Mid term update

Hey-
I'm finally able to write again, the internet has not been reliable enough to write these past few weeks.
Since I last wrote I have finished the first half of my semester here, although it doesn't feel that I have been here that long. Just last Friday and Monday I took the midterms for my Arabic beginning I course and I am surprised at how much I have learned in such a small amount of time. Granted it was only the alphabet and a few dialogues but with these I can begin to understand what Arabic I hear and read. My exams went well and I scored highly on both the written and oral parts. Now the difficult part comes; conjugating verbs and forming sentences. But I'll get through.
Since I wrote last our group got to take a few more excursions. On the weekend of the 28th we drove out to Fes to tour the city. Fes is alot like Meknes in its setup, but much larger and older. While there we had the opportunity to tour a ceramics studio where we saw pots being thrown as well as mosiacs being made, as well as a tannery. The medina was very large and very hectic, I always had to keep eye out to avoid being clipped- or run over- by a passing mule. As interesting as Fes was I am much more appreciative of small and uncomplicated Meknes.
Last weekend we bussed out to the mountain cities of Azrou and Ifrane. We began by a homemade meal at our tour guides home and stuffed ourselves to the brim and so were glad to get a chance to work it all off on a hike up the mountains in the High Atlas range. It was a beautiful day, sunny and in the 70s. It was a hard hike but we took a break when we came across patches of snow of all things. Of course, being deprived of all that lovely snow back home, we broke out in a massive snowball fight; made even more enjoyable because we were not all bundled up but enjoying the summer-like weather. The rest of our hike was broken up by a few more of these impromptu wars.
About halfway through we came to a rest stop between the mountains and there were a family of monkeys just wandering around. We began to peel an orange for one that was perched above us in a tree. These monkeys must have been acclimated to the curious tourists that wander through and know just how to work them, because when we offered this guy a peel he just smacked it away and waiting somewhat impatiently for the good stuff. We all got a chance to feed this monkey a slice, teasing it further and further down the tree until it was just a foot away, meanwhile all his monkey buddies got wind of what was going on and came around to see what they could get. I got close enough to pet one as he was drinking from the water bottle I gave him. It was great fun to play with these monkeys but I imagine they take on the role that squirrels do back home; I would not want to try and have a picknick while they are around. I'll work on getting picture organized so I can get them up- others have pictures of me on their cameras- but look up macaques or barbary apes to see what we did.
After our 2 hour hike we drove to the cities of Azrou and Ifrane to have lunch and wander around. These cities did not look like they belonged in Africa but rather Switzerland, being built with the same architectural style; the pointed roofs and tall buildings. Everything was so quiet and pictuesque compared to the small town busyness of Meknes, it was very interesting to get that other perspective.
On the busride our program directors and guides broke out into full-on Moroccan/ Berber music and dancing, which kept us all laughing and clapping; preparing us for one of the cultural activities that our host university put on for us. Yesterday there was a sort of cultural show put on by the students and professers of Moulay Ismail, consisting of a compilation of music and dance and theatre giving us glimpses of all different cultures which make up Morocco; Berber, Andalusian, Sub-saharan, with a few American additions. Unfortunately though, there was a group of Islamists- extremeists- who disapproved of the music, the boys and girls sitting together, among other things. Things got pretty intense when they got upset over this show and wanted it to stop. There was no immediate danger to any of us, although the Islamists were forced to leave. Many of the Moroccan students afterwards came up to us apologizing and reassuring us that we were welcome and that this behavior was extreme and not tolerated. I felt very safe and reassured because I know many of the students and I know that they do not hold these views and would support our American group over these Islamists. I know that every religion and culture has some extreme element and that is not going to stop me from my interactions with these cultures; and that the only effective way to combat these elements is to peacefully and respectively form relationships. Yesterday I felt why there is a need for my area of studies (Third World and Reconciliation Studies) and the potential results when gone about correctly.
I have one week until I leave for my spring break on the Atlantic coast; in a town called Tagazout, near Agadir, where I plan on lots of sand, surf and sun. I will get pictures and a note up when I get back so those of you in freezing cold Minnesota may live vicariously through me- relazing on a beautiful beach in 80 degree weather! Enjoy the snow!