I've Been Adopted!

It’s really difficult for me to believe that I’ve only been here for a week.  Thanks largely to my host family, who I met and moved in with on Thursday, I’m beginning to feel settled.  I hardly know how to begin describing all of the sounds, smells, and sights that have inundated my surroundings since moving my bags from our sheltered haven of a hotel.   Our academic directors at the CCCL have emphasized that while the homestay experience is not always the easiest element of this semester in Morocco, students often cite it as the most enriching, important parts.  Living with a family enables students to partake in the Moroccan culture not as a guest, but as a member.  So far, this journey has been one action-packed, eye-opening minute after another, and my first days as a host student have been no exception.

In many ways, the move from American student in orientation to Moroccan family member was a plunge.  One minute, we were taking a bus tour of Rabat (talk about feeling like a tourist!), and the next we were weaving our way through throngs of local families, who were anticipating our arrival.  I was lucky to hear my name from one corner of the crowded room, and I turned to find my host mother, Fouzia, and my two brothers, Yassine and Chemsaddine.  Not knowing what language they would speak, I greeted them with a combination of salaam, salut, and hello.  As it turns out, most everyone speaks primarily Moroccan Arabic, with the exception of Yassine, who is learning French, and his aunt Jamila, who knows fus’Ha (the same Arabic I speak in class), French, and some English.

Fouzia, my mother, is in fact only 9 years older than I am, and her husband, Abdellatif, is roughly the same age.  Abdellatif works nearly all day, 6 days a week, so I have only met him a few times.  They have two sons, Yassine (age 9) and Chemsaddine (age 6), who are beyond adorable.  Two of Fazia’s sisters, Jamila (age 23) and Rashida (age 21) also live with us.  Because the father is so often at work, the dynamic centers around a house of women in their 20’s taking care of two little boys.  It’s nice to have some people near my age.

The layout of all of the homes in Rabat’s old medina, where I am staying, is basically the same.  All the homes are attached along narrow alleyways.  If you were to look at one from the outside, it would be very difficult to guess what the inside was like, as there are no visible windows.  Instead, all of the windows face an interior courtyard, which may be partially or fully covered on top.  Our home’s courtyard is about 25% uncovered, which means that the occasional bird flies into the living room, and the tile floor becomes damp when it rains.  Around the courtyard are a number of rooms, including the kitchen, bathroom (complete with one Turkish toilet… Google it.), Fouzia’s room, the boys’ room, and one long space that serves as living room, dining room, and bedroom for the aunts and me.  How is this possible?  Well, the room is lined with low couches.  There is a table and television on one side, and at night, we shift the pillows and cover the couches in blankets to make them beds.  At the risk of sounding stereotypical, I think my room looks like a place where Aladdin’s Princess Jasmine could sleep.  My home is even more different than I could have predicted, but I think that I will feel truly comfortable here.

As a family, we’ve already done activities bzef (this is a Moroccan Arabic word used nonstop to mean a whole, whole lot or really).  My first night here, we took the bus (an experience in itself) to the nearby city of Sale to visit with other family members.  I spent much of the time feeling pretty confused as I was shuffled from one space to another, but everyone was very welcoming.  I think I might have even received an offer to go see the grandfather’s camels in Essaouira!  I’ve also been down to the beach along the Atlantic Ocean with Jamila and Rashida.  Due to a misunderstanding in language, I didn’t bring my camera, but I can tell you that it was one of the most awe-inspiring sights I’ve ever seen.  The waves were enormous, and we arrived just in time for sunset.  Simply beautiful.  Yesterday, Fouzia took me on another adventure through the souq to buy groceries and then home to make tagine.  As I am eager to develop a set of strong Moroccan cooking skills, I was thrilled by the chance to receive some personal instruction.  She says she will teach me more as the semester progresses.

I know that a homestay family can make or break an experience like this, and I feel very fortunate to have been paired with mine.  I feel warmly accepted and comfortable, and I look forward to seeing what the remainder of my time as a Moroccan daughter and sister brings.  Apparently, as I was told after watching three hours (literally) of Moroccan wedding home videos, there may even be a chance for me to attend the wedding of one of my family’s friends.  Hooray!

More photos to come soon, but for now here's one of some of the fam...

(From L to R): Chemsaddine, Fouzia, me, Jamila, and Yassine.  One big, happy family!