3 vignettes about my trip thus far...

1) So you’re joining the State Department forever…
Or my time in Washington, D.C.

For those of you who haven’t heard why I’m in Morocco, here’s the down-low.
The government decided that Americans don’t know certain critical (ahem) languages, so, to encourage people to do so, they offered scholarships to go abroad and better learn these languages (I believe they are Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian/Tajik, Bangla, Russian, and Hindi, but maybe there’s more) on an all-expense paid trip out to a country that speaks said language. If any of you are interested in one of these languages/ FREE TRIP, check out clscholarship.org, or caorc.org (Council for American Overseas Research Centers, who sponsors the program with the State Department).

With this in mind, our pre-program orientation in D.C. before leaving was a making it pretty clear who was footing the bill. The vast majority of the day was taken up with “career panels,” which, disappointingly, was really just the trivia and minutiae on how to apply for the civil or foreign service in State. I had really wanted the CIA to have a representative there, not because I’m interested, but it would have been kind of flattering to be asked (though, if any of you are looking into the State Department, I now have tips). I also get U.S. Department of State Alumnus status, meaning that I can get a (I kid you not) myState social networking page to make contact with other State Department Fellowship alums. Facebook could only get creepier by being affiliated with the federal government. Anyhow, long story short, we were all ready to leave the country after hearing about this for an entire day.



2) Frankfurt, the other Arab nation…
Or how I didn’t sleep for over 48 hours.

While this program has demonstrated to me that the federal government can organize large trips very well, and take good care of people learning critical (yet again, that bizarrely used word) languages, it has also proven that my least favorite piece of legislation is the Fly America Act, as it forced our group to have a 15 hour layover in Frankfurt. Naturally, we decided to explore the city, which is why there will soon be several awkward photos of tired people wandering aimlessly around a distinctly not Moorish city. It did let me brush up my German from that summer when Krys and I were bored and decided to learn it. I can now very well forget any of my dignity as I try to glean directions on how to use a commuter train in German. Then we arrived in Morocco at 2 in the morning, and were nicely informed that we’d get to our hotel in Casablanca by 6, but needed to be up at 8 to get to Rabat for our day.



3) White Americans trying decidedly un-white things…
Or how I got laughed at for trying to say thank you.

It turns out that this free trip is way nicer than just being in Tangier for the summer. Rather, with the first week, they’ve decided to show us anything they can in this country. Today, Rabat, where we met with Morocco’s foremost state religious scholar, Dr. Ahmed Abadi (who had a television show where he explained Islamic law to the masses. Sort of like Ask Amy + traditional Maliki-schooled jurisprudence. He now is training imams, as well as piloting a program to get Moroccan women to become religious figures and scholars). Then, tour of the Medina (non-French part of Rabat), Kasbah (the fortress of the non-French part of Rabat), the Souk (market of Rabat), and royal tombs (resting place of king Muhammad V). Then we met with more State Department officials! We have now been asked to become Fulbright scholars by a countless amount of people.

Tonight, we got back to Casablanca to walk along the beach, including seeing the very poetic image of a horseback rider galloping into the ocean at sunset. This was followed by a dinner (free!) in our rather stunning hotel on the ocean (also free!). During the day we had been encouraged to try to expand our Arabic essentials (greetings and thanks) by using more complicated phrases to get by. I attempted this at dinner. After the waiter brought me my salad, I thanked him with “Barak Allahu fik!” (May God bless you!). And he started laughing. Hard. Followed with the explanation of “Mais c’est bizarre ça!” I am fully prepared for an awkward summer to being the random white guy who’s speaking poor, but oddly formal Arabic. Oui, c’est bizarre ça.

Over the course of our meal, the four of us bonded with the wait staff, as we attempted to make small talk with them whenever they came over.

Ex.

- “Permit me sir?” (in lieu of excuse me, as this is our only known way of getting someone’s attention/ excusing yourself for running into someone.)
- “Yes?”
- “We please want the tea… “
- “Ahh, Moroccan tea?”
- “Yes. For [pause], four people. For [pause] all people at the table.”
- -[laughter at the white people] “Okay unknown word, unknown word, unknown word 4, or unknown word big?”
- [in unison, slightly inappropriately loudly] “Big!”
- [laughter] “Why do you speak Arabic?”
- “We student… students.”
- “From America!”
- “We will learn Arabic in the Tangier!”
- “Oh, Tangier! Tangier is beautiful! I am from Tangier! Lots of unknown words. Two oceans meet. More unknown words. Up. More unknown words. North.”
- “Tangier will be beautiful!”
- [laughter, tea is poured]. Here you go.
- May God bless you!
- [laughter] “No thanks necessary.”

At the end of the meal, we attempted to ask for change. Then realized that we were asking the waiter for the tip. Repeatedly and earnestly. While having not handed him enough money in the first place. By the way, the word for change is sarf. Tip is turns out, can be the French pourboire, or just plain ol’ tip.

Did I mention the State Department is paying for this with all of your tax dollars?

Anyhow, tomorrow we’re off to Marrakech on leg two of our world wind tour. Hopefully, I will be able to hack into free internet from there too. Until then, ma’ salaama!