21

My 21st birthday was one I will always remember...

Earlier this week, Mama insisted on throwing me a party to celebrate my 21st birthday with all of my friends and family in Rabat. At first I felt as though this was asking too much of my host family, especially after they had done so much for me over the course of the last month. However, they wouldn't take no for an answer, so I invited all of the American students currently studying with SIT in Rabat to my house for an authentic Moroccan birthday party. 

Mama and my sister, Kaoutar, begin preparations on Thursday for the party Sunday night. They cleaned the entire house, taking apart each room to "prepare it for the guests". They also bought Moroccan party music, rented chairs and tables, and prepared dessert menus for the evening. They even brought me with them to the bakery to pick out the cake I wanted! In addition to cake, we also bought hundreds of little Moroccan halaweyat (pastries/cookies) for all to enjoy.

The family arrived around 6pm to help set up for the party. All of my cousins, aunts, and grandmothers, in addition to Omar, Ayoub, Nissim and Kaoutar, helped set up for the party. We took many pictures and they gave me their presents, although I told them that the party was more than enough. My brothers gave me handmade wood keychains, my cousins and aunts gave me an authentic firestarter, and Mama gave me a sterling silver teapot, promising lessons to make "atay beneen" (delicious tea) when I return home to America. She cried when she gave it to me, because every day she makes me over 5 glasses of tea because it's my favorite, and she told me that every time she makes tea after I leave she will think of me, so this pot will make me think of her when I make tea back home. 

By 8pm, over 30 of my friends arrived and chatted for 20-30 minutes with my whole family, taking pictures and speaking in darija and French. Soon after, my brothers ushered them into the salon (living room, where I sleep) for halaweyat, cahwah (coffee) and atay (tea). During this time, Kaoutar's best friend came to do henna for the girls, as she is a professional artists and has a shop in the medina. After, we entered the main room for chocolate cake and lemonade. Everyone sang happy birthday to me in English, French, Arabic, Spanish and Dutch (my brothers' and cousins' idea) and I made a wish. 

Although I can't tell you my wish, I will say that it definitely involved wishing to return to Morocco each and every year in the future, hopefully with a family of my own, insh'allah.

All of my brothers and cousins were so happy to sit and talk with my fellow American students. My cousins, Zineb, Malak and Mahwah speak English, so they of course had a million questions for all of my friends. My brothers were next to me the whole night, as they were proud to throw me this party and I was even prouder to be part of this unbelievable family. All night, I was reminded of how lucky I am to be having such an amazing experience. My family is big, beautiful and so, so fun. My friends couldn't stop telling me how lucky I am and how nice, warm and thoughtful my family was to them.

After cake, everyone danced til around 11pm. I then took a few of my friends up to the terrace and we enjoyed the stars...

It certainly was one of the most special days of my life.