The first week in Morocco has definitely been one for the books. The big adjustment I feel that everyone is facing is leaving behind issues in the United States. We traveled to a beautiful country, yet some still find ourselves trapped in our situations at Georgia Southern. Breaking free of those chains is the most difficult thing I have found during my first week. Regardless of this down-side, I am so amazed by this country and so happy I came on this trip. I knew "not a lick" of Arabic, but I have progressed leaps and bounds since I came to Qalam wa Lawh. My professor, Mrs. Miriam, is amazing and so patient with me. I honestly could not ask for more. The other students in my class, as well as those that traveled with me from Georgia Southern, are so helpful and encouraging. I appreciate it so much! Our first weekend excursion was to the Sahara Desert and that was an experience in itself. Don't get me wrong, it was fun, but I will never ride a camel in my life again. I am SO sore from that ride its not even funny. I think everyone is... Anyway, the Sahara is an amazing landscape and so beautiful to look at. I got so many amazing pictures from the landscape alone. During our stay in the desert, we were caught in a sand storm during dinner. Thank goodness we were basically finished, but we were covered in sand as we woke up the next morning. Everyone felt it was a wonderful experience regardless of the fact that we all had our grievances. My goal for the second week in Morocco is to let go of my baggage in America, enjoy the country more, and focus on my Arabic lessons. At this point, these goals have to become my main focus in order for me to succeed. I am sad that Chris is leaving us due to a medical illness, but I promised him I'd come see him at UGA in the Fall. Hopefully, these next few weeks will be as amazing as the first! :)))
My first week in Morocco has been amazing. Everyone at the Qalam wa Lawh Center has been so nice and welcoming especially the ladies in the kitchen. This week I got to visit the old medina and shop at the souq. I bought my first djellaba and traditional Amazigh pants. After that, I went to the Kasbah and saw an amazing view of the river. Then I ran into a friend from the Qalam wa Lawh center, and she invited me to meet her fiancee's Moroccan family that lives in a house inside the old medina. They were so kind and suffered through my bad Arabic all night.
My favorite part of the week was the weekend trip to the Sahara. I got to see the beautiful landscape of Morocco as we drove to the desert. I've never had the chance to see that many mountains up close before. It was amazing. I also loved hearing tradtional Moroccan music and eating the medfouna. I rode my first camel. It was painful but fun, and I went to the desert for the first time in my life. I climbed a sand dune and lost my phone at night, but thanks to Kiersten I was able to find it before the sandstorm hit and wiped it away. But the coolest part was bonding with the other students from different countries and watching the sunrise over the desert on camel back.
On the ride back I got to see monkeys up close for the first time and feed one. That was awesome because I don't get to interact with wild animals back home.
My first week and in morocco has been amazing. That's the only word I can use to be accurate. I saw the city of Rabat, made some new friends, and went to the Sahara desert. I mean how many people can say that they've been on a trip like this?! My teacher at Qalam wa lah is great and very sweet. I'm im the second beginner class and I'm doing pretty well I think. Our midterm is in the second week and I'm interested to see how well I do. Going to the desert was a life changing experience that I will never forget. I got to ride a camel. I mean AWESOME. I got to spend the night in a tent during a sandstorm. Even though there was a lot of sand everywhere I will never forget it. I went to the medina today with some friends and got some gifts for family and friends. It was really fun and having to communicate with people who don't speak English very well was definitely a challenge. But I was able to do it with the help of my friends. Ultimately I'm so excited for what is to come in the next three weeks. If they are anything like my first week then this trip is going to be a freaking blast.
My first week in Morocco had a rough start. This was primarily due to the fact that I was both very tired and humgry for the firat couple days. I had less than 4 hours of sleep every night due to staying up late and waking up early for school and I wasn't used to the food yet so I didn't eat as much. However, by the weekend, my trip turned around when we visited the Sahara desert. It was absolutely gorgeous! I've never seen anything like it. I rode a camel for a total of 4 hours in two days and also climbed a huge sand dune and slept in a sandstorm. In conclusion, I had a blast. I took some amazing pictures and made many memories with new friends that i'll cherish forever. The classes at Qalam Wa Lawh are more difficult than I expected. It's difficult to spend 4 hours a day learning Arabic. However, everything I learn in class that day can be applied to my everyday activites here in Morocco. I'm learning a lot, not only about the language, but also about culture and communication skills.
My first week in Morocco has been an amazing experience. The people here are super friendly and are always up to have conversations. The language barrier is a huge problem for me because I would like to have a conversation with someone without stuttering or second guessing myself. With that being said it just makes me want to study Arabic even more. I have enjoyed trying the different food here my favorite would be the oily pancakes. I think the best thing about this week would be that I was able to ride a camel. And even thoughI got trapped in the sand storm for a little bit I wouldn't mind experiencing that trip all over again. I am really looking forward to the other excursions in the up coming weeks.
My first week in Morocco has been truly amazing I've learned to embrace the culture and meet different people from many ethnicities. I've also learned that gulf Arabic is totally different from the Classical Arabic. A lot of people in Morocco speaks a lot of French and I felt as though maybe I should have brushed up on my French. However, the people here are very kind and patient and they try there best to communicate effectively so that there isn't a mishap or misunderstanding be it in ordering the food or shopping for a sovenir. I've also learned to network here in order to prepare myself for my future and get the correct career. We came to Morocco to meet other people not stay with our friends, this trip had definitely taught me that being open minded will get you further than keeping the same habits and routines in life. If I could summarize the best part about being in Morocco on the first week it would be experiencing the Sahara and witnessing a crazy sand storm that actually brought people from different countries together, the trip on the way to the Sahara taught me on the way to remain humble because not everyone is fortunate and have the things that you have and also it taught me to stay optimistic even when life hands you lemons because someone out there has it way tougher than you. Overall, this trip within a week has taught me to look at life from a different angle and enjoy what doors open for you, embrace the culture and its people, and lastly to remain focused because even though we're on vacation our grade still matters! If you have to a chance to come here I would definitely recommend it :)
I’ve done a lot of traveling but I have never seen such a beautiful country! This past weekend I was constantly amazed with how lovely every bit of scenery was. The mountains, the desert, the cities, everything. I think I liked this weekend trip more then being in Rabat just because everything was so open and free. I also loved that over the weekend we got closer to our group from GSU and the others from the school. And nothing will bring you closer then a painful camel ride and a sandstorm. Also my favorite meal was dinner at the hotel! So far I’ve really enjoyed being in Rabat, however I’m still struggling a lot with communication. Everyone is really helpful though and I was actually able to understand what the ladies at the school were saying about my laundry today! Class is sometimes hard but my teacher works with me until I get it and that makes it easier. I hope that this week I’m able to explore more and do more shopping because last week I was mostly just going to and from school and getting food. I’m also looking forward to all the trips this week, especially the zoo trip! I can’t believe week one is over, I wish it would go by slower!
The experiences I have gotten over the past week will definitely last a life time. To be honest I was expecting Rabat to be a little more dirty and dangerous but I am having the time of my life. The city is amazing and so interesting and I have seen and met the most amazing people. Bonding with students from Georgia Southern has been great because I know no one else back at school will be able to share the experiences that we have had. It was also very interesting to meet other students from around the world and it was so cool to hear their stories of how they heard about the Qalam Center and why they are studying Arabic. My favorite part of the trip so far was going to the Sahara desert. I did not like the camels to much but camping out and eating the local food was amazing. The most amazing part of the trip was when we climbed this huge sand mountain and when we got to the top the view was so amazing and it felt like we were on top of the world. We had some issues with Carmen's phone being lost but we climbed the mountain again and we were not going to stop until we found that. The sandstorm was really cool too because that is something that I have never experienced and most people will never get to experience. The stars at night were amazing; I have never seen a few like that and it was hands down the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I also like going to the medina and doing everyone a huge favor and getting a household pet, Chris Jamal the turtle. He's super awesome and probably the best roommate ever. I really like being here because I feel like my arabic has improved dramatically even though the locals speak darija and I am excited to see what the next weeks have in store.
The first week in Morocco has been fantastic. I've wandered Rabat, eaten interesting and strange food, gotten lost in the old medina, rode a camel, climbed a dune, and smoked a cigarette in a sand storm while singing. The old medina is alley after alley of items that can be bought on every other alley, the only difference being that any particular shop may be willing to give you a better price than the last. The Sahara is a massive, an endless sandbox that is more beautiful than any sight I have ever seen. the view from the top of the dune was the only reward for the effort of climbing it and it was absolutely worth it. later, after the dune climbing, we're all treated to a refreshing sandstorm. I feel like most of the group couldn't fully enjoy it, being huddled in their tents, but the adventure was truly inspirational. all in all I can only hope that my next for five weeks just as exciting.
Morocco is awesome! These last few days have been great the first two days I found myself staying in old town with elmo and brennan it was a great time where I honed my skills of getting lost, pointing and nodding, and a haggling. Afterwards we meet up with the group and moved into the apartment in Agdal And started going to school. Our school is pretty good. We learn alot everyday. Not just about the language but also the culture. Our trip to the Sahara was an eye opener i thought it would be hotter but surprisingly it was quite mild! Anyways ladies and gents its time for me to say au revoir! See yall in a week!
My first week in Morocco was a blast. I had a great time getting to know all of my roommates and classmates. The classes at Qalam are great my teacher here is very kind and funny. The classes are fairly laid back but they are informative. The people are beyond Nice. the food is delicious we went to the Sahara. There are a ton of things to do in Rabat. We partied in a sand storm which you can see on the Arabic page. It's been so much fun I can't wait for next week.
This past week in Morocco has been truly amazing. I flew into morocco a day ahead of the rest of the group. I took a taxi to the madina and stayed at Hotel Darna. The madina is the old section of town that dates back to around the 7th to 9th century. The streets are narrow and packed with people and vendors of all goods. The rest of the week I have just walked around Rabat and attended classes. I love this city and country. All the people seem very friendly and helpful. they are always willing to talk to you as well. This past weekend we went to the Sahara desert. It has been on my bucket list to go and I cant believe that I have achieved it so soon. We rode camels, climbed a 200ft sand dune and had fun in a sandstorm. This was a great week and I cannot wait to see what the rest have in store. I love this country and don't want to leave. Until next week....ma'a salama
The first week in Morocco has definitely been one for the books. The big adjustment I feel that everyone is facing is leaving behind issues in the United States. We traveled to a beautiful country, yet some still find ourselves trapped in our situations at Georgia Southern. Breaking free of those chains is the most difficult thing I have found during my first week. Regardless of this down-side, I am so amazed by this country and so happy I came on this trip. I knew "not a lick" of Arabic, but I have progressed leaps and bounds since I came to Qalam wa Lawh. My professor, Mrs. Miriam, is amazing and so patient with me. I honestly could not ask for more. The other students in my class, as well as those that traveled with me from Georgia Southern, are so helpful and encouraging. I appreciate it so much! Our first weekend excursion was to the Sahara Desert and that was an experience in itself. Don't get me wrong, it was fun, but I will never ride a camel in my life again. I am SO sore from that ride its not even funny. I think everyone is... Anyway, the Sahara is an amazing landscape and so beautiful to look at. I got so many amazing pictures from the landscape alone. During our stay in the desert, we were caught in a sand storm during dinner. Thank goodness we were basically finished, but we were covered in sand as we woke up the next morning. Everyone felt it was a wonderful experience regardless of the fact that we all had our grievances. My goal for the second week in Morocco is to let go of my baggage in America, enjoy the country more, and focus on my Arabic lessons. At this point, these goals have to become my main focus in order for me to succeed. I am sad that Chris is leaving us due to a medical illness, but I promised him I'd come see him at UGA in the Fall. Hopefully, these next few weeks will be as amazing as the first! :)))
ReplyDeleteMy first week in Morocco has been amazing. Everyone at the Qalam wa Lawh Center has been so nice and welcoming especially the ladies in the kitchen. This week I got to visit the old medina and shop at the souq. I bought my first djellaba and traditional Amazigh pants. After that, I went to the Kasbah and saw an amazing view of the river. Then I ran into a friend from the Qalam wa Lawh center, and she invited me to meet her fiancee's Moroccan family that lives in a house inside the old medina. They were so kind and suffered through my bad Arabic all night.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the week was the weekend trip to the Sahara. I got to see the beautiful landscape of Morocco as we drove to the desert. I've never had the chance to see that many mountains up close before. It was amazing. I also loved hearing tradtional Moroccan music and eating the medfouna. I rode my first camel. It was painful but fun, and I went to the desert for the first time in my life. I climbed a sand dune and lost my phone at night, but thanks to Kiersten I was able to find it before the sandstorm hit and wiped it away. But the coolest part was bonding with the other students from different countries and watching the sunrise over the desert on camel back.
On the ride back I got to see monkeys up close for the first time and feed one. That was awesome because I don't get to interact with wild animals back home.
My first week and in morocco has been amazing. That's the only word I can use to be accurate. I saw the city of Rabat, made some new friends, and went to the Sahara desert. I mean how many people can say that they've been on a trip like this?! My teacher at Qalam wa lah is great and very sweet. I'm im the second beginner class and I'm doing pretty well I think. Our midterm is in the second week and I'm interested to see how well I do. Going to the desert was a life changing experience that I will never forget. I got to ride a camel. I mean AWESOME. I got to spend the night in a tent during a sandstorm. Even though there was a lot of sand everywhere I will never forget it. I went to the medina today with some friends and got some gifts for family and friends. It was really fun and having to communicate with people who don't speak English very well was definitely a challenge. But I was able to do it with the help of my friends. Ultimately I'm so excited for what is to come in the next three weeks. If they are anything like my first week then this trip is going to be a freaking blast.
ReplyDeleteMy first week in Morocco had a rough start. This was primarily due to the fact that I was both very tired and humgry for the firat couple days. I had less than 4 hours of sleep every night due to staying up late and waking up early for school and I wasn't used to the food yet so I didn't eat as much. However, by the weekend, my trip turned around when we visited the Sahara desert. It was absolutely gorgeous! I've never seen anything like it. I rode a camel for a total of 4 hours in two days and also climbed a huge sand dune and slept in a sandstorm. In conclusion, I had a blast. I took some amazing pictures and made many memories with new friends that i'll cherish forever.
ReplyDeleteThe classes at Qalam Wa Lawh are more difficult than I expected. It's difficult to spend 4 hours a day learning Arabic. However, everything I learn in class that day can be applied to my everyday activites here in Morocco. I'm learning a lot, not only about the language, but also about culture and communication skills.
My first week in Morocco has been an amazing experience. The people here are super friendly and are always up to have conversations. The language barrier is a huge problem for me because I would like to have a conversation with someone without stuttering or second guessing myself. With that being said it just makes me want to study Arabic even more. I have enjoyed trying the different food here my favorite would be the oily pancakes. I think the best thing about this week would be that I was able to ride a camel. And even thoughI got trapped in the sand storm for a little bit I wouldn't mind experiencing that trip all over again. I am really looking forward to the other excursions in the up coming weeks.
ReplyDeleteMy first week in Morocco has been truly amazing I've learned to embrace the culture and meet different people from many ethnicities. I've also learned that gulf Arabic is totally different from the Classical Arabic. A lot of people in Morocco speaks a lot of French and I felt as though maybe I should have brushed up on my French. However, the people here are very kind and patient and they try there best to communicate effectively so that there isn't a mishap or misunderstanding be it in ordering the food or shopping for a sovenir. I've also learned to network here in order to prepare myself for my future and get the correct career. We came to Morocco to meet other people not stay with our friends, this trip had definitely taught me that being open minded will get you further than keeping the same habits and routines in life. If I could summarize the best part about being in Morocco on the first week it would be experiencing the Sahara and witnessing a crazy sand storm that actually brought people from different countries together, the trip on the way to the Sahara taught me on the way to remain humble because not everyone is fortunate and have the things that you have and also it taught me to stay optimistic even when life hands you lemons because someone out there has it way tougher than you. Overall, this trip within a week has taught me to look at life from a different angle and enjoy what doors open for you, embrace the culture and its people, and lastly to remain focused because even though we're on vacation our grade still matters!
ReplyDeleteIf you have to a chance to come here I would definitely recommend it :)
I’ve done a lot of traveling but I have never seen such a beautiful country! This past weekend I was constantly amazed with how lovely every bit of scenery was. The mountains, the desert, the cities, everything. I think I liked this weekend trip more then being in Rabat just because everything was so open and free. I also loved that over the weekend we got closer to our group from GSU and the others from the school. And nothing will bring you closer then a painful camel ride and a sandstorm. Also my favorite meal was dinner at the hotel!
ReplyDeleteSo far I’ve really enjoyed being in Rabat, however I’m still struggling a lot with communication. Everyone is really helpful though and I was actually able to understand what the ladies at the school were saying about my laundry today! Class is sometimes hard but my teacher works with me until I get it and that makes it easier.
I hope that this week I’m able to explore more and do more shopping because last week I was mostly just going to and from school and getting food. I’m also looking forward to all the trips this week, especially the zoo trip! I can’t believe week one is over, I wish it would go by slower!
The experiences I have gotten over the past week will definitely last a life time. To be honest I was expecting Rabat to be a little more dirty and dangerous but I am having the time of my life. The city is amazing and so interesting and I have seen and met the most amazing people. Bonding with students from Georgia Southern has been great because I know no one else back at school will be able to share the experiences that we have had. It was also very interesting to meet other students from around the world and it was so cool to hear their stories of how they heard about the Qalam Center and why they are studying Arabic.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part of the trip so far was going to the Sahara desert. I did not like the camels to much but camping out and eating the local food was amazing. The most amazing part of the trip was when we climbed this huge sand mountain and when we got to the top the view was so amazing and it felt like we were on top of the world. We had some issues with Carmen's phone being lost but we climbed the mountain again and we were not going to stop until we found that. The sandstorm was really cool too because that is something that I have never experienced and most people will never get to experience. The stars at night were amazing; I have never seen a few like that and it was hands down the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
I also like going to the medina and doing everyone a huge favor and getting a household pet, Chris Jamal the turtle. He's super awesome and probably the best roommate ever.
I really like being here because I feel like my arabic has improved dramatically even though the locals speak darija and I am excited to see what the next weeks have in store.
All my posts are at Blackhippieinmorocco.tumblr.com
ReplyDeleteThe first week in Morocco has been fantastic. I've wandered Rabat, eaten interesting and strange food, gotten lost in the old medina, rode a camel, climbed a dune, and smoked a cigarette in a sand storm while singing. The old medina is alley after alley of items that can be bought on every other alley, the only difference being that any particular shop may be willing to give you a better price than the last. The Sahara is a massive, an endless sandbox that is more beautiful than any sight I have ever seen. the view from the top of the dune was the only reward for the effort of climbing it and it was absolutely worth it. later, after the dune climbing, we're all treated to a refreshing sandstorm. I feel like most of the group couldn't fully enjoy it, being huddled in their tents, but the adventure was truly inspirational. all in all I can only hope that my next for five weeks just as exciting.
ReplyDeleteMorocco is awesome! These last few days have been great the first two days I found myself staying in old town with elmo and brennan it was a great time where I honed my skills of getting lost, pointing and nodding, and a haggling. Afterwards we meet up with the group and moved into the apartment in Agdal And started going to school. Our school is pretty good. We learn alot everyday. Not just about the language but also the culture. Our trip to the Sahara was an eye opener i thought it would be hotter but surprisingly it was quite mild! Anyways ladies and gents its time for me to say au revoir! See yall in a week!
ReplyDeleteMy first week in Morocco was a blast. I had a great time getting to know all of my roommates and classmates. The classes at Qalam are great my teacher here is very kind and funny. The classes are fairly laid back but they are informative. The people are beyond Nice. the food is delicious we went to the Sahara. There are a ton of things to do in Rabat. We partied in a sand storm which you can see on the Arabic page. It's been so much fun I can't wait for next week.
ReplyDeleteBrandon Alexander
This past week in Morocco has been truly amazing. I flew into morocco a day ahead of the rest of the group. I took a taxi to the madina and stayed at Hotel Darna. The madina is the old section of town that dates back to around the 7th to 9th century. The streets are narrow and packed with people and vendors of all goods. The rest of the week I have just walked around Rabat and attended classes. I love this city and country. All the people seem very friendly and helpful. they are always willing to talk to you as well. This past weekend we went to the Sahara desert. It has been on my bucket list to go and I cant believe that I have achieved it so soon. We rode camels, climbed a 200ft sand dune and had fun in a sandstorm. This was a great week and I cannot wait to see what the rest have in store. I love this country and don't want to leave. Until next week....ma'a salama
ReplyDelete-Brennan Patrick
Arabic Study Abroad 2015