My second week in Morocco was nothing short of amazing. After surviving the Sahara, I found myself being tired and drained of all of my energy; I didn't know how I was going to make it through the week. Luckily, I was able to interact with some energetic youth at an after school program here. We went to the program last week with books to read with the children. I didn't expect to laugh, play, and dance as well. That moment has been documented as one of my favorite moments here because it felt great to see all of the children's smiling faces, and it felt great to smile with them. (Yes, it was even better than our trip to the Sahara). Making a positive influence in someone's life is remarkable. My experience at the after school program showed me that love and inspiration can triumph many barriers, including language barriers.
Also, I took my midterm last Friday, and I passed, so I am also doing well in my classes while I am over here.
Before I go, I must mention that I went to the Justin Timberlake concert on Friday for the Mawazine Festival. It was nothing short of amazing, and a great way to relax after taking an exam.
Life is good here in Rabat, and it gets better and better every day.
My second week in Morocco was wonderful! We went to some awesome museums and learned a lot there. We also made a trip to a local school and brought books to the kids there. The kids were so sweet and adorable. We read to them and they read to us, we also sang and danced with them! They were very energetic! But It was one of my favorite trips! I love kids and being able to see what these kids have gone through but still see them smile was truly remarkable. We also went to Volubilis, Meknes, and Fes. Volubilis was so cool! We got to see Roman ruins which were absolutely amazing and beautiful! Meknas was pretty cool too, we got to go through market place there. Then we went to Fes. I loved the souqs which were laid out like a labyrinth. The leather tannery smelled so bad but was so neat! The theological schools that we saw over the weekend were also amazing. The detail in the craftsmanship was astounding. I am pleased to be doing well in my Arabic class as well. I passed my midterm and am able to keep up with all of the school work. I can't believe it has been two weeks, and that I only have two weeks left. I am having the time of my life here!
My favorite excursion so far was when we went to the school to read to the kids there. Like many charity organizations, they struggle to have enough money, and so they can only afford to feed everyone two days a week. I decided that when I get home from this trip, I will write an English translation of their webpage (which is currently only in French) and write them a form for their donation page, to help them raise money to help the kids, some of whom are without family, or who have family that do not have the resources they need. We went to Fez and Meknes and the ancient Roman city of Volubilis this weekend. In Vulobilis we learned that norther Africa was a breadbasket for the Roman empire, providing food that was used across the empire. In Meknes we toured the Souk and saw an ancient mausoleum. Fez was my favorite though. There's something momentous about wandering the streets where something called "jadeeda medina" (the new city) was built in the 14th century. The world's oldest university is in the older part of the city. Al-Qarawiyyin was founded by a woman, Fatima al-Fihi in 859. We took midterms this week and I am pleased to have done well. Now we are doing homework, so we can see Stromae tonight at Mawazine.
This past week has been in comparison more relaxed than the week before. Because we have been at our school two weeks we are now all accustomed to the daily rituals of school. We eat breakfast, go to class for 2 hours, have a tea break, which is the best idea ever, every school should have one, (mint tea all the way with extra mint leaves!!!), and then we go back to class for 2 hours. Then we all have lunch together.
This past weekend we went to Fez, Meknes, and Walili. We saw roman ruins, the mausoleum, the tannery in Fez, and a pottery place. At the tannery, we all bought something. The smell was actually not that bad the day we went because it wasn’t as hot. Once we entered the tannery we were all given mint leaves for the smell. I didn’t end of using mine because I didn’t need it. To me the smell wasn’t that bad. I bought a wallet made out of camel for my dad.
Also early in the week we had a great opportunity to work with and play with underprivileged children. These children are in the unfortunate position to either have no parents or a single parent. We toured the school and then had the opportunity to read with them. We read Arabic books to them and they read to us. Wow these kids kicked our butts in reading. They made me feel stupid. But that’s ok, I’m sure if I read to them in English they would feel the same. It was great spending time with them and dancing to music and just letting go and being a kid.
I can’t wait for these next 2 weeks and to continue these adventures.
This is week two of my stay in Morocco and I have to say it is wonderful here. From visiting all of the museum's and one of the largest mosques in the world, the relevancy of the culture that was established hundreds of years ago is so apparent now. There are just so many people who take pride in progressing their CULTURE that is takes place as life fulfillment. We saw done artisans crafting some tiles by hand and the guide told us that the people know the designs by heart. The detail in the designs themselves is so intricate that it is hard to grasp how skilled these people could really be. Craftsmanship that could only take years to develop is apparent in so many people we saw in fez. I cant wait to see more.
Hey everyone!!! Our second week in Morocco was awesome we got to go to Casablanca which was an awesome city. We saw the mall the Hassan II mosque which was huge!!!! Its tower was huge like Washington Monument size. It was a beautiful place. The city was overall amazing. We also went to Fes and Meknes. Fes was mind blowing!! It was straight out of Arabian Nights winding alley’s random shops with everything you could imagine. The most memorable was the Leather making shop. By far the worst smelling place I have been!!! But it was a beautiful place I got some great panoramic pics of the city and you can see them on the Arabic Club page. Austin Branham
Week 2 is already down, but it was amazing! Other that the fact i got slightly sick, but I bounced right back. This week we also had our midterms, yikes! But throughout the week we went to really cool Museums and saw some great stuff. But the highlight of our second week was going to Fes and Meknes. Fes was amazing, we went to go see the Ruins and it had such a great view over the city. After touring Meknes we went to Fes where we had these delicious Almond Cookies! We also went to the Medina in Fes which was quite an experience! The coolest part was the tannery of the leather, it smelled horrible but the products were to die for! I ended up learning how to negotiate too! Overall an eventful week! Can not wait for more and in the mean time check out the GSU arabic club page on Facebook for all of our pictures!!! :)
This pas week was informative. We visited Roman ruins in Vollubis, walked the streets of Fez and Meknes, and also visited the oldest university in the world. We also visited the house of arts in Rabat and a museum in Sale. We even went to an afterschool program for less fortunate kids and read to them, or was read to by them. All in all, it was a lot.
Sarah checking in, documenting my second week in Morocco! This past week was definitely tiresome - with midterms approaching, excursions on the weekend...it takes a lot out of you. We visited the third largest mosque in the world, which was absolutely breathtaking! It took five years to complete - people literally worked 24/7/365 until it was done. Crazy, right? One of my favorite days ever was visiting children at an after school program designed to help children who come from low income homes. They were so pleasant, and so patient in speaking with us in Arabic, showing us maps of Morocco and the United States, and playing games with us. It really is a testament to the resilience of children - despite their situations, they're so willing and ready to have fun.
Side note: I. FOUND. PASTA. Now, some of you may think, who cares - it's just pasta, but this was a really big deal for me. I've missed it, I've craved it, and now, I've finally gotten some. It's really interesting how something so small, meant so much, and made me think of how much I miss home, and familiarity. On the way back, I found a church as well! Definitely looking forward to going for a service, as I've yet to experience worship abroad. Ok, end side note.
During our weekend excursion, we traveled to Fez, Meknes, and Volubilis. We got to see some really amazing ancient Roman ruins, saw one of the brothels, and even the homes of the time period. We were able to see beautiful things being made by hand: tables, cups, tagine bowls - you name it, it was there. It was quite amazing to see the physical labor that went into the makings of these beautiful pieces. We also visited a tannery - where the hides of animals (camels, goats, cows, etc.) are taken, and made into leather. Here's a tip for leather shopping: If you want to know whether or not you have real leather, put a flame to it. 100% leather does not burn, and if your merchant/seller refuses, that may be the reason! Oh, and fresh leather smells like poop. Not really much to say there, it just does. Beware of the merchants in Fez - they are really good, and will get you if you're not cautious. My method: keep your head down, walk with a purpose, and say "La, shukran" (pronounced shew-cron), which means "no, thank you". Yay, look at you learning Arabic! Obama is a sign of solidarity. When people find out that I'm American, one of the first things I hear is "Obama!", and get a smile. Almost as if to say, I know who he is, and I would have voted for him had I been in America as well, which is nice. I love the notion they have of finding and establishing something in common with me, by saying what they know about where I come from. Today, a man sang Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" to Laila and I as we passed by, on Sunday, I was compared to Serena Williams with a warm smile. (The jury is still out on that last one, maybe he was commenting on my athletic physique...). Whatever the case is, what I've come to value most during this trip is beauty in genuinely caring and connecting with God's people.
Welp, that's all for this week. Until next week, inshallah! Love you guys,
I am so sorry this is late but events happened and I honestly wasn't feeling up to writing a blog post. So week 2 was an amazing experience and it has seemed to fly by a lot quicker. However, this blog post I don't want to talk about Morocco as much but instead what I learned abou One thing I have learned is don't waste your time getting angry or upset because than later you will realize you spent so much time with your anger that you forgot to see the beauty around you. I realize let out your emotions and cry and yell and scream for a short period and get everything built up inside of you out instead of letting it sit inside of you and boil. You will just end up hurting those around you if you don't focus on your own well being and doing what you need to do to feel better. Also we are only here for two weeks and as Laila would say Laysa Andi Wakat, and with how I am feeling at the moment this means to me I don't have time to deal with you being moody. Just frickin talk to the other students and tell them how you are feeling, also Youssef is an amazing person to talk to when there are issues. Don't linger on the past but don't let your emotions sit and boil is all I am saying really. Enjoy your time during study abroad because it may seem long as you do it but once you are closer to the end it begins to look quick. I am already starting to have feelings of regret that I won't be staying longer THIS summer and am feeling sad that I may have to leave soon, but I won't let this get in my way of enjoying the rest of my trip and it also means that I maybe should come back and try studying alone at Qalam Wa Lawh. It truly is an amazing school but to go to this school you are going to have to be social and out going and you have to be able to laugh at yourself and just everything while maintaining a good work ethic. Thank you, sorry this isn't too much about the study abroad program and more about how I feel but I hope it helps someone in the long run and like I said I just wanted to get my feelings out there and not keep them bottled up and boiling inside me. Chase Kerrins
Week 2 is over and that means that our time in Morocco is halfway over! Can you believe it?! This past week has been full of adventures for us. Just when I thought that the country couldn't get even better, I was completely put in my place. At the beginning of the week, we traveled to Casablanca for a nice afternoon exploring the city. I loved the city and the people there. They were so nice and open to talking to us. Especially when I tried to communicate with them using my growing Arabic skills, they were so patient and willing to help. Later that week, we went to an after school program for kids and gave them books. They read to us and we read to them. Afterwards, we all got a chance to talk and dance with them. It was the greatest experience to watch the smiles on their faces and to see them run around and laugh. Throughout this week, I have met some more amazing people. I have been able to meet and hangout with some of the locals which has been amazing. On Friday, I went out with some of them to the Mawazine Festival to see Justin Timberlake.It was great! This past weekend we went to Meknes and Fez. In Meknes we saw ancient Roman ruins and it seemed as if we were stepping back into time. It was amazing getting the chance to see all of the history left behind from that time period. In Fez, we traveled through each part of the city from the oldest part to the newest. We even saw the oldest university in the world!! It was great! While shopping in the souk, I was able to buy leather bags and a jacket from a tanner there. It was great! This past week has been such an adventure. I am falling even more in love with the country. I can't wait to see what week 3 brings!
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteMy second week in Morocco was nothing short of amazing. After surviving the Sahara, I found myself being tired and drained of all of my energy; I didn't know how I was going to make it through the week. Luckily, I was able to interact with some energetic youth at an after school program here. We went to the program last week with books to read with the children. I didn't expect to laugh, play, and dance as well. That moment has been documented as one of my favorite moments here because it felt great to see all of the children's smiling faces, and it felt great to smile with them. (Yes, it was even better than our trip to the Sahara). Making a positive influence in someone's life is remarkable. My experience at the after school program showed me that love and inspiration can triumph many barriers, including language barriers.
Also, I took my midterm last Friday, and I passed, so I am also doing well in my classes while I am over here.
Before I go, I must mention that I went to the Justin Timberlake concert on Friday for the Mawazine Festival. It was nothing short of amazing, and a great way to relax after taking an exam.
Life is good here in Rabat, and it gets better and better every day.
Sincerely,
Yavaria Ryan
My second week in Morocco was wonderful! We went to some awesome museums and learned a lot there. We also made a trip to a local school and brought books to the kids there. The kids were so sweet and adorable. We read to them and they read to us, we also sang and danced with them! They were very energetic! But It was one of my favorite trips! I love kids and being able to see what these kids have gone through but still see them smile was truly remarkable. We also went to Volubilis, Meknes, and Fes. Volubilis was so cool! We got to see Roman ruins which were absolutely amazing and beautiful! Meknas was pretty cool too, we got to go through market place there. Then we went to Fes. I loved the souqs which were laid out like a labyrinth. The leather tannery smelled so bad but was so neat! The theological schools that we saw over the weekend were also amazing. The detail in the craftsmanship was astounding. I am pleased to be doing well in my Arabic class as well. I passed my midterm and am able to keep up with all of the school work. I can't believe it has been two weeks, and that I only have two weeks left. I am having the time of my life here!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Gunnels
My favorite excursion so far was when we went to the school to read to the kids there. Like many charity organizations, they struggle to have enough money, and so they can only afford to feed everyone two days a week. I decided that when I get home from this trip, I will write an English translation of their webpage (which is currently only in French) and write them a form for their donation page, to help them raise money to help the kids, some of whom are without family, or who have family that do not have the resources they need. We went to Fez and Meknes and the ancient Roman city of Volubilis this weekend. In Vulobilis we learned that norther Africa was a breadbasket for the Roman empire, providing food that was used across the empire. In Meknes we toured the Souk and saw an ancient mausoleum. Fez was my favorite though. There's something momentous about wandering the streets where something called "jadeeda medina" (the new city) was built in the 14th century. The world's oldest university is in the older part of the city. Al-Qarawiyyin was founded by a woman, Fatima al-Fihi in 859. We took midterms this week and I am pleased to have done well. Now we are doing homework, so we can see Stromae tonight at Mawazine.
ReplyDeleteThis past week has been in comparison more relaxed than the week before. Because we have been at our school two weeks we are now all accustomed to the daily rituals of school. We eat breakfast, go to class for 2 hours, have a tea break, which is the best idea ever, every school should have one, (mint tea all the way with extra mint leaves!!!), and then we go back to class for 2 hours. Then we all have lunch together.
ReplyDeleteThis past weekend we went to Fez, Meknes, and Walili. We saw roman ruins, the mausoleum, the tannery in Fez, and a pottery place. At the tannery, we all bought something. The smell was actually not that bad the day we went because it wasn’t as hot. Once we entered the tannery we were all given mint leaves for the smell. I didn’t end of using mine because I didn’t need it. To me the smell wasn’t that bad. I bought a wallet made out of camel for my dad.
Also early in the week we had a great opportunity to work with and play with underprivileged children. These children are in the unfortunate position to either have no parents or a single parent. We toured the school and then had the opportunity to read with them. We read Arabic books to them and they read to us. Wow these kids kicked our butts in reading. They made me feel stupid. But that’s ok, I’m sure if I read to them in English they would feel the same. It was great spending time with them and dancing to music and just letting go and being a kid.
I can’t wait for these next 2 weeks and to continue these adventures.
Darby Galler
Nardja Owens
ReplyDeleteThis is week two of my stay in Morocco and I have to say it is wonderful here. From visiting all of the museum's and one of the largest mosques in the world, the relevancy of the culture that was established hundreds of years ago is so apparent now. There are just so many people who take pride in progressing their CULTURE that is takes place as life fulfillment. We saw done artisans crafting some tiles by hand and the guide told us that the people know the designs by heart. The detail in the designs themselves is so intricate that it is hard to grasp how skilled these people could really be. Craftsmanship that could only take years to develop is apparent in so many people we saw in fez. I cant wait to see more.
Hey everyone!!!
ReplyDeleteOur second week in Morocco was awesome we got to go to Casablanca which was an awesome city. We saw the mall the Hassan II mosque which was huge!!!! Its tower was huge like Washington Monument size. It was a beautiful place. The city was overall amazing. We also went to Fes and Meknes. Fes was mind blowing!! It was straight out of Arabian Nights winding alley’s random shops with everything you could imagine. The most memorable was the Leather making shop. By far the worst smelling place I have been!!! But it was a beautiful place I got some great panoramic pics of the city and you can see them on the Arabic Club page.
Austin Branham
Ahlan Shabab!
ReplyDeleteWeek 2 is already down, but it was amazing! Other that the fact i got slightly sick, but I bounced right back. This week we also had our midterms, yikes! But throughout the week we went to really cool Museums and saw some great stuff. But the highlight of our second week was going to Fes and Meknes. Fes was amazing, we went to go see the Ruins and it had such a great view over the city. After touring Meknes we went to Fes where we had these delicious Almond Cookies! We also went to the Medina in Fes which was quite an experience! The coolest part was the tannery of the leather, it smelled horrible but the products were to die for! I ended up learning how to negotiate too! Overall an eventful week! Can not wait for more and in the mean time check out the GSU arabic club page on Facebook for all of our pictures!!! :)
This pas week was informative. We visited Roman ruins in Vollubis, walked the streets of Fez and Meknes, and also visited the oldest university in the world. We also visited the house of arts in Rabat and a museum in Sale. We even went to an afterschool program for less fortunate kids and read to them, or was read to by them. All in all, it was a lot.
ReplyDeleteHey guys!!
ReplyDeleteSarah checking in, documenting my second week in Morocco! This past week was definitely tiresome - with midterms approaching, excursions on the weekend...it takes a lot out of you. We visited the third largest mosque in the world, which was absolutely breathtaking! It took five years to complete - people literally worked 24/7/365 until it was done. Crazy, right?
One of my favorite days ever was visiting children at an after school program designed to help children who come from low income homes. They were so pleasant, and so patient in speaking with us in Arabic, showing us maps of Morocco and the United States, and playing games with us. It really is a testament to the resilience of children - despite their situations, they're so willing and ready to have fun.
Side note: I. FOUND. PASTA. Now, some of you may think, who cares - it's just pasta, but this was a really big deal for me. I've missed it, I've craved it, and now, I've finally gotten some. It's really interesting how something so small, meant so much, and made me think of how much I miss home, and familiarity. On the way back, I found a church as well! Definitely looking forward to going for a service, as I've yet to experience worship abroad. Ok, end side note.
During our weekend excursion, we traveled to Fez, Meknes, and Volubilis. We got to see some really amazing ancient Roman ruins, saw one of the brothels, and even the homes of the time period. We were able to see beautiful things being made by hand: tables, cups, tagine bowls - you name it, it was there. It was quite amazing to see the physical labor that went into the makings of these beautiful pieces. We also visited a tannery - where the hides of animals (camels, goats, cows, etc.) are taken, and made into leather. Here's a tip for leather shopping: If you want to know whether or not you have real leather, put a flame to it. 100% leather does not burn, and if your merchant/seller refuses, that may be the reason! Oh, and fresh leather smells like poop. Not really much to say there, it just does.
Beware of the merchants in Fez - they are really good, and will get you if you're not cautious. My method: keep your head down, walk with a purpose, and say "La, shukran" (pronounced shew-cron), which means "no, thank you". Yay, look at you learning Arabic!
Obama is a sign of solidarity. When people find out that I'm American, one of the first things I hear is "Obama!", and get a smile. Almost as if to say, I know who he is, and I would have voted for him had I been in America as well, which is nice. I love the notion they have of finding and establishing something in common with me, by saying what they know about where I come from. Today, a man sang Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" to Laila and I as we passed by, on Sunday, I was compared to Serena Williams with a warm smile. (The jury is still out on that last one, maybe he was commenting on my athletic physique...). Whatever the case is, what I've come to value most during this trip is beauty in genuinely caring and connecting with God's people.
Welp, that's all for this week. Until next week, inshallah! Love you guys,
Sarah
I am so sorry this is late but events happened and I honestly wasn't feeling up to writing a blog post. So week 2 was an amazing experience and it has seemed to fly by a lot quicker. However, this blog post I don't want to talk about Morocco as much but instead what I learned abou One thing I have learned is don't waste your time getting angry or upset because than later you will realize you spent so much time with your anger that you forgot to see the beauty around you. I realize let out your emotions and cry and yell and scream for a short period and get everything built up inside of you out instead of letting it sit inside of you and boil. You will just end up hurting those around you if you don't focus on your own well being and doing what you need to do to feel better. Also we are only here for two weeks and as Laila would say Laysa Andi Wakat, and with how I am feeling at the moment this means to me I don't have time to deal with you being moody. Just frickin talk to the other students and tell them how you are feeling, also Youssef is an amazing person to talk to when there are issues. Don't linger on the past but don't let your emotions sit and boil is all I am saying really. Enjoy your time during study abroad because it may seem long as you do it but once you are closer to the end it begins to look quick. I am already starting to have feelings of regret that I won't be staying longer THIS summer and am feeling sad that I may have to leave soon, but I won't let this get in my way of enjoying the rest of my trip and it also means that I maybe should come back and try studying alone at Qalam Wa Lawh. It truly is an amazing school but to go to this school you are going to have to be social and out going and you have to be able to laugh at yourself and just everything while maintaining a good work ethic. Thank you, sorry this isn't too much about the study abroad program and more about how I feel but I hope it helps someone in the long run and like I said I just wanted to get my feelings out there and not keep them bottled up and boiling inside me.
ReplyDeleteChase Kerrins
Week 2 is over and that means that our time in Morocco is halfway over! Can you believe it?! This past week has been full of adventures for us. Just when I thought that the country couldn't get even better, I was completely put in my place. At the beginning of the week, we traveled to Casablanca for a nice afternoon exploring the city. I loved the city and the people there. They were so nice and open to talking to us. Especially when I tried to communicate with them using my growing Arabic skills, they were so patient and willing to help.
ReplyDeleteLater that week, we went to an after school program for kids and gave them books. They read to us and we read to them. Afterwards, we all got a chance to talk and dance with them. It was the greatest experience to watch the smiles on their faces and to see them run around and laugh.
Throughout this week, I have met some more amazing people. I have been able to meet and hangout with some of the locals which has been amazing. On Friday, I went out with some of them to the Mawazine Festival to see Justin Timberlake.It was great!
This past weekend we went to Meknes and Fez. In Meknes we saw ancient Roman ruins and it seemed as if we were stepping back into time. It was amazing getting the chance to see all of the history left behind from that time period. In Fez, we traveled through each part of the city from the oldest part to the newest. We even saw the oldest university in the world!! It was great! While shopping in the souk, I was able to buy leather bags and a jacket from a tanner there. It was great!
This past week has been such an adventure. I am falling even more in love with the country. I can't wait to see what week 3 brings!
-Tony Hudson