Morocco: Culture & Ecology, Fall 2009

¡Hola!

After nearly three fun-filled months in Morocco, we have made our way to Spain. After a great stay in Chefchaouen, we made our way further north to Tangier. Tangier´s history as an international zone is full of intrigue and interesting stories. We visited the American Legation Museum where we read letters to and from George Washington and the Sultan of Morocco, discussing the establishment of a relationship between the two countries. We also explored the kasbah and a museum with photos of Tangier´s fascinating past. Lexi and I were also able to take in a film on the life of Ben Barka, one of Morocco´s most prominent political players post-independence.

From Tangier, we hopped on the ferry to cross the Strait of Gibraltor and ventured on to Cordoba. The Arab influence in Andalucia provides a striking contrast between the European and Moroccan cultures. Churches that were once turned into mosques are now returned to churches, but the cultural and architectural impact of an Arab past lives on.

Enjoy the photos!

Ciao,

Katie

Enjoying fresh juice in Rabat at Top Batido.

Katie, Katie, and Lexi have their tv debut in a Colombian soap opera filming in Fes

Lexi and Lindsay surrounded by Chefchaouen blue

Lexi grinding the beans in preparation for a Bisara-making lesson in Chefchaouen.

Lindsay at the Chefchaouen Kasbah

Exploring the Tangier Kasbah with a view of the Med in the background

The grand finale for the group in Tangier. A fantastic dinner at one of Tangier´s finest restaurants.

Cave of Hercules in Tangier

Lexi and Ben Naimonides--a famous theologian, philosopher, and Doctor

Exploring the Fortress of the Christian Kings in Cordoba

Addie & Lexi diving into a delectible chocolate cake in Granada

Lexi, Katie, and Addie exploring the wonderful city of Granda

Posted by Katie S at 6:38 PM | Permalink

So my last post on chefchaouen just got deleted so I am going to re-write a shorter version because we have another appointment to get to, so sorryin advance that it is not as good as it could be! We left Fes on wednesday and traveled to Chefchaouen, a small town amidst the Rif Mountains with a landscape that , apart from the architecture, slightly resembles the hills/countryside of Switzerland. I really enjoyed Chefchaouen and thought it was a charming place,especially with the medina adorned in various shades of blue-a periwinkle wash being the most common painted on the walls and buildings. Our main activity in Chef Chaouen was a visit to a honey making association and a guesthouse that was called the Maison Rurale. We were initially supposed to visit a farm to watch and possibly participate in goat cheese making, but because of the L'Aid holiday this was no longer possible. At the honey association we learned how honey is made from the worker bees collecting the nectar, the transfer process, the box and screen usage, how they extract the honey and much more. I am obsessed with honey, so this visit was expecially exciting for me, which led me to buy one of everything they sold. We then walked up the road to the Maison Rurale where we ate a delicious lunch and learned how to make a fava bean soup/dip. The house grows a lot of its own food in its pretty large garden and hill full of olive trees and maybe others. We made the soup/dip using the old, historic/traditional stone grinder to separate the beans from the shell (we used dried beans). The recipe is pretty easy consisting of the dried beans, garlic, salt, cumin, water and thena little olive oil drizzled in at the end. I love cooking, so this was a fun activity for me. The cold weather has hit morocco so we all have pulled out the hats, gloves and coats, but it actually feels refreshing, so its kind of nice. Unfortunately the weather was rainy for our first two days in Chefchaouen, but cleared up nicely for us our last day. Nevertheless, despite the weather we all had a wonderful visit to Chef Chaouen!

Posted by Lindsay at 5:31 PM | Permalink

Eid Kbir, a time for family, food and celebration. It is actually very much like Thanksgiving. The men slaughter and skin the sheep with as much pride and thoroughness as a family carves a thanksgiving turkey, the kids run in circles until one adult finally gets up enough energy to take them to a park to play some soccer, and everyone eats a lot. Since I live with grandparents most of the children came with their families to our house to celebrate, and since there were so many of us, we had two sheep to kill!

The morning was fun, we woke up, had a 'light' breakfast then I helped the women cook as we turned up the music and had a kitchen dance party. Then the men announced it was time and I walked up the stairs to the roof with all the kids shouting 'howlie howlie howlie' which means sheep in darija. My host mom, set up a charcoal fire on which they later grilled the hoofs and heads. The men hosed down a secluded section, which the other sheep couldn't see. Then they held the sheep down and my host father said a few words before cutting its throat with a special gigantic knife. The whole family had made sure that I had a clear view of the blood and gore. I have to say as gross as it was to see an animal be killed and then know I would later be eating it, it was extremely humane. No sheep is as cleanly killed and thoroughly eaten as a sheep on Eid Kbir. I know I am glossing over a lot of details, but it was such an experience that thoroughly defines 'you had to be there to understand'.

Continue reading "Howlie!" »

Posted by Lexi Kate at 11:41 AM | Permalink

We met Ambassador and Mrs. Kaplan while we were in Rabat.

Lexi learning how to repair/make jewelry in the Fes medina

Katie and Lindsay made a lot of malawi during one of their cooking ISPs. It was delicious!

Posted by Katie S at 4:50 PM | Permalink

Greetings from Moulay Bousselham!

We are enjoying our final moments at Villa Nora in the sleepy seaside town of Moulay Bousselham along Morocco's North Atlanic coast (south of Tanger and Asilah). This concludes the student-led portion of the semester, in which the students chose the destination and then arranged for lodging, transportation, meals and activities (all the while staying within a set budget). As I listen to the waves crashing against the shore just outside and feel the warmth from the fireplace, I must say the students picked a wonderful spot. We've had three days here enjoying the ocean, sunsets, nice meals and a cozy house. Yesterday we went on a bird-watching boat tour through the lagoon and even spotted some flamingos. Not only have these three days been relaxing because of the location, but it was also really great for Katie S and I to sit back and let the students take charge. They did a great job treating us all to a little retreat before we return to Fez and fly through our remaining 13 days in Morocco.

Lindsay, Lexi and Katie G, shokran & bravo alikom!

-Addie

P.S. Photos to come soon!

Posted by Addie at 12:17 PM | Permalink

Hi everyone--

Whew! We just left Rabat after a whirlwind couple of days in the city. Personally, I LOVED it, and not just because it's considered the "Washington, D.C." of Morocco! (I'm from D.C., so it did feel sort of comfortable to me....) Since Rabat is the political capital of Morocco, it's the locale for all things governmental--embassies, NGOs, and (as anyone who's been to D.C. will know), political demonstrations galore.

The multitude of foreign residents lends the city a very cosmopolitan feel, and also allowed us to meet with several individuals who work for the U.S. government in Morocco. On Friday, we sat down with two members of the Foreign Service. (By the way, the forum for our meetings was the "American Club," which offered such homey delicacies as grilled cheese, burgers, and fajitas.) The first of these people was the Public Affairs Officer, whose (HUGE) job encompassed everything from organizing a functional library system to forming youth-based initiatives to help young Moroccans understand the U.S. The hope for these programs, she told us, was that they would provide the next generation of Moroccan leaders with a better understanding of the United States--that they would, in a sense, "de-mythisize" the country--and, in doing so, prevent future acts of terrorism.

We also met with the Cultural Affairs Offier, whose role was, in his words, all about "culture with a capital C." He's in charge of bringing musicians and artists into Morocco and organizing exchange programs between Morocco and the United States. Each year, the U.S. government provides funding for a certain number of Moroccans to study in America--something none of us knew before! After the meetings at the American Club, we had the chance to meet with the head of Global Rights, an organization geared toward the promotion of female emancipation. We had actually heard this woman give a lecture to a group of Moroccan students when we were in Ifrane, but this time, we were able to sit down alone with her and ask all the questions that had been builidng in our minds since we'd last heard her speak.

Continue reading "Rabat" »

Posted by Katie G at 3:24 PM | Permalink

After spending two nights in the capital, Rabat, including an audience with Sam Kaplan, the US Ambassador to Morocco (Mr. Kaplan, like Addie, reigns from MN, so that served as a good icebreaker--more details to come!), the group has begun their student-led portion of the program by settling into the Atlantic village of Moulay Bousselham. Today's email from Katie Seckman sums up the vibe of what the students were seeking by choosing this destination: "We're staying at a very nice home located right on the beach. Pretty amazing, actually. We're huddled around the fireplace in the living room enjoying the view and listening to the waves." Not a bad prelude to Thanksgiving.

--Alex

Posted by Alex Safos at 10:55 PM | Permalink

Yesterday we met in the morning to take a bus 2 hrs away to a town called taza. From taza we took a very scenic grand taxi ride up the mountains and through a countryside area. We passed many herds of sheep and goats, many of whom wander in and out of the ride oblivious to the fact that cars are zooming by left and right. The surrounding land was quite beautiful and obviously a big change of scenery from the city.

We finally reached the mouth of the caves where we hired a guide to take us through the dark, mysterious caverns. We strapped on our head lamps and headed in. At first, it was just lots and lots of stairs with railings heading down and deeper into the mouth of the cave. Then the lights stopped, the railing stopped and the real adventure started. With headlamps illuminating the way, we literally squeezed and slithered ourselves through a little opening, which brought us to the interior of the cave. We explored around the caves on various "paths" with the guide leading the way with his two flashlights. It was completely dark down there, so you needed your headlamp to see as well as free hands to balance yourself and grab rocks as handholds durin steep parts. It felt kind of like an obstacle course in the dark with a gymnastic influence from when we crossed along some suspended wooden boards or what we called balance beams.   

Continue reading ""Slip sliding away" (and along) " »

Posted by Lindsay at 1:50 PM | Permalink

As promised--more pictures! Enjoy!

Lexi marveling at the size of the squash being grown in the Dar Taliba garden in the Ourika Valley

The beautiful Ourika Valley!

Addie helps the girls at the Dar Taliba pick olives

Katie and Lindsay help to plant aromatic plants at the Dar Taliba

Katie and a new friend measure to see if the hole they dug is deep enough for their fruit tree

Addie uses the pickaxe to help dig a hole for one of the fruit trees

Dressed up in our kaftans for our wonderful evening of dancing and music at the Dar Taliba

Modeling our new t-shirts after learning screenprinting at Association Ighrir

Playing in the Saharan sand

Katie attempting to stay on the camel as he stood up

Camel trek through the Sahara

Posted by Katie S at 4:21 PM | Permalink

Don't worry, I don't think any of us are planning on transfering to Al-Akhawayn, but the extremely interesting lectures and gorgeous buildings are rather enticing. During our time there we attended three lectures, two private ones on Moroccan Geography and Politics, and Rai Music and History. We also went to a third open lecture with many Moroccan students where Stephanie William - Bordat talked about women's legal rights, and lack thereof, in Morocco. The first geography lesson was really nice and refreshing. The professor was Canadian and he cleared up a lot for us and gave us straight facts, something that is often missing when we talk about Moroccan history and politics. It has such a rich and interesting past that often the truth is buried and with politics everything is so convoluted and multi-facited that discussions can go in wild directions and cirlces. So it was nice to just here irrefutable facts and dates.

Our second lecture was early the next morning, it really felt like school getting up with an alarm and rushing off to a lecture. But this lesson was completely unlike anything we had ever experienced in high school, even though the professor was from Billings, Montana. He played the progression of Rai music for us as he carefully explained how it evolved to become the music we hear today. Rai is basically the blues of Morocco and Algeria. It began as a way for those who are down and out on their luck and on the receiving end of bad politics to let some emotion loose. It used to be all amatuer musicians and singers. It was actually generally women who wrote and sung, women with a very bad reputation because they often worked where the down-and-out nursed their drinks daily. But, as all things do, as times changed Rai changed. People began to really listen to it, and it became such a tool for those wanting to lash out at bad government policies that the conservative Algerian President banned it for many years. Of course he could not have had teenagers or he would have known that forbidding something would just increase the popularity and make everyone want to listen to it. So he inadvertantly pushed forward the Rai movement. It became country-wide, not just those on the fringes of society, but those in the heart of it, who were not yet willing themselves to speak out against bad governmental policies. So it grew and grew and grew, eventually topping the BBCs top hits charts and expanding world-wide to recording studios in France and Los Angeles. Today Rai has many 'pop' beats but it is still used as a tool for speaking about that which is often swept under the rug.

Continue reading "Transfering to Al-Akhawayn University...." »

Posted by Lexi Kate at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We're back! After 5 very full weeks of traveling around the south of Morocco we have made our way back to the familiar territory of Fes. During our travels, the group participated in everything from lectures on Amizigh (Berber) culture and language, to trekking through remote villages in the High Atlas Mountains, to transplanting Irises in the Ourika Valley. Working with the girls at the Dar Taliba to plant aromatic plants was fantastic. Not only were the students eager to help plant, but they were also very interested in learning more about the kinds of plants they would now have access to at their school. The following day, with the help of many young boys, we planted 30 fruit trees at a nearby primary school. The kids were overjoyed at seeing all of these new trees on their school grounds and extremely curious about the five American women struggling to swing pickaxes to break ground for more planting.

The group is really looking forward to diving into their second ISPs and discovering more of the mysteries Fes has to offer. Here are a few more images of our trek in the High Atlas and our camel adventure in the Sahara. We'll have more photos for all of you very soon!

Cheers,
Katie

Taking refuge from the rain and hail in a cave on the way up to the Toubkal refuge. Tea and some singing perked everyone up.

Taking a break to enjoy the scenery on the way down from the Toubkal refuge

Proof that the first Global LAB summit of Toubkal did occur!

Katie, Lindsay, and Lexi in the Sahara sand dunes

Watching the sunset from atop the Merzouga dunes

Posted by Katie S at 10:13 AM | Permalink

Hi guys!

Writing the blog post is kind of a surreal experience; I'm using a new iMac computer in the library of the Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. To better explain why this feels so weird to me, I'll tell you a little about the history of the university. It was built by King Hassan II, the previous king of Morocco, using money given to the country by the king of Saudi Arabia. Hassan II's goal was to build an American-style university in Morocco; that is, to adopt the same credit-based class system, with student organizations/clubs, and a functional library. We toured the university today, and, I have to say, it really felt like we were walking around an American college campus. The university has its own gymnasium, which is gorgeous by U.S. standards; it had an Olympic-sized swimming pool, fully equipped weight and cardio rooms, and a dance salon. Also, all the classes here are taught in English (except the foreign language classes), and, therefore, everyone on campus speaks the language fluently. When you consider all this in light of the fact that, just this morning, we were in a tiny, rural village where absolutely no English was spoken at all, the transition is pretty jarring.

Which isn't to say that we're not enjoying Ifrane! The town is gorgeous; it was modeled on a village in the Swiss alps, and, as far as I can tell, the plan worked pretty effectively. Unlike the square, concrete structures that typify the Moroccan town, Ifrane is all western-looking yellow houses with sloping terra cotta rooves (which come in handy here, because Ifrane receives the largest annual snowfall of any town in Morocco).

Anyway, that "tiny, rural village" I referred to before was El Khoukhate, where we spent the day yesterday. Working with a Peace Corps volunteer in the village and the women's association she's involved with, we learned to make...couscous! The experience was enlightening for me, because I had always pictured couscous growing in the ground, alongside its fellow grains like wheat and barley. I was completely wrong. There is no such thing as a couscous grain--who knew?! The tiny little balls you get on your plate are hand-made from a mixture of flour (or, actually, any grain you can grind into a floury substance) and water. The actual process of making the couscous was time-consuming, but, as we discovered, the finished product was SO worth the effort. It was DELICIOUS. There's nothing like eating a piping-hot dish that you've--literally--made with your own two hands.

Posted by Katie G at 6:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We are in Midelt scrubbed and scoured after our recent foray into the very sandy desert, who would have thought. It was absolutely amazing. We headed out at dusk on the first day and after galumphing into the dunes for a bit we scrabbled up the side of a big dune to watch the sun set behind the distant plateaus. The craziest part was driving to the hotel. We were zooming past a flat, rocky and gray landscape when suddenly there were these massive dunes. I dont know what i expected, but it was much too sudden for anything I could have imagined. Once we rode into the dunes it was pretty much exactly how i imagined it. In fact most of the time we were out there I couldnt help thinking I was simply on a movie set and not in a reality. We each named our camels, Paco, Topher Dobby, Henry, Babaganush, and Chandler. Although their back hump was very large and rather bruising when they sauntered, we formed deep bonds with the camels. After watching the sun set we headed to our camp of berber tents and got to see the most fantastic, bright, large, and enchanting moon rise. It was absolutely captivating watching this moon gracefully rise above all of the darkened sand dunes and illuminate the sleeping camels. After some yummy berber whiskey (tea with sugar) we drummed a bit, wolfed down a tagine and crawled into our very warm blankets.
The next morning we opted out of watching the sun rise, we wanted our sleep desperately, and instead we went our for a midmorning camel back tour of the near dunes. Here we also scrambled up a massive dune and looked into the distance at Algeria and the surrounding hills of sand. It was such a restfull place. In most getaways in the states there is background noise. It may not be people, it could be the twitter of birds or wind through the trees or a nearby stream. But in the desert, pas what the people around you are saying, there is no underlaying chatter. The emptiness and silence is complete outside your direct sphere of influence. It was pretty amazing to actually hear silence.
After a gorgeous sunrise the next day we headed out for the hotel. It was sad to part with our camel friends and our crazy dreamlike adventure, but a hot shower was calling as well as sleep in a bed. After running into the kings entourage and security forces, though not the king, our trip to Midelt is completed and we head off to another little village for some couscous making!

Posted by Lexi Kate at 3:15 PM | Permalink

The Camelles have arrived in Merzouga, gateway to The Sahara Desert and home to Erg Chebbi, one of the largest/tallest sand dunes in Morocco as captured in the below photo. Their desert camel trek will begin tomorrow and all are very excited about this quintessential Arab and North African experience. Pure silence and starlight, star bright await them.

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hi everyone--

This morning, we left our homestay families in Tinerhir and headed for the Todra Gorge. We'd heard that the area is renowned among rock climbers, and you can certainly see why--the small valley that houses our hotel is situated in the middle of two sheer rock faces that extend skyward as far as the eye can see. It's pretty breathtaking to glance up from reading your book on the hotel's rooftop terrace, and see these gigantic cliffs right above you.

Our big activity today was an art lesson with the owner of a small gallery in town. He does work in both oil paints and safran paints, and we elected to try out safran painting, because none of us had ever seen it done before, it's endemic to this region. First, we watched as he demonstrated how he produced the colors he used in his painting, and then we got to do some painting of our own (which we got to keep!). Safran painting is done using just two colors: yellow, which is made from an infusion of tea leaves and safran, and black, which was made by dropping a special kind of rock into boiling water. Somehow, the water reacts with the rock and MELTS it--I never knew rock could actually melt. Anyway, the result is a clear liquid, that, when applied to paper, gradually turns black. It was a really cool process to watch, and the paintings ended up looking pretty good!

Posted by Katie G at 6:36 PM | Permalink

Hello from the Todra Gorge!

We apologize for our limited internet and communcation access these past couple weeks, but you'll be happy to hear we have been keeping busy exploring new (and sometimes remote) regions, meeting interesting people, participating in rewarding service work and learning artisanal crafts! Below are only a few of the many photos of amazing things we've been experiencing:

Hiking in the High Atlas mountains.

After making it through rain and hail to the Toubkal Mountain Refuge, the girls headed straight to their sleeping bags to warm up!

We planted and transplanted aromatic plants and trees at Dar Taliba in Ourika Valley. This is a beautiful boarding school for girls who live too far away to attend traditional middle school.

Playing basketball with the girls at Dar Taliba. Lexi's team rejoices after a great shot.

Katie G poses for a photo with her teammates.

The students all got a hands-on weaving lesson by the women of l'Association Menhal in a village outside of Tinerhir. They each got to take home the mini carpet they made!

We played games and sang songs with the youth sector of l'Association Menhal. In one game, Katie G (pictured) and Lexi had to step over and under ropes while blindfolded.

In the Todra Gorge the students had a Safran painting tutorial by Ibrahim (see Katie G's post).

Posted by Addie at 6:20 PM | Permalink

So we left the ourika valley a few days ago and traveled to ourzazate for a night. Then this morning we took a four hour or so bus ride to a town called Tinerhir. In the ourika valley we were doing community service at local children schools. We spent the first two days working in the gardens transplanting iris plants and aromatic herbs at a DAr Taliba, which means a boarding school for girls. The girls are all from surrounding Berber villages and spend Monday through Saturday morning at this school and then go home for the wknd. The third day we planted 30 trees at a local primary school in the village for boys and girls. We planted olive, quince, avocado, lemon and carob trees, which is what the teachers/ppl said were the kinds they wanted. The community service activities we did were a great way to contribute to this area ad to these people because it will really make a lasting impact and by planting herbs and Fruit trees we are leaving them something they can really use and benefit from- for instance the olive tree will continue to produce fruit for 200 yrs, so we will continue to help and make an impact on these people for as long as these plants live. Everyone was so excited and grateful for the work we did and the girls wrote us an adorable card thanking us.
So now we are in Tinerhir where we will be for 3 days or so. we have a Peace Corp volunteer named Ned that we
will be working with during our time here. Tonight we had dinner at another one of the peace Corp volunteers apartment and we made our own dinner which was fun! We bought everything in the local souks and cooked ourselves. It was delicious! The Peace Corp volunteers are soo nice and I like them a lot. Tomorrow we will be going to where they work and screenprinting shirts ( Ned is an artist so he designs/makes these awesome shirts)
and playing games/interacting with the people they work with: they work with a handicap cooperation/organization so it is I think around 25 kids of a range of different ages all with disabilities o some kind whether they be blind, deaf or something else. Then our last day here, or the day after tomorrow, we here we will
head out to another village just outside of Tinerhir where we will be staying the night in homestay families. I think we will also be learning to weave rugs, as well!
That is all for now, but whoever blogs next will fill you all in on exactly what we do here in Tinerhir over the next few days!

Posted by Lindsay at 10:45 PM | Permalink

Where's ez at? The Moroccan 5 have made it to the city of Ouarzazate, the launch point for Kasbah Country. Cyber cafes are currently down, but hopefully they'll be operational tomorrow so we can enjoy some long-awaited reflections and images from the High Atlas. Word has it that en route al-Jimal passed by the Sex in the City trailer and set (the movie sequel is being filmed in Morocco), but I demand some visual proof....

--Alex

Posted by Alex Safos at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The group has made its way to the Ourika Valley and has already enjoyed a "tasty lunch" with our local development partner. This afternoon, they will explore the local area, bask in the setting, meet some village students, and get oriented for their community service project which will begin tomorrow. A couple representative photos of the region follow:

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:31 PM | Permalink

The Morocco Chamsa (5) have concluded their High Atlas trek and are back in the village of Imlil with showers well-earned (hopefully hot ones, but no promises). Tomorrow they will transfer to the Ourika Valley and roll up their sleeves for a village school and community.

Posted by Alex Safos at 10:37 PM | Permalink

al-Jimal decided to down-shift to a less ambitious trekking circuit and relish the High Atlas scenery at a non-mountaineering pace. They are encamped just outside of Imlil and plan to visit the area's largest souq tomorrow before returning to Imlil for an overnight. Spirits are high and the weather and panoramas have been spectacular. More when they emerge. On Sunday, the group begins a multi-day, tree-planting community service project in the High Atlas foothills with our partner, the Global Diversity Foundation.

--Alex

Posted by Alex Safos at 10:45 PM | Permalink

Dear Team Morocco,

Namaste from the beautiful city of Jaipur, about five hours south of Delhi. Looking through your blog today and hoping that you are all well and happy. It looks like you are all having some amazing adventures, which we are all very happy to see. We are having a million adventures a minute, as I'm sure you can imagine.

Continue reading "Namaste from India!" »

Posted by Aaron Bos-Lun at 12:10 AM | Permalink

I just received a text from Addie: "We just returned to Imin Ouassif after 2 days of hiking! Made it through rain and hail to Toubkal Refuge but a combo of weather, fatigue, and lack of gear prevented a group summit. Katie Seckman did the summit at 5:30am [!]...group is tired and sore but healthy!" Hopefully, more pleasant weather awaits al-Jimal at lower altitudes of the trek. Congrats to co-leader Katie for the successful ascent. If I receive any photos or additional messages during their trek, I will post. Below is a photo of Mount Toubkal to provide some context:

Posted by Alex Safos at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

al-Jimal have arrived in Imlil, the Amazigh (Berber) village launch-point for High Atlas mountain trekking and exploration. Katie reported that apple season is in full swing and that, after stove-like Marrakech, all are embracing the 25F cooler temperatures afforded by 5,700 feet in elevation. Conditions-permitting, they will begin their trek to the Mt. Toubkal refuge tomorrow.

Alex

Posted by Alex Safos at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Family and friends,

Tomorrow we embark on the trekking portion of our Morocco adventure! After a wonderful stay in Marrakech and Essaouira, we will depart tomorrow morning for the town of Imlil, the anchor site for our six days of trekking. Weather and health permitting, we anticipate summiting Jebel Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak at 13,671 feet. We are all looking forward to escaping the hustle and bustle of city life for awhile and enjoying Morocco's beautiful landscapes. As a result, we will not be able to post on the blog this week. So don't worry when you don't hear from us, we will be having a wonderful time sans technology and will update you as soon as possible following the trek!

-Addie

Posted by Addie at 6:20 PM | Permalink

Exploring Essaouira's Port, Fish Market, and Ramparts

The group after a successful surfing lesson!

Visiting an Argan Co-Op outside of Essaouira

Posted by Addie at 11:10 PM | Permalink

We got back to Marrakech around noon and have had a relaxing day before we try to pack for our trek tomorro. But the real excitement was in Essouara. We all hoped in a grand taxi and headed for the argan fields in the desert! Our driver absolutely adored blasting his tape of eighties classics and country music so by the end of the hour journey we knew lyrics of songs we didn't even know existed, but he was also an excelent guide and pointed out goats in trees!!!! Apparently there's nothing to eat in the desert (who knew :-)) so the goats have to climb into the argan trees to feast, i must say it is an astounding site to see animals that seem to lack the necassary coordination literally standing twenty feet off the ground on a small branch. After the goats excitement we made our way to 'Cooperative Elamal d'huile Argan' which is a women's co-op that won the slow food award in 2001 and 2003! We tried some of the oil on xobs and some of the argan butter (like almond butter) and both were absolutely delicious. On the way back we also stopped at another argan coop where we actually watched one woman use the iron grinder and squish the cracked nuts into a gloopy looking oil. We also ate some delicious argan butter their and were served excelent mint tea while we were treated to an assortment of argan oil products scented in various ways. We left with very soft skin and very pink lips from a green lipstick that makes the pigment in your lips turn pink!
After our oil feast in the morning and a quick bit of yummy gelatto we headed to a local neighborhood hammam. We had the whole traditional moroccan experience. we bought our little stools, thick brown soap and our 'keiss' to literally scrub layers of skin off of our bodies. It was amazing, the keiss are like really rough lufas, or more flexible pumice stones you use on your whole body. You could literally see the layers of dead, gray skin being rubbed off and when we left we all felt pounds lighter, as if we had actually scrubbed weight off our bodies.
Tomorrow we pack for our treking adventure when we try to summit the highest peak in morocco! I can't wait!

Posted by Lexi Kate at 6:48 PM | Permalink

Hi everyone!

We left Marrakech yesterday morning to take a breather from the city's constant energy. We're now in Essaouira, a small, seaside town. Despite its size, however, Essaouira's far from without character; the vibe here is very laid back--a fact due, in part, to the town's history as a former hippie hangout. (One interesting fact we've learned about Essaouira is that Jimmy Hendrix himself started a music/hippie colony here.) Anyway, it's really nice to be in a quieter, more relaxed setting for a few days.

We spent much of yesterday exploring the city. We walked all around the old ramparts here--the remnants of Spanish conquest--and visiting the fish market, where we befriended one fisherman (Rashid) who showed us the freshness and high quality of his wares by peeling back his fish's skin and removing its eyeballs for our inspection.

Today we went surfing--and all managed to stand up on the board by the end of the lesson! That might not sound impressive, but it was actually REALLY hard. I never knew how much upper body strength is required for the sport. It was really fun, though; I know I, at least, am a thorough surfing convert.

That's all for now!

Posted by Katie G at 7:44 PM | Permalink

From the Pew Research Center, the most recent statistics on the world's muslim population are portrayed in a very revealing map. While Morocco possesses the 3rd largest Muslim population in the Arab World (after Egypt and Algeria), its 33 million faithful are but a fraction of Indonesia's, Pakistan's, India's, and Bangladesh's: Global Muslim Population

Posted by Alex Safos at 6:15 PM | Permalink

Bright blue skiffs nuzzle Essaouira's 18th century ramparts overlooking the Atlantic Ocean

Al-Jimal have made their way to the charming Atlantic coastal town of Essaouira where they'll spend the next few days. With its own UNESCO World Heritage-minted medina, impressive ramparts, and a mellow vibe attracting artists and musicians, the group will have plenty to absorb at a leisurely, seaside pace. Surfing lessons are on tap for tomorrow in this self-proclaimed "Windsurfing Capital of Africa."

Posted by Alex Safos at 5:17 PM | Permalink

Katie, Lexi, and Lindsay learn to jam to the Marrakechi beat

Posted by Alex Safos at 1:14 AM | Permalink

Salaam from the Red City!

After five fun-filled days in Marrakech, we are preparing to hop on a bus tomorrow for some time in the beach town of Essouira. The group has really been enjoying exploring a new city and having a wonderful hostess, Gita of Riad Arabesca, to give pointers along the way. We've had several tours of different parts of the medina, seeing everything from a man who turns old bicycle tires into works of art to the spice and medicine markets to exploring ancient palaces. Today, we were even given the opportunity to play dress-up with some of Madame Gita's traditional Moroccan clothing. We looked as though we were ready to waltz into a wedding!

Our time in Marrakech has also allowed us to learn more about Sufism and the complexity of Amazigh (Berber) culture and language. Today, one of our lecturers even gave us an overview of a traditional Moroccan tale that reaffirmed the well known fact that women are far more cunning than men. (Come on, we're a group of five women.) The group had a fantastic drumming lesson this afternoon in which the girls created their own beats and entertained the neighborhood for an hour.

Enjoy the photos!

Ciao,

Katie

The group visiting the beautiful Ben Youssef Medersa.

Chatting with the performers over tea after the Sufi dikhr.

Learning to drum with a Marrakechi musician.

Lindsay and Gita demonstrate how this traditional cape can protect one from desert sandstorms.

The group modeling Moroccan wedding apparel (notice the matching headscafves and footwear).

Even Addie and Katie got to participate!

Posted by Katie S at 11:00 PM | Permalink

Hello
So as you know we are now in marrakesh and have been for a few days now. I absoluytely love Marrakesh and wish we spent more time here as a whole. Its more of what i expected from morocco-with the souks bustling with traditional morrocan crafts unlike Fes which has a lot more tacky western shops/souk stores. There is everything from jalabas; leather goods; scarves;(i cant find the comma) nuts and dried fruit;to handmade rugs and antiquesè-all made here; by han by local artisans. Its also a uch greener city then Fes and i personally think parts are more beautiful; not to mention the medina streets are wider here and less claustorpheobic here.
So today we visitedr a beautiful weaving place where we saw the men creating fabric on the original old looms-i guess you could stay the old fashioned way. There were also men tending to leather peices while the man next to him stretched and made them into very beautiful and well made shoes. It was fascinating and I know we all enjoyed our visit. They make very well-made. high quality products that are all so beautiful. There were scarves and pashminas in silk and wool; tunnics; jalabas and other clothing; leather bags and shoesas well as sell tons of beautiful fabric.
After lunch we then headed to a local musicians shop and had a drumming lesson using drums that resemlble a small bongo but are the shape of an hourglass or old sand timer thing. It was a lot of fun but our fingers were defniinitely sore after all that tapping and slapping. on the drums. The teacher is a professional drummer and singer and he played with us the entire time- leading us in new beats and rhythmns-as well as showed us a bunch of his special skills and talents on the drum. I had a great time§
Tommorrow morning we hgead off to Assoira to the beach where we will be having some fun in the sun abnd surfing-in shallah.

Talk soon
Lindsay

Posted by Lindsay at 7:43 PM | Permalink

We're here and getting established with the help of a medina map which we highlight with our routes. Marrakech is both overwhelming in its massive material good industry and calming in its obvious catering to tourists and people like ourselves. We, for the first time since coming to Morocco, are not exceptional here at first glance. But it is hard to describe the calamatous souks and vibrant colors of Marrakech when right now my head is in the sufi world. Yesterday afternoon we had a woman come to talk to us about some of the ins and outs of basic sufism. She herself is writting a book on the femal sufi saints, so naturally our talk drifted in that direction and we had a fantastic discussion. But this evening we had a sufi chanting group come and perform for us. We sat in Riad Arabesca's zelliged courtyard lulled by the ups and downs, ins and outs and shouts and silences of the five sufis chanting for us. They were following a path of only their knowing as first one then another took up the lead, clapping a gentle beat, tapping an almost silent rhythm and singing the praises of Allah. The sufis use this chanting to lull them into a trance-like state enveloping themselves in the music and the pattern of their familiar words. It was amazing as I felt myself calming with the musical sound of the sufi poems. Any tension or worries seemed to ebb and take a place furthur back in the recesses of my mind, what might have seemed pressing and urgent felt feather-light and easily dealt with. It was a period of meditation where silence was not the object, but release in music.
After they finished their chants we sat up near them and asked them as many questions as we could think of, in French. They started at their 'zawia' or gathering house for budding sufis and teachers at the age of seven. They also attended regular school as well as lessons on the Qu'ran. Of the five men chanting one was a high school economics teacher, one a retiree who was volunteering for the religious part of the government inspecting mosques around the country, one was a music teacher, one was a taxi driver and one was an aide to the minister of the interior for Morocco. When we asked how many were in their group they said about 200, and these five came because they were the best. They also have between 100 and 150 women at their zawia, but the women and men don't sing together. Not learning about their backgrounds until after we heard them chant was really interesting, because hearing how they interacted with one and other and how they blended their voices I thought that the pursuit of sufi knowledge through continuing scholarly education and practicing of singing would be their full time job. But they only get together to sing every friday for two hours for prayers when the public can come, and special gatherings like our 'soiree'. It was an amazing experience and I think it is an integral part of Moroccan culture that can only be understood through actual conversations and hearing the chanting.

Posted by Lexi Kate at 11:51 PM | Permalink

The group has started its "southern swing" of Morocco with an arrival this afternoon in Marrakech, "The Rose City." Check back soon for some blog reflections on the end of the first phase of Fes and initial reactions to the electricity of Marrakech.

Alex

Posted by Alex Safos at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

First introduction to the art of henna. The girls created some beautiful designs.

Pausing for a break after a long day of exploring the souks of the Meknes medina.

Enjoying the view of one of most sacred sites in Morocco. The green tiles of Moulay Idriss can be seen behind the group.

Lindsay in the garden of a riad under restoration in Moulay Idriss.

Lexi hard at work studying the art of wood-painting in Fez.

Lindsay practicing a belly-dancing routine.

Posted by Addie at 11:27 PM | Permalink

Hi everyone!

Fes Phase I has officially drawn to a close. We left the Medina at the crack of dawn this morning (okay, maybe 8 a.m. doesn't exactly count as "the crack of dawn") and headed off for the train to Marrakech, where we'll be staying for about a week before beginning our whirlwind adventure in the mountains and deserts of the South.

For all of us, the departure from Fes was a little bittersweet; each of us found that we had bonded with our host families to a surprising degree, and realized that we'll miss chatting with our host siblings about our lives, helping our host mothers cook dinner, and, most of all, eating that home-cooked dinner. It took us a while to get over our initial culture shock, but it was in Fes that we all grew to overcome that boundary, and it was Fes that had come to feel like home to us. At the same time, though, we're all ready for a change, and are all excited about the next phases of our journey; even talking about all the physical geography we'll cover (mountains, deserts, oases, valleys...) makes me excited!

Since yesterday was our last day in Fes, it marked the end of this first period of ISPs (Independent Study Projects). We got to see what each member of the group had been working on over the past few weeks, and the projects were INCREDIBLE. Lindsay performed part of the belly-dancing routine she'd learned--which was SO good, and looked so cool when she did it--and Lexi showed us the 3 pieces of painted wood she'd made, which were unbelievable. Somehow, she had managed to produce these beautiful pieces that looked just as good (if not better) than the wood paintings made by Moroccan professionals. As for me, I'd been pretty sick in Fes, so it was hard for me to devote as much time to an ISP as the rest of my group. But I did get some insight into the Moroccan medical system (which, incidentally, was amazing).

We're all looking forward to the next few days in Marrakech--we took a short stroll around the Medina this evening, and can't wait to see more!

Posted by Katie G at 10:57 PM | Permalink

So we got back from Meknes yesterday morning and are now back in Fes. We were in Meknes for two days, which I think was the perfect amount of time. I was definitely ready to return to Fes by the end, but also enjoyed my time there. The first day we got there are went to an absolutely fabulous lunch at a family restaurant that was located in their home we believe. It was sooo delicious. We had to wait a while for it, but thats a good sign because it meant it was homemade and fresh! It was well worth the wait and I can safely say everyone had a wonderful meal! Lexi, Katie G, Katie S, and I all got various tagines and Addie got a pastilla, a moroccan dish that comes with out without meat, as well as with veggies, rice, crushed nuts usually...like tagines it really varies, but basically it is all wrapped in a filo pastry like dough and then cooked and sprinked with cinnamon and powdered sugar on top-its definitely a sight to see. We all watched with dazzled eyes as the waitress brought it over and couldn't wait to try a bite. I still dream of my tagine and I think all of us will remember that lunch. After lunch, we visited the Musee Dar Jamai, which is a beautiful palace that once was a residence now turned art museum. It is incredible and magnificant! It is in traditional moroccan dar style except much larger-like a small palace I guess they called it-with the mosaic tile, intricate wood carvings, beautifully painted wood ceilings and just overall incredible. I am totally obsessed and it is someplace I definitely would reccomend someone to visit. After the museum, we all explored the souks and market of Meknes, which were bustling and crowded full with people. It took some serious manouvering and you had to be on your toes if you actually wanted to get anywhere or to avoid getting run over by another person or a cart. After exploring the souks we went had some time to go back to a souk or store we were interested in-so Lexi, Katie and I set off to find some jewelery and sandals that we saw earlier. We then made our way back to the hotel for some down time, then returned to a street cafe for a light dinner.
The next day we ventured by grand taxi to the town of Mouley Idriss which is a holy pilgrimage site. Supposedly if you make 7 pilgrimages to Mouley Idriss it is the equivalent of a pilgrimage to Mecca. We had a great tour guide who showed us around the town and told us all about the history of both the town and Mouley Idriss himself, the first of Morocco's royal family/first king and is said to be a direct decendant of the prophet Muhammed. The tour ended with another delicious lunch that overlooked the rooftops of the town. After lunch, we headed to Volubulis or the roman ruins and walked around there as well as spend a good amount of time sitting on some stone column remnants looking out over the landcape. We then returned to Meknes and had some time to relax after our long dya of walking all about before we headed off to dinner.
We left the next morning to come back to Fes, happy with what we had seen and done in Meknes and excited to return in time for lunch at our homestays!

Posted by Lindsay at 9:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Salaam! Below are some photos from our trip to Asilah and our visit to Ahli, a center for street children (boys ages 7-15). Watch for more photos to come of ISP's and other activities!
-Addie

Playing "futbol" with some Moroccans at Paradise Beach

Lindsay shows her soccer skills!

The students give an alphabet lesson at Ahli

Expressing creativity with modeling clay (Lexi)

(Lindsay)

(Both Katies)

Posted by Addie at 5:02 PM | Permalink

The group has made its way to the Imperial City of Meknes to start their latest multi-day excursion from Fes. With its own evocative medina and a gentleness that's more elusive in Fes, the students will tour Meknes' celebrated sights and souqs. The group will also visit the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis--the vestiges of the empire's most western reach in North Africa--and also tour the adjacent, holy hamlet of Moulay Idriss. This nestled village is named for Morocco's most revered saint, descendant of The Prophet Mohammed, and founder of the country's first true dynasty. According to local legend and practice, those Moroccans who cannot afford to make the hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca can substitute visits to Moulay Idriss' mausoleum for worship. In my times in Morocco, I've heard as few as 10 visits and as much as 100 visits to Moulay Idriss equate to 1 pilgrimage to Mecca. Perhaps al-Jimal can uncover a more definitive answer during their time here.


The Roman Ruins of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with requisite, column-adorning stork

Posted by Alex Safos at 12:47 AM | Permalink

Here are a few select images from Fes and Asilah, courtesy of Lexi Kate:

Lexi Kate with Nougat Seller and Complimentary Nougat in the Fes "medina"

An array of spices and dried fruit on display in the Fes "medina"

Katie G and Lindsay atop the Cafe Clock rooftop in the Fes "medina". "Qawah (coffee) Americano" amidst the muezzin calls to prayer....

"al-Jimal" at Paradise Beach, Asilah

Katie, Lexi, and Lindsay -- Sunset at Paradise Beach, Asilah

Posted by Alex Safos at 12:09 AM | Permalink

Salaam!

We safely made it back to Fes from our weekend beach fun in Asilah. The girls are diving into their ISPs and looking forward to our upcoming trip to Meknes and Moulay Idriss later this week.

Asilah was a wonderful opportunity for all of us to take a few deep breaths and reflect on all of the new experiences, sights, and smells Fes had to offer during our first week and a half. After dinner on our first night in town, Lexi, Lindsay, Katie and I went for a stroll along the beach to watch the sun slowly disappear into the sea. Perched along a seaside wall in the blue and white medina, the four of us marveled at the stark contrast between the hustle and bustle of Fes and the calm charisma of this old Portuguese trading post. The next day, all of six of us set out on foot for a hike along the coast to a secluded beach. With only a few tiki-hut like structures, some fishermen, and less than a dozen other beach-goers, everyone was able to take advantage of the open sands. Lexi and Katie had plenty of room for cartwheels and general frolicking about.

For those concerned by the report of charging rams...although we did encounter herders guiding their grazing sheep, I think the animals were far more focused on finding their next weed to chew than the three squealing girls hopping off the path. :-)

Off to prepare for the adventures to come...

Cheers,

Katie

P.S. We'll have some pictures for you in the next day or so!

Posted by Katie S at 7:06 PM | Permalink

Hi!

It's our last night of our weekend escape to Asilah--and I speak for all of us when I say that this weekend provided a WONDERFUL (and much-needed) respite from the constant chaos and commotion of the Fes Medina. This weekend was so much fun. It gave us a chance to be together as a group for a longer period of time, and to reflect a little bit about our experiences in Morocco so far.

I think I can say that today was one of my favorite days in Morocco so far. It began with a somewhat strenuous hour-long hike to the beach, which was actually really fun since we were all together (and since the ocean was always in sight to remind us of our destination). One hilarious moment I'll remember for a long time occurred when Lexi, Lindsay, and I were almost at the beach. We were all kind of singing together and not really paying attention to our surroundings when Lindsay looked behind her, froze completely, and starting saying, "Oh noooo, oh nooo..." Lexi and I turned to find out what had scared her, and saw that an entire herd of marauding rams were charging straight at us. We all screamed--at the same time--and dove for the nearby rock face. I've never seen anyone climb a sheer cliff as quickly as we did. Who knows, maybe this skill will come in handy further along the trip....Anyway, when we paused to watch the rams go by, the fact that we had literally surmounted a cliff to escape some charging sheep hit us, and we all started laughing. (It took Lindsay a little longer to see the humor in the situation, but I think she did eventually...)

We go back to Fes tomorrow, and, while I'm ready to be welcomed home with some of my host mother's amazing cooking, I'm sad that this weekend is over. Going to the beach together was SO much fun--I loved it all, from the freshly caught grilled fish we ate for lunch (named Mohammed and Fatima, of course), to the pickup game of soccer we started with some Moroccan beach-goers, to belting Lion King at the tops of our lungs. It was a GREAT weekend--I'm looking forward to our trip to Meknes later this week!

Posted by Katie G at 9:55 PM | Permalink

After a long train ride, we have arrived in the pretty seaside town of Asilah. Everyone is looking forward to a weekend of relaxation, exploration and beach time. Fingers crossed for nice weather tomorrow!

Posted by Addie at 10:36 PM | Permalink

I received word from Addie that the group has arrived safe and sound in the scenic Atlantic coast town of Asilah for two days of R&R&R (rest, relaxation, and reflection) and touring. This low-key setting with its tidy, mural-flecked (courtesy of its annual summer cultural festival which attracts artists and performers throughout Africa), white-washed medina and its "Paradise Beach" will be a refreshing and airy downshift from the intensity of Fes.

The Picturesque Tomb of Asilah's Marabout (Saint) Astride the Medina

Posted by Alex Safos at 10:28 PM | Permalink

Hi,

So today we had a henna lesson in the morning where this woman came and showed us a few henna designs and then had us attempt to copy her...she was ridiculously good and her designs were so intricate and beautiful, ours not so much, haha. Then we headed to our homestays for lunch. Unfortunately we all have been sick with morrocan belly but some are feeling better.We are heading to Asilah this wknd together so hopefully some time spent together by the seaside will help us get well and back on track. After lunch we met up and visited an orphange that takes in street children like BT that we visited in Casablanca. It provides the children with food, shelter, education including music and other extracurriculars. This one took in boys only between 7 and 15. It is currently undertaking in some construction and paint work to improve the facilities. Then we headed to Katie and Addies place for a lecture given by a local fessi working towards his masters I believe in English who taked to us about Morocco and its languages, which consists of arabic, morooccan arabic, french, spanish up north in some areas and another one that I forget the name but resides in the countryside and the mountains so is not used or heard much in the cities, but is historically speaking Moroccos mother tongue. So I think everyone is getting over their initial culture shock or atleast starting to feel more comfortable and familiar with moroccan culture and way of life. However, the catcalls and annoying men on the street are definitely starting to really get to all of us but that is one aspect of morocco we might just never get over haha. Everyone has definitely had some sort of struggle or hardtime if not many this week with being sick, adjusting to the culture and life here, or just in dealing with homestays, but as a group we are all being really supportive of each other and working out things best we can. Tomorrow we have arabic class in the morning and then in the afternoon we begin our ISP studies or some kind of activity- I will be bellydancing and am really excited for it- I dont know how to type the exclamation point or the apostrophe on this european keyboard otherwise I would have put an exclamation point back there... anyway we had a candlelight council or group meeting tonight that everyone really enjoyed and thought was really beneficial especially since we all have definitely been having a hard week. We got everything out or shared the feelings, thoughts, emotions... that we have been feeling or holding in and just talked together as a group. The weather has been very hot and sunny these past few days- I dont think any of us would mind a few drops in the thermometer or ten. Yeah so thats pretty much the update for now, but you will hear from Kate tomorrow.

Hope all is well at home

Lindsay

Posted by Lindsay at 11:04 PM | Permalink

During the holy month of Ramadan, families across the Maghreb are seeking both classic and new meals to break their fasts each evening. The following recipes are courtesy of Magharebia.

Moroccan Tartlets (Msemen)

•250g white flour
•150g of wheat flour
•1 1/4 tablespoon salt
•1 1/4 tablespoon yeast
•100g melted butter mixed with some oil
•(this will make about 7 tartlets)

Blend both types of flour in a pot. Add warm water, yeast and salt. Knead well until mixture is a moist paste. Let stand for 15 minutes or slightly longer until it starts to bubble. Form as many small balls as desired. Flatten each ball on an oiled surface. Use the butter and oil mixture to form the msemen into circles. Sprinkle with flour and fold into four corners to form small squares and then flatten once more. When all balls have been flattened, fry on both sides in a deep fryer.

Tips: msemen can be stuffed with ground or dried meat, olives, or any other favourite ingredient. Cooked msemen may be frozen and saved for later use.

[Iman Belhaj] Msemen, or Moroccan tartlets, can be stuffed with ground or dried meat, olives, or any other favourite ingredient. Cooked msemen may be frozen and saved for later use.

Harira soup

Ingredients:

•1 medium cup of chickpeas
•1 medium cup of lentils
•1 small cup of rice
•1 diced onion – 2 crushed tomatoes – 1 large tbsp of canned tomatoes
•finely chopped parsley, coriander and celery
•ginger, salt, pepper
•saffron or turmeric for colour
•some oil or butter
•flour and water
•diced meat or chicken

Fry the diced onion and meat in butter or oil. Add the chickpeas, lentils, crushed tomatoes, parsley, coriander and celery. Add the spices, as well as half the amount of water until all ingredients are covered. Let the mixture simmer until the meat is cooked, approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Add rice, since it cooks relatively quickly, along with a teaspoon of canned tomatoes. Finally, dissolve the flour in a bit of water. Stir well to avoid any lumps, then add to the soup and stir for a few minutes. The soup is now ready and should be served hot.

Tips: Rice can be replaced with vermicelli. Instead of meat, you can break a raw egg into the Harira pot. The amounts of lentil, chickpeas and rice may vary depending on whether you prefer your Harira light or with a more creamy texture. Many people prepare enough Harira ingredients to last several days.

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:56 PM | Permalink

22/09/2009

Morocco's tiny Jewish community marked the arrival of the New Year, or Rosh Hashanah, beginning Friday (September 18th).

As Moroccan Muslims prepared to celebrate the end of Ramadan, Jews across the country celebrated another momentous holiday, the start of the New Year, or Rosh Hashanah. The New Year marks the beginning of year 5770 in the Jewish calendar, and Fassi Jews marked the occasion on Friday and Saturday (September 18th and 19th) with marked solemnity and discreetness.

The ancient city of Fez is known as the home of the first mellah (Jewish neighbourhood) in the Arab world. During World War II, when King Mohammed V refused to implement the anti-Semitic practices of the Vichy French government, approximately 300,000 Jews lived in Morocco. After decades of emigration, only about 3,000 remain; the last Jewish person left the mellah in Fez this year.

[Abdelhak Senna/AFP/Getty Images] Though the number of Moroccan Jews has dwindled, the community still gathers in Fez to celebrate the New Year.

Continue reading "Moroccan Jews celebrate The New Year" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:51 PM | Permalink

22/09/2009

Despite the fast pace of modern life, Moroccans find time to spend Eid al-Fitr with family and to help those in need in their communities.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat – 22/09/09

Moroccans young and old hold Eid al-Fitr [literally "The Festival of Fast-Breaking"--the celebration commemorating the end of Ramadan] in high regard. The atmosphere of this unique festival, largely untouched by the passing of time and the changes of modern life, offers a special time for community and social gatherings.

According to sociologist Samira Kassimi, this day has managed to keep its distinctive features even though the advance preparations have changed.

"Some working women these days can't spend days preparing cakes for Eid; they prefer to purchase them to save time," she said. "Apart from that, the festival continues in the same old atmosphere of joy and peace."

Continue reading "Eid al-Fitr in Morocco retains special charm of old" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:46 PM | Permalink

I believe we are all feeling the Moroccan Time warp right now, we have been here just over a week yet it feels like a lifetime ago that we were sitting on our couches at home sipping un-sweetened tea and munching peanut butter and jellies. Fortunately, with Eid al-fitr yesterday came the end of Ramadan and the beginning of an era where we can eat and drink during daylight without the slightest twinge of guilt. Eid is also a holiday that emphasizes families getting together. I live with an old married couple who have raised seven children and played with many more grandchildren. So, as my family often does on Christmas or Thanksgiving, everyone got together at the grandpartents house and I had a chance to really observe a close-knit moroccan family who was completely comfortable with my presence (probably mostly because they knew I couldn't understand a word of their rowdy discussions unless one of the grandchildren explained it to me in French). So instead of listening to the words being said, as I would have at my house, I just sat back and watched the families physical interactions. In doing so I discovered that apart from the various djellabs, headscarves, shoes that are always worn in the house, and food, my family and this Fessian family, are almost exactly alike.
In this family, as in my family, there is the littlest grandchild at a year and a half will do almost anything, including attempting to climb stairs the same size as her, to keep up with the older grandchildern. The next oldest, at two and a half, was doing laps around the center room attacking all the oldest grandchildren trying to snag the cards they are playing with, then continuing the laps knocking anyone who is small enough out of the way. When it came time for dinner he sat in his grandfather's lap sipping orange soda and munching on the chicken that he was given. He then stood up and snatched the white hat that men where to pray off his grandfather's head and placed it on his own. I then watched as the oldest and most patient grandchildren gave airplane rides to all the little ones again and again. Yes I was stunned as they lifted the little kids off the ground the same way I remember being lifted when I was that little. As we work up the ages there was the grandchild that was so desperate for attention it came off as a little less than adorable and she ended up unhappy until an older grandchild took pity and wrested with her for a while. I continued to observe as the next to oldest grandchild playfully joked with all the older men and was the first to laugh at a joke. Her older sister would look on with that I'm-wiser-than-you smile that most older siblings have perfected by the time they're ten.
I watched as the oldest uncle, tired from the constant screeches and games of the little ones passed out on the sofa. Then the 'fun' uncle came and instantly the family perked up and began to get even rowdier, playfully punching and cracking jokes. After a while all the older boys and uncles snuck out and smoked their cigarettes, presumably chatting and sharing less apropriate jokes. Watching everyone interact in the same ways that I had been with my family just a few weeks ago made me feel both far from my own home, and closer to this new one.

Posted by Lexi Kate at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

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!

Posted by Katie G at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Morocco group has had a busy initial five days in this country! In Casablanca we visited the Hassan II Mosque (see photos), the Jewish Museum and Bayti Association for street children. The group also had a lecture/ conversation with Emily Pickerill about sub-saharan migration to and through Morocco and had their first Ramadan ftour (breaking of fast) meal.

The girls with our tour guide inside the Hassan II Mosque (Contributed by Katie S.)

Continue reading "Salaam from Fez!" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 2:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Hello,

The past two nights we have had ftour, or breakfast, but for dinner. The traditional dinner consists of harira, a tomato based soup that can include many different things but at the dar last night we had a pumpkin soup that tasted more like squash than American pumpkin. At the beginning of the meal say bismala, and eat a date. The meal also includes lots of bread and hardboiled eggs, and shpekia fried dough with sesames and honey. Of course the meal includes lots of tea and coffee. The food is really good and filling. Everyone keeps insisiting we eat more so we go to bed very full. The dinner starts after the call to prayer after sunset and all of fez is filled with prayer and it is really beautiful except when it is three in the morning and the call wakes us up. Looking forward to tajine.

Bismila,

Kate

Posted by Alex Safos at 3:26 PM | Permalink

Hi !

So we arrived yesterday in Fes and our now staying together in a riad in the medina until Friday when we move into our homestay families. Fes is much more like what I thought Morocco would be like in terms of the smells and colors. The medina is the old city and composed of a maze of houses of traditional clay, cement and tile with winding tiny streets I don't think I will ever be able to navigate. Last night we visited Dar Roumana which is a beautiful traditional moroccan dar restored by a wonderful american couple. The couple actually invited us to dinner, which was not only absolutely delicious, but so nice of them to do for us! They served their spin off of a typical moroccan ramadan "breaking the fast" meal which is their "breakfast" during ramadan even though its at night because its their first meal of the day after fasting all day. Although we are not fasting its interesting to take part in this meal as a part of understanding and taking part in moroccan culture and tradtions. Today we had our first arabic lesson, which we actually just finished. We learned greetings like hello, how are you, whats your name, where are you from... and then we learned some phrases that will be helpful in our homestays like "I'm full or where is this..." Now all I have to do is try to remember it all which is definitely going to be difficult for me haha. Well thats all for now.

More to come soon!

Lindsay

Posted by Lindsay at 12:39 PM | Permalink

I just spoke with Katie and al-Jimal, The Camels--or as I now propose to refer to them henceforth, The Camelles--have made it safely to Fes, home to a much-storied, medieval "medina" (old city), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After a morning briefing in Casablanca at Bayti, a shelter dedicated to assisting street children, al-Jimal took the train to Fes, checked into their guest house, then had the luxury and privilege of breaking the Ramadan fast at Dar Roumana, a spectacularly restored, traditional riad displaying the heights of Moroccan artisanship. Here, on the Dar's perch overlooking the medina, The Camelles witnessed their first Fassi call to prayer at dusk, peals of intense exhortations echoing from countless minarets and penetrating the countless corridors and crannies of the old city. Not all Fes visits begin this way--trust me--so it will be interesting to learn how the group took to these initial sensory gifts bestowed by this special place. Layla Sai'da (Good Night) from Fes on behalf of al-Jimal.....

--Alex

Posted by Alex Safos at 12:34 AM | Permalink

Assalaam Aleikum!

We have all made it happily to Casablanca! We are really here and we can definately tell as the call to prayer rings out over the city, barely masking the chorus of horns in the street. As it is Ramadan things are a little different than normal, such as most cafes are closed during the day, but everyone we have met is extroadinarily kind and happy to see us enjoying their country. We have found that traffic is most easily coped with if we don't look out the front windshied, but the red 'petit taxis' have taken us to amazing places. Today we visited the hassan 2 mosque, which is the thrid largest mosque in the world after one in mecca and medina. The previous king had it built in only 6 years. We took some amazing pictures there which i'll try to get up soon. One of the most astounding parts is that aside from some venitian glass the entire building is constructed from materials all found in Morocco, a point of extreme pride. The mosque holds over 25000 people inside and another 8000 outside on nice days, the ceiling even opens to let in sunlight when it's hot and the floor is heated for the winter!!! We also had a truly enlightening tour through the jewish museum in casablanca where the perceived gap between islam and judiasm seemed to shrink. On thing that really stuck with me is that during world war two Hitler asked the sultan of morocco to expell all of the jews (over 20,000 at that time) and the sultan responded 'what jews, we have only moroccans here?' There is so much history just waiting to be explored and I cannot wait for the first Arabic lesson in Fes (where we go tomorrow) so that I can talk more in-depth with the people. We are also very much looking forward to our homestays and our introduction to the fes medina! By the time we get back we will also probably all be extraordinarily skillful in all card games as they are an excellent way to pass the time on long train rides or periods of relaxation. Tonight we are going to talk with someone in Casalanca on a Fulbright scholarship who has been researching the immigration patterns of Africans who stop in Casablanca and Morocco in general to work up some money to move on to Europe! Until next time,

bla jmil (goodbye in moroccan arabic),
Lexi Kate

Posted by Alex Safos at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

and are en route to their hotel via subway then taxi. I just received a text from Katie. Check-in, a refresh, and lunch are top-of-mind. Look out for initial reactions, including the group's witness of their first "iftar" (breaking of the Ramadan fast, at sunset).

--Alex

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

"The Camels"--as Team Morocco has chosen to identify themselves--are off to North Africa via Spain with only a 10 minute delay from JFK. That's like leaving a day early. As soon as they are settled into their Casablanca hotel, we will post this information to the blog. Stay tuned for many colorful dispatches from Morocco.

"The Camels" pose for a group photo shortly after coining their semester identity and inking a group "contract" to maximize their experience

Posted by Alex Safos at 2:58 AM | Permalink

Practicing team navigation skills

Today is the second day of our orientation and we just did an activity where we were blindfolded and leading ourselves by rope across a field. Learning what to expect from our trip and what to be open to that may be completely unexpected. We've been learning how to squat and tickle (how to use squat toilets). Even though it's raining we have sunny attitudes. We are using this orientation time to solidify our names since there are three Katies and Lexi Kate. We are really excited to depart tomorrow and you will hear from us again when we arrive.

Team Morocco

Posted by Global LAB at 7:14 PM | Permalink

Here are a few interesting Peace Corps facts that may surprise you:

1) Peace Corps has 7,876 Americans currently serving in 76 countries
2) Morocco is the 3rd largest in terms of volunteers with 258
3) Ukraine is the host to the largest # of volunteers with 347 volunteers
4) Peru is the 2nd-largest host with 280 volunteers
5) The only other Arab country with a Peace Corps program is Jordan with 59 volunteers
6) The worldwide average resignation rate (not serving the full term of 2 years) is 8.6%
7) Benin and the The Kyrgyz Republic presently tie for the highest resignation rate: 18.2%

Posted by Alex Safos at 5:42 PM | Permalink

See this recent report from the Middle East Institute, namely the two, short Morocco articles under "Visual Arts": (1) L'appartement 22: Creating Space for Art and Social Discourse in Morocco and (2) Orientalist Art in Morocco . Apartment 22 could warrant a visit during your Rabat excursion. You can download the full report here: Download file

Posted by Alex Safos at 6:59 PM | Permalink

(ALGIERS) Ramadan Belmary
Al Arabiya

Years of political feuding put aside with Ramadan dishes

Shmisha, Morocco's "Cooking Mistress"

Uniting Algerians and Moroccan's is a task most politicians have failed to do, but this Ramadan the "Mistress of Maghreb Cooking," or Moroccan cook Shmisha, has lured people from both sides of the border with her tasty Ramadan dishes.

Shmisha's sweet and salty dishes are so popular Moroccans and Algerians, especially in border areas, are flocking to break fast together to get a taste of the now famous Moroccan cook who has signed several contracts with Algerian companies to sell her recipes.

Shmisha's clientele include the wives of senior officials from both countries despite the on-going political disagreement between Morocco and Algeria over the Western Sahara region.

Last Ramadan, Shmisha signed a contract with the Algerian daily newspaper al-Chorouk al-Youmi to publish her recipes every day of the Muslim holy month and this year she is signed to an Algerian radio station.

Despite her huge success, Shmisha visited Algeria for the first time in June and was impressed by the legendary welcome she received.

Food over politics

Shmisha told Al Arabiya despite the political issues between the two countries, Moroccans and Algerians like each other, she cited the example of the Rabat-based Mawazine Music Festival where King Mohamed IV honored Algerian singer Warda.

"I am just glad that I am doing something that unites Algerians and Moroccans," she told Al Arabiya in a phone interview from Paris, where she went on a business tour.

"This shows how artists and bearers of noble causes transcend politics."

Samir Boudjaja, Commercial Manager at al-Chorouk al-Youmi, said that the circulation of the newspaper has remarkably increased since Shmisha started publishing her recipes last Ramadan.

"That is why renewing the contract with Shmisha was a lucrative deal with the paper," he told Al Arabiya.

Boudjaja added that a competition will be held for Algerian women. The winner will get a flight to Morocco where she will be taught how to cook by Shmisha herself.

"This will allow more rapprochements between the Moroccan and Algerian people," he concluded.

(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid)

Posted by Alex Safos at 2:40 PM | Permalink

August 23, 2009
By REUTERS

RABAT (Reuters) - A 400 billion euro plan to power Europe with Sahara sunlight is gaining momentum, even as critics see high risks in a large corporate project using young technology in north African countries with weak rule of law.

Desertec, as the initiative is called, would be the world's most ambitious solar power project. Fields of mirrors in the desert would gather solar rays to boil water, turning turbines to electrify a new carbon-free network linking Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Its supporters, a dozen finance and industrial firms mostly from Germany, say it will keep Europe at the forefront of the fight against climate change and help North African and European economies to grow within greenhouse gas emission limits.

Others warn of numerous pitfalls, including Maghreb politics, Saharan sandstorms and the risk to desert populations if their water is diverted to clean dust off solar mirrors.

Continue reading "Europe's Saharan Power Plan: Miracle or Mirage?" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 3:02 PM | Permalink

A challenge for the Morocco fall '09 semester group to find "Obama" and "Super Obama" dates in the Fes medina before Ramadan ends....

In Ramadan, the best dates in Egypt are "Obama"

By HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, Associated Press Writer Hadeel Al-shalchi, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO – For the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Egyptian fruit sellers have named their best dates of the year after President Barack Obama in a sweet tribute to the American leader for his outreach to the Muslim world.

Dates are a traditional food for Ramadan — which begins Saturday in most of the Islamic world — since the Prophet Muhammad is said to have used them to break the month's sunrise-to-sunset fast each evening.

In Egypt, shops have created a new tradition of naming their best and worst dates to catch attention and boost sales — giving a little reflection of the political mood.

Continue reading "Could "Obama" Dates be found in Morocco too?" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 7:35 PM | Permalink

Hi Morocco Semester Students:

Below is information about how to get from your domestic flight into the New York City area to Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center in Port Murray, NJ, the site of our Pre-Travel Orientation starting on September 11th. We're aiming to have all of you meet up to catch the same train from Newark Penn Station. If you haven't booked your domestic flight yet, flying into Newark (EWR) would offer the easiest transfer with JFK and third LaGuardia (LGA) being the second and third choices, respectively. Please book your flights in the morning so you can meet at the Newark Penn Station train station to catch the 3 pm train to High Bridge, NJ (on the Raritan Valley Line).

Please let us know how you are getting to the retreat center on Friday September 11th. You can email Michelle at michelle@global-lab.org with that information as soon as possible.

For those of you who would like to drive to the center directly, please follow the directions from the retreat center's website.

If you're flying into Newark, make your way to Newark Penn Station where you will catch your train out to High Bridge, NJ on the Raritan Valley Line. You can purchase your ticket at Newark Liberty Airport, hop on the Air Train, and arrive at Newark Penn Station to catch your train to High Bridge, NJ (the last stop). The train departs Newark Penn Station at 3:06 pm and arrives at High Bridge at 4:27 pm. A Global LAB staff member will meet you at the High Bridge station and help you transfer to the retreat center.

If you're flying in to JFK, you need to catch the A Express subway train from the airport to New York Penn Station where you will purchase your train ticket for High Bridge, NJ on the Raritan Valley Line. You'll want to catch the 2:37 pm Northeast Corridor (NEC) Line train to Newark Penn Station. There, you will switch lines and take the 3:06 pm train to High Bridge which arrives at 4:27 pm. A Global LAB staff member will meet you at the High Bridge station and help you transfer to the retreat center.

If you're flying in to LaGuardia, you can take a fairly short cab ride into New York Penn Station where you will purchase your train ticket for High Bridge, NJ on the Raritan Valley Line. You'll want to catch the 2:37 pm Northeast Corridor (NEC) Line train to Newark Penn Station. There, you will switch lines and take the 3:06 pm train to High Bridge which arrives at 4:27 pm. A Global LAB staff member will meet you at the High Bridge station and help you transfer to the retreat center.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with any questions you might have before we all meet together at the retreat center.

--Michelle

Posted by Alex Safos at 2:46 PM | Permalink

August 19, 2009
The New York Times
Tangier Journal
By STEVEN ERLANGER and SOUAD MEKHENNET

Food, shelter and classes are provided for expectant single mothers at 100%Mamans in Tangier.

TANGIER, Morocco — Fairouz Guiro, 19, still looks with wonder at her little girl, Marwar, all of 27 days old.

But Ms. Guiro has no idea how to find Marwar’s father. She was seduced by an older Moroccan man visiting Tangier on vacation from Spain, and he has since changed his cellphone number.

“My mother told me to be careful of men and not to trust them,” she said. “I didn’t listen.”

Ms. Guiro came to Tangier to work from a little town nine hours away and found a job at a company called Delphi. But her job is gone, and as a single mother, she has few rights here.

Continue reading "Family Code Gets Nudge, but Women Seek a Push " »

Posted by Alex Safos at 3:51 PM | Permalink

Despite obstacles, the Ministry for Social Development is expanding its strategy to combat begging throughout Morocco.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Casablanca – 17/08/09

A Beggar and his son in Ouezzane

Tangier and Laâyoune are the latest cities to join a Moroccan government campaign against the phenomenon of begging. The programme, which began in 2007 in Casablanca, Rabat and Fez, will eventually extend to Meknès, Agadir, Oujda and Marrakech.

The initiative has encountered numerous difficulties since its launch. In the cities where it started, inhabitants say nothing has changed. There are still beggars in the streets.

Continue reading "Strategy to fight begging in Morocco grows despite difficulties" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:40 PM | Permalink

Global News Blog
Christian Science Monitor
By Lindsey Arkley | Contributor 08.17.09

A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.

ESSAOUIRA, MOROCCO – For centuries, the Berber people of south-west Morocco have used oil from a tree endemic to the region as a staple food and in traditional medicines.

In recent years, there’s been increasing demand for oil from the argan tree in Western countries, where it’s used by gourmet chefs, and by cosmetic companies which claim it has antiaging and restorative properties. Now the Moroccan government is hoping to triple production of argan oil by 2020, from the current level of around 100 tons a year.

Continue reading "Morocco: Demands rise on Argan Tree" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:30 PM | Permalink

Please note: This itinerary is planned in advance and may be modified in the field due to group interest, local cultural events worth experiencing, health and safety concerns, or other factors beyond the control of Global LAB.

*Ramadan is scheduled to begin August 20th and is scheduled to end September 19th

September 13: Flight departs JFK

September 14-15: Casablanca

September 16-25: Fes (Phase I)

September 26-27: Asilah

September 28-30: Fes

October 1-2: Meknes

October 3-7: Fes

October 8-13: Marrakech

October 14-15: Essaouira

October 17-18: Marrakech

October 19: Imlil

October 20-24: High Atlas trekking

October 25-28: Ourika valley

October 29: Ouarzazate

October 30-November 1: Tinerhir

November 2-3: Todra Gorge

November 4-6: Merzouga

November 7: Midelt

November 8: El Khoukhate

November 9-10: Ifrane

November 11-20: Fes (Phase II)

November 21-22: Rabat

November 23-25: Fes

November 26-28: Student-led portion, destination TBD

November 29-December 1: Fes

December 2-4: Chefchaouen

December 5-7: Tangier

December 8-9: Cordoba, Spain

December 10-12: Granada, Spain

December 13: Return flight to US

Posted by Alex Safos at 8:37 PM | Permalink

Assalamu Alaykum (Peace Be Upon You)!

Hello!

I'm Katie Seckman, the other half of your Global LAB Morocco leadership team for this fall. I'm from Colorado Springs, Colorado. I graduated from Drake University with a degree in International Relations and, like Addie, have spent the last year as a Fulbrighter in Morocco. My primary research was focused on the role of women in Moroccan politics, but I was also very fortunate to spend a great deal of time hiking, exploring life outside the cities, and surfing. Like most of you, I really enjoy traveling, being outdoors, and exploring. All of you are in for a wonderful adventure and I am really looking forward to meeting and working with all of you.

I can be reached at katie@global-lab.org if you have any questions prior to departure.

-Katie

Posted by Alex Safos at 6:24 PM | Permalink

In case you missed President Obama's historic speech from this summer, including references to Morocco's longstanding friendship with the US, check it out below. This will provide some valuable background and context before you visit this Arab, Muslim country:

Posted by Alex Safos at 6:31 PM | Permalink

John Thorne, foreign correspondent, The National
Last Updated: August 09. 2009 11:55PM UAE / August 9. 2009 7:55PM GMT

RABAT // On June 13, Morocco quietly made history. Thanks to a new quota, local elections boosted the number of women councillors from 127 to more than 3,300, giving Morocco more elected female officials than any other Arab country.

The elections saw the dramatic rise of a new political party and provoked accusations of vote-buying. State media quoted international observers’ statement that the polls took place in “ideal” conditions.

King Mohammed VI wields ultimate power in Morocco, leading critics to question the importance of party politics. But everyone agrees that women have burst into political life as never before.

Morocco set the stage in 2004 with a new family code that greatly expanded women’s rights. In June, spurred by a quota reserving 12 per cent of nearly 28,000 local council seats for them, over 20,000 women registered as candidates. Meet four of the first-time victors:

Continue reading "Four female faces changing Morocco’s political landscape" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:01 PM | Permalink

To be enrolled in the CORE Travel insurance program (which is provided as part of your Global LAB tuition) please send the information requested below to our administrative assistant by August 16th: aaron@global-lab.org

1) name, relationship and contact phone number(s) for an emergency contact at home

2) your home address, including zip code

This insurance policy is quite comprehensive and covers you in the event of emergency medical expenses as well as evacuation. Please email us if you would like full coverage details as well as options for upgrading.
You may also contact CORE directly at: administrator@coretravelinsurance.com or Tel: 518-708-4192 to consider and process the options.

As always, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us at Global LAB. Looking forward to meeting each of you in September at pre-travel orientation.

Michelle Bos-Lun
Director of Admissions & China/Tibet Programs

Posted by Alex Safos at 3:43 PM | Permalink

Hi, my name is Lindsay Beck and I am from New Canaan, CT. I went to St. George’s for high school, which is in Newport, RI and next year (after my gap year) I will be going to Princeton. I am the youngest of three girls, I love to travel, being active, being outdoors and am all around pretty outgoing, and adventurous. I am excited for this trip, but I’m not going to lie, I’m also a little nervous. I am looking forward to meeting you all soon!

Posted by Alex Safos at 5:46 PM | Permalink

In the file below you will find frequently asked questions, as well as their answers, regarding the travel insurance Global LAB provides to all program participants:

Download file

Posted by Alex Safos at 11:46 PM | Permalink

Listen to Minnesota Public Radio's brief interview of the US' new ambassador to Morocco, Sam Kaplan:

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:16 PM | Permalink

I'm Katie Gladstone, I'm 18 years old, and I'm from Washington, D.C. I'm going to Middlebury College in February, so I have just one semester off before I go back to school. I couldn't imagine a more exciting way to spend it than living in Morocco. I can't wait to meet everyone!

Posted by Alex Safos at 2:52 PM | Permalink

1) You don't need to bring an international phone card or cell phone as public use phones are widely available (you pay by the minute and the cost is very affordable)

2) Your group leaders will be carrying a laptop which you can use for blog postings or downloading photos (don't bring your own laptop it will be cumbersome to carry and there are plenty internet cafes which come with computers you can use if you need to send an email or check facebook).

3) We suggest you bring $500- $1000 in "spending money". This will cover your snacks/beverages between meals/gifts/mementos and internet/phone costs. ATM cards work at many locations, but can occasionally not work for mysterious reasons. Do not bring more than $100 cash. Bring a money belt.
Travelers' checks are a great option for India, but inconvenient in Morocco.

4) If you have not booked your ticket yet, contact sue@aviatravel.com and be sure to get on the flight your group will be on!

5) If you have not sent in your final paperwork or tuition balance, please do so immediately (send to our Woodside, NY office).

6) Students going to Morocco will be issued a visa upon arrival. Students going to India should apply for their visas as soon as possible. You can fill out the application on-line but you need to send in your actual passport to the visa agency.

7) If you wear contacts- bring lots of solution, you might want to bring glasses too.

8) We will be meeting for pre-travel orientation the afternoon of the eleventh of September- more info on this coming soon! Both programs depart internationally on Sept 13.

9) If you have any questions you can contact michelle@global-lab.org or alex@global-lab.org or you can reach Michelle or John at 800 984 4522.

10) Keep checking the blog- new information will be going up regularly.

Posted by Alex Safos at 11:01 PM | Permalink

Assalaamu Aleikum! (Greetings and peace be upon you all!)

My name is Addie Ryan and I will be one of the co-leaders for Global LAB-Morocco this fall--and I'm really looking forward to it! I'm from St. Paul, Minnesota and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College where I majored in French and International Management with a minor in Peace Studies. I love to travel and discover new places. I've lived in France and Morocco and have also visited Tanzania, Guatemala, China, the Caribbean, Jordan, Syria, and many European countries. In addition to traveling, I also enjoy tennis, cello, photography, and attempting to teach myself how to play guitar. I just completed eleven months in Morocco where I lived, explored, studied Moroccan Arabic and researched Women & Microcredit in Fez on a Fulbright scholarship. It was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to share what I learned about Morocco with this fall's group and discover even more together!

I can be reached at addie@global-lab.org if you have any questions prior to departure.

-Addie

Posted by Alex Safos at 5:30 PM | Permalink

Please download and review your student manual before you arrive at our Pre-Travel Orientation.

Download file

Posted by Alex Safos at 11:24 PM | Permalink

My name is Kate Payne. I am eighteen years old and live in Needham Massachusetts. I am starting at the Gallatin School at NYU next fall. I love to travel and eat different foods and see new places. I am really looking forward to meeting everyone and experiencing Morocco with you.

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:44 PM | Permalink

My name is Lexi Kate Doolittle, I am 18-years-old, and I am from Concord, Massachusetts. I have deferred for one year from the University of Richmond to participate in a gap year. I will graduate from Concord Carlisle High School in June 2009. I have played a variety of sports as well as the piano for a number of years. I am very excited about traveling to Morocco with a group and experiencing a completely different lifestyle and language. I cannot wait to meet everyone and I am looking forward to September!

Posted by Alex Safos at 8:12 PM | Permalink

Follows is a list of content in various media that will provide useful background for your upcoming tour and help contextualize your experiences. If time allows, borrow or purchase a few of these titles before your travels--try to coordinate with fellow travelers so these may be shared during the tour. Many libraries are likely to carry some of these as well. A short-list of highly recommended readings is asterisked (*).

Continue reading "Recommended Multimedia Resources for Morocco Background" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 4:34 PM | Permalink

Alex (at right) with Berber-Sahara specialist, Mohamed Soudani, in Marrakesh, Morocco

I was an anxious, rudderless college sophomore when he got the call. It was from Washington, DC—the State Department to be exact—and the beige rotary phone was ringing in a remote University of Texas at Austin professor’s office, some 1,500 miles plus away. This was 1986, and to me, 1,500 miles was a faraway place. Dr. James Bill politely and unpretentiously said, “Alex, have a seat. I need to take this call from State. They need some input—help, really—with their Iran policy.” Now this is pretty cool, I thought, eyes like saucers.

So this moment isn’t how I bit on the Morocco lure, but it represents my seminal brush with “The Middle East”. In reality, the geo-political conflicts drew me in. And how we, Americans, perceived—and misperceived—related—and unrelated—to this diverse and complex region rich in culture and history. For a 20 year old, the menu was overwhelming and fascinating at once: the US reaction to the Iranian Revolution; the intractable Arab and Palestinian conflict with Israel; the Iran-Iraq war; Qaddafi’s provocations in Libya; the civil war in Lebanon; the phenomenon of political Islam; how the Gulf States influenced the world economy—the challenges and kinetic energy seemed inexhaustible. I think you get the picture.

Continue reading "Welcome from Alex Safos, Director of Southern Europe, Middle East & North Africa" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 3:25 AM | Permalink

THINK LIGHT! You will have to put whatever you bring onto the tops of buses and you will have to carry your bag for long distances. Here's a list of all that you will need to stay warm, dry, cool and comfortable. When packing, think layers and do your best to stay away from cotton (save T-shirts) because cotton takes a long time to dry. We recommend that you only bring what's listed here. The lighter you pack, the happier you--and the rest of the group--will be. There will be opportunities to do “self-service” laundry where we’ll be staying.

PLEASE NOTE: We strive to be model visitors, and therefore ask that students bring clothing that is lightweight and durable, but that also covers the body well, and looks respectable. Tie-dyed T-shirts, cut-off jeans, tight fitting leggings and tank tops are inappropriate, as they show disrespect for local cultures.

BAGS:
BACK PACK/SUITCASE: Your main container to store your things. Something light weight and durable is best. An internal frame backpack functions well for easy mobility.
DAY PACK: A book-bag or fanny-pack to use for daily excursions (to carry camera, water bottle, jacket, notebook, etc).

Continue reading "Packing Suggestions" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 3:23 AM | Permalink

Fall 2009 Morocco Semester Program Tuition: $11,845

Tuition includes residential pre-trip orientation in the US, preparatory and educational materials; dedicated student website for program communications and resources; all logistical facilitation; all hotels and guest houses; all meals; all domestic air fares/taxis/buses/trains/boats; museum, park and temple entrance fees; Global LAB faculty and instruction as well as local coordinators, cooks, porters; all program elements (independent study projects and apprenticeships, community service projects, home-stays, guest lectures, community support/charitable contributions).

Please note: Additional expenses not covered by Global LAB include r/t international airfare and costs of domestic travel to point of departure (NYC), inoculations, travel insurance and international medical and evacuation insurance; visa/passport processing fees; personal costs (laundry, phone calls/emails, souvenirs, etc.).

Semesters are open to those ages 16-22. While Global LAB semesters are geared toward interim or ‘gap’ year students, high school seniors as well as university students are welcome to apply. No language prerequisite is required.

Global LAB accepts applications on a rolling admissions basis, accepting qualified applicants until programs are full. Each program has a maximum of 12 participants and 3 Global LAB instructors. For this reason, we recommend candidates submit their applications as early as possible.

To begin the application process, print out the preliminary application and FAQ below:
* Application Form
* Dates & Details
* FAQ

Posted by Alex Safos at 3:16 AM | Permalink

Each time I go to a place I have not seen before, I hope it will be as different as possible from the places I already know.
–Paul Bowles, author of The Sheltering Sky, desert explorer, Morocco expatriate

A mere 17 miles south of Europe, across the Strait of Gibraltar, a very different experience awaits—an intriguing place of great contrast, color, culture, history, and hospitality: Morocco was the first nation to recognize the United States as an independent nation in 1777. The Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship stands as the U.S.'s oldest non-broken friendship treaty. Signed by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, it has been in continuous effect since 1783.

Continue reading "Morocco Semester Overview: Fall 2009" »

Posted by Alex Safos at 3:11 AM | Permalink