Finding My Way

It's been three days since I left, and I've hit the ground running.  It's hard to believe that only a short while ago, I was en route to the Atlanta's new international terminal.  The afternoon leading up to my departure was naturally emotional, as this is the longest time I have ever been away from home, but it was also an exciting beginning to the next 15 weeks.  Having checked in without problems several hours early, my parents and I decided to share a celebratory Varsity frosted orange (Atlanta natives know what I'm talking about) before saying goodbye.

Last American food for a few months.

From Atlanta, an easy flight to Paris sitting next to a soldier returning to his year-long deployment in Bahrain after spending the weekend at home for his father's funeral.  We talked college football for a while, and I was reminded of how fortunate I am to immerse myself in a culture by choice.  We landed after an uneventful 7 hours and 15 minutes, and I set out for my gate to Rabat, where nearly a dozen participants from my program were already waiting.  With several hours to kill before leaving, we had time to get to know one another a bit and relax.  I've never met so many people from the West Coast in my life (hey, hey, Gracie!), but the majority are still from the Northeast.  With at least three UNC students, I'm not alone as a Southerner.

Goodbye, Atlanta!

First impressions of Rabat: green, ocean, GREEN!!!  After spending the summer in a near-desert climate, I was both surprised and relieved to see all of Rabat's lush surroundings.  Driving through the city, we saw several parks, and the Atlantic oceanfront is only a few blocks from the neighborhood where I'll stay.  Our first night was a blur filled with a tour of our school, a walk through the marketplace, and a welcome dinner.

We'll be attending classes at the Center for Cross-Cultural Learning (CCCL), which was established in the early 1990's and has hosted a variety of students aged 3-97, all of whom wish to learn more about Moroccan culture.  The CCCL is housed in a mid-19th century building in the middle of Rabat's old city medina.  With ornate tile work, a towering center courtyard, and stunning rooftop views of the Atlantic Ocean, I only hope this space will allow me to focus!  As much as I love Davidson's campus, I must admit that this is hard to beat.

The central courtyard at the CCCL.

The CCCL is also equipped with a small cafeteria, where we are eating most of our meals during orientation week and will continue eating lunch throughout the semester.  So far, the food has been fantastic, with lots of tagines (which can, essentially,  consist of any food cooked in a tagine to seal in moisture... Google may be a helpful reference on this one) and plenty of vegetables and fresh-from-the tree fruits.  I'm sure I'll need to dedicate a post to Moroccan food at some point, but for now, know that I'm enjoying it.

The view from the roof of the CCCL, where I'm attending classes.  That's the Atlantic Ocean in the distance.  Look hard enough, and maybe I'll see North Carolina!

Since our first day, we've continued orientation with various talks on safety, health, and cultural differences in Morocco.  We also took our Arabic class placement tests, and I was both surprised and pleased to be placed in the highest level, along with three other students.  Since the Moroccan Arabic dialect differs so much from the standard classroom version, I've been relying on my French around the city.  It's amazing what a difference communication skills can make in an unfamiliar culture.  Several times, I've served as a translator for friends, and I feel much more confident than I did navigating the streets of Amman.  Although the Arab influence is evident in Rabat, it's clear that we aren't in the heart of the Middle East. French and other European influence lend the city a more metropolitan feel, and nearly everyone I've spoken to is bilingual.

Today's highlight was our city "dropoff."  All of the students on my program boarded a bus, rode into an unexplored part of the city, and debarked in groups of three in various areas.  The goal was to navigate our way back to the CCCL.  Knowing my terrible sense of direction, I was a bit anxious going into the experience, but my group was fortunate to be the first one off the bus.  As such, we weren't too far from our destination, and we even had a few extra hours to explore some of Rabat's major landmarks (below)!

King Hassan tower.  Stumbled upon this gem on our drop-off.

The rest of the week will be filled with more orientation sessions, including time to practice bargaining and begin learning "survival" darija.  Then, on Thursday, we'll be introduced to our host families and will move in with them this weekend.  A busy week, to be sure, but I'm loving every minute so far and look forward to seeing what the next several days hold.  For now, b'salaama!

 Sunset views from the balcony of my school.  Not a bad study spot, huh?