Morocco: Culture & Ecology, Fall 2009

Hi everyone!

I have so much to talk about, but I think I'll use this post to focus on our new lifestyles with our home-stay families and the various activities we've been doing for the past couple days here in Fes. On Friday, we moved out of the Riyadh (guest house) where we were all staying and took up new lodgings with Moroccan families. I'm staying with a single mother and her ADORABLE five-year-old daughter; Lindsay's staying with a large family (who, she says, are really nice and have a lot of good food); Lexi's staying with a large family, the mother of which brought her breakfast in bed this morning; and Kate's staying in a large, very nice house with...drum roll...a Western toilet (the rest of us have the Turkish version).

Yesterday, our leaders surprised us with a belly-dancing class, which Lindsay and I enjoyed so much we're going to pursue it in the form of an ISP. Kate's decided to do her ISP on Henna, and Lexi...well, Lexi's still thinking, but I'm sure that whatever she does will be awesome. After the belly-dancing class, we did a little bit of sightseeing; we hiked up to the Merenid tombs that stand overlooking the Medina, and listened as the call to prayer rang out from across the city. Today, some of us stayed home to let our stomachs recuperate while adjusting to Moroccan food (all of us have what's known as "Moroccan belly"), while others walked around the Mullah (Jewish quarter). Unfortunately, many of the cemeteries and synagogues were closed because of Rosh Hashana, but we were able to go into one synagogue which had a great view of the city.

Last night, we went to a Moroccan drum and guitar concert in a traditional Dar (large house). Tonight, we're going to another concert; this time, at Cafe Clock, where Fes's large contingent of Western expats tend to congregate. Tonight's concert is a group of four Moroccan women, who will be singing and playing traditional Moroccan instruments.

Talk to you soon!