Weekend Travels: Fes and Meknes

And now, dear readers, it is time for jotting down another adventure! Yay for weekend exploration and excitement :)

Before I begin though, let's back track a bit...

Classes started this week. YAY! With all the confusion of classes not being in the rooms they were said to be in, my beginning arabic class being EXTREMELY too big (according to my professor who speaks broken english so it was really amusing to try and explain that we couldn't move into the other class due to having other classes at the same time). Didn't get that all straightened until Friday (yesterday) so it's been a bit of a stressful week because there were those of us who signed up for the Madame's class when she said it was at ten am, then figured out that she kept it at 11am, so we were all stressing out about it. But it all got sorted in the end :)

Fes: Castle

My other classes are going to be really good too! I'm super excited for them as they are all encompassing African culture and history as well as minority and ethnicity in Europe and North African politics. With the first week done I feel that they will actually get up and running, so I'm looking forward to getting deeper into the topics.

FES

While here, I've gone to a couple of clubs and bars. The club was fun, though when I came back my clothes reeked of smoke, not a very pleasant thing, but here it is normal to smell that way, so even though I didn't wear them until I washed them, you don't have to worry about smelling like cigarettes. That may lead to people thinking that you do smoke, however, so if you end up getting offered one, don't be surprised :) The bar is by the lake about a five minute walk from campus. A group of us who didn't want to go to the club on a weekday due to early morning classes the next day, decided  to hang out and drink and have a good time without staying out until 3am and having to sleep four people to a bed or on the floor in a rented apartment without heating and return to campus at 8am or earlier in order to get to class. Thankfully I did not go with that, everyone who did was completely out of it by noon on Friday and didn't do much else but sleep all day after classes :) My Friday turned into a relaxing day (after paying my school fees) encompassing playing my ukulele and hanging out with my roommate Sara at the cafe on campus from 3pm until 9pm. We talked a lot, and my friends Mouna and Jared joined later on, making the conversation even more enjoyable. Mouna has decided to travel through Europe with me after the semester, so I now have a buddy to go with when I'm done with classes! We are both super excited!!! Back in the dorm Sara and I talked some more, and I found out that she is really happy that we have been able to click so well. And I feel the same way. I've only been here two weeks and I'm already good friends with my roommate: couldn't ask for anything better :)

Entrance to the Medina

Without sports and a job I've had a lot of down time, so I've started reading. I'm on my second book (I was halfway through one when I flew to Morocco). It's called "Born to Run," a book about the mysteries of the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico who can run up mountains and on the most dangerous terrain for hundreds of miles and never injure themselves or become tired. It's really interesting, I know that I love running, but to reach the level of love they have for running... it's incredible.

Today a group of us travelled by Grand Taxi to Fes. It's about forty minutes to an hour away by taxi, and with  four people in the back seat it's a little squished, but not uncomfortable. And it makes the ride cheaper. The way Moroccans drive is insane: no one stays in their lane, pedestrians walk right out in front of cars, cars weave in and out of traffic around the round abouts, cars pull right in front of each other without really looking, there is tons of honking... I'm amazed this system actually works! The tailgating too... if you know what I've been through in the last couple months, you would know that riding up on someone's fender that closely is not something that I am comfortable with, and these guys are basically a half foot at most away from the cars in front of them. Dad, you would HATE traffic and drivers here in Morocco, hahaha.

The tannery where they dye the animal skin (aka leather)

Writing on the walls of the Medina (in the Market)

We ended up going to the medina in Fes and walking around the pedestrian cobblestone alleyways within the city. The architecture reminded my friends Alyssa, Austen and I so much of Aladdin. I could imagine little kids running over the rooftops doing parkour of some kind! Mouhad took us around to the tannery, the place where they make leather. We were told how the process works and were able to see it be done. It smelled pretty bad (it's animal skin)  so the mint leaves that were handed to us at the door were super helpful. We also visited the Qur'an school that was built 400 years ago. It was gorgeous, no matter how broken down it may have looked. It reminded me of a palace in Spain I saw, the mosaic tiles everywhere and everything really ornately decorated.

fountain in the main entrance to the Madrasah

I could not get over the excitement of walking through the market place. You can buy sweet rolls for one dirham, and other things are pretty cheap as well: we all tried pastias with chicken, a phyllo dough meat pastry  sprinkled with powered sugar. You'd think it sounds weird right? Chicken and powdered sugar?? What? But it's great combination! It's definitely a recipe I'm going to be bringing home with me :) While walking around to see the historical buildings and mosques, a boy showed us up the stairs and onto the roof of a carpet shop, where we were able to see the entire Medina! Three mosques surrounded us and more were in the background. We were up there as the third call to prayer of the day occurred: voices from the mosques throughout Fes echoed and reverberated all around us. It was beautiful to hear.. then we were given an unexpected tour of the carpet shop, getting the opportunity to see how the blankets and carpets were made, what kind of wool was used (sheep, camel, lamb, etc). Every single thing was breathtaking, and the "student blankets" were not too pricey, so I bought one for Dad. Everyone in the group wants to find it again to get blankets, so I may end up getting myself one as well, but we'll see. I definitely saw cheaper in Azrou and the blankets may have been the same quality...

Window in the Madrasah

View of main Mosque from the rooftop of the Carpet Store

Went to Meknes yesterday with Lena, Maiya, Martina and Tess. Took a grand taxi to the Marjane (basically a huge superstore) so Maiya could get dictionaries and we could get some things we can't find in the markets. Then we took a petit taxi to the medina where we met up with Maiya's couch surfing hosts and walked around the market and got tea and coffee. It was nice to sit down and relax, even though the markets are pretty great. I saw a real snake charmer in the main square there, still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that that actually happened!

Man making blankets on a loom

Carpet store owner and his array of blankets and rugs

Cous cous with chicken... yummm

Night View of Fes

Dynasty tombs and nearby cemetary

There are so many things and places here that you would never see in the states. What an experience I am having and it is only the start of week three. There's a three day weekend coming up at the end of this week (Feb 4-6) for the celebration of the prophet's birthday. So many trip opportunities, so many choices, I have no idea what I'm going to be doing. As for now, back to studying, getting rid of this cold, and enjoying school life here in Ifrane :) 

Al Akhawayn! First days as an exchange student

Gosh guys, it's gorgeous here. On the cold side, perhaps, I end up wearing about 4 layers on average each day, but I can't get enough of it here! I'm so excited to get into the grove of things.

I went to the airport about 3pm on Tuesday- really early I know, my flight didn't leave until 10pm, but knowing me, I'm a little paranoid about missing appointments or anything of the kind (ie flights) when I am travelling or going places by myself. I wanted to make sure that the shuttle took me to the airport and that I would check in without a problem and still be on time for my flight. The shuttle ride took 10 minutes, and I was happy I allotted myself that much time because it took me a while to figure out where to check in for the domestic flights. One of the men on my shuttle saw me and showed me how to get there after wandering up and down the escalators for a good 20 minutes (yes, I know, I'm that awful. You would be too if you were in a country where you couldn't speak the native languages). Once I found the check in, I went up to the counter to see if I could check my stuff in. I knew in my mind already that 7 hours ahead of my flight time was waaayyy too early, so when the man at the counter told me it was too early I was ready to go find a chair and sit and read until it was appropriate for me to check my suitcase. Waiting for the check-in man to hand me back my passport, I was caught by surprise when he told me that for me, he would make an exception. The next thing I knew he was handing me my boarding pass and passport and my suitcase was checked. I don't know about what you think, but with all the help I have been receiving from people here in Morocco, complete strangers who don't know me and probably think I'm naive, ignorant, and lost, it amazes me that I've received so much kindness from people. I had no troubles on any of my flights, 4 of the students travelling with me to Fez had their luggage delayed, but it wasn't mine. With all this going on, Morocco is seeming more and more the place I am supposed to be, and He knows it and is helping me get there.

Back to my story. We arrived at the University around 1am Wednesday morning (5pm Tuesday West Coast time). Slept until ten, and met my roommate at 11am when she walked into the room. She's Moroccan, a freshman here at Al Akhawayn, and super sweet. We've gotten along well so far, and talking has not been a problem. Headed to lunch around 12:30 since I hadn't eaten in over 24 hours (that's what happens when you are travelling on planes) and expecting to be eating alone. That was the complete opposite of what happened: huge tables of exchange students, all in the same boat as me, were there and I met tons of them. The majority of them are from the United States (east coast, midwest, southwest). There's a girl from Senegal who is really great, but she's fluent in both English and French and has lived in various places around the world. I've met a couple of Italians, someone from Denmark, and a Canadian. They are such a great group of people, and within the hour I was making friends.

Orientation started this morning. As a group we have been in meetings/lectures with the administration and OIP coordinators along with the student ambassadors here (orientation group leaders) and the student activities council (students as well). They have all been really welcoming and super fun to hang out with, which makes going to school here for the next four months so much more exciting :) Tonight they planned a scavenger hunt for us, and we've been running around campus for approximately three hours. My first work out since I've arrived! It felt good to run. I found a towel, so showering should not be a problem anymore!!! Took one today, I felt so good afterward, haha. Maiya and I are planning on going running tomorrow sometime which should be fun. I have not heard from El Medhi (my contact on the XC/track team) so we'll see if running for the team will actually work or not. If not, I'll have buddies to run with outside of the team and Ifrane is a safe enough town that if I stay in town and in sight of people, nothing bad will happen :)

I've tasted Moroccan tea. It's as good as they say, despite the sweet they stick in it. I want to figure out if it is at all possible to not have sweet in the tea, but if not, I'm okay with the sweet since it is not overpowering. But man, it's good. It's fresh, it's not overpowering (like when you let the tea bag seep for too long) and it warms you up in the 30 degree weather here. Definitely another wonderful perk :)

I'm so excited to be here. The Moroccans are great, the exchange students (American, Asian, and European alike) are fantastic, I've never seen a group of people click so well so quickly, especially as big of a group as we are. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next few months will bring :)

These are pictures of Al Akhawayn's campus. At night, even with the campus lights shining, there are a gajillion (well, maybe not that much, but still, there's a lot) in the sky. You can see them for miles, shining incredibly brightly. That with the cold... ahhh I love it <3


حتى وقت التالية
Until next time :)

Braving the Bustling and Hustling of International Airports

Hello from CASABLANCA!!!

I can't believe I'm here right now.. Africa. Me? What a crazy idea... but here I am. 37 hours away from arriving in Fez, where I will be picked up and taken to Al Akhawayn University where I will finally meet up with my peers and my new home for the next 5 months. And all the stress of flights, strangers, delays, customs, airports... all that will be gone and the fun will begin! Not to say that flying wasn't fun... just more stressful than I like to deal with :) My seat mate from New York to Casablanca was super nice- she was on her way back home to Sierra Leone. SO COOL. My entire flight from New York consisted of mostly people going home to Casablanca or other parts of Africa. Including me, only about 5 Americans were on the entire flight. Definitely different from anything that I've ever experienced, but I'm sure that's going to be a pretty prevalent happenstance throughout my time here.
Sitting on the shuttle on the way to the Atlas Airport Hotel, two miles from the airport (nice and convenient) and being the only American on the shuttle, it was an interesting feeling. Being in the US, I don't usually feel out of place. That definitely happened today and yesterday on my way to Casablanca. So many people talking Arabic, French, and other African languages other than English, I felt (and still feel) ignorant and naive- not only do I barely know two languages, none of which are the main languages here in Morocco, but I've never been to Morocco either, which makes my ability to be knowledgeable about the area about as low as it can go. That is another reason why I am here though. Me coming here isn't to show the locals that I know everything about their home, but it is to learn from them and to gain more knowledge from them as I spend more time with them. And the people I have asked help from have been really gracious about it- one man from my flight talked to the security guard at the Mohammed V exit doors to double check I was headed in the right direction for the shuttles. The shuttle driver was super nice and helped me figure out where I was going and what I was doing (being on airplanes and in airports from 7:30 am Sunday morning to 5:30am Monday morning makes you a little bamboozled sometimes). I'm surprised the hotel let me check in so early- I was expecting to have to wait at least until 3pm this afternoon in order to get my room. But it took 10 minutes and I was handed a key to a tiny but quaint room up on the 4th floor with a bed I can spread out on and a ginormous shower which I will thoroughly enjoy here after I am done writing this. The only problem is how I am going to find food for the next day.. with $76 of American money in Dirhams, I should be okay, I just got to figure out where to get some...

Oh, and Mom: I didn't lose anything! My suitcase still had the scarf tied to it, my passport belt worked like a charm, and no one stole my ukulele case. Success? I think so :)

Somethings I figured out about travelling by myself: ask questions and people are most likely happy to answer. People who seem intimidating are quite the opposite.. unless they work at the airport. If you want something done, you have to do it yourself else the outcome you expect to get from it will not be what actually happens. Don't be scared to go up to people who work at the airports.. they are there to help you, what's the worst that could happen?

Also, I want to send a shout out to those of you who have written me notes throughout my flying days. The tips you have given me have helped and will help a lot, and it makes me feel supported even though I am thousands of miles away from all of you. It was definitely nerve wracking as I boarded the plane in New York to leave the states, so having those notes to read on the plane before the take off help a bunch (Lizzy, I love you!)

This is me. And this is my hotel room. And the bed. It's soft but firm at the saaaammee tiimmme. And someone's been making a commotion outside my door for at least an hour now... sounds like pans are being banged with wooden spoons...

Anyways... :)

Now it is time for a nice long hot shower, a nap, and a search for real food. Tomorrow night I fly to Fez (where I am supposed to buy a fez since that's what the cool people do) and make my way to Ifrane. One of the other exchange students who is studying at the university with me is on the same flight, so hopefully I will meet up with her soon. Her name is Alyssa.

Next stop: Al Akhawayn

Preamble

Well, here it is guys. The place where all of my moments abroad are to be recorded. Impressive no? haha. Usually I'm not very good at these things, but I have had many requests to keep them updated on what adventures I will be having while I am in Morocco for approximately 5 months, so instead of emailing each and every one of you individually, I thought writing a blog might be more efficient for me, time wise. Can't take too much of my time or else I'll miss out on things, ya know? And you all would be thoroughly disappointed because I can't tell you about the trip through the Sahara, getting lost in Casablanca, or having pretty epic camel rides in Southern Morocco. Or the trips in Europe I hope to take visiting Willamette kids or traveling around for three weeks after the semester is over before heading back to the states. Blogging is sounding like a better and better idea the more I think about it ;)

In exactly one week I will be flying over the Atlantic ocean towards Ifrane, the town I will be making my home until summer comes around. It's crunch time: getting communication and financial things taken care of, packing the right things and crossing off those things that I will not need. Taking a step back and looking at what needs to get done in the next 7 days while also seeing friends for one final shebang before I take off. Crazy and hectic? Oh yes. Scared shitless? Honestly, a little. No matter how excited I am to go, traveling by myself for the first time is nerve racking. What will happen during my 15 hour lay over in Casablanca? Am I going to be able to get through customs okay? How will a 21 year old female be seen traveling alone in a place where she doesn't speak the local language and has no connections? And coming from a family where we have experienced a world where bad things have happened to women my age, no matter how small of a town I grew up in, it's hard not to be a little scared. But once I'm up in that plane, I'm sure that all the nerves will be calmed and the excitement will start to override every other emotion :)

I was talking to my dad tonight about all this. He gave me a hug, and told me to think about how I came to be going to Morocco. What was it that brought me to where I am going? If you know the real story, Morocco wasn't on the list I had of places I really wanted to go. It had never entered my mind that I would end up there. Back in the beginning of the semester, I had been accepted to the University of Iceland, and was getting excited to go to the northernmost capital of the world. But ten weeks before my arrival date I was informed that in order to enter the country I would need a FBI background check for the visa application. The FBI background check takes 10-12 weeks to be processed. Without the FBI background check, my visa would not be approved and I would not be able to enter the country, thus leading to the cancellation of my exchange to the University.  Freaking out a bit, I filled out the applications and added urgency notes to try and make the process go faster. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I met with my ISEP coordinator to talk about the possibilities of going to Iceland or studying abroad in general with all the mishaps occurring with the paperwork. She brought up the possibility that other programs' application deadlines had not passed yet and I could apply to them if I was interested. By that time I was so frustrated with the Iceland situation that I was happy to apply anywhere. She told me she would look up programs and get back to me. I left her office and when I went back to check my email, she had sent me links to two possible programs: one in South Korea and one in Morocco. For the Morocco program I did not have to apply for a visa since I register with the government when I get to the country, so as it was the most time efficient for me to fill out due to finals coming up around the corner and projects to get done, I filled it out and turned it in on November 29, 2011. Two days later, a Tuesday morning, I received an email from the university in Ifrane saying they had received all my application information and that I could sign up for classes that night. By 8pm I was signed up and officially going to Morocco.

Thinking about the processes of both programs, it taking weeks to figure out if I was going to Iceland and the two days it took to be accepted to Morocco, it makes me realize that Morocco is where I was supposed to end up. Some of you may not believe in destiny, fate, whatever you want to call it, but as my father said, "Kendra, the universe is opening doorways for you. It knew that you didn't really want to go to Iceland. You had doubts about Iceland the entire time you were going through this process. Going to Morocco is the universe's way of showing where you need to go on your life path." Okay, so maybe these weren't his exact words (sorry Dad if I have misquoted you) but the jist is the same. Iceland wasn't meant to be. Morocco is where I am supposed to go. I may be having misgivings about going, but that's just about getting there and feeling that you all will live your lives and be at another fork in the road while when I return I'll still be in the same position I was at when I left. That's not completely true. Yes, you will all live and experience life without me for 5 months. Yes, you'll all change and grow and come to terms with life that may change you as a person. But so will I. Just because we won't be experiencing life together for a time does not mean that we will be moving on without one another. It just means that when we are reunited that will have so much more to share with each other and so many stories to tell. Me being me, I'm sad to be leaving you all because I want to experience those things I will miss out on with you. But this is where I'm supposed to go and where I'm supposed to be. I need to do this. For me.

Starting next week I will be in Africa. Across a country and an ocean from you, 8 hours ahead in life. I will try my hardest to keep you updated on all the exciting and wonderful happenings that will be going on while I am in Ifrane. My grandmother has asked me to write everything down too, so if adventures do not end up here they will be in hard copy when I get back in June. I hope you all follow and read- living vicariously through me is not a crime and with an audience I feel that I'll actually have a reason to blog, which means more exciting adventures for you!!

Take care. Whether you go to school with me or not, are friends with me or not (though I doubt any of you are the latter), have an amazing time this coming spring. Have your own adventures, no matter how small. And be ready to fill me in when I get back, I'm going to want to know EVERYTHING.

Until next time <3