Arabic at GSU: Morocco Summer 2015: Fifth Week

Monday, June 22, 2015

Morocco Summer 2015: Fifth Week

2 comments:

Youssef SalhiJune 23, 2015 at 7:53 AM
Carmen Gray
It's the end of my fifth week here in Morocco, and I'm starting to feel less and less like a foreigner. I'm learning my way around the city and I feel like I have a better grasp on the societal norms. Don't get me wrong communicating with the local people can still be a challenge, but I'm more confident in my speech and usually am able to convey my ideas to others.
This fifth week has also been exciting because Ramadan started on Thursday in Morocco. It's amazing to see the majority of a country celebrate a religious holiday today. It's a really beautiful thing seeing how faith plays such a major role in the everyday lives of Moroccans. I will enjoy observing how people behave during my last week here.
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AnonymousJune 23, 2015 at 12:47 PM
Eric McLendon
Fifth week entry, "I completely forgot about this" Edition
Week five, wow I've been here over a month and it's impossible to say that I'll never come back. I'm honestly jealous of a guy I met a Qalam who will be here for the next six months. I've enjoyed so much of Morocco and met some great people. I have the places I regularly go, favorite roads to take, and particular beaches I like(sorry nearest beach you're just not that great.) going into the sixth week all I can think of is how I can maximize my remaining days here. Ramadan started this week and I was invited to a friends for T'four. this was a great experience that enabled me to be apart of something I thought I never would. I was told by a local earlier this week that I've been here to long. when I asked why he replied "look where you keep your money!" My money is in the plastic of my pack of cigarettes. I still don't know how this means I've been here to long but it made me happy regardless of the sentiment.
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The objective of the Arabic Club is to help students create an environment that will foster the development and growth of Arabic at GSU. The Arabic Club sponsors programs and events that positively contribute to the development of learning Arabic on campus. This include lectures, panel discussions, and social events. The Arabic Club acts as a resource to the whole campus community and represents the Arabic culture in the best possible manner.

To join the Arabic Club, please contact Jeremy Busbee at: jb12688@georgiasouthern.edu

Cairo: The City Victorious

In a country that has been ruled by the same man for the past three decades, it can be easy to forget that February's uprising is not Egypt's first revolution. In the book Cairo: The City Victorious, Max Rodenbeck ushers us through Cairo's complex and layered history, delicately moving through ancient and medieval times, then Cairo's colonization, nationalization and, finally, its modern-day state. Part personal commentary, Rodenbeck's book weaves in his experiences of growing up and living in Cairo, providing for the reader the smells and sights of this moving, breathing capital. Fittingly, the final chapter of the book is called 'The Voice of Cairo,' and although written over a decade ago, it gives us the perspective we need to understand the voices that have emerged from today's victorious city..

Arab personality of the week: Nawal Al Moutawakel 1962-

Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Nawal is an athlete and Olympic Gold medalist. In 1984, she won the gold medal in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and, in doing so, became the first Arab women, African woman, Muslim woman, Moroccan woman, and Cyclone woman to win Olympic gold. Her Olympic victory made her an immediate national hero in Morocco. In 1989, she was appointed inspector at the Ministry of Sport and Youth and then became the national sprint and hurdle coach for both men and women. In 1997 she became secretary of state for sport and youth. From 1998 to 2003 she was executive director of the Foundation for Education and Environment in Casablanca, and she was director of the Sahara Sports Academy in India, as well as president and founding member of the Moroccan Association of Sport and Development.  
Throughout her professional career, Nawal has used her popularity and influence to continue breaking down barriers for women. She has been an agent of change in the male-dominated Moroccan society, helping and inspiring other women to assert themselves through sport. She organized the first-ever Moroccan women’s 10K race through the streets of Casablanca, an event that now attracts more than 20,000 participants. She has led significant change for women in sport on the international level.
She is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission for the London 2012 Olympic Games, and was president of the IOC Evaluation Commission for those same games, the first woman to serve in each of those capacities. She has also been a leader in AIDS education and tsunami relief efforts.  In 2007, Nawal was named the Minister of Sports in Morocco.