Update: Morocco

I know it has been a while since I let the rest of the world know what has been going on here in Morocco, but there has been so much going on! Lots of traveling and awesome adventures to discover the true nature of Morocco. The second weekend here some friends and I traveled to the beach town of Asilah, which was just ridiculously fabulous. Good food and an incredible beach called Paradise Beach that totally lives up to its name. I got a great swordfish steak for like 60 dh which is about 8 dollars. It is pretty great living in a developing nation for that reason, you can live fairly lavishly for pretty cheap. The highlight of the trip there was probably the daily hike to the beach though. It was a couple mile hike that went along the cliffs above the beach and it was so pretty. Then we would get to the beach and relax for several hours, playing in the waves, taking naps or just hanging out talking. Then back to the hotel in the evening and we would go out for drinks and dinner. It was a great weekend and I was loath to return to school.

School isn't that rough though, 4 hours of arabic in the morning, then usually a lecture in the afternoon. Some of the lectures are interesting, some are not and those are the ones that usually get tuned out. Things are pretty relaxed, really for the first time in my college career I feel like a genuine college student, probably because I'm kind of slacking off and having lots of fun. As opposed to being the normal responsible student I am. But this is kind of a vacation anyways and I am definately enjoying it. Especialy since there is a 2.5 to 1 girl to guy ratio amongst my program....and that is all Ill say on that subject.
Last weekend we had our first official excursion and went to Marakesh and Essarioua. Marakesh is very touristy and felt pretty fake. Morocco has really very little to offer the world market as far as goods and they are desparetly trying to make up for it in tourism. So Marakesh being a tourist center was very done up, it was interesting walking around the Jar El Efna, a huge square, and soaking things in. Some of the group; including me went to Pacha, which is the largest club in North Africa while we were there. That was pretty swanky, plush couches the house techno vibe pulsing constantly and a packed dance floor all rounded out a perfect night. Did not hit the hay until about 5am then got up at 7 for the bus ride to Essarioua. We spent two nights in Essarioua attending the Gnawa festival, which is the biggest Moroccan youth music festival. That was really nice to since it was on the beach which made things infinetly cooler. Hell I had to bust out a long sleeve shirt.
Back to school for another week of lecture and arabic classes. My arabic is improving by leaps and bounds, I can actually hold short conversations with my family now which is nice. Anna maashee min la plage hul habbebette. Hahaha, they love that one.
For the 4th there was a party at the American embassy and we all got loaded up on hot dogs, hamburgers and a real swimming pool. Then some of us went to TGI Fridays. Yeah thats right, Fridays. Right now I am reeling from the effects of a cold, not swine flu. Hopefully Ill bounce out of it soon for the next excursion to Oussiane and Cheffouen next weekend.
No pictures right now because I am on Yessines ordinator, but check out either my webalbum or my facebook and there are tons of pics up.
Hope everything is going well back in the good ol US of A and ill talk with you all later!

First week of Darija

This was the first week of Darija, which is the Moroccan Arabic dialect. Every Arabic country has their own unique dialect of Arabic and the one in Morocco is called Darija. The specific dialects usually share many words with each other and are very similar to Modern Standard Arabic, which is kind of a common dialect that all the languages share. Each dialect has its own specific words though, which can be created in the culture, borrowed from other native cultures or in the case of Morocco borrowed from conquerors. France occupied Morocco for a number of years and left their mark by leaving their language. We spend most of the morning learning Darija and then spend the rest of the day in lectures usually. The days have pretty normalized now and I have kind of fallen into a routine. I'll try to go for a run early in the morning while it's not to ungodly hot. Then in the evening I'll either wander around the souk and medina or around other parts of the city with some friends. Go home and try to do some homework, but the family always wants to hang out. Hanging out usually consists of watching TV, so homework doesn't always get done. No biggie though, I'm here to learn Arabic and in this kind of situation that doesn't really mean doing homework. The one thing I might complain about is the food, my stomach really hasn't adjusted to the ethnic Moroccan food yet. The family also kind of forces food on you "Kuli, Kuli; eat, eat"! Now as many of you know it is a rare time when I turn down food, but the plethora of grease and oils isn't the most appetizing thing. There is bread with every meal too, there has to be since there is no silverware and you use the bread to eat. Overall I have been having a great time though and am really relaxed. This is damn near a vacation and the little paranoia I had at the beginning has disappeared. It is kind of a trip hanging out with all these 'kids' though since I am 6-8 years older than most of them. Here are some pictures of the latest and greatest adventures.

Partying at the El Palatino club. There really is alcohol here and young Moroccans like to drink it for sure, as do American students

The center courtyard of my temporary home

First day of Homestay

First day of home stay. Here are some details and my first impressions. I am staying with the El Bahouli family. The mother’s name is Zouhra and the father is Abdelgani. They are basically the exact opposites of each other. The father is wizened and skinny as a bone, seriously he looks like he could have been in Auschwitz. The mother on the other hand is plump and full of energy. The son who I have the most contact with is named Yessine and he is an interesting character. I think he is stoned a lot, due to his blood shot eyes. This evidence has been backed up by two other students that are staying in the house. Yessine is the only one who speaks English, but not much; he is a good backboard to practice my Arabic on though. I’ll be staying with the family for five weeks I think it will be a great experience. Both to practice my Arabic and to learn about Muslim/Arab culture. I feel like this family is not all that religious since I have been around them all day and have not observed any religious observances. It seems fairly relaxed. I’m sleeping in the salon for now, which is a kind of family room. So I’ll have to keep my stuff tight and fairly secure. I think the language barrier will be fairly severe for a while, if not the entire trip. I need to figure out how to ask for things. I’ve got water down which is good since it is fairly important. I can always just ask Yessine too if I need something badly. There is a great view from the roof too.

Marhaban!

Hey Peeps things are going great here in Morocco here are some pics!

The Kasbah, we rocked it.

A view of the market

Some flowers in the Andalucian gardens

Walking around in the Kasbah

Bottle Peak

Up and Coming

So I have finally figured out my next races.
On April 18th I will venture to Fruita Colorado and take part in the Desert RATS Trail Running Festival. This is a weekend that celebrates the literal joys and the sarcastic joys of trail running. On the 18th is the long courses, the 25 mile race and the 50 mile ultra-marathon. The next day is a 5mile and a 10 miler. I will do the 25 miler. www.adventureRATS.com

The next race after that depends on my study abroad travel plans. If I end up leaving for the fall semester this race will not happen. At least for me, I'm sure it will still happen I just won't be there. This race is called Run Rabbit Run and is on the 19th of September. It takes place in majestic Steamboat Colorado and will continue on my progression of ultra-marathons as it is a 50 miler. www.steamboat50.com

I might try to get a team together or find a team and do the Wild West Relay too. This race is 195 miles long and it broken up into sections that each team member runs, hence the relay part. The relay is on the 1st of August and traverses from Fort Collins to Steamboat Springs.

The Dream Team

The new President, with all the problems facing America and the world is going to have his hands full. The problems are as diverse as tackling climate change, fixing the economy, protecting American interests abroad, combating terrorism and a plethora of domestic issues. Regardless of who wins the up coming Presidential election he is going to need a good, strong, effective Cabinet to deal with these issues. Here are my picks.

Secretary of State: Bill Clinton; it is kind of a long shot and might be some what unlikely that he would accept the job, but the former President is one of the most highly respected Americans abroad. He also has the where withall to undo the negative energy that America has garnered in the past eight years.

Secretary of Defense: Robert Gates; he is a keeper, stay with the current civilian leadership of the military. He has provided effective independent advice to the President while still listening to the advice from the military chiefs.

Secretary of Treasury: Micheal Bloomber; the mayor of New York has had lots of experience as a corporate leader, financial expert, government coordinator and has the strength to pull the shaken economy back in order.

Director of National Intelligence: Jamie Gorelick; an investigative lawyer and former 9/11 Commission Member, would serve the intelligence community well.

National Security Advisor: General Wesley Clark; he would bring a good mix of experience and academic knowledge to the job. Having Sarah Rice as his deputy would fill in his knowledge gaps and help focus on areas that have been neglected in past administrations.

A new Cabinet position should be created as well; this position would highlight the increasing importance of the environment and energy. The Secretary of the Environment and Energy: Arnold Schwarzenegger; has shown great resolve at getting the job down on environmental issues, and can help America lead the way on environmental issues.