Shuma

Shuma = shame on you...the proper response to a cat call. Meow.
Today we learned about sexual harassment. Also, bargaining.

A couple friends and I walked through the streets of the medina looking for opportunities to bargain. The streets were PACKED with people, pirated dvd’s, wonderful smelling spices, fruits, oj, watches, scarves. The colors here are beautiful. By the way, nobody wanted to bargain to sell me a scarf...apparently 30 dirhams is law.
Dirhams = Moroccan currency...roughly 8.5 dirhams to 1 US dollar

Today was also our first drop off!
A drop off = The program directors load everyone up on a bus...drive you to a spot in the city and drop you off one-by-one somewhere, and you find your way back. I am proud to say that I found my way back allll by myself. And I talked to a lady in French, who happens to own a creperie with free wifi. (score!) She was very friendly/patient.

Tonight a bunch of us went out for some traditional moroccan tea at a cafe. A few of us girls went with the boys' club (the approximately 10 boys out of 60 people here at orientation)...and it was pretty obvious that having women sitting at the street-side tables was not the norm.
Besides that, the tea was delicious. I could probably live off of it. forever. Black tea with copious amounts of mint and sugar. Today I understood why everyone is obsessed with it.

During Ramadan the streets are packed at night! Everyone is out walking around, visiting friends, having tea, etc. until like midnight. it's so cool to be able to be here for part of the holiday.

baraka (blessings)

P.S. vegetarian: fail. I definitely keep forgetting to ask for no meat. But everything is so fresh and local here...oh the joys of not eating corporate foods.

First day- orientation week

The whole group is staying in a hotel in the main part of the city...just a few minutes’ walk from the medina (the old part of the city) filled with winding alleyways and beautiful doors and mosaics, and kitties. Meow.
After a lovely nights sleep...and waking up at 3 am for some odd reason... I woke up to some freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee...they know me so well already. Apparently freshly squeezed ojis the thing to drink. And I am totally okay with that...it’s so good, and it’s everywhere.
It definitely still does not feel real. But the CCCL is beautiful and I am stoked to have my classes there.
Today my frustration with the U.S. Education system grew to new heights. HOW am I supposed to get around here when I only know English? I need to learn AT LEAST three more languages. I could barely even buy a phone.

Also, I am pretty sure my impressions will change completely once Ramadan (month of fasting) is over. Apparently...everything is different. It will be interesting to see what the city is like during a normal week/day/month.

Here’s looking at you, kid

I am here in Rabat! I made it safe and sound, mom and dad.


The flight took forever and a day, it seemed. About 15 hours in the air total. Can we say swollen feet and a delirious brain?
Sleep escaped me as I watched the plane fly away from the sunset and towards the sunrise.

As the super long flight wore on, I started having some second thoughts...wait....WHAT am I DOING? And then I read the food section of my lonely planet...and I was cured.
Most of the kids in my program were on the same flight from Paris to Rabat, so it was nice to meet new friends as we all awkwardly made our way to the plane with our book-laden backpacks...reminiscent of day 1 of freshmen year of high school.
Sunday we all had dinner together at the CCCL (Center for Cross-Cultural Learning) where we will have our classes. Yay, friends.

Favorite part of the day: Eating dinner on top of the terrace with a view of the entire city of Rabat, watching the sunset and listening for the muezzin calling the people to prayer.

P.S. loading pics is a pain in the mother right now. when i get some stronger internet i promise i will post oodles of pictures for your viewing pleasure.

ma'a salaama

Au revoir, California

As I write this I am literally sitting at my terminal. Waiting to embark on the most epic journey I have yet to undertake. I’m kidding...(but seriously)

Let’s recount the last week...because it’s been crazy...and I haven’t been on my computer ONCE. I wanted to use all of my time to be with the people around me, so...yeah.

I’ve spent the last few days in San Diego in a blur of hellos, goodbyes, hugs, laughs, etc as I have been preparing to leave for Rabat.

Let’s dispel a few rumors first:

Yes, I am nervous to leave. And Yes, I am very excited. And Yes, I will be safe
No, I will not be doing any missions or evangelizing in the next 4 months. I am here to learn and absorb everything I possibly can. It’s school time.
I am living with a host family.
Yes, I am actually taking classes.

Anyway, back to this past week. It has been great. Sadly I took no pictures. I don’t know what’s wrong with me...

I realized this week that I am a dreamer. I do not enjoy logistics, they stress me out.
I also realized that my friends and family love me A. LOT.
(hence the shared twin beds, incredible patience, surprise parties, and quality time)

I am thankful for friends, for family, and for surprise parties.

My stomach is all butterfly-filled, and my brain is not prepared for this forever-long flight.
We shall talk more when I land, friends.

Au revoir, California

As I write this I am literally sitting at my terminal. Waiting to embark on the most epic journey I have yet to undertake. I’m kidding...(but seriously)

Let’s recount the last week...because it’s been crazy...and I haven’t been on my computer ONCE. I wanted to use all of my time to be with the people around me, so...yeah.

I’ve spent the last few days in San Diego in a blur of hellos, goodbyes, hugs, laughs, etc as I have been preparing to leave for Rabat.

Let’s dispel a few rumors first:

Yes, I am nervous to leave. And Yes, I am very excited. And Yes, I will be safe
No, I will not be doing any missions or evangelizing in the next 4 months. I am here to learn and absorb everything I possibly can. It’s school time.
I am living with a host family.
Yes, I am actually taking classes.

Anyway, back to this past week. It has been great. Sadly I took no pictures. I don’t know what’s wrong with me...

I realized this week that I am a dreamer. I do not enjoy logistics, they stress me out.
I also realized that my friends and family love me A. LOT.
(hence the shared twin beds, incredible patience, surprise parties, and quality time)

I am thankful for friends, for family, and for surprise parties.

My stomach is all butterfly-filled, and my brain is not prepared for this forever-long flight.
We shall talk more when I land, friends.

I heart the forest.

Let your love grow tall
don't forget to stop and look
up at what's been made

tuesday charlie and i went to san francisco. but not before stopping at the beautiful Muir Woods...dedicated to the great John Muir. My host family will be receiving a Muir Woods t-shirt. and they. will. love. it.

Also, can i just say? i hate driving in San Francisco. actually...i don't mind driving. i just hate parking. yeah. that's not fun. the end.

soon i will discover whether birds of the summer fly in circles or just fly away.

i have this weird numb feeling that i can't seem to shake.
i think it's a combination of
"i can't comprehend the fact that in ten days in will be in morocco living a completely different life"
plus
"this summer was crazy/awesome/hard and i have no idea how to process it"
plus
"i have to say goodbye to EVERYONE pretty soon"
plus
"i hope i still have friends when i come back. and i hope my brain won't short out and i'll still be able to communicate with people"
with a splash of
"i think i'm addicted to caffeine...my brain doesn't work without coffee...uh oh."

...i feel like i'm in this weird in-between emotion.

it's like this: it's too cold inside with the air conditioning on and i want to go outside and sit in the sun. but it will get too hot out there and i don't want to take off my cardigan. and i hate the fact that the air conditioning is even on. that is both a literal, and figurative, explanation.

nothing sounds appetizing
none of my music sounds good
all of my books are boring
this coffee isn't hot enough
i'm tired but i don't feel like sleeping
i don't know how to phrase anything: any of my thoughts, frustrations, hopes...anything.
i want to sing because i feel like that would make me feel better, but i can't think of anything to sing.

okay. please excuse my weird selfish emo rant. i don't know what i'm saying.
maybe the san diego sun will brighten up my thoughts.
the end.

bird of the summer

in approximately ten days, i will take part in something new. my floor is still littered with unpacked belongings, and there are many goodbyes that are yet to be said. but i'm trying really hard to be excited and not nervous. but on the scale...1 being nervous and 10 being excited...i'm probably at a 4.
but that will soon change! hopefully.

friday was caples lake with the sisters.
saturday was silver lake with mom.
sunday was church, dinner with some old friends, and a fire.
i don't remember what i did monday...oh yeah...dmv...
yesterday was san francisco.( ana bahebik, san francisco. but i don't enjoy parking my car in your streets. it's just...not fun.)
today was lunch with perri and emily/ Up with hannah
tomorrow: lunch with grandma
friday: i can't remember
saturday: rufus wainwright with brother (!!!)
sunday: church. bbq. bbq #2.
right now: i guess when i don't know what to write, i make lists.


more to come.
it's time for sleep.

berries and magic.

yesterday, my dear hannah lack and i went on an adventure. it started with some blackberry thickets...and thorns...and ended with baked goodness.
We wanted to have a good day of quality time, so we drove up a backroad in Sutter Creek, walked through a dry creek and picked berries to our heart's delight. I might have slipped and landed on some blackberry vines. whatever. Then we went to my house:

We started with some good ol' fashioned wild blackberries

We mashed them up in a big pot:
And boiled them with lotssss of sugar.

Then, we filled these jars with the goods:

We boiled them for a long time, and then took them out to cool:

Oh yeah, we made this too,

And this:

The End!

rainbows and sunshiney faces

I FINALLY FINISHED MY PORTFOLIO. hallelujah. it took me long enough. sheesh.

anyways. the days keep coming, and going. i'm beginning to compulsively throw clothes on my floor on top of my backpacking backpack and writing packing lists, shopping lists, to do lists on everything.

the only thing that keeps me sane: people and nature.
especially hiking

also, ice cream. but that always keeps me sane.

upcoming events: charlie and beth go to san francisco!
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT. and sister martha.
YOSEMITE WITH THE FAMILY.

i am thoroughly excited for all of these.

i'm starting to freak out a little bit! I am leaving in...19 days.
And i have absolutely zero motivation to read qualitative researching!
I don't want to spend any of the time i have left at home in vain. I don't want it to be wasted on sleeping (well...maybe i should do that..), on silly arguments...on watching television...

i still need to pick more berries.

but anyways. more camera practice. I went to Lake Clementine with the brother, the brother's wife, and noelle! joy!
Pics:








p.s. i am cutting my hair off tomorrow. i will put up pictures.

Lost? why not stop and take some pics...

I went to visit one of the coolest people I know (Charlie Merritt) in order to preserve my sanity.
However, on the way...I apparently forgot how to get there. That's when I happened upon Lake Camanche. Lovely spot, really. Nikki and I had a chance to capture the spot where I decided to turn around. Nikki is the name for my camera until I think of a more creative one.

Let me just say: I'm extremely thankful for her. Charlie, that is. She is a beautiful example of a human being and a wonderful reminder that I am, in fact, not crazy. I've been trying to process this whole done with urban term getting ready to go to morocco thing...and it's just not very easy to do in my house. sh...don't tell.

She and i went to Lake Camanche again yesterday, on purpose this time. It was fun...and then Sookie the dog was deathly terrified of the water. Who knew?

that's all for now, kids.
maybe some deep thoughts will come after I finish this portfolio. yay. food stamps. america. the end.

today and tomorrow and yesterday.

summer reading list? photos from friends far away- come back soon. memories from times past. hopes for things ahead.
florals. travel on adventures with me. let's go. now!

the list never ends. but the sun keeps setting and rising. i hope i don't run out of time.

summer.

drop some berries in the thorns. scratches on your arms. hop a fence. iced chai. time with friends.
pick them up, mix them together. fight back tears: harsh words spoken. spices and lemon. presto.
birthday celebrations. family together, never perfect, but loving.



quaint little house. give me space to think and breathe and grow. let me walk your streets and alleyways. and make tea in your kitchen.