Don't worry, photos and tales of Marrakech are on the way, but I've decided to take a break to answer, on the blog, some of the most common questions about me, Jacob, the trip, what the heck we're doing here, married life and plans for the future.
So, what the heck are you doing there?Jacob is in the midst of an International Master of Business Administration degree with the
University of South Carolina's Moore School. The program is 33 months long and includes a requirement for language as well as an international internship. Jacob decided to pursue Arabic, so we are in Fez, Morocco until mid-February and, following that, in Al-Buraimi, Oman. We'll be in language studies until the end of 2009. Afterwards, we're unsure exactly but Jacob will most likely have a work experience for an additional 2-6 months. I'm along for the ride and the experience.
Are you coming back to the states?Probably following the language and internship time we'll head back to the US for a couple of final semesters in Columbia, SC. Following that, we're unsure.
How long have you been married?Since December, 27, 2008. Just three days before we moved to Fez.
Are you crazy?Yes!
Why did you get married so quickly? Did you consider waiting a little while?We got married so quickly because we were excited to be married to each other! Yes, the school schedule (classes started on January 5) prompted us a bit (we didn't want to be apart for up to 18 months), but I wouldn't change a thing about our relationship or our three-month engagement. At first I thought perhaps 6 or 8 months would have been better, but as we thought through things, this was the best option. I'd recommend a short engagement to anyone getting married.
How's married life?It's great. Everyone should be as blessed as we are to get to be together, to find another person without whom he or she can't imagine life. It's a crash course, I'll tell you, especially this way, but it's great! I loved life before Jacob but I wouldn't take it back if you paid me.
What's it like there?It's colder than we expected, and it rains a lot, but it's been (according to the locals), the coldest, rainiest winter in 30 years and "all Moroccans (all 29 million or so of them) are sick." It's sort of tropical, though, in that there are citrus and palm trees everywhere. It's interesting, too, in its mix of cultures.
There are a lot of different kinds of people here, both ethnically and religiously. Calls to prayer ring out from the minerettes of mosques five times a day and it's not uncommon to see people headed to mosque or spreading a rug to pray in the direction of Mecca after these calls, although it's not as prolific as one might think. Some women, probably more than not although, again, it's not as common as I thought, wear the hijab (a veil) Many speak at least a couple of languages, often French, Arabic and some English or Spanish. In addition to the many mosques, there are also at least one Catholic church and one "International Protestant" church, but we've not attended either, so far. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy that legislates a freedom of religion for its people, even though proselytizing outside of Islam is technically illegal.
The city of Fez reminds me of Mexico, it's charming in parts and incomplete in others. One of the Imperial cities of Morocco, it's a tourist destination to be sure, especially the cramped and twisted corners of the old city (medina) which, along with the historical significance of its elements, can distinguish it from the more open squares and souqs of locations like Meknes or Marrakech. Hassan II, a main road that leads to the palace in Fez, is one of my favorite places to walk. It's a divided road with a large, grassy median that is lined in palm trees and a canopy of twinkle lights that make for a dream-like-starry-night-stroll, even under frequent clouds. Hassan II also boasts several delightful French-inspired patisseries serving honey-soaked pastries and creamy cafe au lait inexpensively.
Oh, and there are lots of shops in Ville Nouvelle (new city) and the medina (original or "old town") selling traditional dress (
Djellaba, which are made for both men and women) as well as more westernized clothing and sunglasses, rich and beautiful upholstery fabrics, scarves (both locally woven and, just like New York, some from China and Pakistan), rugs, lamps, spices, dried fruits and figs, nuts, nougat candies, fresh-pressed olive oil (much different than oil at home it seems much greener and fruitier, but delicious nonetheless), teapots and trays, traditional Moroccan pottery (tagines and intricate blue-patterned dishes of all sorts), tiled-mosaic pieces from tables to tiny replica fountains and much more!
What kind of people are you meeting?Oh,
all kinds! Most frequently, of course, we meet people associated with the school: instructors (more Jacob than me), employees of the school like Yusef, who arranges trips and housing for ALIF students, other students and residents of the Villa (expats from the states, New Zealand, England, Austrailia and other places) and, one of my personal favorites and my instructor in matters of the Moroccan home and kitchen,
Layla.
There are also a few individuals who stand out and shape our interactions and views of the people here. Cheese guy, for example, who keeps a stall in the central market and imports cheese from all over, offering an assortment of gorgeous French bries and camemberts, Moroccan selections, goudas and swiss, although harder cheeses like cheddar (much to Jacob's chagrin) and parmesan are notably absent. He stands behind his glass case, usually with one or two men blocking the tiny entrance and talks to you for a moment before inviting you into his store to try or purchase cheese, a fresh sardine (his own recipe) or perhaps (gasp!) a prohibited beverage.
The sandwich guys are also a common interaction for us. They occupy a small storefront just outside the central market and lure us with hot, spiced ground meat cooked on a large griddle and stuffed inside a crusty loaf along with spicy olives or potatoes, mashed and spiced, fried and combined with an egg cooked over-medium in another crusty loaf along with olives (of course!)
Bread guy is another favorite because, while you can get
khobz nearly everywhere, he also offers a delicious oily flatbread (perfect for eating with cous cous
or Nutella), doughnuts (in the original sense of a ring of fried dough dusted with sugar) and gigantic
harcha, which is sliced and served with laughing cow, butter and/or honey.
Juliette was the first person I spoke with, in whole sentences, after we arrived here (other than Jacob, of course!). She's an Austrailian married to a Moroccan and living here in Fez. She owns and runs a little store selling staple items, maps, postcards, sodas and snacks. She also changes money and can be retained to locate hard-to-find things like lactose-free milk for Clinton.
Who are you there with?Other than those mentioned above, the South Carolina Arabic Track students Jacob and I will be spending our year abroad with include: Miriam and Aaron, Clinton, Dave, Leigh, Matthew.
Do you like living there?I like a lot about Morocco and Fez. I like the central market, the
new foods and cooking, the people around us, the french pastries, the fact that everywhere around me is new and offers a new adventure and memory. I even have begun to like the simplicity of doing things by hand that are so mechanized back home (washing all dishes by hand, line-drying laundry, cooking everything from scratch). I like the freedom of our experience and the stories we've created. I like the way this experience is shaping me-and us.
It will be interesting to see how Al Buraimi suits us once we get there. It's said to be quite different. I'll let you know.
Are you homesick? Do you miss things from home?Oh, every now and then I do get a pang. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss things, but I am having a ball out here and can't wait to see upon what else Jacob and I come in our adventures. I do miss my family (and Jacob's) and friends immensely, I miss my dog-my buddy and formerly-constant companion, I miss sitting on my charming little front porch watching the neighbors in my fabulous neighborhood walk by. I miss community involvement, my clothes and shoes (fashion in general, my life is relegated to jeans and tshirts right now!), brown sugar, Chick-fil-A and the springtime promise of girlscout cookies.
I don't miss: driving and traffic (I only have to fight it from the back of a Petit Taxi here and believe me, drivers are fighters on passengers' behalves-driving here is a demonstration of aggression nearly unequaled!), wedding planning, dating, and washing, folding, drycleaning and caring for all the clothes I miss!
What are you doing there?For the first six weeks, I'm taking a bit of a sabbatical. I am doing something I wasn't sure I'd ever really do-I am a housewife! There are still quite a few things to keep track of back home as far as finances and a few other business dealings, so I stay on those things. I also journal and write quite a bit, I'm constantly trying to shorten the list of people to whom I still owe a thank you note from our wedding. I try to keep the blogs updated and stay in touch with a couple of writing mentors back home to continue opening doors for freelancing opportunities. I'm learning some Arabic phrases and, slowly but surely, the alphabet. I may take classes in Oman, depending on availability of other work or activities. I take cooking classes a couple of times a week and I'm learning more about the
sweet camera Jacob's family got us. I make the bed, do the laundry, cook and keep our little apartment tidy-and I like it!
Are you going to travel while you're living abroad?As my girlfriends would say, "Duh." Of course, all things depend on timing and finances, and school comes first, but we're hoping to do and see as many things as possible. We've so far traveled to Meknes, Volubulis and Marrakech. We'd love to see a couple more places in Morocco before we leave, too.
We'll also be making a stop in Rome for a few days and Dubai before we end up in Oman and after that the dreams include (for me, at least) anywhere in Europe and (for both of us) Egypt, and an African Safari, possibly in Kenya.
Did I miss anything? Let me know....
More to come on the new surroundings soon...
