New Season, New Continent

As you can see from my previous posts, my semester in Switzerland was not exactly what one might call a blogging success.  However, I fully intend on letting you all know what is happening this summer on my (mis?)adventures through Morocco.

First, to quickly explain why I am currently sitting in the old medina of Rabat rather than my humble Arkansas abode...  As a recipient of the State Department's Critical Language Scholarship, I will be spending the next two months in Tangier (طنجة).  (Per the blogging guidelines that we signed, I must mention that this blog does not reflect the views of State nor those of the CLS program.)  For those of you concerned that I'm passing my college years on vacation, don't worry.  I'll be having 5 hours of class daily, combined with mountains of homework.

We began with an orientation in Washington, DC, during which I used all of my free time to see friends.  I was able to have a reunion with some of my classmates from Geneva, complete with some delicious enchiladas loaded down with scallops and shrimp.  While there, I just happened on the 21st birthday dinner of another friend that I haven't seen in 3 years.  My 8th time in the city only confirmed for me that I need to live there for more time than I had last summer.  The orientation itself consisted of the usual warnings and advice (along with a lot of advertising for the Foreign Service), but I finished the day feeling confident that I was going to enjoy the next few months.

An abbreviated trip description: Bus to Dulles broke down due to radiator issues, place from DC to Paris delayed two hours, late Paris arrival changed flight plan for Casablanca, waited 7 hours in Charles de Gaulle, arrived in Casablanca, took 2 hour drive immediately to Rabat.

Anyhow, now we are here.  I am loving it.  Remembering all of the Arabic I've forgotten over the past year will be quite a challenge, but I think I'm up to it.  The issue will be using it.  Moroccan Arabic, or darija, is very different from the formal Modern Standard Arabic that we study.  In the street, more people understand French than MSA, thus making it really difficult for me to practice Arabic (the aim of my summer) and really easy to practice French (not exactly the aim of my summer).  Hopefully, our daily darija lessons will make the colloquial easier for me!  Si non, c'est pas très grave...

I had hoped to add some pictures, but it seems my camera has gone missing.  Here's hoping that I find it soon. As they say here, inshallah!

سأكتب لكم أكثر عن حياتي في المغرب الاسبوع القادم