Alot has happened since I last wrote, both good and bad. On the 15th I got some news of a health scare with one of my roommates back at Bethel, and so much of that day was spent worrying and stressing out. I have been able to get some information and things are well in hand, but I would appreciate prayers for my roommate, her doctors and myself. It was really hard being so far away from everything but have come to terms with the fact that all that I can do is pray and trust in the Lord.
Aside from that there has been some fun activities going on around here. We had a henna party last weekend, a friend of ours brought her neighbor over to do all of our hands- 18 hands in total, front and back! We made mint tea and finger foods and made a party of it. The henna is supposed to last about three weeks, and mine set in alot deeper than the other girls' so I think it will be awhile before it goes away. She painted a green paste on with a tube in a floral pattern from my fingers down to below my wrist. The paste had to set for about 45 minutes and then I scrubbed it off and revealed a deep orange stain. The whole party was alot of fun, its not often we get all 11 girls together for an activity. I think we are going to buy the ingredients and try it oursleves next time!
On Thursday my room had a chance to go to the hamaam, the public bath house, in the Zitoun- the aea near our school. We got our supplies and put on our bathing suits and headed down. The hamaam consisted of three rooms; two steam rooms with fauctes lining the walls and one for scrubbing. We filled our buckets with hot water and were given a black soap mixed with a henna powder to use. It smelled like yeast and mixed together to creat a puce-colored slime. Pretty fun. We ended up looking like the monster from the black lagoon. This soap was an exfoliant that soaked in and made scrubbing easier. Next we had to scrub down with a rough mitt, scraping all the dead skin off, which they called spaghetti. Gross enough for you? All in all the experience was pretty cool, and relaxing even. I came out a few skins lighter and very, very clean!
Not too many other big things have happened, just the everyday adventures. Since you are not all here with me I've decided to give you a little taste of Morocco at home. Most days I wake up for an 8am course, but today I didn't have class until 3, so I spent the morning catching up on reading and homework. We have lunch made by a woman named Saida and her niece Fatima, and if it weren't for them we would be eating bread and fruit for every meal. Instead we get homemade Moroccan dishes which are deliecious. I swear I will go through withdrawal at home. After lunch at 1:30 we have a little before we leave to catch a taxi to class. The taxis that we use are old Mercedes with 6 passangers stuffed inside, and cost about 25c for a ride. Our campus is a few stucco buildings connected by covered walkways, but with many grassy sitting areas. There has been some misunderstanding between the students and the faculty going on since before the end of the fall semester and so their spring semester has not begun yet, but they come to the school every day in case the classes begin again. So every day there has been groups of students hanging around the campus with nothing to do. Consequently we have met quite a few students and see them often. After classes we head to the Zitoun- the area near the university to grab a pastry and to catch a taxi back home. We get back around 6:45 and since it is dark at that point there is not much else to do besides hang out in the apartment and homework for the next day.
On the weekends we usually visit nearby cafes as well as the medina (old city and marketplace). The medina is a very interesting place; there are many different shops as well as street vendors and it is fun to people watch. This past weekend we began our souvernior shopping by bargaining with a few old ladies selling their embroidered tableclothes and tea sets. They were very insistant and it is hard to withstand but I think we were able to get them down to a reasonable amount.
Well I hope my rambling has given you some sense of daily life here in Meknes. I am working on getting pictures and uploading them, but I hate being 'that' tourist with the camera glued in fron of her face. I suppose I shall have to buck up and get an album put together for you though, so that is my goal this upcoming week. I am sorry for the delay!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
greetings!
Happy Valentines everyone! I have been here in Morocco for about a week and a half, and yesterday I finished my first week of classes. It's a pretty weird schedule, different than what I am used to. I have four classes right now; but only two a day, sometimes one. I have my Arabic course four days a week and my other courses one a day for three days a week. The classes, though, are 2.5- 3 hours long so I am pretty beat once they end. Arabic has been a challenge, but once I begin to recognize the alphabet it is pretty easy to piece together words, as they are put together with sounds rather than individual letters. Basically if you can pronounce a word you can read and write it.
My other classes have been switched around a bit as I tried to find ones better fitted to my studies. Tuesday I have Gender Studies and Artistic Expression in the Arab World and on Thursday I have Religion, Society and Politics as well as Arabic. Artistic Expression I feel will be a really interesting course, we are learning how culture is expressed through means of art when other means may not be accessible, especially to the uneducated in Morocco. We'll study things like weaving, folklore, clothing, as well as modern vessels such as cinema.
Today we went on our first excursion that the program has set up for us, a site called Volubilis. This ancient town was settled in the 3rd C. BC. by Romans, making it one of the most important Roman establishments in the North of Africa. The area is very fertile and much agriculture was imported back to Rome, as well as the more wild animals used in Colosseum games.
It was a beautiful day for a tour, but most of the days have been beautiful this past week. The first few days after we got here were rainy and cold, which is really uncommon in this time of the year, but it seems that the weather has settled back into the normality and the past week we've had sunshine and 50-60 degree weather every day!
Since it has been so nice we've been able to get out and explore the city a bit more! We generally take a taxi to the university and to the medina- the old city- but we walk to anywhere else we want to go in the city. The medina has a large souk- or market- in an area called Place el-Hedime- or Place of destruction. Aside from the food market where we are barraged by sights and smells both pleasant- fresh baked bread (hobs) and spices, and unpleasant- sheep and camel heads as well as other raw meats, the souk has many interesting shops. The most common are clothes: jeans, boots, shoes and crafts: rugs, ironwork, and jellabas. A jellaba is the traditional Moroccan clothing, and is still many times worn over more modern clothing. It is basically a hooded robe but can be embroidered or made with fine material so the range of style is quite broad. I hope to get one of my own soon, so I am eyeing the ones I pass to get an idea of what to look for!
We have also been able to participate in activities that the students and younger Moroccans do; cafes and leisurely walks around the Ville Nouelle. There are cafes and patisseries in abundance here so we have no trouble finding one we like. A few Moroccan students who knew the last group well took some of us to a juice cafe last night. There were more combinations of fruits that I thought possible and I had a hard time choosing. The juices here are made with milk and resemble somewhat a smoothie, without ice. I got pretty adventurous and tried an avacado and mango drink, although the pistachio and avacado caught my eye as well!
We also have met a few students at the university who show us around and introduce us more to the culture; a friend Jihane is coming over tomorrow to my apartment to do henna tattoos for some of us girls. I have begun to find my place with the other students on this trip and although it will not be the easiest at times I have found peace in knowing that I am where I am for a reason and I can't wait for that reason to become evident!
Please send your prayers as I begin my second week of school and things inevitably begin to take their toll! Love to all!
My other classes have been switched around a bit as I tried to find ones better fitted to my studies. Tuesday I have Gender Studies and Artistic Expression in the Arab World and on Thursday I have Religion, Society and Politics as well as Arabic. Artistic Expression I feel will be a really interesting course, we are learning how culture is expressed through means of art when other means may not be accessible, especially to the uneducated in Morocco. We'll study things like weaving, folklore, clothing, as well as modern vessels such as cinema.
Today we went on our first excursion that the program has set up for us, a site called Volubilis. This ancient town was settled in the 3rd C. BC. by Romans, making it one of the most important Roman establishments in the North of Africa. The area is very fertile and much agriculture was imported back to Rome, as well as the more wild animals used in Colosseum games.
It was a beautiful day for a tour, but most of the days have been beautiful this past week. The first few days after we got here were rainy and cold, which is really uncommon in this time of the year, but it seems that the weather has settled back into the normality and the past week we've had sunshine and 50-60 degree weather every day!
Since it has been so nice we've been able to get out and explore the city a bit more! We generally take a taxi to the university and to the medina- the old city- but we walk to anywhere else we want to go in the city. The medina has a large souk- or market- in an area called Place el-Hedime- or Place of destruction. Aside from the food market where we are barraged by sights and smells both pleasant- fresh baked bread (hobs) and spices, and unpleasant- sheep and camel heads as well as other raw meats, the souk has many interesting shops. The most common are clothes: jeans, boots, shoes and crafts: rugs, ironwork, and jellabas. A jellaba is the traditional Moroccan clothing, and is still many times worn over more modern clothing. It is basically a hooded robe but can be embroidered or made with fine material so the range of style is quite broad. I hope to get one of my own soon, so I am eyeing the ones I pass to get an idea of what to look for!
We have also been able to participate in activities that the students and younger Moroccans do; cafes and leisurely walks around the Ville Nouelle. There are cafes and patisseries in abundance here so we have no trouble finding one we like. A few Moroccan students who knew the last group well took some of us to a juice cafe last night. There were more combinations of fruits that I thought possible and I had a hard time choosing. The juices here are made with milk and resemble somewhat a smoothie, without ice. I got pretty adventurous and tried an avacado and mango drink, although the pistachio and avacado caught my eye as well!
We also have met a few students at the university who show us around and introduce us more to the culture; a friend Jihane is coming over tomorrow to my apartment to do henna tattoos for some of us girls. I have begun to find my place with the other students on this trip and although it will not be the easiest at times I have found peace in knowing that I am where I am for a reason and I can't wait for that reason to become evident!
Please send your prayers as I begin my second week of school and things inevitably begin to take their toll! Love to all!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
al-salaam 'aalykum
So I have finally reached Meknes, and I have now been here for five days. Things have finally begun to fall into routine, I tell ya- it is nice to unpack and not live out of my suitcase anymore!
We left last Tuesday morning at 4am, many of us stayed up the night packing and others decided to keep themselves up in other ways, enjoying the Spanish nightlife once last time. There were students who came back a little worse for the wear, so that made the trip a little more stressful. I had a hard time that night, and my exhaustion may very well have played into it. I was just struck by the absence of the sense of security and support I've acquired through my friends and my school the past 3 years. I was surrounded by things I had not experienced with people that did not necessarily share the morals and personality that I have. So it was rough for a few days; what with cliques beginning to separate, but I believe I have begun to find my niche in the group.
Our trip began with a 3 hour bus ride into the port at southern Spain, and then a 2 hour ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar- which my stomach was none too pleased about, i might add. After that we proceeded with a 4+ hour busride through the very wet Moroccan countryside. At times we had to push our way through flood level waters.
I've gotten out to explore the area a bit. I live in an apartment in the Ville Nouelle, the 'New Citey' of Meknes. This part of town was built by the French when they came beside the existing city; what is now referred to as the medina. I have been out to the medina a few times, it is very easy to get lost in! there is a substantial market selling everything from goats heads to a gellaba, the traditional hooded robe that many Moroccans still wear. The medina is a treat for all senses, but i haven't had a chance to really enjoy it because the weather here is just as unpredictable as Minnesotan. there hasn't been a day yet without rain, but it will tease us with patches of sunlight and blue skies!
ive gotten a chance to meet a few moroccan students my age, and the famed hospitality is showing its face already. they are so willing to help us with anything and to make us feel comfortable in any way. I'm sure I will have no trouble finding friends here. I start my classes on Monday, so I am excited to see what that will bring about!
WELL it is after 1a here now, so I am gonna hit the sack.
NOTE i have changed my address if anyone wants to suprise me with a little snail mail:
Daniel Osted
(attn: Megan Fink)
BP 7251
5000 Meknes, MOROCCO
till next time...
We left last Tuesday morning at 4am, many of us stayed up the night packing and others decided to keep themselves up in other ways, enjoying the Spanish nightlife once last time. There were students who came back a little worse for the wear, so that made the trip a little more stressful. I had a hard time that night, and my exhaustion may very well have played into it. I was just struck by the absence of the sense of security and support I've acquired through my friends and my school the past 3 years. I was surrounded by things I had not experienced with people that did not necessarily share the morals and personality that I have. So it was rough for a few days; what with cliques beginning to separate, but I believe I have begun to find my niche in the group.
Our trip began with a 3 hour bus ride into the port at southern Spain, and then a 2 hour ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar- which my stomach was none too pleased about, i might add. After that we proceeded with a 4+ hour busride through the very wet Moroccan countryside. At times we had to push our way through flood level waters.
I've gotten out to explore the area a bit. I live in an apartment in the Ville Nouelle, the 'New Citey' of Meknes. This part of town was built by the French when they came beside the existing city; what is now referred to as the medina. I have been out to the medina a few times, it is very easy to get lost in! there is a substantial market selling everything from goats heads to a gellaba, the traditional hooded robe that many Moroccans still wear. The medina is a treat for all senses, but i haven't had a chance to really enjoy it because the weather here is just as unpredictable as Minnesotan. there hasn't been a day yet without rain, but it will tease us with patches of sunlight and blue skies!
ive gotten a chance to meet a few moroccan students my age, and the famed hospitality is showing its face already. they are so willing to help us with anything and to make us feel comfortable in any way. I'm sure I will have no trouble finding friends here. I start my classes on Monday, so I am excited to see what that will bring about!
WELL it is after 1a here now, so I am gonna hit the sack.
NOTE i have changed my address if anyone wants to suprise me with a little snail mail:
Daniel Osted
(attn: Megan Fink)
BP 7251
5000 Meknes, MOROCCO
till next time...
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