News

The past week as been a bit mouvemente (I have no accents on this keyboard so just pretend there is an accent on the last e).  First of all, I started teaching at Mohammedia on Tuesday.  Mohammedia is a small beach city beween Rabat and Casablanca.  Once you step outside of the train station, you feel the easy sway of the beach culture everywhere around you-much like Agadir.  While Agadir is bigger, and has orange taxis, Mohammedia's taxis are a refreshing mint green.

The ENSA is an Engineering University with a small campus and small classes.  The students are competent francophones with a strong desire to learn and practice their English.  I taught a Master's class in lieu of my second year students since they did not know that they would have class on Tuesday. Tomorrow I should be teaching my students, which I am excited about!

In addition to teaching, I have been getting my bearings in Rabat.  Apartment hunting has been an extreme adventure.  I have seen many apartments, all of which come with side stories, gossip about crazy neighbors, along with copious amounts of juice, coffee or tea.  I still haven't found what I want but I do have some killer stories of apartments gone wrong.

Staying with Jessica and Sophie has been an amazing experience.  Both of them are serious foodies and have taught me tons about healthy cooking, places to shop in the souk, places to avoid, in addition to many stories about Moroccan bros.  Yes, there are even bro-ey (is that a word??) ways to speak Darija.  

The times, they are a-changing

Living in Morocco has taught me a lot about patience.  Patience when all the taxis are full and you are hoping to not miss an appointment.  Patience when someone older than you is speaking.  Patience when waiting for your teaching schedule.  Or, when cooking tagine, going grocery shopping, negotiating for prices.  Patience permeates all levels of a successful existence here.

Time, and the odd workings of time also go hand in hand with patience.  Sometimes you get the feeling that you have endless hours to lesson plan, meet people, or run errands, but suddenly time has slipped away and you need to hurry to catch up on work.  A discussion in a cafe or a lunch date with friends seems to go by in the blink of an eye.  I always feel more optimistic about my schedule and time management than is actually the case.

This past week has been rife with changes.  I started the week in Agadir, with another change to my schedule and another later start date.  By the end of the week, I was moving to Rabat to take over another ETA's classes in Mohammedia.  Patience and time have once again been at work.  Once I have settled in, I will write more about my new job and surroundings.

Beach Bum

The end of the Eid holiday is upon, and, with that, brings the return to a bit of normalcy.  Well, for most of the working people of Morocco anyway.  In my case, this week is the start of the semester.  Finally. While the end of summer vacation in the US is marked by the appearance of backpacks and school supplies in stores that children eerily avoid until the last possible moment, return to school for university students here is a bit vague.  As my boss says, it is a "conjugal dance" between faculty and students to see who makes the first move into the classroom.

In my case, this dance has gone on for three weeks.  Yes. Three.  In the past three weeks, I have had my schedule change three times, been given multiple start dates, and basically have become resolved to the fact that I have no idea what's going on and everything can change at every possible moment.  For a control freak like myself, this has been a hard fact to swallow.  Do not for one second believe that this experience is bad, though.

With my time off, I have been able to visit Agadir, learn to cook Tagine, one of the national dishes of Morocco, picked up my boxes from the US, found a wonderful apartment, and spend quality time at the beach.  Well, really, multiple beaches.  This weekend, I spent Saturday at Agadir.  It was beautiful and it is still warm enough to go swimming! Connor and I ate at McDonald's which is right next to Pizza Hut-the mecca of Americana.  Today, I spent the day with some friends at Devil's Rock which is a bit outside Agadir in Inoumrane.  We then went to one of my fave restaurants in Taghazout called Le Spot and played Settlers of Catan-one of my favourite games from undergrad at UCSD.  Yes, I have resolved to become a beach bum for the next 8 months-when my teaching duties permit it, of course.

This week brings many new changes to my life.  First of all, I start teaching on Wednesday.  I am excited and nervous, just like I get at the start of meeting new students, figuring out the faculty rules, and learning how to navigate a whole new system.  In addition, Connor and I will be moving into our new, beloved apartment with the tiny kitchen this coming weekend.  We cannot wait! Once that all goes to plan, which can change at any minute-I remind you, then I will be posting pictures of sunsets from the beach-which is a 10 minute walk from our abode.  Here's to hoping that next week proves to be as interesting as the last three! 

Multimedia Overload

Here is a bit of a review on my life in Morocco in sounds and images.  Enjoy!

The first group are of the Roman ruins - Volubilis! 

The second group are of Meknes's famous door (Bab) and the surrounding square. 

Our home during our orientation, Dar Batoul in Rabat. 

Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca.  Truly enormous and beautiful! 

Our last night together in Rabat at the Syrian/Lebanese restaurant, Shami.

My 30th birthday in Taghazout, near Agadir.

My impromptu trip to Casa to see other Fulbrighters.

In the former Cathedral in Casablanca!

This Algerian group, Babylone, has become my new favourite band.  Here are two of my favourites. Comments appreciated, don't be shy! 

The Electricity Conundrum

The past few days have been very strange in the world of Agadir.  Conner, my roommate and other awesome ETA here has been in Marrakesh visiting some of the other Fulbrighters for the Eid Al Adha holiday.

I, on the other hand, have been house sitting in an apartment complex that has increasingly dwindled in its inhabitants as people take off for their ancestral homes to spend the holiday with family.  Since Conner's absence, the electricity has been iffy at best.

On Sunday, I woke up to no electricity.  Meaning, no hot water, no laundry, no lights, no stove...you get the idea.  Basically, I woke up without my creature comforts such as they are.  At some point the lights came on and I rejoiced, but it was not to be.  I came back from errands to find no lights in the stairs, or in the house.  I had been at the glorious beach all day and desperately wanted a shower, which was not to be, alas.  Monday, the electricity turned off just as I was finishing cooking breakfast.  Tuesday was much of the same.

Fortunately, today it seems to be on and working regularly.  Today is Eid Al Adha, the day of sacrifice where families sacrifice sheep in commemoration of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his one and only son to God.  It is a feast day where families grill and cook the delicious meat.  Having participated in it in Tunisia, I decided to sit this one out and get some much needed work done on research and applications.

However, the problem with electricity has got me thinking.  Although people here swear that this "never happens" I wonder how much of Morocco's population lives without electricity.  I wonder how the average person can afford their electricity bill, and if companies ever shut off power like they do in the US.  Being a Fulbrighter with a disposable income means that these are not problems that I have to face, but I do wonder about the average person here in this beautiful, complicated and disorganized place. 

Agadir...first impressions

Although I already blogged today, I feel like one good turn deserves another.

Today was my first full day in Agadir and what a day it was! I woke up this morning to Renda's bustling house where everyone was getting ready to go to work.  I meandered to the kitchen, made coffee and walked up to the roof to examine my city in the light of day.  I could see the beach and mountains...ahhhh San Diego.

After a relatively relaxing morning full of bonding time with the internet, I moved my things over to my temporary abode.  I made a new friend and had lunch with Kbira and Asma, who both attend Master's programs at Ibn Zohr University, where I will be teaching.  After that, we went to the university so I could meet the head of the department.  I also finally got my schedule of classes:

Wednesday 2-4 & 4-6 Paragraphs & Precis (Summaries) - Semester 1 students
Friday 2-4 & 4-6 Advanced Grammar - Semester 3 students

I am happy with the fact that I have 3 day weekends, which means lots of travelling.  In addition to my teaching duties, I plan on getting certified for the DALF which would allow me to teach French :)

Goodbye twenties!

So, hello again.

I have been a bit MIA this week but I wanted to recount my thirtieth birthday.  Saying goodbye to a decade of your life makes one pensive.  You have finished a seminal and formative 10 year period and you embark on a new journey filled with changing objectives, a greater sense of yourself, and a more focused idea of what you want, or, at least, what you don't want.

On the day of the twenty eighth, I registered for the French teaching certificate preparation course on Saturdays 1430-1830.  This will give me something to do on Saturdays! I then met up with Renda and one of her roomies and we went to an English discussion group.  I had a great time and met some very interesting people.  After a few hours, we left and went to a very controversial circus performance which discussed such wonderful topics as 9/11, unwed mothers, and poverty.  After about ten minutes, we left and went to the beach.

The beach.  Having not yet ventured to the marina, this was a treat!! All of the nice hotels, restaurants and shops seem to be focused on one street next to the beach.  The marina itself is over 3 km and is a very relaxing walk.  Getting to the beach, we hear music.  We arrive at a concert and meet up with more of Renda's friends.  The music was wonderful and we listened for awhile before going to eat dinner. After dinner, we returned to the concert.  As it got closer to midnight, some of my new friends sneaked off.  They tried to get the MC of the concert to wish me a happy birthday - even though it didn't quite happen, it was a super sweet gesture that I am not ready to forget.  Afterwards, they surprised me with a plaque with my name. A great evening was had by all.

The next morning, Renda, Joey and I went to a beach outside Agadir in Taghazout.  This mini surf town is adorable and so relaxed.  We had lunch at a wonderful little restaurant overlooking the main street.  Europeans, Americans, Moroccans, surfers, dreadheads, tourists and hippies all intermingled and enjoyed the views and the water.  We went to the beach and enjoyed the warm water.  Later, we went to Aourir, the next town over that is a banana haven.

My birthday was a success in every sense of the word: good views, good people and good food.  I have a very positive feeling about my thirtieth year on my Fulbright!