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I feel like i often repeat the same kind of stuff in pac but at the same time it’s the message of the card, it’s the true meaning but it make me overthink 💀

#wandering here #i feel like it help but before publishing it i feel weird #or it’s my anxiety

Tay Takes Tangier

A few weeks ago, I posted two phots from our trip to Tangier. ( You can find them Here and here).

Our first weekend with our host families we went down to Tangier, the norther port city of Morocco. It’s also the African edge of the Strait of Gibraltar and has been, for centuries, the connector between Europe and Africa.

We got there at around midnight, so we finding a cab was a bit difficult. Two random ladies who happened to speak English helped us get close to where we would be staying and then we wandered for another half hour because we couldn’t find the tiny street our house was on.

We did finally find it, and it was more than enough space for the seven of us. Some of our group went out, but I stayed in with our aussie friend Eddie, and we tried and failed to make tea. Out of the three kettles in our Air B&B, all of them were broken. We had to microwave the water. And it was three am so we were delirious anyway.

The next day we went to the outer edge of the city looking for a decent beach. It took forever. We walked through the medina thinking we would find the ocean on the other side but the beach we found was “dangerous” which we assumed to mean was polluted to a level far beyond what our bodies were capable of handling. Despite having been up since 10am, we didn’t actually do anything other than walk around looking for things until after 2pm. We had a nice lunch at this restaurant called Tangerino which had an amazing seafood salad including squid, shrimp, salmon, and tuna.

After that, we took a quick look in Fodor’s and learned about this lighthouse that marked the end of the Atlantic Ocean and the beginning of the Mediterranean Sea. This place was even farther from where we were, a twenty minute cab ride, at least. On the way, we passed by all these large and walled houses that our driver told us were vacation homes for various kings including the Moroccan, Saudi, and Kuwaiti kings.

The lighthouse was closed, but it was still a nice view and one that we took full advantage of. We even climbed a bit down the mountain it was on, and sat overlooking the ocean for a while, just listening to the air and feeling the sun on our skin.

We then walked down the road hoping against hope to find a suitable beach. It almost didn’t happen. Everyone, save Eddie, was afraid we wouldn’t be able to find a cab if it got too late. Eddie was ready to throw all cares to the wind and walk to water no matter how long it took. But eventually we decided to go with her and it turned out water was closer than we thought.

The next day was much of the same. Everything was closed because it was Sunday so we didn’t really do anything but travel back. The next day was Eid al Adha, which we were all excited to experience in a Muslim country.

Even though I’m slow to update, I’m still here, wandering.

Tay.

#wandering here #tangier

Toads and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

My first week or so in Morocco, I got to reconnect with an old friend.

This is Ghita. She was one of the orientation leaders I had as a freshman at BU and she’s from Casablanca. I haven’t seen her in person in two years since she graduated, so seeing her was a treat.

We talked and walked around the medina and had a small snack together.

First she took me to try Moroccan snails. And despite all forewarning I tried them because,. you know, when in rome.

Yes I ate this gross specimen. (We both did). But you know there’s a first time for everything.

( Snail photo creds to Taylor Burris from the SIT program)

After Moroccan street food, we had more Moroccan street food. Ghita saw this colorful shop on Moh 5 and it was decided that we would eat there. I had moroccan “chawarma” and realized that shwarma everywhere is amazing, Ecuadorian shwarma, bostonian shwarma, all shwarma.

Afterward, it was time for her to get on the train back to Casablanca. It was so lovely seeing her though. <3 <3 <3

#wandering here

Conversation with my host mom just now:

Fatiha: Mange! (eat) *gives me more food*

Me: Laa, shukraan. Safii. (No thank you, I've had enough.)

Fatiha: Afak? (Please???)

Me: picks up the food.

Also, It's 1128pm and we just finished dinner if that tells you anything about moroccan culture.

#wandering here #lol #i honestly cannot #morocco #rabat #bu study abroad

Introduction to the squad: Me, Matt, Nate, Luke, Deanna, Ellen.

Honestly, can’t imagine a better group to be studying and travelling with.

#سكواض #squad pics #wandering here #friends #hi #bu study abroad #bu abroad

One Week, Several Days later

Saturday marked our first full week in Morocco, and let me tell you it has been a trip. For the first five days, the six of us in the program lived in a hotel. From 9-5, sometimes earlier, we were in orientation sessions and crash courses on Moroccan culture and basic Darija (which is the Moroccan Arabic dialect. The entire time, each of us battling jet lag at hoping on a plan and flying six hours into the future.

The Moroccan culture sessions were extremely necessary as we moved in with our host families on Thursday evening. Honestly I don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t go in knowing that dinner is typically served at 10pm and often even later.

The reason behind this is cute so I’ll share it. Around 95% of Moroccans are Muslim (according to crash course) which means that the Quran and its teachings are adhered to on a nationwide scale. So there’s this one line in the Quran that says “But if ye are invited, enter, and, when your meal is ended, then disperse. Linger not for conversation.” (Surah Al-Ahzab: 053) Around when the Quran was being revealed, 7th century CE, people wanted so much of Prophet Mohammed’s (SWT) time that they would attempt to stay with him at all hours. But then the Quran said not to.

Moroccan’s translated this into not being able to spend quality time with their friends and family after dinner, for fear of overstaying their welcome or to be seen as lingerers, so they delayed dinner as late as possible in order to keep talking and being with those they care about. But it’s not as outrageous as it seems. Around 6 or 7pm, they serve tea and an assortment of breads (SO MUCH BREAD). Its light enough to not be considered a meal and the mint tea is always what I need in my life.

Once it is dinner, everyone sits around the tagine and we eat together. Tagine is two things. First it’s the large clay pot used to cook food. Tagine is also how the food cooked in the clay pot is called. It’s a meat, a vegetable, and a sauce all in one dish placed in the center of the table. Moroccans eat with their hands, using their forefingers and thumb to pick up food. They use bread to sop up sauces and scoop chunks of meat veg.

(currently don’t have any good photos of tagine, but will post when I do).

Moroccans in general, but especially Moroccan moms will encourage you to keep eating even when you’ve had your fill. They’ll say “Kulii, Kulii”* and you’ll pick up the bread as if your stomach isn’t praying for you to stop. My Moroccan mom just pushes food to my side of the tagine, or, on rare occasions when we do have plates, she’ll just put food in front of me. All plans of staying in shape have evaporated.

But it’s been lovely so far and I’m glad I came, despite how last semester ending.

Still here, wandering.

Tay.

*Also note: if you’re male, then your Moroccan mom is saying “Kuul, Kuul” instead. Gendered languages, amirite???

#morocco #rabat #wandering here

اسرتي مغربية|My Moroccan Family

I moved in with my new host family today. I think it's weird how they came and got me from one of our classroom buildings and brought me into there home. In the blink of an eye, I'm sitting at their table eating from the tagine (communal dish/clay pot used to cook and serve food in) and trying to piece together some kind of meaning from the mix of Darija Arabic and french which all/most Moroccans speak. Are they all aware of my presence on an empirical level? Am I ricocheting thoughts in the backs of their heads like "there is a black American girl in my house right now, sitting on my couch with my family, watching soap operas with us, breathing our air, eating our food, speaking our language"? How surreal it is to think that I was living in a hotel yesterday, that I was in my home country merely five days ago. Life is so goddamned weird.

I'm sure I'll be posting a lot more soon, but I needed to get this surreal feeling written down.

Still here wandering, Tay

#Morocco #Rabat #wandering here