The Office

When I'm not commuting I wake up every morning and go to the office. My office is about a ten minute walk from my apartment and, although I don't like coffee, I've heard they serve an awfully good cup of joe. Yes, my office is the Starbucks on Boulevard Anfaa.

I detest going to American establishments while abroad. I travel to another country to experience what it has to offer! My advisor, Professor Hitchner, once said, though, that it can be interesting to once and a while check out a McDonalds, for example, abroad. It's an interesting means of exploring globalization. So I tried Starbucks out one day when my ISJ advisor, Aida Alami (Morocccan. Went to Hunter and then Columbia Journalism. Returned to Morocco and now files for Bloomberg, the NY Times, and others) and Mary were meeting there. Aida told me she loves working there because their internet, although not always reliable, is the best in Casa. I loved the internet, the atmosphere, and the staff. They are so happy to see me and they love to teach me French and Darija, as well as practice their English. So Starbucks has become my office. I sit in Starbucks and work all day, even on the weekends sometimes. Working from Starbucks has been an anthropological learning experience all on its own.

All different types of people come in here: expats from all over, knitting clubs, high school students, and business people. The majority of Starbucks goers seem to be a bit elite. The women are often wearing heels and outfits that would generally solicit a 'Hashuma' (Shame! One use involves strangers yelling it out in the street when someone does something immoral). I've seen kids pull up in a décapotable (convertible), run in to get their drinks, and run back out to the car. I've also heard many a French discussion among teenage girls about how "the chauffeur wouldn't do this or that." In Starbucks I usually only hear French and sometimes English. There is a language hierarchy in Morocco. Some elite Moroccans pretend they do not even know Arabic and if you can speak English, "well then you've won" my French teacher once said. One day a girl came over to me and asked me in English if she could use my computer for a second. She wanted to check admissions decisions for the French universities she had applied to.

So, as far as I'm concerned, spending a lot of the time at the office has meant gaining an added dimension to my experience abroad.

Ma vie sur le train

"Salaam," I say to the ONCF conductor every morning as he takes my train ticket. "Vous parlez l'Arabe! Mezien," is often the eager response I get. "Shwia (a little)," I laugh. I have become a Moroccan commuter and I love it! Many of my interviews, as well as meetings with my Moroccan partner, require me to take the hour long train ride to Rabat. The other night, on my way home, I sat next to an older woman in a djellaba. She must not ride the train very often because she was very jumpy. Whenever the ride became the least bit bumpy she tensed up. When trains passed by at high speed, which truly can scare even seasoned riders, she jumped. Every time the lights went out she would say "Oh la la"with a sense of panic. Playing with the young boy in front of us seemed to console her, though. I do not know a Moroccan woman of any age that can avoid stopping to touch, kiss, and play with a child.

So far I have completed three interviews. I walked around the Medina with my partner, Sara, capturing man-on-the-street (mos) interviews about dreams of receiving public transportation licenses. The recent publication of a list of beneficiaries of these licenses is the subject of my story. The Transportation Minister, Azziz Rabbah, released the list and most of the names on it are those of famous athletes, singers, and business people. Moroccan monarchs have long used the licenses as a means of granting favors and ensuring loyalty. For example, Hassan II, rewarded Saharans who supported his Green March with licenses. The license basically allows its holder to do very little work, sitting back and enjoying revenue for life. The mos interviews revealed that average people dream that the King will bestow licenses upon them. Some even write letters begging for a license and throw them to the King. Clearly, although many people say Morocco is on the path to democracy, the Moroccan economic system is not very democratic. Aside from the fact that the King and friends own important shares in Morocco's biggest companies and huge plots of the best farming land, rewarding select citizens with a guaranteed life income is not an example of a free economy. Encouraging citizens to think that they will be the next to receive a 'get out of work free card' is also not a democratic principle. Rabbah's publication of the list of beneficiaries shows a step toward change and I want to make US listeners aware; I think they'll find it interesting and thought provoking.

Sara and I also interviewed Najib Akesbi (in French!), a top Moroccan economist. He had such interesting thoughts on the issue! He doesn't believe Morocco is on a path toward democracy and he thinks the list was a good first step toward change, but has yet to see a follow up. Then, last Sunday, we interviewed the US Ambassador and his wife off the record. Their home, Villa America, is beautiful and I greatly enjoyed their company as well as the company of their friends. We had a fascinating discussion on multiple Morocco related topics including the suicide of Amina, legally forced to marry her rapist at age fifteen. Originally a French law from the colonial era, girls are given the legal option to marry their rapists. Amina's parents felt this was a better option for her than life with her lost virginity, which pretty much guarantees that she will never find a husband. There is no punishment for rapists. While in France the law has evolved with changing society, in Morocco the law has remained and has become deeply embedded in culture. While many Americans would probably expect religious reasons, deeply rooted cultural customs are often the reason why Morocco is slow to develop in some ways.

Now I'm trying to get an interview with Aziz Rabbah, himself. After that I think my interviews will likely be finished and I'll just have to write the script, organize sound clips, record, edit, etc.

In terms of living on my own, I had a fun adventure this week when my power went out one night and had not returned by the next. I knocked on my neighbors door and as the 16 year old opened the door light flooded out from behind him. I was the only one sans electricity! I asked him who the building's superintendent was and we hopped in the elevator to find her. We ran into two other residents, a Moroccan woman and her Italian husband (I think they are husband and wife, but I'm not sure) who took it upon themselves to help me! First we went back up to my apartment to check le déjuncteur (the circuit breaker). When that didn't work, the Italian got the key from the super as she was picking up her son from day care, went into the dark basement, and messed around with my apartment's electrical conteur (counter) box. It made several zapping noises, which worried his wife. We had many interesting discussions including one about "Munhutta". The Italian kept asking me if I knew of a city just outside of New York called Munhutta. The neighbor's son joined in; he had heard about Munhutta too. Then all of a sudden he changed the way he pronounced it and the word became recognizable. Manhattan! "Yes, I told them! But Manhattan is New York City! It's one of the boroughs." None of them had ever visited the US, but they dream of visiting New York. "New York is my dream city," the Moroccan woman said. I told her to come visit, but she said she didn't have the means. One of the Italian's parents is Belgian and the other is Italian so he knows French, Italian, and at least four other languages that I forget. English, funny enough, was not one of them so all of our conversations were in mixed French and Darija.

About an hour later we discovered that my counter unit was burnt and an electrician would have to come in the morning. So the next morning I called the Moroccan version of New York State Electric and Gas and became their eager student and flashlight holder while they arrived and fixed my unit in less than an hour. That afternoon I went for a walk to a patisserie artisinale américaine, which I had stumbled upon when Princess came to visit me a couple of weeks ago. I bought my immediate neighbors and the Italian/Moroccan family two large boxes of cupcakes, demonstrating my gratitude with New Yorkers' current sweet obsession.

What a different experience living in Casa and working on my story has been as compared to living in Rabat and going to class everyday!

P.S. Sorry there are no photos, but my commuter status makes it difficult to pull out my camera like a tourist. I'll try to snap more photos soon when I'm not on the job.

Of All the Gin Joints, In All the Towns, In All the World, She Walks Into Mine.

I came to Rabat and there was a major protest and I left Rabat in the midst of another major protest. I dragged my bags behind me through the Medina and out into la nouvelle ville where I saw a large protest extending all the way up Mohammed V to the train station. Consequently, I boarded the tram and rode it to the gare where I discovered the next train to Casa port would leave in 15 minutes. After buying my ticket I descended to the platform and waited. I ended up chatting in French with a medical student and an older woman who had visited the states. She detested the New York subway system and called it a jail. What a pity. I love the subway. It's not a jail; it's an underground refuge, a fun and mysterious adventure park beneath the city. She was interesting to speak to, though, and the medical student helped me with my bags.

From Sunday through Thursday I stayed in the Kenzi Basma Hotel in Casablanca's old center. What a contradiction this city is! It is home to Morocco's elite, European like citizens and there are new, modern construction projects everywhere. Yet these new projects are juxtaposed with bidonvilles (shanty towns) and crumbling architecture. The area around the Kenzi Basma looks like a French colonial ghost town. Large Parisian style white buildings loom overhead the broad palm tree lined boulevards, but the buildings look uninhabited and are covered with dirt. I never truly understood why New York's local law 11 was so important until I walked past these buildings literally falling apart before my eyes.

On Wednesday I met with Mary and Aida, a Moroccan graduate of Hunter College and Columbia's Journalism School. Aida lives in Casablanca and files for the New York Times, Bloomberg, and others; she is my ISJ advisor. We met in the Starbucks (one of two in Casablanca and possibly the whole country) on Boulevard Anfa. Reverse culture shock! I was so surprised to see Starbuck's zen atmosphere here. I don't like to frequent foreign establishments while abroad, but Starbucks, mainly due to its wifi, has become my office. It is also a very interesting place from which to learn about Casablancais. Starbucks' customers sometimes arrive in convertibles and high heeled boots. The majority speak French before Arabic and there are several canoodling couples who don't seem too afraid of cultural taboos. Interestingly, whereas in many countries English has become the new universal language, French is still the lingua franca in Morocco. People always speak French before English.

On Thursday I moved to my new apartment! It's in very safe Bourgogne Ouest, just outside of the new center. Starbucks, for example, is a ten minute walk. So is the Ocean and the famous Hassan II Mosque! Princess came to visit her partner, Ranya, and interview a woman's organization on Thursday. She stayed with me Friday night and then I returned to Rabat with her on Saturday night. It was strange to be back, but I still feel at home in Rabat. I stayed with Princess, Eboni, Marie, and Antinnea through Monday when I had a meeting with Mary, Sara, and Taieb. Then, elated about my independence and my project's progress, I took the train home. This week I'll commute to Rabat frequently as I have interviews on Wednesday, Thursday, and potentially Friday and Sunday. I originally moved to Casa because it is the country's economic story and my store is a business related one. It appears, though, that most of my interviews will be in Rabat. I'm thrilled to be living in Casablanca, though. It's an experiment in living independently and, having gotten to know life in Rabat on a deep level, I'm ready to experience life in Casa. So far I love the tall, perfect palm trees on the coastal boulevards and I love the city's modern edge.

Glimpses

Last week classes ended and I began my six week Independent Study in Journalism (ISJ). A friend described our program as a very rapid transition from childhood to adulthood; when we first arrived here our host parents walked us to school as if we were elementary school children and now we've moved out and are living on our own. Funny enough, as the time came to move to Casablanca I was able to remove myself from life in the medina and finally begin to see how different life here is from life in the US. Here are a few glimpses into life in Morocco, particularly in the Rabat medina:

-Swiftly walking through the medina's tiny streets, I approach a section of street covered with rubble. A large brick tumbles from above and almost hits me on the head! It reminded me of the time Eboni and I went to find Marie and had a similar experience with medina construction just outside of her house. It's all part of the mashky mushky (no problem) attitude here. Oh, the rubble we're dumping off this roof might hit a passerby below...mashky mushky!

-A couch is my permanent bed. My house in the medina consists of an entry way, a tiny bathroom, a kitchen, and two sitting/bedrooms. During the day, the two rooms are used for entertaining guests, eating, and watching television, but after dinner a transformation occurs. As early as 9 pm and as late as 12 am, my family opens the blanket closet and distributes the thick woolen and polar fleece blankets. I remove all of the pillows from the couch I'd like to sleep on and use them to help block out cold air from the window. I then cover the sumptuous fabric of the couch with a thin blanket, a kind of bottom sheet. Next comes the standard pillow and four heavy blankets, which I then slide under. My host mother can get by with just two blankets and no bottom sheet, but I don't think I've ever been so cold as when living in Morocco. My friends always joke that we're in Africa, but it sometimes feels like Alaska! In the middle of March it started getting much warmer, though. Anyway, the couch arrangement is a traditional Moroccan sleeping situation. The couches of lavish salons become beds at night.

-Meals also take place in these salons. There is no eating or sipping on starbucks in the street here! Eating is a communal experience. My host mother places one large dish in the center of the table and passes out the chobs (bread). I tear off a little piece, holding it in my right hand with the index and middle finger and jam food into it. My village host brother told me that it has been scientifically proven that there are enzymes in your fingers that help you digest when eating with your hands. We eat from the outside of the dish to the center and you must respect your zone, your side of the dish. Breakfast often consists of chobs, chocolate spread, fromage, mint tea, zebda (butter) and zit zitoun (olive oil). I couldn't stand the zebda and zit zitoun at first; they are fresher and have less additives than our versions so they taste completely different, but now I'm a big fan. Lunch is the most important meal and we always have cous cous on fridays. There are many different versions of the dish, but my host cousin always makes my family's. She carries it to us through the streets each Friday, covered with a dish towel. It is always on a huge platter and is topped with vegetables; the chicken is hidden in the middle. Cous cous is served with a buttermilk that I just cannot accustom myself too. Caskrote (snack) is the next meal and is usually served between 5-7; it is just like breakfast. Dinner is often a smaller version of lunch and comes anywhere from 9-11.

-Body noises are not a source of embarrassment. My host mother, for example, burps and passes gas unapologetically. She even says hamdullilah (praise to God) after burping. She also very loudly spits into the sink every morning. Yes, it does disgust me a bit, but I've gotten used to it.

-Pajama culture. People hardly ever get dressed, particularly women. My host mother changes her outfit once every three weeks. She'll often just throw a djellaba over her pajamas and go out. My village host brother slept in the same clothes he wore every day. He did not shower either; a shower to him was only for a rare, celebratory occasion. I see girls my age wearing pajamas in the street and it is the most normal thing in the world.

-Cars are made to stuff people into. I have been in a car made to seat five people, but with nine people along for the ride. There are two types of taxis here: petit taxis cannot leave a city's boundaries and can only transport three people. Grand taxis can travel between cities and can squeeze six people in. I have also seen people jump onto moving buses and hang onto the back of trucks.

-Medina streets can be quite messy. In fact, there is even a street we call the garbage street. Especially when walking around late at night, after the day's commercial activity has ended, the streets become a sea of discarded papers, bottles, and wrappers. There are very few public trash cans in the city and people treat the street like a garbage can, mashky mushky. When the streets are busy the filth is still present, just less noticeable. I always seem to step in puddles of mysterious water. Luckily, I've become pretty good at avoiding the blood streaming through the streets from the butcher stands.

-I never believe my eyes when I'm walking past butcher shops. I see full legs, hooves, and cow heads on full display. Butcher shops in the states almost never present meat in its original form.

-Stoves in the medina are powered by gas tanks that have to be replaced and replenished every few months. My host mother even has a decorated cover for her gas tanks. I often see little kids in tattered clothes pushing the tanks through the streets.

-I love to watch my six year old host nephew and his mom interact. She's a strong disciplinarian and often hits him or shouts hashuma (shame), but he also gets away with a lot that American six year olds wouldn't. I was surprised when his Mother brought him coffee one day. Here, youngsters drink coffee.

- Street harassment could be a blog post in and of itself. It is constant and mainly verbal, although one friend was groped the other day. "Bonjour, tu es très belle!", "Zwina" (beautiful), "Hey! Do you want to talk to me? Hello? Bonjour?", "Ohhhhhh Myyyy Godddd". And the penetrating stares; you know those eyes are fixed on you until you round the corner. My mood towards it constantly changes. Sometimes the New Yorker comes out and I want to throw a punch or some mean words. Other times I've been amused by the behavior and I've even appreciated it. I've also wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out again. We had one class with a female Moroccan rapper, Soultana. She wants this behavior to change and hopes that her songs will make men realize "Hey, that could be my sister, Mother, or wife. I shouldn't harass them."

-The ever present call to prayer. Sometimes it is an annoyance, but it is often an incredible feeling to stop what I'm doing and listen as it begins to emanate from every mosque. I'm always surprised to hear it at five in the morning if I wake up in the middle of the night. The best listening experience is from the CCCL's highest balcony at lunch time when you can see each Mosque and point out each one as it begins the call, "Alahu Akbar...Alahu Akbar."

Leaving the Medina for Casablanca felt so strange! Our last week was all about preparing for the ISJ. In French class Louis and I were given assignments that got us outside, practicing in the field. We spent one morning drinking mint tea in my favorite café, which is inside the Andalusian Gardens and has a beautiful view of the ocean. Then we interviewed Moufdi, the owner of our favorite orange juice stop just across from the kasbah. All of the language classes had to present skits on Friday. Louis and I met with our professor at a literary café behind the Mohammed V theatre to prepare. Our skit had Louis and I running into each other in Rabat in 30 years, reliving our memories, and discussing what all of our friends were up to. I had become the Princess of Monaco hahah! That last week Louis, Marie, Stacy, Linda Brooks (a friend of Mary's who was visiting and teaching us about photojournalism), and I also went to visit Chellah, the Roman ruins in Rabat.

On our last Friday we had a small get together at the CCCL to thank the host families. My host mother and host sister couldn't make it, but I went with my host cousin, Asthon's host sister Aziza. Aziza and my host mother dressed Ashton and me up in matching pink caftans. Aziza also embroidered us two headscarfs, not hijabs, but the kind that women where while working in the house. After the party I packed my bags and two days later, that Sunday, I hugged my host mother and dragged my suitcases to the train station.

Calm Chaos

As with much of this voyage, the village stay just cannot be fully portrayed. It was an incredible experience and I'll do the best I can to give a good description of it. The following account is very disjointed, but hopefully it offers some snapshots of the experience.

I would describe the village stay as calmly chaotic, a reflection of life in Sbaa Rouadi. The village is not far from Fez so we met our host families in the city at Centre Batha, an organization to aid women who have suffered domestic violence. We were the first ever home stay students in Sbaa Rouadi and Centre Batha helped coordinate the program. Yet the Centre was not very organized about our arrival. We stayed there for four hours as three twenty year old members of the youth committee tried to put together a program for us. Despite the lack of organization, I enjoyed learning about the center. We received a tour where we were able to see the rooms in which women report violence, the nursery, and the career center. We also had a great introduction to the Soulaliyat movement. The Soulaliyats are women fighting for inheritance rights to their ancestral land. Even if there is no male relative in a family, land goes to the state rather than to a female relative. In 2004, Morocco's Muduwena (family law) guaranteed inheritance, but there is still a battle since male family members often ignore the law. It was great to get to know Centre Batha, but it was even better to finally board our bus again, host brothers and fathers included, and drive to Sbaa Rouadi!

Antinnea, Youssef, and I were dropped off first. We jumped down onto the side of the road and walked to our new house. I was surprised at how large the house was and it was much nicer than I expected. Youssef told us that when his parents first got married the house was only one large room and then as the family grew they added on rooms. Youssef (26) is the oldest, but he has five siblings: Ali (22), Mehdi (21), Fatima (20 and married. We never saw her.), and Sara (6). Ali and his father drive grand taxis, Mehdi has a cow project and hopes to sell butter and milk, and the mother cooks and cleans. Sara is currently in school and Youssef hopes that she will become very educated, but that will be a struggle. Their father is kind and quite the entertainer (he mooed loudly to tell us we were eating cow meat), but he is very conservative. Families try to protect their girls' reputation and virginity by keeping them as close to the house as possible. Going to university would mean that Sara would have night classes and that she would have to travel to Fez often. Youssef says that he will try to convince his father to let Sara do so. Fatima "did not succeed in her studies", left school at a very early age and stayed at home with her mother. I asked Youssef if there are laws in Morocco that require a certain level of education. In his experience, students attain the highest level of education they can. Fatima, for example, left school when she could not pass her classes any more. I was shocked by this! If American students are failing there is the option to repeat a year and there are tutors. This is the case in Morocco too, but it is not very common in Sbaa Rouadi, especially for girls.

That first night in the village, as with every night, we stayed up extremely late talking about everything from religion to sexuality. I loved debating with Youssef and it was the best experience of cultural exchange I've had on all of my travels. The majority of the time our discussions were fun and rewarding, but Antinnea and I had one slightly worrisome experience. One night, Youssef shared with us his theory that Jewish people are clandestinely dominating international politics as a means to take over the world. Excitedly, he said things like "Why have people always hated the Jews? Why are there no poor Jews? The Zionists may be the extremists, but the President of Israel said he interprets the Old Testament strictly. There is a US Senator who feels the same." He was so proud of this conspiracy type theory until Antinnea and I reproached him. Truthfully, some of his points did make sense in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but I was very upset about his insistence that a religious group planned to take over the world. I hope Antinnea and I gave him cause to rethink his beliefs.

Another night, Youssef brought a friend from university over to help show us the wonders of Islam! They repeatedly assured us that they were not trying to convert us, but that it was their duty as Muslims to make us aware of our fate and to educate us about the religion. They told us about several modern scientific studies that have proved certain passages in the Quaran. For example, did you know there is a dividing point where one side of the ocean is sweet and one side is salty? I'm not so sure I believe that, but it was interesting to hear their arguments. Antinnea believes in a higher power, but not religion. She feels people should have a direct relationship with God. I am not religious and believe more in nature than God. I joke that my Gods are the ancient Greek ones! Youssef could not understand my lack of faith! He told me "the only ones I know who aren't religious...they're at the university. We call them comrades." Later that week he asked me "Your family isn't religious. Are they communist?"

We did not just sit inside talking all day though! Youssef is quite the poet and everything he does or says shows it. Our first morning he took us outside, showed us the mountains and said that there was a scientific study proving that those who see something beautiful when they first wake up are better off. So he goes and looks at the beautiful mountain view every day. One day we spent the morning with Mehdi, taking the cows out to pasture. It felt good to be so close to the earth, sitting in the dirt, absorbing the sunshine, breathing the fresh air. I love that, thanks to my joint rural-urban upbringing I can thrive and feel comfortable in the city and the country.

Badr made sure that we spent one afternoon enjoying the volcanic, sulphuric waters in nearby Moulay Yacoub. Of course there were no showers in the village and Turkish toilets were standard (I'm a professional now!) so it was nice to take a bath, even though the sulphur smell did not dissipate for days! We also participated in group athletic activities. In celebration of International Women's Day, we ran in a 5k with hundreds of women and girls from the surrounding area. We also played in a footbal/ soccer match with some of the village girls. I've improved since elementary school, but I'm still pretty awful. It was very fun, though! Time moved slower in the village. One morning Youssef greeted us cheerily, "We are late today, but it's okay."

We were also able to visit many local associations and cooperatives, including a cous cous and rabbit raising cooperative. We loaded up into a bus that we fondly called 'the human trafficking van' due to it's bench style seating arrangement and perpetually open doors and set out on a tour of associations. [We also often drove in the back of Princess and Shalea's host dad's truck bed]. At the Association for Housing we tried to speak to about twenty women, but could barely get a word in. They were very upset with their situation; many of them have been forced into shantytowns because their stream side houses were flooded. They've requested aid from the government, but have gotten no response. Some of them have such great ideas for change, but it is hard to get anything done in the chaos of complaints. We also spoke to a cooperative of embroiders who make belts that are sold in Fez. Traditionally women cannot leave the village so they rely on a man to bring them supplies and sell their belts. They complained that he cheats them, but when we suggested they use one of their male relatives instead they insisted it would be the same. These women did not trust their own brothers, husbands, and sons.

The village women could benefit from some female empowerment, one of the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). I was curious if the village women had heard anything about the UN; they said the UN has never gotten involved. My peers did not understand why I asked this. One girl told me the UN has no business here when there are other areas a lot worse off. I told her that I was not suggesting it did, but that I was just curious to see a practical assessment of how effective the MDGS really are. In New York it's hard to imagine that there are really places out there where, for example, a woman feels she has no other options because the men around her says she does not; I'm finally seeing these issues firsthand.

When it came time to leave the village none of us were really ready to go. Our families had made us feel like Sbaa Rouadians, renaming us, spending hours talking with us, and including us in daily activities. Ashton had a particularly difficult time leaving and could not stop crying. She wants to start a running camp for girls in Sbaa Rouadi and she is actually back in the village now working on her ISJ! Finally, we made our way back to Fes.

We spent a few hours in the city taking a tour of the Medina, the largest in the Arab world. I learned how to weave Moroccan textiles! We also got to visit the tanneries, which I've been wanting to see since arriving in Morocco. Fes supposedly has the highest quality products in all of Morocco; maybe I'll go back before I leave.

What an incredible experience the village stay was! Chaotic, yes, but in that disorder people manage to continue on with their lives, hoping for a better future.

Avoiding Sainthood

Living in Rabat for two and a half months I feel that I have a good understanding of daily life in urban Morocco. Until recently, though, I lacked any knowledge about life in rural Morocco. All SIT programs emphasize a week long village stay to help students experience their host country's rural life. I was eager to learn about village life, but I was worried that our time in rural Morocco would become all about "the American saviors staging an intervention".

Recently, I've noticed a common trend in the facebook pictures of those studying abroad in developing countries. It seems to have become a right of passage to post pictures of oneself holding, or playing with, the rural children of underdeveloped communities. Students go to rural villages to help build houses or wells and they always end up with pictures of themselves with hundreds of children looking up at them as if they were staring at a saint. I am a big believer that communities cannot develop unless they take the initiative to change. The work that these student volunteers and NGO's do is admirable, but all too often communities become reliant and cannot sustain the changes made by external parties. Before we left for the village I brought up my concern that we would find ourselves in this situation. Mary felt the same way and reminded us that we should approach the experience journalistically, observing and informing our readers about something they could not experience firsthand, not interfering in the village's affairs. In fact, I think we even ended up doing a type of gonzo journalism; we became very well integrated into the village and practically felt like community members.

Mary assigned us each a story and asked me to write an introduction to the village. We decided to make these stories more like reporter's notebooks; we chose to write about what caught our attention the most and we took a personal angle. We wanted readers to understand and feel what we had experienced. We'll work with Mary to edit our stories and then we'll eventually post all of our stories on Round Earth Media's blog (http://www.roundearthmedia.org/category/blog/). For now, though, here are links to the unedited versions of my introduction to the village (http://soundcloud.com/veronica-jean-seltzer/sbaa-rouadi-intro) and my story, The Village Intellectual(http://soundcloud.com/veronica-jean-seltzer/the-village-intellectual).

The North

The visa process in Morocco is very complicated so, in order to prevent overstaying our ninety day welcome, Badr planned a trip to the North. The way in which we got around the ninety day rule is quite comical actually. There are two cities on the African continent, in the North of Morocco, that belong to Spain; one could say that Melillia and Ceuta are still colonized. Basically, we took a weekend tour of Northern Morocco and spent a few hours in Spain (Ceuta). Then, with refreshed passports, we walked right back over the border into Morocco.

Before our day in Ceuta (or Septa in Arabic), a majority of MOJ spent the night in Chefchaouen. We took the CTM bus service, driving for four hours through rural Morocco. The scenery was beautiful: mile after mile of well planted fields, donkeys pulling carts along the highway, four or five boys hanging off the back of a truck. The sun had set by the time we arrived so I was shocked to whip around a curve and see the city lit up below us from our vantage point in the Rif Mountains. After descending into Chaouen and settling into our hostel, we met up with Louis, Stacy, and Vemo who had arrived the night before. They were new people! A day in Chaouen can be very refreshing. They took us up above the Old Medina, from which we could see the whole city and the Rif behind us. It was completely silent and dark and we sat on rocks for a while talking and looking at the stars.

Chaouen is a popular tourist destination and a vacation spot for Moroccans. Hikers love its famous twin peaks. The air just feels different in Chaouen! We didn't have enough time for a hike, but we explored the beautiful medina. All of the buildings are painted in calming blue and white and shop keepers are welcoming, but less pushy than in the cities. The town is well known for its textiles and is even home to a cooperation for blind weavers.

After meeting up with Badr for lunch, we mounted the small bus from our Southern excursion and set off for Fnideq, the last town before Ceuta. Fnideq was nothing special and we really just spent the night there. We enjoyed seeing the Mediterranean and it was interesting to see the cheap, smuggled goods from Spain for sale in plain view and en masse.

The next morning we arrived at the border early to beat the crowds. We saw many Moroccans making a daily commute. Badr pointed out some women with a change of clothes. He said that they would likely return that afternoon appearing thirty pounds heavier, with packs of diapers or another product hidden under their more spacious second outfits. Badr and Vemo actually couldn't come with us into Ceuta because they didn't have visas (visas are not required for Americans so the rest of us were allowed in) so we waved goodbye as if we were leaving for our first day of elementary school.

We shuffled into a cage type passageway and walked ten feet or so before entering Ceuta. "We are not in Morocco anymore", we all said to each other. Driving around on a bus tour, it was clear that, although technically still in Morocco, we had entered Europe. Ceuta's streets are trash free, decorated with flowers, and smell as if they've been sprayed with perfume. Men and women were jogging in skimpy outfits and people displayed public affection. Ceuta seems like an idyllic place to live for Spanish citizens who want something a little different. It is a tax free zone so everything is very cheap yet salaries are higher than usual. The city has a beautiful harbor on the mediterranean occupied by small, private yachts. I felt as if I were on a more European virgin island. On the tour we were taken to the city's highest point from which we could see the Rock of Gibraltar! After our bus tour we were set free for hours with fifteen euros each. Some people flirted with the idea of taking a ferry to the Spanish mainland. Louis, Kirsten, Eboni, and I broke off and explored a bit. We bought picnic supplies at a grocery store and had a picnic on the beach with Ashton, Jackie, and Stacy. It was incredible!

When my host family in Rabat discovered I'd be traveling to Ceuta they gave me money and asked me to buy ten boxes of a certain medication for a very ill family member. I didn't feel comfortable buying so many (I didn't want to become a drug mule!), but I did bring one box back across the border without a problem. After we met up with Badr and Vemo back in Morocco we set off for home. Jackie and Stacy had bought a door curtain that we converted into string for friendship bracelets. On the long ride home we made bracelets and played camp games. Also, during dinner the night before, someone proposed the idea of a "wedding" for Louis and Princess. This became the theme of the trip and a source of constant enjoyment. On the bus ride home, after lots of prompting from his twelve female classmates, Louis indulged us and proposed hahah (see the video on facebook). It was a fun end to a culturally intriguing trip.

Conducting interviews with limited language has been very difficult. My french comes in handy for interviews and I've translated for several other journalism students, but we need something more! Mary had planned from the very beginning to pair us with Moroccan journalism students for this very purpose and we met them for the first time just after returning from our southern excursion! I was so impressed by their commitment to this cross cultural project and to improving journalism in Morocco!

After lunch one day we set off for ISIC, one of very few journalism schools in Morocco. Following behind Mary like an elementary school class on a field trip, we wound our way out of the Medina to the closest tram stop. We requested a group stop at our favorite cookie vendor, but Mary laughed at us bemusedly; some people still took the time to buy a few cookies quickly. The cookie purchasers caught up with us as we were waiting for the tram to arrive. After switching tram lines at the large white cathedral, a Rabat landmark, we finally arrived at Ifrane, the end of the line. Crossing the street quickly, we entered ISIC.

Khadija Zizi, an English for Journalism professor at the school, had proposed the project to her students. Professor Zizi and Mary agreed that the partnership will be an equal one. Both partners will benefit from Mary's experience and each will produce his own story, working together on research and interviews. So each student introduced himself and then we were given time to talk to each other and pair up.

I found my partner right away! I actually had two partners for a while, but Mary transferred her to Eboni when her partner couldn't dedicate enough time. My partner, Sara Ait Khorsa, is a junior at ISIC. She's 20 and comes from beautiful Essouaira. When introducing herself she spoke about her interest in international development issues. She's interested in my topic, which, by the way, is an exploration of Morocco's democratization through its economy. The country consistently talks about democratization, but can there be democracy without a free economy? I can barely resist saying more now, but I'll have a lot to say about this in coming weeks. I embark on my independent study in journalism (ISJ) in two weeks and during that six week period I'll just be focused on producing this one feature story.

Back to Sara, though. She is interested in working in radio, which is perfect since that is the medium I'll be using for my ISJ. I had a million questions for her about journalism school in Morocco. She says that ISIC is very small; she knows all of her peers. There have been strikes recently over quality of classes. The students are motivated to change Moroccan journalism's restrictive nature. She lives on campus and I hope to learn more from her about life as a student in Morocco. Later that day Mary was giving a lecture at ISIC and I chose to stay and listen. The students loved Mary's anti-colonialism, cross cultural approach. In the question and answer session, they expressed appreciation that Mary starts equal partnerships with native journalists in each area she visits. At the end of the lecture Sara and I parted ways, but before I hopped back on the tram she said to me "we must work really hard on this project", a girl after my own heart!

We came together again for an individual meeting with Mary the other day. This time the ISIC students came to the CCCL. I first picked up Eboni's partner from the tram before she was officially working with Eboni. We had a nice conversation, but nothing related to the project. Later, though, I returned to the tram for Sara and immediately upon seeing me she started talking about our project. We exchanged ideas and excitement. We couldn't help but reaffirm our mutual wish to work our hardest and produce the best story possible.

Having met very few people my age who are motivated about their education in the way I am, I was curious to learn more about Sara's desire to work so hard. She told me that in addition to this project and her ISIC classes she takes classes at Mohammed V University's law school. She feels that journalists should have a deep understanding of the law and should be well rounded so as to better deliver information to their readers...just as I feel!! She also mentioned that she interns for a radio station on the weekends. I asked her what tasks she does for her internship assuming she would say that she is a gofer or perhaps occasionally helps gather research. "Oh, I deliver the news," she said casually. She really impresses me! I'm excited to work with, and learn a lot from, Sara.

Le Sable du sud

Two weeks ago I jumped out of a small bus, gazed at Rabat's Oudaiya Kasbah with fond familiarity, and walked into the sunset toward my home in the Medina, pausing briefly to shake Saharan sand from my sneaker.

I'm not exactly partial to the cliché of the life changing study abroad experience, but it is undeniable that my experiences abroad have had a major impact on me. Never did I imagine that the trip through Southern Morocco two weeks ago would give me so much. SIT's emphasis on experiential learning made for a week that had me saying "I'm alive. I'm so alive!"

The trip covered a large span of Morocco's southern territory and I was amazed at the variety in landscape; we passed through mountains, desert, oases, and coastal beaches. We set out early on a Sunday morning on a small tourist bus. About two hours out of Rabat, we were surrounded by little, vintage Renault cars painted in wild colors and littered by bumper sticker advertisements. Thousands of these cars followed us on the first half of our trip. We all stopped in the same forest to see the famous Barbary Mackack monkeys. The cars were packed with French twenty somethings living like nomads, camping in and touring Africa, delivering school supplies to children along the way. It was incredible driving through the Atlas mountains in the middle of a line of rainbow Renaults with chic french gens sticking their heads out the windows, letting their hair fly in the wind.

Our first stop was in Azrou, a town named for its large volcanic rock outcrop. We were definitely not in Rabat anymore. During the half hour we walked around before lunch we noticed differences in dialect and daily life. We even saw donkeys used to transport goods from one end of the town to the other. Visiting Azrou was a good introduction to the Berbers. Berbers have recently fought for greater recognition as Morocco's indigenous inhabitants. One reform made after the February 20th Movement was the addition of Tamzagiht, a Berber dialect, as an official Moroccan language.

We spent our first night in Midelt, a town riddled with controversy. Midelt recently suffered from corrupt local government. After February 20th, King Mohammed VI transferred much of his power (more on that another day) to the popularly elected Prime Minister Abdeililah Benkirane, the leader of the Islamist Party for Justice and Development. After Benkirane's election, the King chose to receive him in Midelt rather than at his palace in Rabat. We discussed the potential political symbolism of the King's choice in my French for Journalism class. Perhaps the King was trying to make a connection between Midelt's past corruption and the new government or he could have been making a statement that the new government is not important enough to merit recognition in Rabat.

The next day was a real highlight. We slept in the Sahara! On the drive to the desert I was just becoming accustomed to the dry, arid land, the roads lined with sun dried kasbahs and ksours, when our bus would whip around a corner and an oasis of tall, emerald palms would emerge ahead. We made a short visit to an association in the desert town of Merzouga that provides literacy and vocational education for girls and women. Then we drove into the desert in 4x4 land rovers. The peace and solitude of the Saharan dunes made me feel as if the whole day was just a mirage. We drove deep into the desert before trading four wheel drive for sure footed camels. As the sun began to set we dismounted, raced each other up a dune, and tried to comprehend what felt like an impossibility. It was just us. Dune after dune, as far as the eye could see, there was nothing, but our breath, our thoughts, our quiet conversations. As soon as the sun disappeared from the horizon we rode our camels to the camp site, complete with richly colored Berber textiles and a tajine dinner. After dinner we sat around a campfire and enjoyed a performance of Gnawa music, derived from the movement of slaves from Sub Saharan Africa through Morocco to Europe. It was as if some spirit took over our group; we loosened up, dancing and playing drums with abandon. I felt like Bardot in "et dieu créa la femme". We are still unsure why, but unfortunately, Eboni and I were violently ill all night. We had been sick the night before as well. So we missed out on morning desert activities like sand boarding, but we were able to see the sunrise from camel back as we left for the nearest clinic at six in the morning. Despite the illness, I still felt like I was able to fully enjoy the Sahara experience.

One of my favorite experiences on the trip was staying the night at Association Tishka, a girl's dormitory in Ouarzazette, known as Hollywood's go to desert location. Tishka enables girls from far away provinces to attend school. The girls, ages 17 to 20, pay a small, symbolic amount and are given a second home where they are given all the resources to succeed. The founder and director, Mohammed, gave us a tour. He was so charismatic and welcoming; within 45 minutes I felt that Tishka was my second home too! At dinner each journalist sat at a table with ten Tishka girls. Mohammed asked one of the girls, the president of the Tishka Club, responsible for helping maintain a home like atmosphere, to give a welcome speech. She spoke in very good English. Then Mohammed asked for one of the journalists to give a similar speech. I jumped up and spoke in French; it was a very multilingual dinner. Mohammed joked with us all and told the journalists that it was a tradition for visiting American students to sing a song for the girls. Our group tries not to be shy so we picked Smash Mouth's "All Star" and dove right in! I think we were pretty good; we may need to create a MOJ chorus in the future. We got along so well with the girls; they were very outgoing and had clear intellectual curiosity. We exchanged questions and, after dinner, many dances. Interestingly, the songs the girls sang were all related to pregnancy and marriage. I asked the girls at my table what they wanted to do after graduating from University and they all expressed interest in looking for jobs. They made it clear, though, that if they were to get married they would no longer work. I explained that I wanted to work and have a family one day, but they felt that a woman should spend all her time raising her children "to ensure they are on the right path." Louis was quite popular with the girls; it was as if Justin Bieber had come to visit. The girls screamed and crowded around him, swooning when he blew them a kiss. We had a fascinating cultural exchange and really felt integrated into the Tishka community!

The next day we had lunch in the beautiful Todra Gorge before moving on to Marrakech. Our time was too short in the well known city and I'll have to go back. I did get to spend some time in the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa Square, shocked at the monkeys in dresses, snake charmers, and story tellers. Marrakech seemed much more modern and Western to me than any other city I've visited yet, which is probably an impact of tourism. It was also Shalea's birthday so we were able to give her a small celebration!

Our final day was spent in beautiful Essouaira, a resort town on the Atlantic. It reminded me of home on the other side of the Atlantic; the water is just a little bit more turquoise! We visited an Argan oil cooperative, Marjana. Argan trees cover the region and, as we were able to see, goats love to climb them. Only women work in the cooperatives, producing oil that is popular for both cooking and beauty use. It was fascinating to see and participate in the oil production process. Then we ate lunch at Chez Sam, which has been visited by the likes of Jimi Hendrix. After our meal we visited a local artist's gallery. He and his German wife were so hospitable, inviting all of us up to their apartment for tea and answering all of our questions. I really enjoyed the diversity in his work, but Vemo, our art student in residence, was very displeased. She feels an artist should have one distinct style. We ended the day with a soccer game and a well deserved dinner. On the way to dinner our quiet driver, Yousef, lit up our bus with flashing, color changing party lights. What a surprise! We danced all the way to and from dinner, the twelve of us in our tiny bus.

So I have done the trip very little justice, just poorly describing the day to day events and offering very little analysis. I hope you will believe me, though, it was truly incredible and there is still sand in my sneakers to prove it.