Asleamu Aleikum Everyone,
I have officially left Fes and joined my new host family here in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.
But before I get to that, I want to talk about my experience at the hamaam ( The public bath). After telling my host mother that we wanted to go to the hamaam, she led a group of five us down a few alleys and small side streets to a door, similar to any other door in Fes. After knocking, a man came and we descended into what looked like a locker room, here we stripped down to our boxers, and were led through a plastic curtain into an incredibly hot room, with water all over the floor. It was not the most welcoming of rooms. We were told to sit down on the wet floor by a man who worked there, also in his underwear. As we sat there on this wet locker room like floor, the man filled up numerous large buckets with hot water.
He was then joined by an assistant, this one missing one eye and multiple teeth, these men the proceeded to scrub us with a sand paper like mitt (using the same one on each of us), you could actually see the dead skin coming off your body, they then soap you down, shampoo you, bend your limbs in ways which they should not bend, rinse you down, and then leave you to relax.
This is all being done when you are laying on this wet locker room floor, which was for me the hardest part.
That being said, as grossed out as I was by it, and as far out of my comfort zone as I was, I felt incredibly clean, and was glad I had tried this Moroccan experience.
We left Fes and our host family the following day, which is upsetting as I was feeling comfortable both with Fes and my family, we took pictures with them and they gave us gifts from the market (a candle lantern and a small pot).
We made the three hour bus ride back to Rabat, and joined our family immediately.
I will be living with a mother and a father, and their three sons, 11,17, and one who appears to be in kindergarten, the mother speaks only French, and Arabic, and the father speaks French, Arabic, and English, but stresses Classical Arabic, and corrects me even when I revert to Egyptian dialect.
They are a little less traditional then my Fes family, but so is our Rabat environment.
I have wifi here and we use silverware, still no napkins.
They, like all other Moroccan adhere to the practice of leaving the TV on 24/7, I have not figured out why.
Today we went to the IES center for an orientation and met the professors, and took a tour of Rabat, being shown some of the things we had requested, including a Catholic Church.
We have off until Monday and a group of us will be traveling to Tangier in the North
Allah Ma'ack
Kevin
Arabic Word of the Day
الرباط- Rabat
I have officially left Fes and joined my new host family here in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.
But before I get to that, I want to talk about my experience at the hamaam ( The public bath). After telling my host mother that we wanted to go to the hamaam, she led a group of five us down a few alleys and small side streets to a door, similar to any other door in Fes. After knocking, a man came and we descended into what looked like a locker room, here we stripped down to our boxers, and were led through a plastic curtain into an incredibly hot room, with water all over the floor. It was not the most welcoming of rooms. We were told to sit down on the wet floor by a man who worked there, also in his underwear. As we sat there on this wet locker room like floor, the man filled up numerous large buckets with hot water.
He was then joined by an assistant, this one missing one eye and multiple teeth, these men the proceeded to scrub us with a sand paper like mitt (using the same one on each of us), you could actually see the dead skin coming off your body, they then soap you down, shampoo you, bend your limbs in ways which they should not bend, rinse you down, and then leave you to relax.
This is all being done when you are laying on this wet locker room floor, which was for me the hardest part.
That being said, as grossed out as I was by it, and as far out of my comfort zone as I was, I felt incredibly clean, and was glad I had tried this Moroccan experience.
We left Fes and our host family the following day, which is upsetting as I was feeling comfortable both with Fes and my family, we took pictures with them and they gave us gifts from the market (a candle lantern and a small pot).
We made the three hour bus ride back to Rabat, and joined our family immediately.
What four of us piled into the back of on our last day in Fes, when we couldn't get a cab
The Egg Sandwhich Shop in Fes
The Sandwhich
My Fes Host family and roomate, without Grandma
I will be living with a mother and a father, and their three sons, 11,17, and one who appears to be in kindergarten, the mother speaks only French, and Arabic, and the father speaks French, Arabic, and English, but stresses Classical Arabic, and corrects me even when I revert to Egyptian dialect.
They are a little less traditional then my Fes family, but so is our Rabat environment.
I have wifi here and we use silverware, still no napkins.
They, like all other Moroccan adhere to the practice of leaving the TV on 24/7, I have not figured out why.
Today we went to the IES center for an orientation and met the professors, and took a tour of Rabat, being shown some of the things we had requested, including a Catholic Church.
The Church
One of the first sights in Rabat
On my way home as we were walking through the Medina (Old City), I was surprised to hear someone calling out my name, I turned around and saw fellow Eagle Scout, Ishan Thakore, who I graduated from high school with. While I knew he was in Rabat, I was incredibly surprised to accidentally run into him, and I think he may actually live on my street.
We have off until Monday and a group of us will be traveling to Tangier in the North
Allah Ma'ack
Kevin
Arabic Word of the Day
الرباط- Rabat
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