On Wednesday, our group director Bardrdine told us to wander the medina, find something we'd like to buy, and haggle for it, making sure to pay no more than 10 dirham (a little more than 1 USD). After being given a 10Mdh coin, I began to search the medina for cheap goods to buy. While I was already comfortable speaking arabic to locals with various fus'ha phrases that I learned at Colgate, I did not know any darija (Moroccan spoken dialect) before today. So, in my first darija class at CCCL, my teacher, Mr. Tammam, taught us important bargaining and greeting phrases. These certainly helped when communicating with Rabatis.
Walking around the medina, it is impossible not to be amazing by the wonderful sights, sounds, colors, and smells. However what's truly so amazing about Moroccco are the people. In the medina, I bumped into an older man named Abdelilah. I immediately said smehlee or sorry and kept walking, however he grabbed my arm, introduced himself and asked labas? (the equivalent of French ça va?). I responded labas, al-hamdullilah! We began talking and sharing kind words in the middle of the medina, and soon after, he invited me to his spice shop. I stayed for over and hour, drinking tea and listening to his stories about traveling to America and interacting with Americans. He was very happy that I was a taleb or student studying in the old medina. When I left, he gave me a bag of baleh or dates and refused any sort of payment, an example of the unique and omnipotent hospitality that is al-Maghrib. This was a fantastic experience and one that I will always remember.
What's truly amazing about the CCCL program is the educational and cross cultural depth attained during each and every interaction, particularly for members of the host culture as well as for myself. CCCL staff explained that before the homestay programs began over 10 years ago, the medina families truly did not know how to interact with Americans or have positive experiences from both parties. Now, however, shopkeepers and natives know how to appropriately interact with Americans because if the relationships formed during homestays. I can't wait to meet my family tomorrow! I hope to have brothers or sisters to help me further integrate into medina life. Slowly but surely, I am feeling less of a foreigner and more comfortable as I'm becoming a member of this rich and beautiful culture...
What's truly amazing about the CCCL program is the educational and cross cultural depth attained during each and every interaction, particularly for members of the host culture as well as for myself. CCCL staff explained that before the homestay programs began over 10 years ago, the medina families truly did not know how to interact with Americans or have positive experiences from both parties. Now, however, shopkeepers and natives know how to appropriately interact with Americans because if the relationships formed during homestays. I can't wait to meet my family tomorrow! I hope to have brothers or sisters to help me further integrate into medina life. Slowly but surely, I am feeling less of a foreigner and more comfortable as I'm becoming a member of this rich and beautiful culture...
Towards the end the evening, CCCL hosted a welcome dinner for all 58 students. Our chef, Brahim, prepared traditional salads and appetizers, followed by a heaping dish of pastille, a Moroccan speciality. Between layers of philo dough are ground nuts, wheat, and chicken, prepared with rose water and cinnamon. The flavors and textures made for the most delicious meal I've ever eaten in my life, although I'm really looking forward to Friday couscous with my host family. After dinner, local ghwane musicians came and to play for us while we all danced in the CCCL main hall. It was an incredible experience. I'm planning on haggling for a ghwane CD tomorrow in the medina...
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