Beginning in Rabat.

Today is Friday and I arrived in Rabat on Thursday. I am somewhat settled in to my new host family and home in the medina of Rabat. My family is much larger, with six children (four daughters and two sons); the oldest son isn’t at home though. Some of the daughters are married and have their children at this house with them. This seems to be a trend. In America, once someone is married they usually move out and then have children. This doesn’t seem to be the case in morocco… The children are adorable though, in elementary school and learning foosa (modern classical Arabic) in addition to speaking darijja (the Moroccan dialect) and learning French and English. Smart kids. Most people here speak so many languages that it puts us Americans to shame.

There are also two other students staying at the house, one Dutch and one Egyptian. One is studying here and the other is on vacation here, but both speak some English and seem to be nice girls. I am now the only American though and no longer have a roommate from the program. I am on my own, with the exception of these two girls.

The mother and father seem nice, welcoming me saying that I am their new daughter and this is my new home. I showed them pictures of my family and friends and they seemed to be impressed, saying my family is beautiful. I couldn’t argue of course. :)
Last night one of the students, the son and I went walking around Rabat. It is a much bigger and more modern city than Fes. I got stared at half as much and started to get accustomed to the city. It is much more European and so far much warmer too.
Thursday we had a little tour with the study abroad group. Here are a couple things of interest. There are marches and protests everyday at Parliament. We walked by the parliament building today. Apparently the marches have to do with people receiving degrees and still being unemployed. There are mixed reactions to the protestors. Sometimes they end in violence and the police get involved. I was told that pictures should be taken with caution since the police have been known to restrict cameras and even confiscate curious onlookers looking to snap a candid shop.

The medina, while smaller, has better prices and is much less touristic. It is not half as confusing to maneuver and I like the clothing a lot more. My jeans are all a bit stretched out, probably since I have worn them so many times and can’t dry them in a dryer. So I might be making a jean purchase soon. One of the sisters is 18 and offered to go shopping with me, since I am quite American and will get a better price with a moroccan. I gladly obliged.

Pray for my communication and mutual understanding, my interactions with friends and now the family, and simply that I would trust the Lord in all things. Also pray for that the Lord would give me wisdom and bless this time here.

I miss you and love you all.