: exhausted and wanting to rest, or two: I need a break from the crazy teething two-year-old who is more than a handful. I'm not the greatest with kids, so these next six weeks will definitely be a trying time for my patience and attitude toward the little ones. :)
Thursday morning, I left Tangier and caught the direct train to Fes- about 5 and 1/2 hours. Without thinking ahead, I took the mid-day train, which means sun... and lots of it. It was close to 100 degrees outside, and the little 6 inch openings at the top of the windows didn't do much to cool down the inside for the 5 hour ride. Let's just say that for the whole ride, I was dripping sweat, and I'm pretty sure I haven't even stopped yet (2 days later). I'm trying to decide if I have a fever, or I'm just not used to the heat yet. Not only is Fes hot, but there is no wind in Fes. The air is still and the sun is strong. It makes for much needed rest and water.
Fes, like most cities in Morocco, is separated into two major areas. The older, more historical, and medieval Arabic part of the city is called the Medina. Each Medina in Morocco is a unique labyrinth of streets and alleyways, sometimes only suitable for donkeys or scooters. The Medina here in Fes dates back to the early 800s (yes, almost 1,000 years older than the United States!!!) is Morocco's first World Heritage sight. Also, it is both the largest living Islamic Medieval city and the biggest car-free urban environment in the world (according to Lonely Planet). As you can imagine, I'm dying to get to the Medina... and probably get lost in the giant maze. Unlike the Medina, the Ville Nouvelle (New City) is the modern, administrative part of the city that was constructed by the French within the last century. Although I was a bit disappointed when I found out I wasn't going to be staying in Fes' Medina, I know that the Ville Nouvelle is just as much as the "real Morocco" as the crammed donkey lanes in the Medina, only a bit less picturesque. In fact, it is the Ville Nouvelle, not the Medina, that is seeing tremendous growth due to the widespread residential and commercial building projects. Living in the Ville Nouvelle isn't as ideal or aesthetic as in the Medina, but it sure is a more accurate portrayal of the everyday life of the working class Moroccan.
When I arrived at my language school (ALIF), I met with the housing director who coordinated a homestay for me on the spot. Mounia, a middle-aged woman, met me a few minutes later at ALIf to escort me back to her residence in the Ville Nouvelle. Most students studying Arabic at ALIF tend to stay in the Institute's residence. However, I came to Morocco not to stay with 20+ other Americans and Europeans in a dorm-like facility, but instead to live with a family. Staying with local families whenever I travel is always an amazing experience. It also opens the door to learning about family dynamics, traditions, and customs across culture. My professor (Slimbach) says, "living with a local family not only provides a fascinating 'window' into the dynamics of the larger national culture; it can also be a profound personal experience". And so far, it has done exactly that!
Mounia is a single Muslim lady, who comes from a large family of 8-10 brothers and sisters, and she lives with her mother. Every day, several sisters drop by for meals, and her nieces and nephews are always around. I am beyond blessed to be staying in her home and with her family. Mounia and her older sister are the only ones who speak a little English. Although I can't communicate to the rest of the family, except by piecing together some broken French words that sometimes make a sentence (only when I'm lucky) or managing to remember the few words in Darija (Moroccan Arabic) that I've picked up, the universals of laughing, pointing, smiling, and other means of sign language have been warmly welcomed and practiced (though not perfected) these past few days. When I first arrived, her grandmother said, "Texas?" and pointed to me. I answered "California". She repeated in a loud voice, "CALIFORNIA!!!" and gave me a high five! I wish you could have seen this old grandma--head covered, with long sleeves and an apron down to her feet, about 5 feet tall, always stern but smiling--give me a high five! Priceless!
Meal time is always a highlight of the day. I am still full from the Couscous that I ate yesterday. Every Friday is a day of corporate worship--similar to Sunday for Christians--and in Morocco, everyone eats Couscous after the Friday afternoon prayer. The couscous is served on this huge deep-dish plate and placed in the middle of the table. The plate barely hits the table before everyone digs in, after saying "besmillah", or "in the name of God". The mountain of couscous, topped with meat and vegetables, is gone within minutes. All the women ( Mounia, several of her sisters and grandma) are laughing, shouting, and I even saw them feed one another! It is definitely a "cultural experience" for me and just another Friday afternoon for them. I'm sure it would make a great snapshot to see 5 women around the table, covered in their hijabs, while the young American guy is also at the table, eating and watching with amusement. The huge meal is followed by a nap and then a stroll along the promenade from 8-10pm, when families are out walking with their kids and trendy teenagers are making the rounds. It's definitely a great time and place to people watch!
My language school starts on Monday. My classes in Classical Arabic will be from 8-10am, and then 2-4pm. This is a common schedule for school and work, having a large break in the middle of the day, similar to the Spanish "siesta" time. My school is about a 2.5mi walk, so I'm not sure if I'll be walking or taking the local bus every day. It comes down to 4 trips to and from school, so to say the least, I will be walking a lot these next few weeks. Spending 20 hours per week in the classroom will be rewarding and challenging. I am anxious and excited, as I have been waiting to learn Arabic for a long time now. I am privileged to have the opportunity to apply what I learn in the house. Staying with Mounia and her family will be a perfect compliment to the formal instruction. Language is not learned in a classroom, but in real life. Therefore, I dedicate these next six weeks to intensive language study and practice. In times of frustration, I will try to keep in mind the humbling words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "No man should travel until he has learned the language of the country he visits. Otherwise he voluntarily makes himself a great baby -- so helpless and so ridiculous."
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Why Morocco?
As I'm sitting here trying to write, I am on the rooftop of an apartment building. To my right I am distracted by the panoramic view of Tangier, behind me I can see the southern coast of Spain across the straight of Gibraltar, and to my left, my friend is faithfully praying his first prayer out of the five times he'll pray today, as he faces east toward Mecca.
I arrived in Morocco exactly a week ago and the past week has been non-stop for the most part. It is usually about 3am, or sometimes later, before I put my head down on the pillow. Before I tell you a little bit about my week, I would love to give a little overview of why I am in Morocco in the first place, what I am doing, who I am with, and also about this blog. The purpose of this blog is twofold. First, it is an organic setting where I can write to please no one. As most of you know, the first and foremost reason I am in Morocco now is because of school. With that, I have a lot of academic responsibility. This blog will allow me to write not for my professor or any other academic motive, but instead to share my experiences, allowing you to read a more organic writing without any filters or intentions to please. The second purpose of this blog is for you reading it. Of course I can keep a private journal and write exactly the same things, but that's no fun when people like you want to hear a little bit of my experience. So with that, we begin together...
I must back up more than a year. In the Spring of 2008, I studied on The Scholar Ship, an ocean-going university that sailed across the world, while porting in more than 10 countries. Of the 150 students on the ship, there were 35 countries represented, one of them being Morocco. I became friends with several of the Moroccan students as we played soccer on the ship, had classes together, and traveled around several countries where we were at port. As I look back, this was really the catalyst for my love and curiosity for Morocco, Islam, and the Arabic language. I had the incredible opportunity to be hosted by some of my friends in Morocco last April and May. What can I say.... a year later, I made the decision to move back for 6-7months! I hope that through my writings, you're eyes will be open to the beauty of Morocco, it language, it's people, and its religion. When I say the word Morocco, I dont know what comes to your minds.... maybe images of a line of camels walking across endless sand dunes of the Sahara, or the snow-capped Atlas mountains that cut diagonally across the country, maybe the maze-like ancient Medinas in each city, the colorful bazaars, souqs and markets, or perhaps the famous Moroccan architecture that make palaces, mosques, houses, and stores in Morocco all photogenic. Although all of these are beautiful snapshots of the country, they fail in comparison to the Moroccan people. I'm not going to lie, I've been to more beautiful countries (in my opinion), like South Africa or the Seychelles. But without a doubt, of the 40+ countries that I've been to, Moroccans take the gold medal in my books. I thought when I was here last, I received unprecedented hospitality and warmth. Coming back just over a year later, it got even better! As these next few months unfold, I am sure you will read countless stories of the incredible hospitality I will experience. I hope that through my writings you will be able to see and experience vicariously the amazing people that make Morocco the beautiful country and culture that it is! Before I get ahead of myself on the hospitality of the Moroccan people, I would like to write a bit more of why I came to Morocco.
As a Global Studies undergraduate student at Azusa Pacific University in Los Angeles, I HAD TO spend 2 semesters off campus. Of course, I choose to do a third (The Scholar Ship). One of my (required) semesters was spent living in inner-city Los Angeles (Inglewood to be exact), while doing academic work Monday/Wednesday/Friday and an internship Tuesday/Thursday. During this program, students could not have cars, so we took public transit (buses, the metro, etc.) everywhere for 4 months. It was one of the richest experiences of my life! That semester, called LA Term, was not only an experience in itself, but also a preparation for this Global Learning Term (GLT). Each Global Studies student at APU has to do a GLT. It is a 4-8 month study abroad term overseas. Unlike just about every other study abroad program, each student chooses ANY country in the world (minus those our wonderful state department politely advises us not to go to). While in the country of the student's choice, we do not study at any host university, but instead we do all our academic work on our own, with 30+ page guides provided by our professor. It is each student's responsibility to find a local (this cannot include ex-pats) family to stay with during their term, as well as find an "intercultural internship" in which we will work with a locally-based NGO or Non-Profit organization for 1-4 months, and also conduct research on a topic or issue chosen by the student. For example, right now there are students in Thailand researching about sex-trafficking and sex-tourism and its effects on women and children, students in Latin America and Africa researching the causes and concerns regarding street children, and others researching sanitation and ecological issues in Indian slums. This is a brief overview of the GLT and Global Studies program through APU. Depending on the time spent in the country, we will take a minimum of 3 "classes" (remember, everything is on our own) and some will take up to 5 classes. Each student is in a different country, for the most part, and has spent 4 (or more) months researching relevant issues and general information about their countries, people, and culture, and have plenty of academic material to make this semester engaging, challenging, and yet rewarding. Unlike most study abroad programs, we are required to go beyond scratching the surface in order to get to the depths of our host countries, cultures, people, and language. In doing so, we hope to develop cultural competencies and an analytical framework and understanding that marries academic material to personal experience.
Those of you who know me can imagine that this program is like a dream come true. Faced with the decision to choose ANY COUNTRY in the WHOLE WORLD was like being that kid in the candy shop. The hard part was that I could only pick ONE candy, but the good news is that I got A LOT of it! I had narrowed my choices down to a country in the Islamic world, preferably Arabic speaking. Because of my previous experience in Morocco and my friends that I left here last year, I choose to come to Morocco for 6-7 months. Although Moroccan Arabic isn't as pure as other dialects, such as Lebanese, Gulf, or Egyptian, Morocco provides a unique opportunity to study religion, language, and the influence of the West. Morocco's geographic location allows for a unique study. Morocco is the gateway to Africa, from Europe, and this very idea is fascinating. Situated on the north-west tip of Africa on the Straight of Gibraltar, Morocco is only 13km away from Spain, part of the EU, representing a massive western (and global) influence that is found in nearly every corner of the country. Unlike the other North African countries, Morocco's proximity to Europe creates a fascinating clash of the East and West, traditional and progressive, Muslim and Christian.
I think now, more than ever, there is a need for people from the West, especially America, to learn about Islam and continue (or start fresh) building bridges across the two major cultures. I would even go as far as to say that this is a very special time in history when the two major religions of the world are coming face to face. I don't mean to get political or anything, but seeing clips and reading over Obama's speech to the Islamic world, given at the University in Cairo, was history in the making. I believe Obama is doing a great work by reaching out to the Islamic World. Many Americans believe Islam to be America's enemy. Regardless of whether you believe this to be true or not, negative stereotypes against Muslims are widespread (in America and outside America) and Obama is making a valiant effort in making friends with them, enemy or not. Obama is fighting against these negative stereotypes towards Muslims, and is asking Muslims to do the same. Nothing is going to change unless I step across the cultural and religious barriers, the same barriers that call my Muslim brothers and sisters my enemy, and befriend them as one of my own brothers and sisters. My first day in Morocco, I was talking with a (Moroccan, Muslim) man in Spanish who said, "Todos somos hijos de Dios. ?Porque no podemos comer juntos en la misma mesa?" ("We are all sons of God. Why can't we all eat together at the same table?") He was referring to Americans, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Palestinians, Atheists, and everyone else. Although there may be some theological disagreements with this statement, I also see the beauty in fact that one man is fed up with all of the war and fighting over greed, religion, and money, and is simply asking, "can't we just all get along?". Before I left for Morocco, people were asking me where I was going. When I answered Morocco, I received common responses. One of my favorites was, "Morocco..... wow..... be careful! some people over there are.... you know.... not very nice". "The truth is," I wanted to say, "that the people in Morocco are much nicer than they are in the States." But I felt like that would have been a little too much for this person. "There's no way people in other countries could be nicer than us in the US" would probably have been her response. So, I smiled, nodded, and laughed a little inside. Despite the numerous responses, "Be careful of muslims!(the most common one) Aren't you scared to be a Christian? Are you going to be target because you follow Jesus?" and other nonsense warnings, I packed my clothes, gathered my research and academic material, my Bible and Qur'an, and packed everything. At LAX, I was kindly informed that my 30kg (70lbs) bag was overweight and I had to pay an extra US$70. I know I'm going to learning a lot... so I tried to justify that most of my bag is books and therefore worth the pay. Too bad my scholarships didn't cover my overweight baggage!
After looking back on my first week here, I know that these several months are going to be amazing! Tomorrow, I am traveling to Fes (about 6 hours south of Tangier) to start my Language program. For six weeks, I will be studying Arabic at Arabic Language Institute in Fes (ALIF). It is a six week intensive course in classical Arabic. The challenge will come when trying to make the connection between the classical Arabic or MSA (Modern Standard Arabic) to the Moroccan Dialect, Darija, as it is a mix of Arabic, Berber, French, and Spanish. Similarly, I will be doing my best to learn French, while continuing to practice my Spanish. (For those of you who don't know, Morocco was colonized by the French, and therefore the two official languages here are Arabic and French.... but most people in the north speak Spanish--being close to Spain and all--and a few speak English.) These next few months will be also be challenging, as I am constantly surrounded by people who speak a different language than me, practice a different religion, and come from a completely different culture than me. But that is the beauty of it!
Until next time,
m'a salaama ("with peace")
Ryan
I arrived in Morocco exactly a week ago and the past week has been non-stop for the most part. It is usually about 3am, or sometimes later, before I put my head down on the pillow. Before I tell you a little bit about my week, I would love to give a little overview of why I am in Morocco in the first place, what I am doing, who I am with, and also about this blog. The purpose of this blog is twofold. First, it is an organic setting where I can write to please no one. As most of you know, the first and foremost reason I am in Morocco now is because of school. With that, I have a lot of academic responsibility. This blog will allow me to write not for my professor or any other academic motive, but instead to share my experiences, allowing you to read a more organic writing without any filters or intentions to please. The second purpose of this blog is for you reading it. Of course I can keep a private journal and write exactly the same things, but that's no fun when people like you want to hear a little bit of my experience. So with that, we begin together...
I must back up more than a year. In the Spring of 2008, I studied on The Scholar Ship, an ocean-going university that sailed across the world, while porting in more than 10 countries. Of the 150 students on the ship, there were 35 countries represented, one of them being Morocco. I became friends with several of the Moroccan students as we played soccer on the ship, had classes together, and traveled around several countries where we were at port. As I look back, this was really the catalyst for my love and curiosity for Morocco, Islam, and the Arabic language. I had the incredible opportunity to be hosted by some of my friends in Morocco last April and May. What can I say.... a year later, I made the decision to move back for 6-7months! I hope that through my writings, you're eyes will be open to the beauty of Morocco, it language, it's people, and its religion. When I say the word Morocco, I dont know what comes to your minds.... maybe images of a line of camels walking across endless sand dunes of the Sahara, or the snow-capped Atlas mountains that cut diagonally across the country, maybe the maze-like ancient Medinas in each city, the colorful bazaars, souqs and markets, or perhaps the famous Moroccan architecture that make palaces, mosques, houses, and stores in Morocco all photogenic. Although all of these are beautiful snapshots of the country, they fail in comparison to the Moroccan people. I'm not going to lie, I've been to more beautiful countries (in my opinion), like South Africa or the Seychelles. But without a doubt, of the 40+ countries that I've been to, Moroccans take the gold medal in my books. I thought when I was here last, I received unprecedented hospitality and warmth. Coming back just over a year later, it got even better! As these next few months unfold, I am sure you will read countless stories of the incredible hospitality I will experience. I hope that through my writings you will be able to see and experience vicariously the amazing people that make Morocco the beautiful country and culture that it is! Before I get ahead of myself on the hospitality of the Moroccan people, I would like to write a bit more of why I came to Morocco.
As a Global Studies undergraduate student at Azusa Pacific University in Los Angeles, I HAD TO spend 2 semesters off campus. Of course, I choose to do a third (The Scholar Ship). One of my (required) semesters was spent living in inner-city Los Angeles (Inglewood to be exact), while doing academic work Monday/Wednesday/Friday and an internship Tuesday/Thursday. During this program, students could not have cars, so we took public transit (buses, the metro, etc.) everywhere for 4 months. It was one of the richest experiences of my life! That semester, called LA Term, was not only an experience in itself, but also a preparation for this Global Learning Term (GLT). Each Global Studies student at APU has to do a GLT. It is a 4-8 month study abroad term overseas. Unlike just about every other study abroad program, each student chooses ANY country in the world (minus those our wonderful state department politely advises us not to go to). While in the country of the student's choice, we do not study at any host university, but instead we do all our academic work on our own, with 30+ page guides provided by our professor. It is each student's responsibility to find a local (this cannot include ex-pats) family to stay with during their term, as well as find an "intercultural internship" in which we will work with a locally-based NGO or Non-Profit organization for 1-4 months, and also conduct research on a topic or issue chosen by the student. For example, right now there are students in Thailand researching about sex-trafficking and sex-tourism and its effects on women and children, students in Latin America and Africa researching the causes and concerns regarding street children, and others researching sanitation and ecological issues in Indian slums. This is a brief overview of the GLT and Global Studies program through APU. Depending on the time spent in the country, we will take a minimum of 3 "classes" (remember, everything is on our own) and some will take up to 5 classes. Each student is in a different country, for the most part, and has spent 4 (or more) months researching relevant issues and general information about their countries, people, and culture, and have plenty of academic material to make this semester engaging, challenging, and yet rewarding. Unlike most study abroad programs, we are required to go beyond scratching the surface in order to get to the depths of our host countries, cultures, people, and language. In doing so, we hope to develop cultural competencies and an analytical framework and understanding that marries academic material to personal experience.
Those of you who know me can imagine that this program is like a dream come true. Faced with the decision to choose ANY COUNTRY in the WHOLE WORLD was like being that kid in the candy shop. The hard part was that I could only pick ONE candy, but the good news is that I got A LOT of it! I had narrowed my choices down to a country in the Islamic world, preferably Arabic speaking. Because of my previous experience in Morocco and my friends that I left here last year, I choose to come to Morocco for 6-7 months. Although Moroccan Arabic isn't as pure as other dialects, such as Lebanese, Gulf, or Egyptian, Morocco provides a unique opportunity to study religion, language, and the influence of the West. Morocco's geographic location allows for a unique study. Morocco is the gateway to Africa, from Europe, and this very idea is fascinating. Situated on the north-west tip of Africa on the Straight of Gibraltar, Morocco is only 13km away from Spain, part of the EU, representing a massive western (and global) influence that is found in nearly every corner of the country. Unlike the other North African countries, Morocco's proximity to Europe creates a fascinating clash of the East and West, traditional and progressive, Muslim and Christian.
I think now, more than ever, there is a need for people from the West, especially America, to learn about Islam and continue (or start fresh) building bridges across the two major cultures. I would even go as far as to say that this is a very special time in history when the two major religions of the world are coming face to face. I don't mean to get political or anything, but seeing clips and reading over Obama's speech to the Islamic world, given at the University in Cairo, was history in the making. I believe Obama is doing a great work by reaching out to the Islamic World. Many Americans believe Islam to be America's enemy. Regardless of whether you believe this to be true or not, negative stereotypes against Muslims are widespread (in America and outside America) and Obama is making a valiant effort in making friends with them, enemy or not. Obama is fighting against these negative stereotypes towards Muslims, and is asking Muslims to do the same. Nothing is going to change unless I step across the cultural and religious barriers, the same barriers that call my Muslim brothers and sisters my enemy, and befriend them as one of my own brothers and sisters. My first day in Morocco, I was talking with a (Moroccan, Muslim) man in Spanish who said, "Todos somos hijos de Dios. ?Porque no podemos comer juntos en la misma mesa?" ("We are all sons of God. Why can't we all eat together at the same table?") He was referring to Americans, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Palestinians, Atheists, and everyone else. Although there may be some theological disagreements with this statement, I also see the beauty in fact that one man is fed up with all of the war and fighting over greed, religion, and money, and is simply asking, "can't we just all get along?". Before I left for Morocco, people were asking me where I was going. When I answered Morocco, I received common responses. One of my favorites was, "Morocco..... wow..... be careful! some people over there are.... you know.... not very nice". "The truth is," I wanted to say, "that the people in Morocco are much nicer than they are in the States." But I felt like that would have been a little too much for this person. "There's no way people in other countries could be nicer than us in the US" would probably have been her response. So, I smiled, nodded, and laughed a little inside. Despite the numerous responses, "Be careful of muslims!(the most common one) Aren't you scared to be a Christian? Are you going to be target because you follow Jesus?" and other nonsense warnings, I packed my clothes, gathered my research and academic material, my Bible and Qur'an, and packed everything. At LAX, I was kindly informed that my 30kg (70lbs) bag was overweight and I had to pay an extra US$70. I know I'm going to learning a lot... so I tried to justify that most of my bag is books and therefore worth the pay. Too bad my scholarships didn't cover my overweight baggage!
After looking back on my first week here, I know that these several months are going to be amazing! Tomorrow, I am traveling to Fes (about 6 hours south of Tangier) to start my Language program. For six weeks, I will be studying Arabic at Arabic Language Institute in Fes (ALIF). It is a six week intensive course in classical Arabic. The challenge will come when trying to make the connection between the classical Arabic or MSA (Modern Standard Arabic) to the Moroccan Dialect, Darija, as it is a mix of Arabic, Berber, French, and Spanish. Similarly, I will be doing my best to learn French, while continuing to practice my Spanish. (For those of you who don't know, Morocco was colonized by the French, and therefore the two official languages here are Arabic and French.... but most people in the north speak Spanish--being close to Spain and all--and a few speak English.) These next few months will be also be challenging, as I am constantly surrounded by people who speak a different language than me, practice a different religion, and come from a completely different culture than me. But that is the beauty of it!
Until next time,
m'a salaama ("with peace")
Ryan
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