Feb 8

Fébrile 8

Yet another good day. I still hate Darija and class was nothing exciting enough to remember. After class (we ended earlier today than yesterday) I hung out w peeps at the cccl and caught up online. I sent a number of very important emails and felt very accomplished. I thought I'd keep the ball rolling and go for a run. Very necessary- Ethan said that he lost weight here, but there is a fat chance (punny) of that happening to me, so I got my act together, and did not join my friends when they went to get a mid afternoon yogurt snack. I went home instead to change into workout clothes (long leggings and a long sleeved coco shirt). I decided to go out by the water (very similar to the East river in a number of ways). A classmate went running right after school and she came back frustrated that the men were honking their horns and saying things to her. Helloooo that's what iPods are for!!! Anyway I turned mine on and left the house I def didn't even run a mile ...I wonder if mapmyrun works here. Maybe .99 but it felt good however long it was. Not too much noticeable harassment, but everyone was staring (not different than the east river, except in NY it is a competitive stare, OR to see which college ur shirt is repping) I stopped and stretched and then started again... sprinted a ways and then turned around. One person came kinda close to me and started to run next to me like as a joke in front of his friends but he is an idiot bc I was obviously sprinting and yea right he could out run me. I half ran back home. I think I was out for 45 mins (at MOST). It was also faaaareezing and the sun was setting. When I got back to my house I knew my face would be bright red, so I stopped and "stretched" (catch my breath) again right outside of my door. I headed a kissing noise and I looked and two men were kinda looking at me... I'm so dumb and instead of just opening my door and going inside,I walked away from both the men and the door. One of the guys kinda followed me and then I realized that I could just go up to my house (DUH Claire). I walked towards the man and the house, and I realized it was Fasil!!!! My "mom's" friend's son/ my brother's friend. So cute and nice. We spoke for a bit and I dropped my iPod awkwardly and he said it was too cold to run, but "it's good it's good". Idk if I mentioned this, but Fasil has a sandwich shop on the main street called "kings sandwich". I knew of this place when he told me about it on Saturday bc it is the only place where I have seen Cheeseburgers advertised in my Moroccan travels thus far. He says they're good and I want a (free) one. I talked about the cheeseburgers again and then went inside. I took my 2nd shower of the month and it was still good. I think I am getting sick (my rock star immune system is failing me) bc I have a headache (I drink a lot of water, so no mom, I am not dehydrated) and my throat hurts/is cough-y. Everyone else on my program is sick, so it's okay- the cool thing to do I guess. I felt myself getting sicker in the bucket shower standing soaking wet in the bathroom. I also tried to do some wash (socks and underwear bc they told us to do those on our own) and I really have no idea what to do. I never do my own wash (thanks mom) in the washing machine- how am I supposed to do it by HAND myself (not bratty). I got too cold and stopped and then realized I had no place to hang it, so it's in a weird mesh bag that is for my towel on a hook in the bathroom-not drying out. Woops. Ok then we had tea and my "dad" and I had a moment. He told my sis that he has "two daughters". I am now officially a part of the family!!! I then met my friend Alexa to YET again go back to the idiotic Inui store to hopefully finally figure out my Internet. I still had wet hair BRRR so I wrapped it in my scarf-headscarf, so Moroccan. we walked and talked blah blah and then arrived. The store was closed but my friend lit up when he saw me and immediately hung up the phone that he was talking on (i think he was calling me bc we were 10 mins late). Long story short- his friend who was supposed to fix my comp/the stick was "very busy" (trop occupe pour MOI???!?! c'est impossible!!!!) and he told me to come back tomorrow which I was NOT going to. I've had enough. I said I wanted to return my stick. He agreed and asked me a few questions of which I carefully answered in order to receive a FULL REFUND!!! Mamma Mia. I was SO happy.... As a clam as they say. I really did NOT think I would get it back, but -as I told Alexa- it's times like these when I know someone is looking out for me/good things happen to good peeps. I told my friend that I would call him tomorrow if i decide to come buy A dif one??? Yea ritw I'm not going to, and I think he knew that, but maa fee mushkeela - not a problem- As I said, karma is a good thing, and this man was too, So something good will happen to him soon i got 400'dirhams (50 USD) back and I only spent 399 on the card!!! We walked back home (w/o a problem). I saw my "dad" walking in the street, but he didn't see me?? Idk how he didn't. I really stick out... More than u would think w/my clogs on-- they make me ~6 feet tall... Not kidding. It's sad that he can't recognize his own daughter!!! Jk ha whatever. Ok so then I walked home and I was going to get a one day Internet recharge, bc i had a skype date, but i Didn't. The big Maroc telecom store was closed and I don't really trust the man on the corner w/o Simo coming w/me, and he went back to school on Sunday. He's coming back for vaycay on Friday! Fun, but we are going to go to Fes.... We have to figure out logistics tomorrow but a lot of ppl from my program are going, so I think we r going to book the same hostel and just not do like everything together during our time there... Kinda do our own thing, but having the security of our peers at the same hostel. Good plan I think. Ok so when I got home hamqua ("crazy" Iman, my sis) was crazy as usual. I think she gets cabin fever/stir crazy bc she leaves the house literally once a day to pick up bread at the oven 4 blocks away... Vitamin D deficiency. She asked about the keyboard for my iPad and I was showing her how it works (bluetooth) and she realized that I can send music to her phone thru the bluetooth (great news for both of us). It didnt work on my iPad so we got my computer, et ca marche!! I asked what songs she wanted and the answer was obvious " Beyonce" (who btw recently stepped out for the first time post baby blue, wearing blue jewelry GAH so cute!!!) I looked at the songs by play count, and number one was Diva, duh. I said that she needed that song bc she is a diva and she said "yes yes I know this". Soul sistas. I gave her my top 10 B songs and then we watched the single ladies video.... I told her the girl on the right was a guy, and she kept her eyes on her/him the whole time. Then it was dinnertime and if u thought this night couldn't get any better u were wrong. I looked at the table, and there were FRENCH FRIES. I died. Vegetable soup, French fries (home made and well done), moussaka, and suspicious eggs with "dindon" - turkey, not "dajej"- chicken, that I ate anyway (protein). I ate an apple, a cutie AND a real orange for dessert. We went back into our room and I read a little of the reading for tomorrow (not necessary bc we have a guest lecturer coming) and then got ready for bed. Tomorrow we are going to make up Darija oral presentations ("FML") that we are supposed to presenting Friday in front of everyone- ugh. Arabic is only 1.5 hours tm, bc for the other half of the time we are having a cooking lesson!!!! GAH. I'm really excited. I have to remember my camera.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLEN luv u.