Hello Everyone!
Well, I have so many things to report to you still and not enough time or space! So, I'll try and quickly sum up what has happened in the last few days and what has happened in the past will stay in the past until I can update. Hope that works for everyone!
Life here is wonderful! I cannot believe that I am on my third week and that I essentially only have two weeks left here. The summer is flying by so fast. I think I have well assimilated into the culture. My ISA friends make fun of me because they say I make friends with everyone, but I see it as a chance for cultural immersion. Why not talk to everyone I see if I have the chance? Just by doing so, I have heard a wide variety of stories. I usually tell people I'm Mexican, and they all respond really well to it. However, this one time, I struck an old heart ache with a taxi driver because he had lost his fiance who happened to be Mexican...we talked the whole ride and he ended up giving me and my friends a reduced ride simply because he said I reminded him of the good days and how wonderful Mexicans and Mexico and love were. I have heard several stories like and this and honestly, they never get old. On my daily taxi rides to and from school, I try to engage the taxi drivers in conversation. I do this not only to practice the language, but sometimes, if you are really lucky, you can get a free taxi ride or even a reduced taxi fare in the petite taxi. Oh, yeah, let me explain that concept. Ok, so here there are several means of transportation: walking, bus, petite taxi, or grande taxi. The petite taxi is a little blue car that only takes three passengers. The base pay starts at 5 D's, but you pay according to the meter and depending on how many friends you take on the taxi, the fare is divided. Then, there is the grande taxi. This is actually the best way to get around, but it's a strange concept for Americans. All grande taxis are old Mercedes models. The front seats are held up by the seat belt which wraps around the seat to hold them up. Ideally, we try to cram 7 people (including the driver) into the taxi. Needless to say, this is always an adventure.
The last few days we have been taking the bus home from school, and I have had the chance to make friends with so many Moroccan children. Seriously, I love Arab children. They are soooo freaking adorable I just want to take one and hug it and never let go! Haha, and the great thing is, parents here encourage children to talk to strangers like me!
I have also made friends with store owners. Today, while exploring the old Medina, I got invited to drink tea by a store owner and just talk. Two days ago, I went shopping with Taylor (my chocolate sister) and we made friends with three girls who worked in a clothing store. In a short exchange of a few words that began by complimenting each other's beauty, we ended up giving each other our numbers and taking a million pictures with promises to meet up and hang out.
Last thing I would like to report is that I am now getting used to the cat calls. In fact, I hate to admit this, but I'm actually starting like them. I say like in a very loose term. I like them because even when I feel absolutely awful, it's nice to walk down the street and hear that I'm "beautiful!" Today, I had another interesting encounter with a Moroccan man. I was literally walking across the street from my friend's apartment to my own, and I was waiting to cross the street. All of the sudden, this man in a white Mercedez Benz pulled up right in front of me. I was sincerely really angry. He rolled down his window and just looked at me. I was so annoyed by this that I just walked around the car, ranting about why in the world this man thought it was ok to park in front of me and have the nerve to sit there and look at me, as if waiting for something. I stormed off, talking to myself, and all of the sudden, I see this guy make a U-Turn and start following me down the street. I couldn't believe that was actually happening. Had this man clearly not gotten the hint, or did he think that I was playing hard to get? Anyway, this guy, out of desperation (since I kept walking and fuming), parked his car in the middle of the street, got out of the car, and tried to meet me. I walked away yet again, finding some way to lose him in the little traffic there was (again, I remind you, this happened in the span of less than 5 minutes while walking across the street). He ran back to his car, and tried to find me again. By this time, I had already sprinted into my apartment building and was on my way up on the elevator,but I did see him drive away looking all sad because his "Mexican princess" left. I couldn't help but laugh about this situation. I was slightly creeped out by this act. However, the more I thought about it, the more I kind of thought that this creepy act was slighty romantic, in a very strange way. This man literally left his car and ran across the street to find me...that doesn't happen in the United States. This only happens in the movies... and yet, in my un-real reailty in Morocco, this happened to me.
To top off today's adventures, dinner was promptly ruined by the invasion of a cockroach at the dinner table. I didn't understand much, but all of the sudden I hear my host mom screaming and running around the table and swatting at something. My host aunt and uncle who were also at the table and were yelling in Arabic. I instinctly put my feet up on my chair because I had no idea about what was happening. My host brother and the maids came running in too! In broken French and English they all explained that there was a cockroach under the table. My host mom started turning the chairs upside down, and in the frenzy of the moment, I took off running from my chair on which I was now standing and jumped onto the couch. Finally, after several shoes were thrown, lots of loud yelling, and some dancing on the part of my host brother and mother, the cockroach had met it's end!
So as you see, life is anything but boring here. There is always some sort of new adventure that occurs here, and I am enjoying every single minute of it! Anyway, too much fun in one day leads to utter exhaustion, so, I will say good night!! Until next time!!
Well, I have so many things to report to you still and not enough time or space! So, I'll try and quickly sum up what has happened in the last few days and what has happened in the past will stay in the past until I can update. Hope that works for everyone!
Life here is wonderful! I cannot believe that I am on my third week and that I essentially only have two weeks left here. The summer is flying by so fast. I think I have well assimilated into the culture. My ISA friends make fun of me because they say I make friends with everyone, but I see it as a chance for cultural immersion. Why not talk to everyone I see if I have the chance? Just by doing so, I have heard a wide variety of stories. I usually tell people I'm Mexican, and they all respond really well to it. However, this one time, I struck an old heart ache with a taxi driver because he had lost his fiance who happened to be Mexican...we talked the whole ride and he ended up giving me and my friends a reduced ride simply because he said I reminded him of the good days and how wonderful Mexicans and Mexico and love were. I have heard several stories like and this and honestly, they never get old. On my daily taxi rides to and from school, I try to engage the taxi drivers in conversation. I do this not only to practice the language, but sometimes, if you are really lucky, you can get a free taxi ride or even a reduced taxi fare in the petite taxi. Oh, yeah, let me explain that concept. Ok, so here there are several means of transportation: walking, bus, petite taxi, or grande taxi. The petite taxi is a little blue car that only takes three passengers. The base pay starts at 5 D's, but you pay according to the meter and depending on how many friends you take on the taxi, the fare is divided. Then, there is the grande taxi. This is actually the best way to get around, but it's a strange concept for Americans. All grande taxis are old Mercedes models. The front seats are held up by the seat belt which wraps around the seat to hold them up. Ideally, we try to cram 7 people (including the driver) into the taxi. Needless to say, this is always an adventure.
The last few days we have been taking the bus home from school, and I have had the chance to make friends with so many Moroccan children. Seriously, I love Arab children. They are soooo freaking adorable I just want to take one and hug it and never let go! Haha, and the great thing is, parents here encourage children to talk to strangers like me!
I have also made friends with store owners. Today, while exploring the old Medina, I got invited to drink tea by a store owner and just talk. Two days ago, I went shopping with Taylor (my chocolate sister) and we made friends with three girls who worked in a clothing store. In a short exchange of a few words that began by complimenting each other's beauty, we ended up giving each other our numbers and taking a million pictures with promises to meet up and hang out.Last thing I would like to report is that I am now getting used to the cat calls. In fact, I hate to admit this, but I'm actually starting like them. I say like in a very loose term. I like them because even when I feel absolutely awful, it's nice to walk down the street and hear that I'm "beautiful!" Today, I had another interesting encounter with a Moroccan man. I was literally walking across the street from my friend's apartment to my own, and I was waiting to cross the street. All of the sudden, this man in a white Mercedez Benz pulled up right in front of me. I was sincerely really angry. He rolled down his window and just looked at me. I was so annoyed by this that I just walked around the car, ranting about why in the world this man thought it was ok to park in front of me and have the nerve to sit there and look at me, as if waiting for something. I stormed off, talking to myself, and all of the sudden, I see this guy make a U-Turn and start following me down the street. I couldn't believe that was actually happening. Had this man clearly not gotten the hint, or did he think that I was playing hard to get? Anyway, this guy, out of desperation (since I kept walking and fuming), parked his car in the middle of the street, got out of the car, and tried to meet me. I walked away yet again, finding some way to lose him in the little traffic there was (again, I remind you, this happened in the span of less than 5 minutes while walking across the street). He ran back to his car, and tried to find me again. By this time, I had already sprinted into my apartment building and was on my way up on the elevator,but I did see him drive away looking all sad because his "Mexican princess" left. I couldn't help but laugh about this situation. I was slightly creeped out by this act. However, the more I thought about it, the more I kind of thought that this creepy act was slighty romantic, in a very strange way. This man literally left his car and ran across the street to find me...that doesn't happen in the United States. This only happens in the movies... and yet, in my un-real reailty in Morocco, this happened to me.
To top off today's adventures, dinner was promptly ruined by the invasion of a cockroach at the dinner table. I didn't understand much, but all of the sudden I hear my host mom screaming and running around the table and swatting at something. My host aunt and uncle who were also at the table and were yelling in Arabic. I instinctly put my feet up on my chair because I had no idea about what was happening. My host brother and the maids came running in too! In broken French and English they all explained that there was a cockroach under the table. My host mom started turning the chairs upside down, and in the frenzy of the moment, I took off running from my chair on which I was now standing and jumped onto the couch. Finally, after several shoes were thrown, lots of loud yelling, and some dancing on the part of my host brother and mother, the cockroach had met it's end!
So as you see, life is anything but boring here. There is always some sort of new adventure that occurs here, and I am enjoying every single minute of it! Anyway, too much fun in one day leads to utter exhaustion, so, I will say good night!! Until next time!!
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