"Here's looking at you, kid!" and other memorable things

Wow, I can't believe how the time is flying by! I thought for sure that I would post a little something about my weekend in Casablanca on Sunday when I got home, and then I waited until Monday, and then Tuesday, and then Wednesday, and now here it is on Thursday and I am getting ready to take another weekend excursion tomorrow!

I am pleased to report that our trip was save and successful! I think it is a right of passage if you claim to speak any given language to have to travel around on your own and navigate your way in a native-speaking environment without incident- if you can do that, then you can speak the language. :-) We arrived by train on Saturday, and unfortunately my first impressions were not very good. About two or three blocks from the train station we were walking and witnessed a motorcyclist being hit by a taxi. It was one of the most awful sounds I have ever heard, and feeling helpless while the poor motorcyclist's leg was trapped under his bike was an unpleasant experience. The man couldn't move, obviously, but the oncoming traffic kept honking at him and continued to drive around, as if his being injured and clearly unable to remove himself from the street was such an inconvenience to them! I felt so ashamed. But after enough people on the street realized what had happened, a group of Moroccans formed a circle around him in the street and waved off all of the oncoming traffic, it was a beautiful thing to see. Needless to say that after that I was a little bit hesitant to take a taxi in Casablanca! But, it was all uphill from there I am happy to say! We stayed in a very nice hotel with a great owner, whom we befriended, and a fantastic view of the city and the ocean. I would go back there in a heartbeat! If you are ever in Casablanca and need a hotel look up "Center Hotel" near the Old Medina.

After we checked into out hotel (and took some photos of the gorgeous rooftop view!) we headed for lunch, meandered through the city streets oogling at all of the old architecture, checked out the old medina, and then went to Rick's Cafe for dinner. Rick's Cafe is a very nice dining establishment (contrary to what the name might lead you to believe) that is owned and operated by a former American diplomat, and it is themed after the American film "Casablanca". There are pictures and small nods to the movie all over that place, and there is even a room on the first floor where the film runs on repeat! My experience was mixed because we had been under the impression that this place was a sort of tongue-in-cheek Hard Rock Cafe type of joint that would be casual, laid back, and hoppin'! It turned out to be a very upscale, evening-gowns and tux type of place. Needless to say, our group of students (that were obviously operating on a students' budget!) dressed in casual travelers' attire hauling around day packs stuck out just a wee little bit! Regardless, it was an awesome experience and I am happy that we went there! I would definitely go back if I was in Casablanca again, and I think that I would enjoy it a lot more because now I know what to expect.

On Sunday we went to the King Hassan II Masjid, which has the largest minaret in the world, is the largest mosque in Morocco, and is the third largest mosque in the world behind on Mecca and Medina (the two holiest cities in Islam). It was breathtakingly beautiful- the craftsmenship and beautiful artwork inside were really incredible, and I learned so much about the history of the mosque from our tour guide! Construction began on the mosque in 1987, and it was finished in 1993. All of the artists who worked on the mosque are Moroccan, and did all of the work by hand! More than 10,000 artists and craftsmen worked on the mosque and it is easy to see that such an immense amount of work was put into its design by the extremely detailed and ornate carvings, paintings, and various designs in every singly material. There was so much thought put into everything in that place! The roof opens up to expose the sky so that during large gatherings of worshippers air can circulate more effectively and also so that worshippers can be more connected to all elements of the earth (water, wind, etc). There are many other such surprises, like heated floors, and all electric doors! It was also constructed to withstand earthquakes (it has expansion spaces every certain number of feet throughout the whole building) and directly next to the ocean, inspired by an ayah in the Qur'an which states that the throne of Allah was built on water. This is the only mosque in the entire country that non-Muslims are allowed to enter, so it was really quite a privilege to see it! I wish I could describe how big it is, though- this mosque holds over 20,000 worshippers inside and over 85,000 outside according to the tour guide- can you image praying simultaneously with over 100,000 other people?! Seriously- overwhelmingly huge.

Anyway- everything else here is going pretty well this week! My test last Friday went alright, and I will subsequent tests every Friday throughout the rest of the program so there is definitely no room for slacking. My family is still absolutely wonderful- I feel really blessed to have been placed in such a great host family! Last night our Mom served Madi and I dinner out on the patio under the stars by candlelight! I think this was primarily because it was actually cooler outside than it was in the house (the last two days it has been between 95 and 104 degrees), but it still felt like a very picturesque scene. It made me feel like I was back in America a little bit, because I really enjoy eating outside and being under the night sky when I am at home in the summer, too. My host brother was sick yesterday, which was a bummer, but he seems to be feeling better already! I am really starting to feel like part of the community here, which is so nice! When we walk through the souk every morning on our way to school there are a few particular shopowners (whose hanoots we frequent) that always recognize us and greet us, and it makes me feel safer and more at home to know that there are locals in the community that recognize us and are happy to have us here! There is also one particular restaurant that has become my favorite- one of the waiters there is named Saad, he does not speak English very well but tears out a few pages of a dictionary every day and tries to memorize words that way. We have become as good of friends as one might expect of two people from different countries in only a few weeks, but more importantly, he has become somewhat of a big brother to me. If I leave the restaurant later in the night when it is dark outside he always watches outside the door as I walk down the street to make sure that nobody is trying to harass me or follow me, etc, and everytime I come into the restaurant he always greets me with a big smile and "okhti!" ("my sister"). I noticed that when I was in Casablanca last weekend, particularly after seeing that accident, I felt very on guard and highly aware of everything around me but as soon as I stepped off of the train back in Rabat I instantly felt more comfortable, as if I was back home. I didn't realize that until recently, but I suppose that it is a nice sign that I am starting to settle in here, and I really feel like I am beginning to know the city well! I am learning soooo much, and really having a great time. I got very homesick yesterday, but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Sending lots of love from Morocco,
Amanda <3

fonDuQ Central- our hotel in Casablanca

Shot from the rooftop of our hotel!

Had to take a photo of this restaurant in Casablanca for my Mom :)

The film "Casablanca" on repeat in Rick's Cafe :)

The group I went to Casablanca with (minus Geoff) with one of the employees

King Hassan II Mosque

A small glimpse of the beauty inside!

One of the smallest doors on the mosque- you should see the royal entrance!

The group I traveled with in the Morocco Mall, in front of its super cool inside aquarium!