Becoming a Maghrebi

Our orientation sessions today at CCCL were focused around navigating Rabat as a Maghrebi or Moroccan. We started the day by being dropped off individually in remote neighborhoods of the city and were told to find our way back to our madrassa or school. I was able to find my way back after asking some friendly Rabatis for help, but not before stopping at the Hotel Belima for a glass of authentic mint tea. Each day since I've been here, I've had 2-3 pitchers of sweet, minty tea. Most of my fellow students, as well as thousands of Moroccans, enjoy this cultural staple each and every day. It's a chance to sit down for a refreshment and people watch, something that is deeply ingrained in the Moroccan lifestyle.

Later at CCCL, we learned about bargaining, local customs, street harassment, and health and safety. Studying through SIT and CCCL is truly an experiential process because they force us to abandon our titles as "students" in efforts to become "members" of our host culture and community. We eat, sleep, study, live, and breath in the medina, just like our native Moroccan neighbors. Therefore, CCCL staff have not treated us as young, American students and these sessions are aimed at preparing us to live independently, appropriately and authentically in this foreign world. 

Tomorrow, they will give us 10Mdh (dirham) and we will have to bargain and haggle to buy items in the market...

Inside the Medina

The Medina

Today I had a chance to wander around the medina a bit on my own. I purposefully made sure that I got lost, although it's not too difficult to find your way. It was interesting to see the different things Moroccan merchants were selling, from soccer balls to used cell phones, socks to strawberries. I noticed that, based on an individual merchant's social status and wealth, they were able to acquire and sell different goods of a variation of values. The poorest men would be selling tissues or socks, while the wealthiest would offer electronics, jeans or silver. These merchants usually had small shops, while the former relied on displaying their goods on cardboard boxes on the streets.

Overlooking Rabat's Medina

At CCCL, we took an Arabic placement exam which I felt relatively comfortable with. Although the arabic courses through SIT teach fus'ha (Modern Standard Arabic), all Moroccans only speak darija. So, SIT will give us crash courses in darija during orientation and throughout our first week. However, it was amazing how many Moroccans were bilingual, speaking darija, fus'ha, English, and French.

We ate all of our meals at CCCL today, but I was able to sneak in a quick mint tea at a traditional Moroccan cafe. I spoke to many Moroccan men who were happy to meet an American, eager to tell about their trips to America, and wanted to meet me at the medina's hamaam or public bath tomorrow. All the people I meet are incredibly friendly a personable. Almost everyone says salaam on the streets with a smile and head nod.

Signing off for now...

First Day in مغرب

I made it! I arrived in Casablanca a little before noon and met up with four other SIT students studying Rabat. We split the 90 minute taxi to Rabat (650dh or $55) and soon arrived at the Hotel Darna. After getting settled, we walked to the ocean and began exploring the winding, ancient streets of the medina or old city.

My first impressions of the medina was how much it met my expectations - the people, buildings, aromatic food smells, and general "overcrowdedness". I absolutely loved it. I noticed that most men made eye contact and greeted me warmly as I walked by, something my two female cohorts did not experience. 

By early evening, our entire study group of 56 students met up and toured the old city. We were brought to the Center for Cross Cultural Learning or CCCL, the SIT headquarters where we will take most of our classes. It was a beautiful, intricately decorated riad 5 stories tall with a gorgeous roof terrace and panaramic views of Rabat. The view was certainly the highlight of our first day. The SIT director, Abdelhay gave us a brief introduction to the program and city. He was unbelievabley warm and friendly. He introduced himself to me and, when I told him I went to Colgate, said ma'shallah, because it was on this exact roof that he had many wonderful conversations with Emilio Spadola, the Colgate professor who sparked my interest in studying North Africa and traveling throug SIT. It was the perfect start to my semester abroad.

Inside the CCCL

All of the other students on SIT are incredibly friendly, smart and adventurous like myself. I met kids from all over the US and the group is already quite close. We shared our first dinner together at the Bahia restaurant just outside the medina. I'm truly looking forward to what tomorrow brings during my first day of orientation. 

Beard Bonanza - Week 1

Off on the Road to Morocco

Finally...I'm off! I am currently sitting in Terminal 8 of JFK waiting to board my flight to Madrid where I will catch a connecting flight to Casablanca. I still can't believe all of my things fit in one duffel bag, a carry on and my backpack, but I managed it! 

I happily am leaving snowy NY for sunny Rabat!

The truth is, I am not nervous for my semester abroad in Rabat. I am ready for an adventure, to finally be on my own in a foreign and incredibly unique country. I am ready to learn about cultural traditions, historical practices, and aspects Islamic lifestyle. I am eager to try new food and learn darija, a colloquial form of Arabic that is totally foreign to me. I am excited to meet new people and experience native hospitality at its finest! 

I am studying abroad through a program called SIT. I am on the Migration & Transnational Identity program which highlights these incredibly prescient anthropological and political themes within Moroccan society. During the program, we will travel to many different regions of Morocco to explore different native lifestyles, from the Spanish enclaves in the north to rural village life in the southern mountains. 

Upon arrival in Rabat, Morocco's capital, I will begin with a group orientation. I will then begin classes and get placed in a two month long homestay program with a Moroccan family living in the old city or madina. In April, I begin writing and doing independent research for my ISP or independent study project.  I will develop a guiding question, perform independent research and field-based interviews, and live on my own in a city of my choosing for 4 weeks. I'm really excited for this...

Throughout my trip, I hope to update you all with travel plans and experiences, journal entries about daily life, food and culture, and of course, funny and embarrassing stories. 

Lastly, I have promised many friends and family to update this blog with pictures of my beard, which I am not shaving for the entire trip, from January 26 to May 11. See Day 1 of the Beard Bonanza for yourself...

Check back soon for my first post from مغرب!!!

سلام (salaam)

Alex

and so it begins...

Hi! My name is Alex Djaha and I have lived in New York my entire life. I was born in Manhattan and later moved to Chappaqua in Westchester County, NY. I am 20 years old and double major in Political Science and Middle Eastern and Islamic Civilization Studies at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. 

My view from my office building in Lower Manhattan

When people ask me about studying abroad in Morocco, I usually tell them that I view it as "a four month adventure." I hope to take advantage of every opportunity I have to embrace a new culture, become part of a new family, and live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I want to try new foods, learn new customs, and speak a new language (as best I can, insh'allah) --- by taking these risks, my adventure will truly be unforgettable. 

I have started this blog because non-academic writing is something I've never explored before, and I see this as an adventure or journey as well. I will be updating this frequently with pictures, stories, and travel summaries throughout my entire time abroad! I plan to use it as a travel journey/itinerary to share with friends and family, while hopefully intertwining my cultural observations from a personal perspective. 

I am truly excited to begin my journey in Morocco, and I am so glad you decided to tag long as well. 

Check back soon for travel preparations, packing issues (I like to make lists), and preliminary program information about my SIT study abroad program.

10 days until I leave for Rabat....