Al Maghrib

Morocco is a fascinating country. For example, yesterday I learned that they were the first country to recognize the United States as an independent nation. Today one of my school mates asked me if Morocco was what I expected. My reply was that it was...ish. The closest comparison is really central mexico without the drug violence. It is very much a developing nation and it seems that they have a predilection for building walls around everything. The traffic is anything but safe and there are stray cats everywhere. However, it is so much fun. Every time I get into a taxi I know that it will be a roller coaster ride to wherever I'm going and when I get there it will be something entirely new. Today I visited the souk (central market) where you can buy everything. They had DVDs for 5 dirham (75 cents) and I bought, what is most likely, a stolen cell phone for 20 bucks. I visited the meat market which had a smell like a mix between pike street market in Seattle and the meat markets of Mexico. The school has been fantastic. I really can't recommend it enough, and I have to say I have had more fun in a week than I imagined I would have over the entire three months. Really, if someone forced me to come home right now I would feel like this entire trip had been successful. Inshallah, no one will take me up on that. Also, I feel that I have to mention the mint tea that they serve here in case anyone is thinking of visiting Morocco in the future. Beware, the mint tea is less mint tea and waaaay more hot sugar water with added caffeine, right now I haven't become accustomed to it but maybe by the time I leave I'll like it.

This weekend I'm off to Tangier and Chefchaouen. Two cities about two and a half hours North of Rabat. I'm pretty excited.

Masa Salaama

-Ben

P.S. (This part might be a bit crude) We were given the worlds greatest worksheet. It has several phrases in Arabic Letters that we have to connect and then gives the English translation. The English is as follows:

1. He withdrew, pulled out
2. It was short
3. It was numerous
4. He emptied; he finished
5. He endowed with
6. He demanded, requested
7. He matured, it ripened
8. He triumphed
9. He spent the night awake
10. He was quick, fast
11. He was sorry, regretted
12. He abstained from
13. He was ill, unwell
14. He gathered, assembled
15. He passed
16. He was angry

At then end of it I was laughing so hard I was crying.