Week of Eid!

Ok, so I haven't posted in awhile so I had a few posts to put up and I decided to break them in to a few parts. Here's the next one:

The week was less eventful. My family doesn’t have little kids, and Valentine’s Day isn’t as big here, but Wednesday and Thursday are a very special holiday: the Prophet’s birthday. On this day, neighbors visit one another and people visit those to whom they’ve done wrong during the past year to ask forgiveness visit. There is also lots of yummy food eating at all meals. For breakfast we had crepes, chocolate cake, cookies, honey pancakes, tea, and coffee. For lunch on Thursday we has Cous Cous! The whole family from downstairs plus a neighbor ate with us, so we ate in the formal living room. They all tried to teach me how to eat cous cous with my hands. By the time we were done eating, my entire hand, pants, and the floor around me was covered in cous cous, but I had gotten it down pretty well. On Friday we ate a more modest meal because we’d eaten so much the day before. Mostly I was really sick so I stayed in bed for four days. 

First Excursion Madness! (2/12-2/14)

Two weekends ago was our first excursion! We visited sites of importance to Moroccan history: Meknes, Moulay Idriss, Volubilis, and Fez. Saturday morning we got up bright and early and met at the CCCL to load the buses. The Tunisia program went with us on our excursion and the Migration group went north to some beautiful coastal cities. As soon as we left Rabat, the scenery opened up into lush green rolling hills. We passed some areas of farmland, pastures with horses, sheep, and cattle, and some slightly more mountainous areas (more hilly than mountainy). Even though it was a major highway, I definitely saw cattle about to roam into the road at one point.

We had a bathroom break halfway through where I decided to order some tea hoping I could get it to-go. This was a very popular decision in the group, and unfortunately we all realized too late that there is no “to-go” when it comes to hot drinks, even at a gas station. Tea is served in a glass and coffee is served in a porcelain cup. So it ended up taking a lot longer than our leaders wanted to take that break. I also ordered msmen (which I’ve also seen called raif), which is like a Moroccan crepe. It doesn’t really have anything in it, so actually it’s just a thin fried pancake. So, eventually we got back on the road and made it to Meknes, where we met our first guide. He was a short Berber guy (I’m assuming, because he kept making jabs at Arabs) dressed in traditional clothing. This guy was SO ready to tell us why Meknes is the BIGGEST, BEST, and (insert superlative here) place in Morocco.

            Meknes, while maybe not the most interesting place, has a rich history. Located here is the palace of Moulay Ismael, a grand Moroccan king who built (what our guide called) the largest palace in Africa ever. It is no longer inhabited, but stands as a historical marker. Meknes is still the only major Moroccan city where King Mohammad VI doesn’t have a palace. We saw one of the 10 most beautiful gates in the world there also. It was very large with intricate designs, and our giant bus was only allowed to park there for a few minutes so we could get off and take pictures, because we were most definitely blocking traffic. So we continued through successive gates to the city, each revealing a different historical quarter. The palace of Moulay Ismael lies at the center of the city, and there are 3 walls in concentric circles around it, each where a different quarter was located. We visited the old chellah, or Jewish quarter, which is not really known for a Jewish population since most Moroccan Jews went to Israel in the 1950’s. Finally we went through the center gate and we got to see part of the ruins of the palace. It was beautiful, but unfortunately it had been partially destroyed by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755. As we were going into the inner gate, our guide pointed out the building where the first treaty to recognize the United States of America was signed. Then we went to the granary for the horses of Moulay Ismael. It was a huge granary that could store enough grain to feed his 12,000 horses for 3 years! Half of the granary was built with arched ceilings, but it took too long and Moulay Ismael ordered the builders to begin using flat roofs. They were the ones that would fall victim to the earthquake, but the arched ceilings remain intact. Moulay Ismael was a grand king, similar to his French counterpart, Louis XIV. The story is that Moulay Ismael wanted his son to marry the French king’s daughter, so he built his own gardens similar to those of Versailles. Still, the marriage didn’t work out. His main contribution to Moroccan history is that he was able to prevent the Ottomans from taking the region. In Meknes we also visited the tomb of Moulay Ismael, who I think is also one of the first Alawite kings, which is the current dynasty ruling Morocco.

            The last place we went to was an artisan shop where we were shown a special art form using metal and silver thread. This is only practiced in two places in the world, here and Toledo, Spain. It was cool, but of course our guide took us there because he gets a commission from what we buy.

            The next destination was Moulay Idriss, a beautiful little town nestled in the mountains and covered in olive trees (seriously, everywhere). Moulay Idriss is named for the first Islamic dynasty to come to Morocco and the first person to consolidate the kingdom of Morocco. After a very precarious drive on some winding, narrow mountain roads, we made it to our lunch destination, a family restaurant in the hills of Moulay Idriss. We were served tajine with chicken and quince (so delicious), and for dessert, almond-stuffed dates. Then we took a short drive to Volubilis.

            Volubilis is on the outskirts of the town, and represents the southernmost city of the Roman Empire. It was destroyed in the Lisbon Earthquake, but after extensive excavations, some of the ruins have been reconstructed. This is an ongoing project. Here we had a wonderful and knowledgeable guide who told us the story of the town. We were able to see the temple of Jupiter, some individual homes with intricate mosaics, public bathrooms, a hot tub, the public speaking arena, and even a brothel. The Colosseum hasn’t been uncovered yet, but archaeologists have an idea of where it should be and hope to uncover it in the future.

            After Volubilis we pushed on to Fez, where we arrived at an amazing hotel called Hotel Batha, only a few minutes walk from the main gate of the famous medina. There was enough time to shower and enjoy the heated rooms (this is the first time we’ve experienced this since being here) before we met for dinner. We went to a nice restaurant that served kebabs and an egg and meatball concoction. For dessert, we of course had fruit (standard here): bananas, oranges, and a special treat, strawberries! There was also live traditional music.

            The next morning we started on a crazy tour of the city. First we visited places outside the medina, including one of the king’s palaces. Just the door knocker was bigger than my head! Then we went to a lookout above the city to get an idea of the size of the medina. It is the biggest in the world and has been declared a world heritage site by the United Nations. There are over 60 miles of streets in the medina, and some of these are barely wide enough for one person to walk through facing forward. The only means of transport inside the medina is on foot or by donkey, and pack animals are also used to transport goods. The problem is that when these animals get loaded down with goods on either side, they become

a)     as wide as the entire street

b)    unstoppable until their final destination

c)     all of the above.

So we really had to watch ourselves and be ready to jump into a doorway or down an alley. The problem is that when you and the 20 people around you are also trying to do this, it becomes more of a challenge. Even though the Fez medina is bigger, it seemed very organized. There are clearly certain areas for certain goods. One highlight was walking through the fish market, where fresh caught Great White Shark, stingray, prawns, and fish were being sold. There was another area where camel and sheep heads were being sold, both of which are apparently a delicacy here. Om nom nom.

            We also got to see the famous tanneries. As you go inside the area you are given a sprig of mint to block the gross smell of the fresh hides and massive tubs of dye. We observed them from a leather shop that our guides had conveniently taken us to with a vast selection of jackets, purses, and shoes. CCCL tries to hire good guides, but they of course take a commission from all the stores we happen upon. So a lot of people ended up buying goods at this place (I bought a purse), and then at a pottery factory we went to. It was cool to see the different kinds of gray and red clay being handmade into various tajines, mosaic fountains, and tiles in the famous blue color of Fez. At the end of the day we had free time to roam around and practice our bargaining skills. I bought a fez (from Fez). 

Casablanca: Old Medina, Hassan II Mosque, and Rick's Cafe!

Old Medina Clocktower

Old Medina Entrance 

Fruit Stand inside the Medina

Hassan II Mosque!

View from the Mosque Pavillion

Rick's Cafe! They play the movie here of course. Mostly for tourists. 

Cous Cous Friday!

First order of business, we got the word in the middle of class that Mubarak has resigned! We had a guest lecture yesterday by the SIT academic directors of the Egypt and Tunisia programs who talked about their personal experiences witnessing the outbreaks of the revolutions, and they were excited about the passion of the youth who lead the efforts and didn’t back down in the face of opposition. The Tunisia program is scheduled to return to the country in a few weeks if the new government is successful and can settle down. These revolutions are unique in North Africa because they are Western-style civil revolutions rather than Islamic Revivals or corrupt coup d’etats to correct the previous corrupt system. Even though we see demonstrations of people demanding social improvements (especially recent college graduates who can’t find work) one seems to think that Morocco is next, because the government is making efforts to improve democratic institutions. I’ve heard more talk of people looking to Yemen or Syria for the next upheaval, but at the same time this won’t necessarily have a domino effect on the entire Middle East.

Onto less global matters, my family is awesome! Transitioning into this living situation was difficult at first, but after one week I feel more comfortable here and I have been able to develop a friendly relationship with my family. It’s weird not being able to fully communicate with everyone in the household. For example, my host sisters speak a little French and when we are together we can speak to each other, but the older members, like the father and the extended family that lives downstairs, can’t speak French, so at meal times I usually sit and listen to them speak to each other in Arabic. Sometimes the father eats with us, but other times he eats in his room. My host parents don’t sleep in the same room, which is pretty common for Moroccan families. My host dad also might sleep in the living room. I’ve never been in there, but it’s decorated like a living room from what I’ve seen of other people’s houses and there is a tv in there. Whenever I watch tv with my host sisters we watch the tv in the dining room/casual living room. This is also where the kitchen is, and the bathroom is off the kitchen. At my house there is a Western toilet, but it drains into a Turkish toilet that sits next to it. For me, this means two chances to drop a phone in the toilet, which I happened to do today! My host dad and Fatima Zahra are trying to fix it now. Also, we don’t have a shower at home, so I’ve been to hammam two times and I’ve washed from a bucket a couple of times. We do have a wash machine, but it’s different from the kind you might find in the United States. And we dry our clothes on clotheslines on the roof.

The first week of classes went really well. Every morning from 8:30 until 11:45 we learned Darija, or Moroccan Arabic. The classes are all divided into small groups of different skill level. My class has 6 people, so we are able to get a lot of individual attention. Every night when I’m at home my host sisters help me with pronunciation and spelling. This morning we had a presentation in front of the entire group to show off our Arabic skills, then it’s up to us to cultivate our Darija independently. From now on we are learning Fusha, which is modern standard Arabic. Different versions of Arabic are spoken in different parts of the world, which means that Fusha isn’t really going to be useful on the street, which is kind of frustrating, but it will force us to be more creative. We did learn the basics, like bargaining, how to order in a café, clothing, colors, numbers, family terms and a few other key things. People are definitely more friendly when they find out you can speak Darija. People will offer you better deals in the medina or just generally be more friendly.

Since the weather has been improving, we’ve been able to eat lunch on the CCCL’s terrace. There is a great view of the city and it’s a great opportunity for sunbathing. Every Friday is cous cous Friday, so instead of eating lunch at the CCCL we get to go home and eat with our families then come back later for more class. Kids who live in the medina get the same afternoon break, so the whole family comes together to enjoy a giant delicious lunch.

After being here for two weeks and spending time with my family I’m noticing more and more about the city. The call to prayer happens 5 times per day starting at 5:30 am, and I wake up every morning to it. It’s actually really cool to hear all the time. Sometimes guys will stand on the street corner near a mosque and do the call themselves instead of over a loudspeaker, which is more common these days.

Over the weekend I went to Agdal, the French quarter of Rabat. It’s a whole different world there, much more like Europe than Morocco. I met a Moroccan woman who studied in New York for five years and has since returned to live here. She was horrified to know about my house in the Medina, which to me really isn’t that bad. She really wanted me to let everyone know when I tell the story about being in Morocco that not everywhere here is the same. She doesn’t even go to a hammam anymore and only showers at home. I guess it is important to note that there are some people in Morocco that are more wealthy than my family and some that are much much poorer. The Medina is considered a middle class neighborhood.

On Monday I went to Marjane, which is the Moroccan equivalent of a Target. On Wednesday I went shopping with friends in the souks, and Wednesday night I went to see a play at a local theater. It was put on by a French cultural society so it was in French. I understood most of it through body language, and I was able to pick up on a little bit of dialogue; just enough to know it was not that interesting. It was 90 minutes and there was no intermission! It was a play on Oedipes, but it was about a broken father/son relationship after the death of the mother. It was called Oedipiades. On Thursday afternoon I sat on the beach at Café Snack, an outdoor café on the beach below the Oudaya. We had a break before our last lecture so we walked 5 minutes to this awesome part of the beach. There are people running, playing soccer, reading, surfing, anything you can think of. People seem to be more relaxed socially there, probably because it’s the beach, and the beach is awesome. The waves were huge on one side of the pier and they kept crashing over it, and on the other side there were swimmers and surfers. This is where I hope to find myself today.

So far I’ve seen a lot of the highlights of Rabat. I went to the mausoleum of the previous kings with Olivia and Kawtar, her host sister. I also went to the Oudaya with friends. There were women sitting outside of it with henna who tried to grab at our hands and force it on us. Beware of people saying it’s free, because it’s not true! They will start a design, then continue it all the way up your arm and charge you after. These women and the people in the medina are very intense salesmen and very good at their profession, which is why I’m glad we were taught bargaining skills at the very beginning.

This week’s lecture series is about Western Sahara and is led by Lahcen, one of our professors. We talked about the history of the region, human rights issues, and human development since 1975 when Morocco acquired Western Sahara from Spain. Western Sahara comprises 60% of all the land area in Morocco. The Sahrawi people aren’t culturally similar to Morocco, but there has been integration over the years and the populations are friendly to each other. Morocco invested significantly in human development in the region, and now the “human development index” is much closer to that of Northern Morocco. There is still major disparity between urban and rural areas, but the same can be said for most places in the kingdom. Morocco doesn’t want to give independence to Western Sahara but Polisario, and miliant separatist group that claims to represent the interests of all Sahrawis, has violently fought for independence with the aid of Algeria. In recent years a ceasefire has been agreed upon, but Polisario still operates and fights for independence. The United Nations has attempted to mediate a resolution to the conflict to no avail. Morocco agreed to organize a referendum, but just registering people who could vote was contentious and the referendum never happened. So no one really knows what the vast majority of Sahrawis want. The most likely plan to happen if anything at this point seems to be semi-autonomy under the ultimate jurisdiction of the state, but this won’t happen until people are counted and registered to vote.

Lahcen warned us of his bias in the beginning, but it was very clear from a lecture we had on Thursday about the dismantling of Gdim Izyk that he is pro-Moroccan. I went away from the lecture feeling that what wasn’t said was more significant than what was said. I didn’t feel like we had been given the full objective picture on what had happened.When people asked very legitimate questions about contradictions in the story we were given, the answer was indirect and sometimes created more contradiction than before. It did spark private discussions about what we thought was the importance of the event, and today’s guest lecture by the former UNDP representative to Morocco brought a little light to the situation.

The dismantling of Gdim Izyk happened in 2008. Some people in Western Sahara, mainly Laayoune, were unhappy with the way they were being treated by the local government. It’s important to know that all Sahrawis are supported by the government, so there is less initiative to go out and find jobs. The government has invested heavily in the contested territory which has not encouraged development in the private sector. This creates a lack of jobs. People were also angry because the wealth given by the government to the region was not being distributed to everyone in the area. So they decided to protest by creating an illegal camp 15 km outside the city. People from all around joined in the protest and it eventually grew to an (estimated) 20,000 tents. The leaders of the camp were making social demands, but at some point the Polisario became involved and took over the camp. The Polisario is a separatist group in Western Sahara that is closely involved with Algeria, and has been in violent opposition to the Kingdom of Morocco in the past. Anyway, they started making political demands and the government decided to intervene and dismantle the camp. They came early in the morning with firetrucks and security officials to break it down. Polisario retaliated violently against the unarmed police officers. The result was chaos. People died and there were riots in Laayoune. To make things worse the Spanish media misreported the whole event and used false pictures to back up their own version of the story, which was then reported around the world. The EU issued a report based on this information that wasn’t favorable to Morocco and there was a giant protest in the streets of Casablanca, of which Lahcen was a part.

Mostly I wish during this lecture we could have talked a little more about political and historical development that led up to Gdim Izyk, because it didn’t really make sense with other things we have been learning about. I feel like we talked too much about who is to blame for the Sahara question and surrounding problems. I did enjoy a guest lecture by a Sahrawi woman who works in human development in her area. In 1996 she started an NGO that helps women become entrepreneurs and integrate into civil society. She was moved to do this after seeing family members whose husbands were forcibly taken to the Tindouf camp in Algeria in the 1970’s. These women never remarried but still had to take care of their children. She wanted to give women the means to support themselves and their families, because women and children are the first victims of political violence and there weren’t services in the past to help them. She also started the first private school for girls in Western Sahara, which gave an amazing opportunity for education to families. In 1985, 78% of the heads of household in Western Sahara had no formal education. Now the education level is on par with or ahead of the rest of the country. Sahrawis have a high level of respect for the women of their culture, so when Morocco corrected the problem of access to education, Sahrawis had no problem putting their young daughters into schools.

Now I’m going to the beach!! It’s sunny and beautiful and the temperature keeps rising. Moroccans are surprised to see Americans wear sandals and short sleeves because it’s still winter weather for them, but for me it feels like perfect summer weather. This weekend there is a chance for rain when we are in Fez, but Moroccans don’t really talk about the weather, so Nawal (our CCCL leader) told us to expect anything and we should be fine.

Correction from last update: I found out that what I called the “al-Mohades” dynasty is actually something more like “almoravid”, I think. I saw it written for the first time the other day J

Le Weekend!

It’s Friday and I am getting ready to spend my first weekend with my host family in Rabat. Orientation week was so exciting! Every day I pushed the boundaries of my experiences, from learning how to bargain in the medina, no less with someone whose language I don’t speak, to meeting my host family. Rabat is a beautiful city, although many locals say it is one of the less beautiful cities in Morocco.

The first thing we learned during Orientation was how to bargain in the Medina, which was super helpful. Then we got a lecture on how to navigate sexual harassment and how to deal with our host families, since family life is very different. We also got an introduction to the program and our class schedule. The CCCL has two annexes, one inside the Medina and one outside the Medina. One is the library, which is small but very comfortable. 

Most of this week has been spent in the Medina and around the Hotel Majestic, but now I am ready to explore the city after our Academic Director gave us a bus tour. Rabat has a rich history of Empire and is still growing everyday.  The population of Rabat and Salé, the sister cities separated by the Bouregregg River, had a population of 500,000 in the 1950s and now the metropolitan area boasts over one million people. Abdelhey, our AD, describes the city as having 4 distinct periods of development: the pre-colonial, the colonial, post-colonial, and post-modern. Pre-colonial Rabat was inhabited by the Roman Empire. They built ramparts separate from those around the Ancient Medina, and today it serves as a cemetery for kings and their wives overlooking the Bouregregg Valley. The Oudaya is the original site of Rabat, built in the 9^th century. Many people live in the Oudaya and the palace from this time still stands inside the walls. The Ancient Medina is part of the pre-Colonial development also. There are two walls that partially surround the Medina, the 12^th century wall and the 17^th century wall. The 12^th century wall was built by the al-Mohades Dynasty. The king wanted to build the largest mosque in the world, but died before construction was finished leaving only a wall and a half-finished minaret. During the 17^th century when the Andalusians were expelled from Spain, the population of Rabat grew again. Jews, Muslims, and a few Christians populated the city now. They built another wall along the Eastern side of the Medina. Morocco’s demographics today are Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2%. Since 1949 most of the Jews have gone to Israel. Now only a few thousand remain in all of Morocco. There aren’t many Christians either, but there is a Roman Catholic Diocese, and Evangelical Church of Rabat, and the Rabat International Church. The first Andalusians to come to Morocco during the expulsion came to Salé, which became a center for piracy against the Christian and Spanish persecutors throughout the 17^th century. There are still some Colonial period buildings, such as the head of the Colonial administration which now serves as something else but I don’t know what. These buildings are extravagant white marble with large front lawns. The Parliament is built to resemble the colonial style. During the post-colonial period, the buildings were designed to incorporate Colonial and Andalusian architectural styles. Then, in the 1980’s and 90’s, “New York” style glass and concrete buildings were erected. Today’s post-modern architecture is a return to the Andalusian style.

The most recent development is suburbs that grow daily. Twenty years ago it was Morocco’s most fertile land, and now houses stand on it. There are other signs of urbanization such as the historic Tramway being built. It is scheduled to begin taking passengers in March. Some people are worried about it because Moroccan traffic is notorious for ignoring street signs and stop lights, and even pedestrians (this stereotype was only reinforced by my first cab ride yesterday). There is a concern that cars wouldn’t stop for it or that pedestrians would block the path. I think people will be able to get accustomed to paying attention to it, or at least I hope this will be the case.

The weather is improving. The first few days were rainy and one day it even hailed. Now it is still cool but sunny. Most houses here aren’t heated and there is an open courtyard in the middle so it is very cold at night. The door to each room in this house is a blanket and a half-door, but I slept under two comforters and I was very warm last night, actually much warmer than I was even at Hotel Majestic. I’m thinking about venturing out to the beach as soon as I figure out how to get out to the main street of the Medina.

I think this experience is too new for me to be experiencing any real culture shock yet, but I have noticed some major differences in the daily practices of Moroccans. There is trash everywhere: Trash on the beach, trash on the streets, piles of trash on the sidewalk. Walking through the Medina on the first day I noticed one man unwrap something and throw the wrapper on the ground right without stopping. I was appalled. Throughout the week I’ve noticed that there are no trashcans in public. In fact, the only places I’ve seen trashcans so far are in the kitchen and in bathrooms. And it definitely causes an odor. There are also stray animals everywhere. They don’t really bother you, but as a lifelong pet owner it was weird to see so many stray animals everywhere with no one paying any attention to them.

It’s funny, our Academic Director Abdelhey talked to us today about how it is impossible to recreate the traditional experience of study abroad, which is going to a new country and having total isolation from your home culture and being forced to be immersed in your new one. He encouraged us not to spend all our time tied to computers and phones, staying tied to our home culture. However, I’m finding that technology inextricably blurs the boundaries between cultures. I’m sitting here in my host house, listening to an American song that my host sister is playing. Last night I watched with my other sister an incredibly stupid American show called Hellcats, which I didn’t know existed until I came halfway around the world. I’ve heard television described multiple times as a member of the family by our orientation leaders at the CCCL. 75% of Moroccan homes have satellite. My house doesn’t have Internet, but it is fairly easily accessible if I went to an Internet café or bought a modem, which costs 200 MAD (Moroccan dirham) or about $25. Even Lahcen, our other Academic Director, updates his Twitter account from his smart phone all the time to see what else it can tell him about what’s going on in Egypt. Where does the “traditional” experience fit in to the reality of modern technology?

I’m really excited for the coming weeks, especially to get more acquainted with the Medina and be able to find my way around, and also to start classes on Monday. Today we had our first Darija (Moroccan Arabic) lesson so I was able to have a 30 second conversation with my host mother. Next week we continue with Darija and start our first module about the Politics of Human Rights in the Sahara. Then at the end of the week we have the Four Dynasties trip, our first excursion of the program. I can’t wait!! 

Rabat 101

It's hard to believe I've been in Morocco less than a week! My flight landed in Casablanca at 6:25 am local time and we were through Customs by 7:30. The Hassan II Mosque (pictures to come) is the first place we went before going to Rabat. It is the only mosque in Morocco that allows non-Muslims. It also has the biggest minaret in the world. It was our first experience with Moroccan traffic (anything goes and it seems that pedestrians never have the right-of-way) and our first experience with a medina, which is the usually the oldest part of town. The medina where we are staying in Rabat is a lot nicer than Casablanca's old medina! Hassan II was the second king of Morocco and the father of Mohammad VI, the current king. After seeing the mosque we had to walk several kilometers to the train station in the rain, but not before stopping to check out Rick's Cafe (it really exists, apparently)! So, Morocco is not a warm or particularly dry country so far. But once we got to the station is was very nice. The train system in Morocco is well established and is cheap to use. It cost us less than $5 to take the train to Rabat. We found a beautiful and much cleaner city than what we'd experienced in Casablanca.

Tomorrow (Thursday) we meet our homestay families! It promises to be the best opportunity so far for  intimately getting to see how Moroccan society works. One adventure after another!! Stay tuned for pictures of Hassan II mosque next time I have internet access....