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
Mint tea xo
ReplyDeletelove that hotel belima.
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