The End

December 30

Hello beautiful people,

I hope you haven’t forgotten about me! I am ashamed to say that after my return, blogging became the last thing on my mind. Thankfully, my wonderful mother reminded me that one must never leave a chapter unfinished… especially when I have so diligently disclosed every moment of my Moroccan adventure.

This past Sunday, December 28, marked exactly TWO WEEKS since I have been home. My has time flown! I can’t believe that just 14 days ago, I was on the other side of the world, living a completely different life. I can say for sure that it took me this long to truly process all that I had experienced and what I will choose to take with me into my final semester in college and for the rest of my life.

Despite the ups, downs, friends made, friends lost, and sickness, I would not want to change this experience one bit. I have learned how to handle myself, problem-solve, and most importantly handle the never-ending stomach bug that seemed to afflict every person in my group. This trip has given me a lot of confidence to try to apply to things that are even more challenging. Life is a progression and for every moment of comfort, you must step out of it.

 If I had to pick one thing I miss the most? Obviously Naget, my wonderful host cousins, and all of the other amazing Moroccans who have left an impact. Insha’allah, I will see them all again. I have been to Italy three times, Kenya twice, Costa Rica, and Fiji, but Morocco has its own place in my heart.

Moving forward…

The past two weeks have been interesting. I know “interesting” is the biggest cop-out word there is, giving absolutely no explanation, but it’s just so perfect. However, you all know I will fully explain myself!

My time home has been one huge, ambiguous and overwhelming lump of time. It started off with Jet Lag that just wouldn’t quit! Being my longest stay out of the country, perhaps Morocco did not want to leave my system. I spent my first week and much of my second in a frustrated and grouchy state. However, I was able to see my Lehigh Men’s Basketball family at their game at Quinnipiac the fourth day. It was a tough loss, but you can’t beat a reunion with friends after nine months (summer break and fall semester)!

Once that was finally out of me, on came the work!

As many of you may know from reading past entries, my graduation from college this coming spring does not mark the end of my studies. I am a girl of great ambition and I have a lot planned. With that being said, there is a lot of preparation for it. I have had my five graduate school applications to contend with. I am thankful to have started most of this work in Morocco, but nevertheless follow-up emails, finishing touches and other communications needed to be done.

I am proud to say that at this point, I am 95% done, I will be taking my second GRE test this coming Friday and have even found a possible job abroad. Faith without work is dead, right? All I have on my mind now is to stay busy, and stay FOCUSED. I am back to Lehigh U in just a couple of weeks!

This brings us to the end! I want to thank each and every person who read this blog, laughed (with or at me), stayed in touch and kept me going through my toughest moments. I honestly never thought that anyone other than close family and randomly interested friends would see this. To be quite honest, I will miss blogging and having funny stories to tell. Who knows? I may even have a new one for you guys in the future.

Stay blessed!

Rae

The Final Countdown

December 6

Salaam, readers!!

Today is quite the exciting, but sad day for this traveler. With only eight days left in country, today is the day I am moving out of my home in Kasbah de Oudayas! It has been a wonderful ride, living on my own, but all good things must come to an end. It’s about time I move out of my wonderful castle with ocean view!

I have learned quite a bit about myself as a person, taking care of my home and how I see living life as an adult. I am technically an adult now, at twenty-one years old, but I mean once I am no longer living with my mom. I will be graduating this coming May 2015, and will be off to Graduate School, so it will be sooner than you all think!

Shoutout to my Lehigh University and other fellow college students! You’re done with classes! Now, go and kick some exam butt! I can’t wait to get back to you all.

Today, my roommates and I will be lugging all of our belongings to Naget’s house. This woman is a saint and a lifesaver! We booked our house only until today, not knowing that we cannot move into our hotel for the end of the program until tomorrow afternoon. Of course, after telling her our sob story of homelessness, she is taking us in for the afternoon and night. We went yesterday to visit and double check the logistics of our arrival and we were met with food, tea and so many laughs.

To top it off, I got to see one of my last amazing Moroccan sunsets!

I will really miss that woman! I have met some wonderful people in my stay here, but none as incredible as she is. I have never felt more at home, away from home, than when I am at Naget’s. I can honestly say I will also miss my loud, hilarious, and sometimes odd, male host cousins: Hamza, Mohamed, Eunice and Abd Samad.

I cannot tell which one is my favorite, because I have had wonderful times and jokes with all of them!

And the epic tea and snack times will be missed as well. I think the excessive tea-drinking is rubbing off on me, so I will be bringing that to the States! Good news for all of my Lehigh people!

Tomorrow, my entire trip will come full circle. The hotel we are moving into is the exact same one we stayed in for orientation. Instead of being lost and nervous, I am moving in knowing that I will be soon leaving a place I love and have been accustomed to living in for the past fourth months. The coming week will be filled with presentations and hopefully some good pastilla, Insha’allah! I am really looking forward to seeing what my classmates have been up to these past five weeks. I know my partners and I have been working so hard!

I am so incredibly happy that I made it through this trip, but the sadness is taking over. There were times this semester that I thought I wouldn’t make it, due to sickness and other stresses of living abroad and meeting new people. Look how far I have come!

Most of you have been keeping up with each and every one of my shenanigans, stresses, exams, and freak outs, but it has been a crazy ride. In just a week, I will have completed this blog! I know I will have to start another, as I am too used to telling all to masses of strangers around the world.

Today, I will FINALLY finish my report and article for my Independent Study. I am so close, I can taste it! That was your cliché for the day! All I need are two translated quotes, and your girl is GOLDEN.

Now, I am off to prepare for the day. It is almost noon here and I should probably get up, get dressed and pack the rest of my things!

Peace out, cub scouts!

Rae

A Moment of Reflection

December 3

Hey everyone,

Happy December! I hope you all are having a wonderful last month of year 2014, and looking forward to the new year! There are a lot of great things in store for all of us, Insha’allah!

The weather today in Rabat, Morocco is dismal, to say the least! It has been raining all day, with torrential downpour every hour or so. I am finding it rather hard to be productive, as all I want to do is curl up and sleep. Regardless, I am still trucking along on my story for journalism and will definitely complete it by the due date, this coming Sunday.

In other news, I am afraid that my mood lately is mirroring today’s weather. As I prepare to make my way home in eleven days, I am met with mixed feelings. At this point, nothing could be more exciting than seeing my family, eating the foods I miss the most, and being back in my own bed.

That being said, I am so deeply disturbed by what is happening in American society these days. Within these last few hours, I learned that Eric Garner’s murderer will not be charged for his crime. Just last week, our nation was shocked by Michael Brown’s murderer avoiding charges as well.

The fact that two black men were killed with no repercussions, and for seemingly no reason except the threat of danger perceived by the color of their skin, really scares me. This kind of injustice occurs every day, but these particular crimes were committed by those who vow to “protect and serve”.

Yes, there is a “race” problem in the United States. The systematic and institutional dehumanization of black and brown bodies has existed since the times of slavery. Yes, I am concerned for my peers and for my own two brothers. Don’t believe me? Check out The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander.

What concerns me the most, however, is our society’s “accountability” problem, especially in relation to violence. There are many whites and other races of people being harmed, alarmingly from my generation. Little to nothing is or has changed, the cycle continues, and that scares me. When will our society put a stop to ALL senseless persecution?

Having lived in such a peaceful place for the last four months, my mind is unsure of how to cope with coming home. Of course Morocco has its own issues, as all places do, but I feel like I am returning to a war zone.

I will use the lens of race, because I know it best, but people are being killed in their homes, Aiyana Jones, shot on the street, Michael Brown, followed by unstable men, Trayvon Martin, shot down seeking help, Renisha McBride, and mistakenly killed by fifty bullets on the morning of their wedding, Sean Bell.

Late President, and fellow alumnus of my alma mater, Choate Rosemary Hall, John F. Kennedy said,

“I look forward to a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.”

I share this sentiment. I am very optimistic that one day things will change, but when, I am just not sure. Life seems to have these complexities, where no matter how much you think on it, you just cannot come to a solution. How do you get people to change their exclusive way of thinking?

In the meantime, I will just try to enjoy the small things in life: each pot of morning tea, every text message or FaceTime session I have with my family, or even just the fact that I woke up today. Someone, somewhere, did not have that opportunity.

I will keep thinking and praying on this. The Global Studies/Africana Studies double major and Sustainable Development minor are definitely being put to good use at the moment. The literature is astounding. Thanks, Lehigh!

To my readers – you do not AT ALL have to agree with my opinion. I just ask that you respect it. My thoughts in this post come from a place of personal reflection, backed by academic exploration and literature. Until we can all learn to show and execute levels of respect for other lives, we can get nowhere. I welcome comments and dialogue, if you wish!

Until next time,
Rae

Thanksgiving Feasts, Missing Mail & Fighting Procrastination

November 30

Hey Readers!

Hope that this Sunday is fantastic for all of you! Time for another update from yours truly:

Last time I blogged, it was the day before Thanksgiving (November 26, for my new and/or international readers), and I was pretty unsure of what the holiday would bring, seeing as I am 4,000 miles away from home.

The day turned out to be very low-key, but wonderful! I spent the majority of my day in bed, spoke with my mom over FaceTime, and just reflected on the wonderful time I’ve had here in Morocco.

In the evening, I ended up having a “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner with friends from my program. We had roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, rice, and cornbread for the meal, and pumpkin pie, apple pie, and pumpkin cake for dessert.

It was nice to catch up with everyone, especially because I had not seen some of them during the past three weeks of the Independent Study period. It was also hilarious to play Cards Against Humanity again. If you don’t know what that is, click HERE.

In the other days leading up to now, I have just been fighting the urge to do absolutely nothing, and finish this project.

It doesn’t help that my computer charger died, so I have to budget time carefully on my laptop. I’m finding I’m doing most of my work on my iPhone in Notes and it automatically syncs to my computer.

Thank God for being a snobby Apple consumer!!

I am confident that I will be able to survive until I can get a replacement back at home. You never know how much you take your electronics for granted, until you are limited in this way!

In other news, today marks the last week in this beautiful house. At the moment, I am awfully frigid because of the ability of Moroccan structures to keep cool at all costs. However, I still appreciate every square inch of this place.

One thing I will miss, for sure, is how much effort goes into a Moroccan-style home! The colors and patterns are really something!

But really, WHY IS IT SO COLD!?! Today’s high is 59 degrees Fahrenheit, which is not too bad, but I’m sure the house is around 40! I guess it is still better than that New England weather in the U.S., right?

A week from today, we move into Hotel Darna, the same hotel where we had orientation week. Next week will be for evaluation and presentation of our projects.

I cannot believe that exactly two weeks from this day, I will be back home! I can’t wait to be spoiled by family and pig out on the “good stuff” (food) I cannot get in Morocco!

Finally, yesterday verified the malcontent that I hold for the United States Postal Service, or USPS. After waiting over two months, I finally called to look for a package that my mom sent September 23. SEPTEMBER.

First of all, USPS assured my mom that it would reach Morocco within two weeks. My program coordinator indicated that because of Moroccan mail systems, expect four to six. As frustrating as that was, I could deal.

Everyday, I have kept an eye out for that package and received nothing. Online tracking could only tell me that it was sent from New York. Eventually, the site was updated, and I was told my package cleared customs in Morocco on November 17. After that, nothing AGAIN.

Yesterday, November 29, was the last straw. I decided that I would call the Post Office. Thanks to Skype, I was able to call for free, all the way from North Africa!

After 24… TWENTY FOUR minutes on hold, I was finally able to explain the situation to a person, not a useless automated system.

The woman was extremely friendly and was able to tell me that according to her system, as of November 26, my package was… BACK IN NEW YORK CITY! The anger pulsing through me was so real, but I calmly was able to explain that I was on my way home soon from Morocco.

She helped me file a “return-to-sender” claim, and hopefully, I will receive an answer in the next 23 days, the amount of time it takes for Morocco to investigate the situation.

Hopefully the package is already on the way back home, but I now have absolutely no faith in the United States Postal System. That was far too much stress over a ten-pound box, right?

Everyday is an adventure!

Stay tuned guys! The blog isn’t over quite yet!!

All my best,
Rae

Work Hard & Finish Strong

November 25

Happy Holidays, Readers!!

I hope you all are having a fantastic day. For my New Englanders, bundle up! I hear there is a snow storm on the way.

As you all know, Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Unfortunately, that does not exist in the beautiful North African kingdom of Morocco. The only good news about this, is that I will not be gaining absurd amounts of weight tomorrow! Cheers to staying thin!

My mother would kill me if I did not acknowledge that this one, marks the THIRD Thanksgiving holiday that I have missed in my entire college career. Yes, you heard me correctly. I have not been home for Thanksgiving since my freshman year.

Sophomore and Junior years were spent at Lehigh, as I usually am working, traveling with the Men’s Basketball team up until the day of Thanksgiving. We do not have games on the holiday, however, so I spend my day at Coach’s house nearby. They are like my family away from home.

Bad daughter? I hope my mom doesn’t think so! I do miss home when I am not there, but she makes it a point to drive FOUR hours to Pennsylvania to see me quite often.

At the current moment, I do not know what tomorrow will bring for me. I know that some of my classmates are hosting a dinner at their place to remind us all of home, which I will most likely attend. It won’t be like mama’s cooking, but it will feel good to have a little piece of America, 4,000 miles away.

In other news, I am sad to report, that as things are winding down here, I am finding less and less to report to you all. My usual sassy, vibrant commentary is being restricted by the impending end to my stay here!

My project is trucking along – I had a lovely meeting with my program director and partners to discuss and perform initial edits on the draft I submitted. I am on the right track, but this is a PROCESS! There is still a lot of work to be done, but it will all be worth it in the end.

I am so grateful that I have Al and Maya to work with and bounce my ideas off of. This is going to be an excellent package. I have already seen much of Maya’s work, but the I am so pumped to see how Al’s photo essay turns out. He’s been working his butt off to get a wide range of pictures.

Other than that, I have just been cherishing these last moments in Morocco. I am ready to come home, but a part of me wishes I could bring the best things about this country back to the United States with me. I miss my family, but I am going to miss Morocco too!

In just 17 days, things get real! Grad school applications to finish, next semester to plan for, and of course SNOW! That means no more weather in the high 60’s, no more waking up whenever I please, or just sitting on the beautiful terrace and daydreaming.

All good things must come to an end, right?

I have already begun the daunting task of packing and I have noticed that I have accumulated a lot of stuff. I will be getting rid of some old shoes and other things I will not need, but I can tell that this is going to be really annoying!

The key here is to FINISH STRONG! I am so close!

Until the next time!

Rae

The End of the Road

November 22

Salaam, readers!

Labes? Kulshi mezien? (For my non-Darija speakers: Hello, readers! Are you well? Is everything good?)

Since my last post, not too much has taken place. It was another one of the “rest” days that I referred to in the last post. To be honest, I spent much of it reviewing my draft for this project. Having submitted it in the wee hours of the morning, I did not digest it as much as I wanted to.

Because of the depth and pain involved in this story, I could not get through writing my entire draft with out detaching myself and temporarily forgetting how I felt in the moments I spent in Taqqadoum. I had to rely on my scribbles and factoids; seeing words on paper helped.

For the first time, my own writing broke my heart. After compiling all of our research and quotes from interviews together with my own voice in one place, it was just a lot to digest. I really believe that we were brought to this subject for a reason. Furthermore, Al has done an excellent job connecting with our contacts and taking great photos. I may get chills!

Let’s cross fingers that more than just family and friends will see this article!

Today has been another eventful one for this traveler/ reporter/ student/ girl/ woman/ whatever I am to you! More reporting, taking in sights and coming to peace with the ever-lingering privilege that I have as an American.

I am sad to say that today was my final day in Taqqadoum. I have visited now so many times that I have lost count. I have made friends there and I consider it, in an odd way, my Moroccan home. I was fortunate to have the most amazing host family in the Medina, but the sub-Saharan migrants in that place are so eerily familiar and warm.

I will never forget them, and they have said similar about us. There is something so special about perseverance that persists in dangerous and somewhat hopeless places like Taqqadoum. I have been empowered to help others, take care of myself, use my voice, and never forget where I’ve come from. I have not, and probably will not, shed any tears, but it is an emotional moment for me.

They tell us that in journalism, you cannot get attached; yet, I have, and feel like I could not have done these women OR this story any justice without doing so. I hope that one day that I will be able to return to Morocco and see that my friends in Taqqadoum are doing better, feeling better, and living better.

Work wise, today was more of a Taqqadoum wrap up. With our drafts submitted and stories coming together, we needed to flesh out minor details and clarify quotes. Originally we were supposed to meet with more migrant women to hear of their experiences, but that did not pan out.

We spent all of our time with Viviane, the subject of Maya’s profile and our greatest female asset. We saw her home again, and got more of a feel for her section of the neighborhood. She told us that the reason we could not see the women, was that they would rather be begging for the little money they could, rather than speak to students, even if we just wanted to help them.

It was a sobering thought, but thankfully, Viviane was more than we could ever ask for.

I concluded the trip with a doughnut. This is completely random, but they are just so good! Moroccans have Dunkin’, Krispy Kreme, and everyone else beat: fried fresh and in front of you, followed by hand-coating in real cane sugar. AND they are HUGE. I’m TOO spoiled to be going back to the United States.

Speaking of America, tomorrow will be exactly 3 WEEKS until I am home, until I see my family, and until I get that oh-so-delicious Chipotle I have been craving for the past 13 weeks! At times it seemed slow, but this semester flew by! I blinked and now it is winter.

Of course, I cannot wait to see all of Lehigh people and favorite Lehigh basketball team as well. If anyone is in Connecticut that week, they have a game against Quinnipiac, December 19, for which I will be in attendance, snow-willing!

Get ready, y’all! RAVEN IS COMING FOR YOU!

Stay tuned!

Rae

Returning from the “Trenches”!

November 20

Hello people!

Thank you for being so patient, while I have been getting my story and myself together in these last ten days. I am sure you have all been curious as to what I am currently up to in Morocco! After all, I only have twenty four days left! I am slowly becoming more and more dreadful of leaving Morocco, but family, basketball season and LEHIGH calls!

Happy Lehigh-Laf week to all of my classmates and alumni, by the way. I have yet to acknowledge it on any of my social networks, so I figured this would be a great place to start. Perhaps I am in denial of never having a Lehigh-Laf due to sickness, basketball and now being abroad? Perhaps I am jealous of the fact that our 150th (!!!) meeting of (American) football rivalry is at Yankee Stadium? Who knows?

Enjoy the weekend and be safe, ya crazies!

I can pretty much break down what I have been doing into three categories: project, shopping, and rest. I will start with the most boring and move my way into the exciting, next-generation journalism that you all have heard so much about.

REST: 

So from what I have noticed from my work, Journalism has what I consider to be an “off” and “on” switch. When the switch is “on”, I work non-stop interviewing people, doing research, collaborating with my partners, traveling and trying to find the best way to constrict the longest laundry list of issues suffered by sub-Saharan migrant women into just a few pages. It’s IMPOSSIBLE, but you know I’m still going to try.

When the switch is “off”, I crash. There is finally the opportunity for me to physically and mentally recharge, as well as internalize some of the horrible things that I am forced to face. I am grateful that some of these horrors are not my reality, and that I have the opportunity to take a stop back. It is not just about sleep, but the opportunity to BREATHE.

SHOPPING:

It is every girl’s favorite pastime…and I am no exception. Weirdly, though, I enjoy shopping in the pragmatic sense, not the “I get to spend money on things I probably won’t need” sense.

 In these past few days, I have been focused on preparing for the absurd shock I will receive from the weather in the United States. Here, I am sleeping every night with a heater because it drops to 54 degrees Fahrenheit; days are still mid to high 70’s. Back home, I think the high is around 30 degrees? With some snow? Feel free to correct me, my New Englanders, but I am crying just thinking about it!

SO, I decided that I will start preparing ASAP. I took a nice little trip to the souk and bought a winter coat, a sweatsuit and leggings. I still have to go pick up a pair of boots, but I am playing NO games with winter. I just cannot do it! Of course, I had to do something fun, so I also bought matching Moroccan slippers for my mom and I and I finally bought myself a djellaba. If you don’t know what that is…

(http://media1.mimoza-hijab.fr/704-big/djellaba-dubai-beauty-dore.jpg)

Yes, it is a hooded robe. Moroccans wear them everywhere! Mine is a different pattern, but the shape is the same. It is probably the best thing I have ever worn. Be prepared, Americans. The next time you see me, there is a high probability that I will be wearing it! Also, let’s make this a thing in the states, okay?

PROJECT:

We have reached the most exciting part of the post, everyone. I obviously cannot give you the full run-down of my story because it has yet to be written and it would also defeat the purpose of my project, but this story is going even better than I could have possibly imagined.

Maya and I, and our photographer Al, have been all over the place in these past few days: Taqqadoum, the Association, Casablanca and next week, Marrakech. We have met so many wonderful people, heard heartbreaking stories, but most importantly, seen the resilience and the effort within the migrant community to make change. I have never been so emotionally vulnerable to a topic before.

We are now part of this migrant community, composed of men, women, and youth from all parts of the continent. We have heard their complaints, their hopes and their appreciation for looking at them as more than just “Ebola”. They are our friends. They found organizations. They hold events and discussions for members of the community. They infiltrate trafficking rings when NO ONE will help. They refuse to be silenced.

Powerful times for this student! I have learned so much from many who are even younger than I am. These individuals may have fewer years than I do, but they have so much more wisdom and experience. Maya and I speak daily on how proud we are that we stuck to this story, and are in the process of creating something beautiful, despite the dangerous situations.

Field reporting is a lot of hard work, but I think it is what I enjoy the most about journalism. The writing comes naturally, but putting myself out there has been a challenge. I love every second of it. It is difficult to hear a story of abuse or sexual assault and not be able to understand what it is like; yet our subjects are so willing for us to tell their stories to the world.

Tomorrow, our first draft is due, but I am not even worried. I have the voices of abused, but undefeated migrant women behind me, statistics and documents from governments and NGO’s, the will to tell the whoever will listen what is really going on. This experience in Morocco will not just be a “semester vacation” for me; I will leave this program accomplishing a great deal.

Well, this is the end for now!

Thank you all for your continued readings of my posts! I really appreciate the support, comments, shares and reposts! Hopefully my story has inspired you to come to Morocco, or even just given you a few laughs!

Feel free to comment – I love hearing feedback and what you all have to say, especially my international folk! My stats tracker tells me that I have readers in the United States, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and even as far as ASIA!!

Another post soon!

Rae

My Name is not “Ebola”

November 10

Hey everyone,

I bet that title caught a bit of attention! Let me fill you in on my day and things will make a bit more sense to you all.

Today was another normal day of Independent Study for this journalism student. I am doing my best to keep busy and motivated during this completely free period.

After waking up at a later time than usual, I registered for my final semester of classes as an undergraduate student at Lehigh University. It was rather anti-climactic, as it literally took twenty seconds, but nostalgia definitely hit! I remember freaking out as a freshmen as the internet froze and I couldn’t get into any of my classes without having to email professors. Alas, graduation is upon us!

After the positivity of registration and BOMB breakfast of hard boiled eggs and fresh avocado, I was ready to begin the day. I headed back to Taqqadoum with Maya and our photographer, Al.

Before going to the neighborhood, we went to an association created by a Moroccan expatriate and probably the coolest person I have ever met. He grew up in Morocco, studied in France and the United States, and eventually became a political prisoner because he was in the opposition to the reign of the former King of Morocco, Hassan.

After he was done being a BOSS, he founded this association for sub-Saharan migrants. The place we went to today has only been running since August 4, 2014, but he told us that Moroccans in France have been working with migrants since 1986. This place gives free meals, educational seminars and even clothes to migrants, completely free of charge. What a huge humanitarian effort!

After we spoke to the president and were given a tour, we headed to Taqqadoum on foot. The association was in close proximity, in the next neighborhood.

Here is where my title comes in…

About halfway through our fifteen-minute walk, we passed a school. My best guess was primary, as the kids looked quite young. Our contact, Vivian, explained to us that when walking by the school, many of the students throw rocks and trash at the migrant women. The lack of respect runs so deep, that even children feel bold enough to harass migrants.

She also pointed out that every since the epidemic began, some Moroccans have renamed all migrants “Ebola”, regardless of their origins. Just as soon as Maya and I expressed our disappointment, it began:

We were called “Ebola” by young Moroccan children AT LEAST four separate times. It didn’t matter that we were not migrants, but two American girls who happen to share a similar skin color. It didn’t matter that there are still NO CONFIRMED CASES OF EBOLA IN MOROCCO. And it didn’t matter that my name is Raven M. Gaddy, soon to be a college graduate, NOT “Ebola”.

Whoever said “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is full of it! But I guess I should be glad it wasn’t rocks, right?

I had never felt so much DISGUST, especially at children, in my entire life. No one deserves this treatment, for any reason. The fact that this behavior is left so unchecked, probably because it was learned from the parents, was appalling. This hate is not perpetrated by all Moroccans, but sometimes the poor actions of the few are more visible than those of the many.

I was happy that we were able to brush it off on the surface, but that stuck with me the entire day.

But I guess ignorance is bliss, huh?

The rest of the day was productive. There was no way that some ignorant children would deter us from our job. We met another woman today, who told us her story. The more time we spend with these wonderful people, the closer we are getting to shedding light on something big. I have to keep my mind on the people who do not have the voice they should.

Another adventure tomorrow! We will be going back to the center and to Taqqadoum to make more contacts and hear even more. All of these experiences are worthwhile. Despite the little bumps, I am still so happy!

Hoping for more good stuff and less of the stupidity tomorrow.

Stay tuned,
Rae

Change of Plans

November 9

Hi Readers!

Sadly, I was not able to get to Casablanca for church today. Timing just did not allow for Maya and I. We were both looking forward to the experience, and I hope that I will be able to go another time.

Another early morning for me! I found myself awake at 7:30am for absolutely no reason. While it was annoying, it was the perfect time to catch up on the twenty emails I always seem to get overnight.

Amidst the junk and other irrelevant messages, I received note that my superstar academic advisor, Dr. Jack Lule, had submitted recommendation letters for three out of my six graduate school applications. Furthermore, this was done without me even asking. Lehigh professors, people! I love it!

Here comes the “change of plans” referred to in my title. It was a kick in the butt and complete motivation for what I will be doing for the remainder of today: Graduate School applications. I have already done a great deal of work on all of them, probably half, but there is just something about knowing that the right people have your back. I’ve been working hard, but I can do better.

These trivial confirmation emails made me realize that although it will be fun to go back to Lehigh in the spring, I am most excited for GRADUATION. Wherever I end up, it will be a brand new place, with new people and things for me to do. For better or for worse, I cannot stay in the same place for too long, and my aspirations are always huge.

189 days until I am a Lehigh grad, you guys! Call it inspiration, or call it productivity, I will be putting that next dent in these applications.

Also, tomorrow is a big day for me! The dreaded Lehigh University registration period for seniors is tomorrow at 7am, EST. For me, that is NOON! Thanks, Morocco.

More importantly, tomorrow is the day that Maya and I will be interviewing victimized migrant women in Taqqadoum. My biggest hope is that I can carry the optimism that the Casablanca experience has given me into this interview and that I can give a voice to this group of women. I am here for a project, but it is so much more than that.

I will keep you all updated!
Rae

Up & At It

November 8

Hey people!

I’m sure at this time of day, most of you are still asleep. If you are up at 5am (for my New Englanders) on a Saturday morning, GO BACK TO SLEEP!

For me, it is just after 10am and I have already completed all that I intend to for the day. After going to bed late, or at least late for me, I woke up at 8:30am. I knew that I had two choices: go back to sleep and achieve absolutely nothing the entire day or get up while I still had any motivation.

I’m a firm believer that your attitude first thing in the morning determines your productivity for the entire day.

I chose the latter, threw on some sweats and headed right out the door. I pretty much had nothing except random bits to eat, so I went straight to the vegetable market. I was able to get everything I needed in pretty much one straight shot.

I tell you, there is NOTHING comparable to the amount of food you can get here in Morocco versus what you spend. After about an hour, I left with the following:

Green beans
2 huge carrots
1 cucumber
1 artichoke
3 potatoes
4 apples
2 avocados
1 KILO of dates
8 eggs
Small bag of rice
1 jar of strawberry jam
3 freshly made donuts (breakfast for the roomies and I)

I paid 79 MDH. That is, according to today’s exchange rate, $8.90! With any luck, in the United States, I could have gotten maybe half of that stuff with that same amount.

I now have a full fridge and the feeling of knowing that I can take good care of myself physically, without killing myself financially!

That’s it for me! Back to sleep for a couple of hours. I think I’ve earned it!

More later or tomorrow (who knows what today will bring).

Peace
Rae