Arabic at GSU: Morocco Summer Abroad 16: Week six

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Morocco Summer Abroad 16: Week six

2 comments:

AnonymousJune 27, 2016 at 4:29 PM
Week SIX: Morocco Summer Study Abroad

I feel like all I do in Morocco is eat. Well, and study Arabic obviously, but I'm always eating or drinking something. If I'm not eating Tagine at lunch, them I'm eating ice cream at Oliveri. If I'm not eating ice cream, I'm drinking tea. I mean, I'm not complaining, because the food is delicious here and so is the tea, but still.
I made some new friends at the center this week and we went to a restaurant called Ty Potes. It was really cute and the food was delicious.
I went to the medina twice this week to try and find souvenirs for my family. I bought some little wooden camel key chains for my friends. The key chains have their names written in Arabic on them.
My birthday was also this week. I celebrated by taking a super long nap and going to a sushi place. It was MOMTASTIC!
I only have two weeks left in Morocco and it's so hard to believe. My time here has passed so quickly.
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UnknownJune 27, 2016 at 4:46 PM
Week six here has been interesting. It was really wonderful getting to spend the week here with Noel. We spent the beginning of the week in a riad in Sale, it was really beautiful and the people that ran it were very nice (although, they only spoke French so communication was a struggle). In the middle of the week, we took a train to casablanca and wandered around the city a little bit. It was my very first train ride and I was over the moon excited about it. Once we arrived we decided to check out the mall, we were lucky and had a great taxi driver who helped me with my arabic and took us to several really great spots in the city so we could take pictures. We both really enjoyed our trip to Casa; I hope I have time to visit again before I leave for home. For the end of the week, we switched to Atlantic Hotel in Agdal. It was amazing! I got pretty sick around this time and it was nice to be able to relax somewhere really comfortable. The Hotel also has a spa, so Noel got to experience a hammam! It was fun and also pretty hilarious going through the process as a couple. The women working there were very kind and made it a good experience. Our midterms were also this week, and I found it to be difficult. I am enjoying this new level, but it also is intimidating at times. I will have to work really hard to finish out this level well, but I am excited to see where these final two weeks can take my arabic.
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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.