Salaam wa'alaykum,
Morocco is slowly but surely becoming my home -- yesterday and today I walked to and from school all by myself! I'm considering as a topic for my independent study project (ISP) making a really detailed map of the medina so that people like me who a) have no sense of direction and b) grew up with gridded streets, know HOW THE HELL to get around this place. I mean everybody says that in time it'll all get familiar but I'm impatient and I hate feeling needy when my host mom has to get dressed in the morning and walk me to school like I'm 5 years old.
I had a really interesting conversation with my host brother last night. I spend a lot of time in his room because he has the internet connection and he's like a computer wiz and always makes me stay for longer so he can install things and fix my sad old laptop. He wants to reformat my hard drive, which i don't think is a good idea. He's also a DJ and has a DJ computer program installed on his computer so he can mix songs he listens to. We did some crazy stuff with Al Green. Anyway though, we were talking about politics and Islam (in French, I can't do that in Arabic) and he said that he thinks most terrorists are drugged before they commit acts, because he just doesn't see how anyone could do that. It's like "voluntarily sticking your hand in fire." We were also talking about hypocrisy and religion and he said, "I don't understand the people who drink and smoke and use violence at night, and then they wake up in the morning and pray to Allah. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I'm not violent, and I don't pray to Allah." I just thought that was great. I'm finding Moroccans to be some of the most rationally minded people I've met, except when they stuff your face with bread.
On a less positive note, I think I have bed bugs because I keep on waking up with new little itchy red bites on my stomach. Wonderful. Apparently I have to spray my bed. Perhaps I'll go "My big fat greek wedding" style and use Windex. Also, I think if I have to eat another piece of bread I might throw up. It's like bread and butter and jam for breakfast, bread during tea, bread with dinner, and then bread for night tea. Lahcen (one of the coordinators of the Center) asked us today if we feel like we've gained weight, and probably 85% of the group answered with a dissappointed yes. WHO GOES TO AFRICA AND GAINS WEIGHT????
I am taking a belly dancing class today which is supposed to give you abs of steel. I'll let you know how it goes. Happy eid al hub (Valentine's Day) everyone!!!
Julia
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6 comments:
I lost a ton of weight, but then again it was there in the terrible summer heat. Just wait until that weather rolls around.
<3 Liz
just a note. you can see bed bugs. my mom did research on them because she thought she slept in a bed with them at some skanky hotel once. they're visible, like small cockroaches. just thought i'd gross you out and inform you all at once. :)
btw, i miss you so much. like, so much. i'm so happy that you're in an exciting place, but i just wish you'd come home to boring old st. louis and be my roommate again. :( my birthday wasn't the same without you.
Julia
Sounds like you are already comfortable in your new "home" and the family sounds receptive. So you are walking to school-do you miss the bus and subways? Remember the advice of your parents-don't let the bedbugs bite!
Be well
Julia,
Your post was great. Pamela and I laughed about the gaining weight in Africa part. Don't worry this summer I am making you do pilates with me and run along the West Side Highway..err that might not be safe. Anyway I'm glad you are having lots of fun and learning awesome new things. I miss you soo much though and sometimes I'm just like, damn I really need Julia!
Lots and lots of love
Emily
Julia! My friends and I got bedbugs in a nasty hostel in the south of Chile. I couldn't see them, but the effects were pretty annoying. Clear nail polish helps. I love reading your blog. Keep telling us everything!
~Landen
one time freshman year i freaked out and though i had scabies (sp?)because i had all these little bumps on my arms and then i went to student health and in a panic washed all my sheets, took a shower, and lotioned forever... in reality i don't think it was anything...
hah gaining weight in africa, that's funny... but at least you are being active and belly dancing.
p.s. is it sad that one of the reasons i am excited to go to china is because i think i'll lose weight?... which in reality may not be true at all.
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