Sunday, October 8, 2006
Well, I'm here. We arrived a little after 7 am (there are only four hours difference between home and here). Customs took a while (do I look suspicious?) and then we headed to the hotel in Rabat. I kept falling asleep instead of viewing the countryside (I didn't sleep on the plane at all). But what I saw was fields of sheep (with an attending shepherd), very few cows, horse and donkey drawn carts as well as very modern cars, tons of billboards advertising everything from Coke to mobile phones in both Arabic and French, and white flat roofed buildings. It was overcast when we landed, but it's been breezy and warm. We (the five teachers participating in the Fulbright exchange) ate a late breakfast in the hotel (bread, olives, tomatoes, cheese, and coffee) then took a short walk. We were stopped by a group of four school girls doing a project for their lycee on religious differences, and it made for a very interesting conversation. We took their picture, they filmed us and we exchanged information. We bought bottled water in the old part of town and Dawn (who grew up in Morocco) was hassled by a young boy who eventually put a “curse” on her, because she wouldn't give him a dirham. We've all been given dirhams, but in 200 bills (about $20) which probably looked like an immense sum to this young boy. It's now 2:10. At 3 pm, we will be given a tour of the city, and what we do for dinner has yet to be addressed. We all agree that there has been a lot of gaps in our information, but we will learn as we go. The other four women are delightful, and I wish we had had the opportunity to communicate beforehand, because they have been creative in their preparations for this exchange. One woman has enlisted her students to make up packets of realia with accompanying lists in English explaining them. Another has a list of students willing to act as pen pals. I'm sure our respective experiences will be unique. I am the only one who has been matched with a man! And I am in Fes which is the religious hub of Morocco, which should prove different during this time of Ramadan. While we were out, we heard a call for prayers. But the populace is an interesting mix of traditional and western. The girls we met, for example were dressed quite differently. One had traveled extensively in the States, was dressed in jeans and two others were in traditional dress with the headscarves and flowing robes.
At 3 pm we set out with Mustapha and a history professor to see the Tower of Hassan, the Mausoleum of Mohammed V and Les Ousayas. The minaret towers over a stone park of columns that was once a training ground (both military and religious for the troops slated to attack Spain (andalousia). The Mausoleum is patterned after the Invalides which houses Napoleon's tomb in Paris. However, it is very ornate and in it sits a man singing the Koran surrounded by a boundary of Moroccan flags. Les Ousayas were once the domicile of officers and petty officers in training, and are now government housing and small shops. We got back to the hotel around 5:30, unwound til about 6:30 and then went around the corner for a dinner (85 DIRHAMS) of tajine and an omelet and crème caramel. Everything was delicious. Now at 8:30 pm, I'm exhausted and ready for bed, already dreading 8 hours of lecture. But if it's anything like today's it should be informative and interesting.

October 10, 2006
I didn't get to bed until near 1 am yesterday, and we're on a brief break now (they provided us with lunch!), so I'm taking advantage of the time to catch up on yesterday's events. The orientation didn't begin until 11 am, so Mary Ellen and I got up early for breakfast (the call to prayer woke me a little before 5 am) and then took a walk into town. I bought an adapter for my computer (and I still didn't get the right one so I've been borrowing Mary Ellen's), and then we bought water and post cards. It was a lovely sunny day, and I wanted to break one of my 200 dirham bills (about 20 dollars) and soak up the atmosphere. The avenues are broad, the buildings solid and various shades of white and a reddish clay color. Our Moroccan partners met us in the lobby of the hotel and together we drove to the MACECE building. Our first lecture was on the language in Morocco, and what I feared would be dry and boring turned out to be an interesting analysis of the diverse languages that characterize this amalgam of cultures. Moroccan Arabic is what is spoken on the streets and the homes, but at school, standard Arabic is taught. Everyone has French as a secondary language, and there are strands of Berber dialects that are in the process of being standardized and legitimized as languages with a script and grammar of their own. And then there is a Middle Moroccan Arabic that seems to synthesize all of the above. A lively discussion ensued, and then we were on to the lecture on educational reform. Much of what our speaker talked about sounded exactly like initiatives that are being launched in the States: portfolios, the establishment of competencies, making sure that the classroom is learner centered as opposed to teacher centered, the organizing of content into modules, life skills, etc.After that was one hour of Moroccan Economics. At this point, it was about 1:30 and I hadn't had anything to eat since 8am. For those of you who know me, that's not good. You should see my notes. The writing gets smaller and smaller and some of it is unintelligible. I asked if I could sneak out for a Clif bar, but I don't think Saadia understood (and she'd planned a break for 2:30). So I made it through his talk about the various resources of Morocco, its problems and why so many youth endeavor to leave the country or drop out of school. At 2:30, we were served a chicken salad in the basement, and were then given a lecture on Moroccan Literature (in French...many of the lectures are in French, which is really wonderful...everyone here is at least tri-lingual) which I found very pedantic and difficult to follow (with very few usable titles) and finally a fascinating presentation by USAID on what we are doing to improve education here in Morocco. The program is aimed at keeping kids in school (there's a 43 % illiteracy rate with only 64 percent of girls/77 percent of boys making it through middle school!) We're doing a lot of teacher training, and we are working with Non Government Organizations to establish dormitories specifically for girls, because rural areas have no means of transporting young girls to school, so they tend to drop out after primary school. Forty percent of the costs of education are the burden of the families! We don't know how lucky we are!
OK, end of lecture. It' was now 5:30 pm. At 6:05, there was the announcement of the end of fasting and the beginning of feasting. The table was filled with dates and various sugary treats (because after nearly 16 hours of fasting, people's sugar level is low). We were then served a very rich soup made with meat and chickpeas, vegetables, coriander. It was delicious! At this point, I'm relatively full and the tajine was brought out (smoked meat in a delightful sauce with the most wonderful flavored onions you could ever hope to eat) This was accompanied with large rolls and more meat filled pastries and something that looked like spring rolls. Now, I think we're done. They cleared our plates and began setting out new ones for....quail! Which was absolutely scrumptious! Now I'm filled to the brim. And exhausted. How do my students sit at their desks day after day. I can't do it! We decided to all walk along the main boulevard, but somehow Mostafa and I got separated from the rest of the group looking at books (sounds like me, doesn't it?) So we decided to visit his sister and her husband outside of Rabat. They spoke fluent French and I showed them pictures of school and of my home. It was somewhat awkward as occasionally they would lapse into Arabic, and I was quite tired. We returned to the hotel around midnight, and I was up until 1 getting ready for the next day and talking to Mary Ellen.
Today was another round of lectures. We learned about Moroccan Politics Very interesting. Four basic issues: the king, terrorism and drug use, political Islam and globalization. This was followed by Aspects of Islam in Morocco (my favorite quote: “L'univers est le corps de Dieu. Dieu est l'esprit de l'univers.”) Then we were introduced to Contemporary Moroccan History. OK, guys, it is now 1 pm and I'm getting a little light headed again. My notes are nearly illegible. Then we had a fascinating presentation on the new Moroccan family code aimed at Women's Rights. Then we broke (at 2 pm) for another salad. The final two lectures were suggestions from previous Moroccan Fulbright recipients and then security issues presented by the Regional Security Officer of the US Embassy. At this point we had nearly an hour and a half until Iftar, so a few of us went for a walk. We then endeavored to organize some weekend excursions (way too cumbersome to organize 10 people over six weeks) and then it was Iftar again. This time at least I knew what to expect, so I ate much less food. The final dish was a huge leg of lamb in a communal plate that people pulled from with their fingers. It was in an incredible sauce with pineapple, oranges and figs stuffed with almonds. Oh, and the opening drink was a milk made from almonds. Absolutely delicious! I am going to weigh 300 pounds when I get home! Saadia talked a great deal about the waste she sees when she goes to America, and I couldn't agree more. She also talked about the huge portions of food people eat in the U.S. I can't help but wonder what impressions Mostafa will take away from his stay with us. It will be his first trip to the United States, and it is SO very different. I only hope that he is greeted with the grace and enthusiasm and warmth that I have been approached with. It's after 11 pm. (it's 7 in New England) and I leave for Fes tomorrow. Although there is only four hours difference right now, we will be five hours difference once Daylight Savings Time ends. Good night.
October 11, 2006
I am now in Fes. Yesterday morning, after grabbing a quick bite of breakfast, we gathered (only three Americans and three Moroccans...Mary Ellen and Charifa left last night and Gretchen and Rachidi left this morning for Tangiers on the train) to go to a bookstore. Dangerous for teachers! I bought a cookbook on how to make Moroccan Tajines and Couscous and a book of fables. The rest of my purchases consisted of bookmarks and prints to bring back as gifts for my students (The Prix Bavard) and friends. At about 11 am, Mostafa and I left to return to his home. We took the circuitous route and made a stop in Volubilis, which is one of the oldest sites in Morocco, most of it dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, during the Roman occupations. Most of the restorations were done by two French archeologists during the early part of the 20th century and during the 60s. Mostafa hired an extremely knowledgeable guide whose French was very good (although he complained that it was rusty...I didn't notice...everyone's grasp of three or four languages here is so impressive). The views were quite spectacular and I especially enjoyed the mosaic designs on the “dining room” floors. We arrived in Fes around 5, and Hind and I hit it off immediately. I hope that she still is as enthusiastic after six weeks! Their son, Salah, is a bundle of energy and perhaps a bit spoiled but absolutely delightful (I think I will be a good grandmother someday). He loved his Spiderman shirt and action figure (he took them to preschool today), and we played a rousing game with his buffalo. He ripped (literally) through his flap book, and I think he enjoyed Good Dog, Carl and Tuesday as well. He finally got to sleep around 9:30, at which point Hind began work on the second meal of the night! The first part had been the traditional soup and dates and mini sandwiches and toasted cheese. She now made a roast chicken that she stuffed with fresh parsley and coriander, garlic and herbs together with rice noodles. She steamed it over waters with onions and more garlic and the finished by roasting it. It was absolutely delicious! While i it was cooking (and Mostafa was visiting his mother) Hind and I talked and talked. Her English is astounding, especially given the fact that she has never trained in an English speaking country. Mostafa came back around 11 (I think), but we didn't eat until near midnight, and we didn't get to bed until after 1 am. This is definitely a different experience. This morning, I never heard the call to prayer (apparently we are further away from the mosque) nor did I hear Mostafa leave. I woke around 8 and ate bread, peanut butter, yogurt and a great cup of coffee and steamed milk. You would be proud of me. I haven't had a diet coke since my arrival, and with this wonderful coffee, I've had no headaches either. It is a lovely day out, and as I write this, I hear a street vendor calling for old shoes! All I could think of was Aladdin and the street vendor calling new lamps for old. I shall write again later.