We
woke up pretty late (late according to how early I have been waking up here so
far, but not late in terms of Ramadan timing). We lounged a lot and did not eat breakfast! I wasn’t hungry,
but I don’t think the Mansours believed me. I asked Imane to come out and go shopping with me, but she
was a little weird about it. I
waited around a while but we weren’t doing anything. I asked her again if she wanted to, and she said yes, but
that Simo would get mad. I was
confused because usually if Imane and Fatima do something with me then it is
fine with the fam, but Imane was pretty insistant otherwise. She even asked her mom and dad and they
said that it was fine, so I was very confused why she couldn’t go. Finally something came over her and she
agreed, so we were off.
We went down MO V and saw all of
the flags and Moroccan pride. My
first purchase was THE PERFECT size flag for my room. I mean to get one in Jordan too, but I didn’t- woops. Imane LOVED carrying the flag
around. She kept on yelling “I’m
Moroccan!” “I love Morocco!!” and then she would say that she was lucky that
there were only adults outside because she is being embarrassing. Here’s a pic of little Imilita and her
(my) flag.
The medina was BUMPING. It was really really crowded. We ran into Zach again and he said that
he lost his phone so he took my number again. Imane was very confused why he wanted my phone number so
badly- “you are leaving soon. What
is he going to do with your phone number????” Very concerned. I ran into Karima, the woman who was
helping me find an internship, in the middle of the most crowded part of the
medina. Such a “small medina” haha.
I also saw the DVD man, and he remembered me, but was selling workbooks-
not DVDS. I bought two DVDs from
his friend though, and got 2 for the price of 1! Go me. THEN when we were
walking down Vegetable Street, someone was YELLING in Arabic at us. I couldn’t understand him and we just
kept on walking, but he said something to make Imane turn around, so we
did. She asked if I recognized him
and I didn’t. She said that he
said that he knows me and then he asked “HI HOW ARE YOU” in English. It was so weird- really just because I
usually remember people like that, and I honestly had never seen him
before. Weird. We got a lot of
good souvenirs that I won’t blog about because they’re a surprise. The construction in the covered souk is
coming along, but probably not as quickly as it should be….
We went home and got to work. We
peeled chickpeas for the harira.
It looked easy, but there were SO many- very time consuming, and chick pea juice squirted everywhere. Everyone in the fam came in at a
different point and asked about my santé (health) regarding fasting. I said that I was fine (and I really
was). I think once you start to
eat during the day, your body needs to eat more and more, but because I hadn’t
had anything to eat or drink- it didn’t really need anything… if that makes
sense? I don’t know, but I was really fiiiiine. We peeled the chickpeas and then I told Imane that I wanted
to go out and get some cake for breakfast, so she came with me. I thought we we were just going to go to Imane (the baker)’s
place, but we walked ALL the way to Le Comedie (in the ville nouvelle)- I was
not prepared for this. We
got 4 pieces of cake that had just come out of the oven. By this time I think it was about 6
pm. Maybe later. Sun sets at 7:40. We were starting to get a liiiittle
crazy. Everyone was rushing around
the city to get last minute things for breakfast, and to make it home in time. Imane and I took a leisurly trip back
to the house. It had to be
leisurely because I only brought my Jordanian Jack Rogers to Rabat (totally by
accident- I anticipated this happening, and meant to bring more comfortable shoes). My feet were KILLING me (they're bruised and scabbed right now). I am very happy that I did not spend
125 USD on them… Anyway- the final streatch walking home after a long day is
always the worst (I was imagining walking to the apartment from first ave--- so
close, but so far. I usually call
my mom and complain that I can’t do it, but I was with Imane and we were
complaining together). We were so
crazy, but made it back home.
Right before we got in Imane said “and now I have to set the tableee”…..
I helped with that yesterday, but I honestly didn’t think I could do it today. We had less than an hour til sunset,
but I became a little light headed and HUNGRY. My lips were also very dry. I helped a little bit, but I had to pour water on my face
and then seriously had to lie down and “rest my eyes”. The next thing I knew Imane was
screatching “CLAIREEEE ITS TIME TO EEEAAAT” and the call to prayer was
playing. I felt bad that I didn’t
help and wasn’t at the table RIGHT at the time to dig in, but I was like “oh my
god!!” And ran to the table asap- it was funny.
The food was SO good (much better
than the day before- even though it was the same stuff). I didn’t eat as much, which was
interesting. My stomach filled up
quicker than normal, but my “mom” said that is usually what happens. We rested for longer than the night
before, and kept on eating as we relaxed.
It was so nice, and made me miss lounging on the couch at home. I could have totally called it a night
then and there, but Imane said that we were going out as a family. As we passed the oudaia (home 2.0!!)
earlier in the day, I saw a carnival type thing at the water (where I ran last
semester~ the Rabat equivalent of the East River). I was very forceful with Imane in telling her that we had to go to that tonight. She was hesitant because of Simo, but I
told her that I didn’t care and he’s not my
brother (I quickly corrected myself) but I can do whatever I want. Anyway I think she relayed that request
to the fam, so they arranged all of us (sans Simo) to go to Timara (where their
“country/beach house” is) to go to “La Corniche” which is similar to the Rabat
games (carnival) but bigger.
We piled into the car (I was kind
of unsure of where we were going, but again- didn’t care). I think Timara is between a half hour
and an hour away. We pulled into the
carnival, and it was SO crowded!!!!!! Bumper to bumper traffic, people, vespas
etc clogging the streets. It was
nuts. I didn’t think that we would
get a parking spot or stay, but alas- we did. It REALLY reminded me of the Greenport carnival (probably
just because it was a carnival), but it was WAY more crowded.
There were only a few rides, but the amount of people that were there
made it seem like Six Flags. I was
hands down the only non-Moroccan there.
Of course I have been the only foreigner in places but never as big of a ratio. It was
unreal. We walked through a
tent/craft fair-like place (all junk only for Moroccans) and then we went “to
play”. The rides were only 10
dirham each, and there were no bracelets- I actually didn’t even ask, but I
just assumed. I got a little
nervous about the rides because they were pretty serious and I just STUFFED my
face with breakfast. I asked Imane
if people get sick on the rides, and she said no, but I will feel sick
tomorrow- I said “oh great. On the train to Marrakech” and her face totally
changed. “You’re leaving tomorrow?!?!”
“yesss you knew that…” and then the ride started- I felt bad. Here’s a pic of all of us on that ride-
“Fatima never smiles” –Imane
We got tickets for the next ride,
and waited. There was no line, so
I just assumed that we were the only ones who wanted to go on- I was
WRONG. The fight to get on the
ride was so bad. Once the ride starts to
stop, everyone RUSHES to the ride to claim a seat. The ones that are “unclaimed” are actually claimed—people
say ‘aamr” (taken) because they save the seats for their friends- RUDE. It took at least three times for the
ride to go until we got a seat. So
bad. We split up and finally both got seats. These two men offered me their seats and then started to
talk to Imane (we didn’t take their seats). Imane told me that she told them that I was married to her
brother because they wanted to talk
to us- funny. We had to share our
seat on the ride with another girl, and I think she heard Imane's conversation
and then started to talk to me VERY quickly in Darija. I understood probably 2 questions
“what’s your name” and “are you scared”.
Imane said that she assumed that I spoke Darija because I was “married
to Simo”. Funny, but sad. I did a lot of head nodding and then
the ride finally started. Imane
had her hands in the air for a lot of the time, and when the ride ended, she
realized that she lost a small bracelet that she had been wearing since before
we met. She was very upset (no
tears though…). I told her that we
could get new ones tomorrow. Then
the parents called and it was time to go.
Good timing- I was done with the carnival. We piled into the car and
Khadija (“mom”) gave us some corn on the cob. It was actually the WORST corn on the cob I have EVER
had in my entire life. I couldn’t finish it. I have NO idea how they messed it up so
badly, but it was terrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiibbbbllllleeeeeeee. I feel
like they just grilled it on the grill without soaking it in water first?? I
have no idea, but it really didn’t even taste like corn lol. Luckily we all
split them, and Fatima was willing to eat the rest of my half. BAD.
We stopped at the Timara house for
a minute. I was really nervous
that it was going to become an event (some aunts/uncles live there) because I
was VERY tired, but luckily we just stayed downstairs as Driss checked in
upstairs. They moved the orange
couches from Imane and my room to Timara, but they had to change them a little
bit because the size of the rooms is different. They also put the cushions in like black leather frames. I had to be enthuastic, but I think
they could have picked a different style… Thankfully we sat downstairs for a
very short time, and then it was back to Rabat for DINNER (~2 am). Delicious tajine with French
fries. We had THE SWEETEST green
melon for dessert. I couldn’t get
enough, and definitely won the dessert eating contest. BEDTIME- I survived my first day of real Ramadan.
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