Day 4: More about Morocco

            Today was a much more chill day than yesterday. The orphanage routine was much the same today as it was yesterday, as I think it will be each day. We washed, dressed, and fed all the children, taking a larger role than we did yesterday. I have officially fallen in love with a few of the youngest children, whose laughs melt my heart. Today I made an effort to stay inside longer with the smaller children and those unable to go outside before I gave in to playing with Nadir. Also, the lift that’s used to take the wheelchairs downstairs was broken, so very few kids were outside today.

            Back at Home Base, we had a feedback meeting about everyone’s placements, and overall, everyone seems pretty happy. I wish I had time to try everything! I would really like to teach English.

Then we had a lesson about Morocco. Mohammed talked all about the politics and the education system in Morocco and it was really quite interesting. He talked about the king, and how while he is praised for his successes, whenever something goes wrong, the prime minister (though following orders of the king) gets blamed for the things that go wrong. And that because of the way that the politics work, the king naming those to be on the election ballot, though he was given the names from people already in power (i.e. prolonging the rule of one of the 35 political parties in Morocco,) those people who are literate often do not vote because they see change as hopeless. We also talked briefly about women and how, since the change in political parties in the past few decades and despite the Arab Spring, there has been a shift towards being more conservative.

But what I found most interesting was the education system. Education is free for Moroccans and mandatory up through age 15, or grade 9. After that, the education is still free, but the children can only fail once before they are kicked out. Mohammed said that the children’s fate is decided by grade 9. If they are good at math/science, they go to a math/science high school and then attend medical school paid for by the government for the next 6 years. If they’re good at humanities, they will attend free law school. And the rest of the children, given that they make it through high school without failing out can attend free university, though it is not specialized. Despite government-funded schooling, unemployment of people with professional degrees is still quite high. Because of this, doctors and lawyers often leave Morocco and go to other French-speaking countries like France, Belgium, or even Canada to find work.

We then talked about our awesome weekend trip coming up. I’m not going to spoil everything just yet, but it certainly involves camels and a night in the Sahara. Muahaha I can’t wait!!

Just got back from a little dessert place with a few peeps. So French.

Meghan's Nutella crepe!

Sarah's cake

Claire's ice cream!

I didn’t take many pictures today, so here are some more cool ones from yesterday. Enjoy! :)

Fancy bathroom door

Another stage for the music festival

So. Many. Cats. in Morocco.

Cafe in the Kasbah

Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

Hand of Fatima

Super windy

Ceiling of the Mausoleum

Handmade tiled wall in Mausoleum

-Allie

Day 3: Rockin' the Kasbah

Rockin' the Kasbah.

So today marked the first day of our volunteer placements—the reason we all came to Morocco through Cross Cultural Solutions. The four of us left for the orphanage on the CCS bus at 8:00 this morning after a quick breakfast. My placement is in the Lala Maryem Special Needs Ward of the orphanage in Rabat. Overall, the orphanage has an extremely high adoption rate, 100 of the 125 children being adopted last year, but the special needs children (ages 2-26) are presumably there for life. The orphanage itself was beautiful, though we were instructed not to take pictures while we’re there. :( The grounds are made up of a few different buildings and a courtyard. When we got there, there were a handful of (obviously) non-Moroccan prospective parents walking around with babies (so cute!!). Also in the courtyard were a variety of playground-like things, including a wicked sweet trampoline house. It’s literally a trampoline enclosed by net walls and a hard roof. Maybe I’ll try to sneak a picture.

            The special needs ward was and will be an experience I’ll never forget. When we got to the orphanage, the 7 or so nurses had already started bathing the kids. The tubs are more like shallow metal beds that the children/adults are lifted into the tubs, their diapers are removed, and they are rinsed, soaped and shampooed up, carried over to a drying table, and dressed. I was expecting this to be difficult to see as well as physically demanding. And well it is never easy to see a human unable o help themselves, these nurses are doing a really good thing, and Mohammed said they get paid less than minimum wage. Also, I could not distinguish between the teenagers and the adults, none of who must weigh over 100 pounds. But all they really need is attention and for you to talk to them even if they can’t reply. I really enjoyed washing their hair. I scrubbed their heads like they do at the hairdresser’s and even the kids who clearly disliked bathing smiled. Dressing them was another challenge, as many of their limbs are bent and joints are very tight. I definitely broke a sweat.

            After bathing, they are wheeled back to the room for breakfast. Most of the children were fed bread broken up in warm milk, which we fed to them, while others drank a milk-yogurt mix. At this time, the nurses also go around and give them their medicine and tend to any cuts they’ve acquired, from wheelchair spokes, etc. Then it’s time to go outside.

            Many of the children, the littlest ones and the most immobile ones, sadly stay inside, but others are allowed on the terrace overlooking the courtyard. The few that can walk are allowed to go play and eventually, we brought others in their wheelchairs outside where we just walked around, had wheelchair races, etc. They love going fast. But for most of the time, I was dragged around by Nadir. Nadir is probably about 13 years old and is physically normal, but has some sort of mental disability. He helps tremendously around the orphanage, even helping the nurses to move the other children in and out of the tubs. Nadir loves hugs and loves giving kisses on the cheek and hand, of which I received many. Haha. Apparently he usually chooses a person to become attached to. And attached he was. He held my wrist or linked arms with me and dragged me around. We jumped in the bounce house, threw around a basketball and played too many games of tag. He really is the sweetest thing and would make me constantly repeat my name, saying “Nadir,” pointing to himself, then pointing at me to say “Allie.” The only difficult thing is that while he does speak, it’s in Arabic, making communicating difficult. But nevertheless, he hung onto my wrist. At first I was annoyed that I didn’t get a chance to interact with more children, but then I realized, I have 9 more days volunteering, I have plenty of time.

            The other children are adorable as well. I really enjoy speaking French to a few that I know can understand me. It’s the best feeling to know that you’re helping.

Whew! Well after placement, we came back for lunch and then at 2:00, went out for a tour of old Rabat. We started out at the Medina. We were all excited because we hadn’t found it yesterday, but…turns out we had. The Medina was just SO much bigger than we thought and went on and on with all different kinds of shops. Lots of shoe stores; stores selling nuts, dates, apricots, spices; rug stores; clothing stores, people selling the littlest turtles I’ve ever seen; etc, etc, etc. It definitely was reminiscent of the market in the movie Aladdin, if anyone remembers that.

Dates

Olives

We walked through the Medina and out the other side where we entered the Kasbah. So basically, “Kasbah” means “fortified village” and was built in the 12^th century. It was filled with beautiful gardens and even a café! We walked through a neighborhood with the whitewashed and blue walls and it opened out onto the ocean and a fantastic view of Morocco that was honestly breathtaking. If I could describe Morocco in one word, it would be “colorful.”

 Kasbah

Inside the Kasbah

Outside a Mosque

Awesome View

From here, we went to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V. The tombs of the grandfather, father, and uncle of the current king, Mohammed VI, are housed here. The guards are insanely decked out, and apparently one of the only military officers you’re allowed to take pictures of/with. Inside the mausoleum is a balcony that overlooks the three tombs and a man sitting and reading the Koran. We were all certain that he was not reading it though, as he had sunglasses on and was definitely asleep. Oh well. An unfinished mosque, begun in the 12th century, surrounds the mausoleum, as construction halted when the king died. The minaret, the tower that serves as the point from which the call to prayer is made. Apparently, this was supposed to be the tallest in the world at that time 86 meters tall, but it is less than halfway completed.

Swanky guard

The minaret

Unfinished mosque

And another swanky guard

"Reading" the Koran

At this point, some people headed back to Home Base while others, me included, returned to the Medina to shop a little. I got some sweet earrings and a headband, and some other gifts that I will not disclose at this time. ;)

Oh man! Sorry for the long post, but it was a long day and we learned a lot! I promise tomorrow’s post won’t be as wordy.

A demain, mes amis!

-Allie

P.s. we had a sort of mini potato latkes for dinner, yummmm.

P.p.s. this is for you, Neil.

Surfers!

Day 2: Rain in Rabat

           Well, there’s a dog that lives next door with a penchant for barking all through the night. Nevertheless, this did not keep me from sleeping like a rock. The weather has been nice during the day, and chilly enough at night to need to use the thick blankets they gave us. I’m in a room with three other girls and am on the top bunk. I was secretly really excited to have this bunk because I’d never slept on a top bunk before. Haha.

            So this morning, I decided to be ambitious and go for a run before breakfast. The weather was perfect, cool and cloudy. But just as I turned around at the halfway mark, it began to pour. Let’s just say the run back was significantly faster than the first and I was soaking wet by the time I got to Home Base. Whatevs. It was quite the experience and now I know that the morning is the best time as there are significantly fewer people outside.

            I returned in plenty of time for breakfast, which went from 7:30 to 9:30, and then we began orientation. We got to know Khadija, Mohammed, Abdellah, Aicha, and Fatiha better. They’re all awesome. Mohammed, Khadija, and Abdellah were actually in the Peace Corps before they started to work for CCS, which just speaks to their awesomeness. We learned more about house rules, placement expectations, etc, etc. And then we had an Arabic lesson! Khadija taught us a bunch of different useful phrases. I’ve found that French is plenty useful, but it’s nice to know how to ask for the bathroom just in case.

Khadija

Mohammed

Abdellah

            Lunch was dee-lish, as usual. Moroccan food has so many unique spices and uses such a variety of vegetables that I’m having no problem finding things to eat at mealtime. The cook, Aicha, cooks literally ALL day. After breakfast, she immediately starts lunch; after lunch, she starts the pastry for teatime; and after that, she starts dinner. She’s one of the few of the staff that actually lives in the house with us. EVERYTHING is homemade, and the bread is amazing. Speaking of bread, we learned today that in Morocco, bread and other things made from flour is thought of as sacred and even scraps are not thrown away. Instead, it’s placed in a bag next to the trash where it is made into something else or sold. The tea here is awesome; it’s minty and suuuuper sweet. I think I need to drink a smaller cup though, because the amount of sugar has been giving me headaches.

The spread

Beans, bread, eggplant, and some veggies

            Onwards and upwards! After lunch we decided to go to the Medina which is the traditional market in Morocco. I have been designated the cab driver translator and always sit in the front seat (the cabs only fit two in the back, they’re Fiats). Funny note: when the cab driver explained that to me yesterday, I said C’est bizarre and he laughed out loud. We’re best friends. Anywhoooo, it takes three cabs to get eight of us anywhere, and our silly signals from cab to cab somehow got confused. While Rachel and Anthony pointed at something in front of them trying to say, “Follow that cab!” we all thought they were pointing to the entrance, so I asked to get out there.

Well, long story short, that was not the Medina and right when we exited the cab there was another freak rainstorm. It only lasted a minute or two and we did end up at a market that was pretty cool. After two other cabs, we decided to walk down to the water and just head back to Home Base. The water was absolutely beautiful, blue and bright. We headed back and on the radio in the cab, we heard Boyfriend by J. Biebs and a song by Katy Perry. Oh, America, you’re everywhere. 

Back at the base, we had tea and chatted for an hour or so. I think the jet lag finally caught up to us though, as we were all exhausted leading up to dinner. We ate another lovely Moroccan meal and then played an intense game of Catch Phrase. We lost 2 games to 1, booo. But now I think it is time for bed, as I need to leave for my placement at 8:00 tomorrow morning. I’m psyched to be hopefully be able to communicate with the nurses at the orphanage, we shall see what tomorrow brings.

B’slama and bonne nuit!

-Allie

P.s. Happy birthday, Sam!

P.p.s. I found the turtle, Sonali!

Day One: Pitbull in Morocco?

            Compared to the flight from Boston to Paris, the flight from Paris to Rabat was a piece of cake. I ended up sitting next to Kate, another girl from the CCS program and we had a great time. They served us weird cold lunch (my 4^th meal of the day already) and I then I tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to make up for the three hours of sleep I had gotten earlier.

            Kate is a Middle Eastern Studies major at her school, hoping to practice her Arabic while she’s here. We were both pretty nervous to try to communicate in French and Arabic, respectively, but have made a sort of pact to try our best to speak the languages.

            The language isn’t the only thing that’s different here, though. Morocco is unlike anywhere I’ve ever been before. It has a definite Middle Eastern feel, with mosques and women in headscarves and the like. But on the other hand, some of the architecture is surprisingly modern, and the Moroccan youth are not unlike ourselves.

            The house is amazing. We’re in a little neighborhood with a beautiful backyard that supposedly has a few turtle inhabitants. More on this later. The house staff is amazing as well. Mohammed and Abdou picked us up at the airport and made us all feel comfortable from the start. The others are nice too, but I really need to learn their names. Volunteer-wise, everyone has quickly become friends. We all came from different parts of the country, and everyone is so interesting. I can’t wait to get to know everyone better.

            Backtracking a bit, on the plane to Rabat, Kate and I sat next to a guy and his many bandmates. Apparently, there is a huge music festival happening this week with international and Moroccan performers. According to this guy, whose “Evanescence-like band” will be playing at the festival, Shakira played last year and attracted over 100,000 people and a few years before, there was a stampede! It’s kind of a big deal. So when Mohammed proceeded to tell us about the festival, and we saw that Pitbull was playing tonight, we all knew we couldn’t miss it.

            None of us particularly like Pitbull, but we knew it would be interesting to see an American artist in Morocco. Plus, it was free. :) So ten of us took cabs to the main stage, having to walk the last half of the way due to road closings and massive amounts of people. It ended up being Kate, Anthony, and I at the show. This was most certainly a culture shock.

            For one, I have never been to an event that was so predominantly male. The girls present were most often accompanied by their fathers. Even dressed conservatively, I endured quite a few pinches and offers to dance. It is certainly not easy to blend in here. But overall, the concert was awesome. It was so funny seeing the Moroccan boys singing the Spanish words of an American singer’s song. Talk about a mixing of cultures.

            But the most fun came at the end of the night, when we headed back to the home base. The three of us hailed another taxi, and I ended up in the passenger’s seat. The drive was long and circuitous due to the road closings, and I spoke in French with the driver the entire way. It was so much fun! We talked about Morocco and the USA, Moroccan cabs, what we’ll be doing during our time here, etc etc. It was awesome! I’m so so glad that I was able to go out of my comfort zone and just talk. It seems as if I’m better than I thought. And this is only day one!!

            He said something to me that I found very interesting, and really symbolic of my initial perception of Morocco as a whole. When I told him I wanted to become a doctor, he said “God is my number one friend, and the doctors are number two.” Morocco is certainly rooted in deep tradition, but it’s growing progressiveness is unmistakable.

Until tomorrow, bonne nuit!

-Allie

Culture: Part One

Bonjour! Et bienvenue a Paris! It is currently 4:00 AM EST, but I am wiiiiide awake. I have just arrived after my 7-hour flight from Boston to Paris and am sitting here in Charles De Gaulle airport—the clocks reading 10:00 AM.

            My flight was surprisingly fast and actually quite pleasant. Even though the flight took off at 8:30 PM, we were served “dinner” not long after. I say “dinner” because mom and I had already eaten before I left, but this didn’t stop me from munching on some of the veggies. I slept for a few hours and was awakened for breakfast…errr, another rice cake. Despite the lacking vegan breakfast, the way in which the airline serves dinner, turns off the lights, turns them back on, and serves breakfast really helps to reset your internal clock. I feel like it should be lunchtime, but at home, the sun hasn’t even risen!

On a different note, the cultural immersion has already begun. So many different languages and passports from different countries of origin, just from walking through security! I sat next to a nice couple on the plane who were traveling to Slovenia, where the woman was from and then on the tram to my terminal, I sat next to a guy from Amsterdam. One thing that seems to know no cultural bounds is peoples’ perception of Harvard. My water bottle is such a conversation piece. I guess I forget sometimes how well known it is.

But I’ve started to notice cultural differences already. When I boarded the plane, I happened to find a French copy of Elle magazine and thought I could use it to spruce up my French a bit. Not only was I proud of how much I understood, but I also could not help but notice the differences between French and American Elle. For one, French Elle has a ridiculous amount of topless models. That aside, it also has a larger amount of political and current event type articles, which American Elle lacks. I don’t know what this says about French women, but I think it’s really interesting. Also, you don’t have to take your shoes off through security…hmmm.

A few days ago, Neil asked if you could tell once you landed that you were in another country. I said I didn’t think so, that all airports are mostly the same, but I take that back. I am most definitely in France. It smells different here, the airport and the people (mostly good.) It sounds different (duh.) And the people and the architecture just look different. I don’t know what it is about Europeans that is so distinguishable, but you honestly can’t miss it. I am certainly not in Dennis anymore. And plus, there’s a LaDuree macaron stand across the terminal right next to a parfumerie and a Longchamp store, totally Parisian.

Well, on that note I think it’s time for a 4 AM lunch. My flight for Rabat leaves in 2 hours so I have some time to kill. No better place to people watch than an airport.

Plus de mots et plus de photos demain! 

Au revoir la France, bonjour le Maroc! 

-Allie