Seventh Day Impressions

Generally speaking, it's been a week, though it feels a little longer.  Nothing too exciting so far - I've stuck around Rabat with my host family, lightly toured the city, battled an aching back and attended four dialect classes.  Here are a few first impressions...

Living with my Moroccan family isn't a bad gig.  I had some consternation about it prior to arriving (issues of trust, privacy, security, differences in customs, etc.), but it's worked out well so far.  Sadiya and Ihssan look out for me as if I'm part of the family (what do you think some of their customs are?).  Though they get paid for me to stay with them, that hasn't appeared to influence the way they treat me, one way or another.  Aside from the hospitable companionship, it's been a great way to practice the dialect, as Sadiya doesn't speak Modern Standard Arabic (which I find a little amazing), and Ihssan is no professor of it!  Oddly enough, Sadiya listens to the Qu'ran being read in it every morning (does she understand it but can't speak it?). 

Learning Darija (the local dialect) is tough!  I assumed incorrectly that it would be very similar to Modern Standard Arabic (if it is, I don't see it yet).  In fact, there are more differences than I imagined, and so far it's proven insanely difficult to understand the spoken dialect outside of the textbook (which was made by some outstanding linguist working fr the Peace Corps).  It doesn't help that I still think in English, want to use words from Modern Standard Arabic, but have to speak in the dialect.  I'm confident that it'll come (any tips on how to make its arrival get here quicker?), but for now I have a couple Arabic angels whispering into my ears.  The guy on the left speaks Arabic; the guy on the right speaks dialect.  Between sits a confuzed American...

When in Rabat...do as the Moroccans.  Lifestyles between us - not surprisingly - differ.  There are no schedules, timelines, deadlines or immediate concerns in our household.  As a result, I'm not too concerned about keeping up the routines of my American life (doing homework, running, going to the gym, not smoking the occassional cigarette or shaving my scruff daily) (what's a routine you wouldn't mind quitting for a while?).  The observed differences haven't differed too much from my past experiences abroad, but it's nice to be able to participate in them for once!  And, for the time being, I'll happily continue to do so until I find a place of my own...

A handful of interesting situations have sprung up so far; pending time, your interest and my ability to capture them, you'll hear about them shortly (any requests?)...