Lost in translation

Salam alaykom! [hello in Arabic]

I've been in Maroc since December 28th. A lot has happened since then.. This post is a conglomeration of many days of activities since I've arrived! 

For starters, I've been learning French and picking up some Darija [the Moroccan dialect of Arabic]. My cousins and I have decided to call it Frenchabic. It has been difficult to not tune out when everyone is speaking Arabic, but I have been trying to figure out what the conversation is about, so I can learn. I know chwia [little] Arabic. Pronouncing some of these words is very difficult, but my family is getting a kick out of me sounding like a baby learning a language. We still rely on Google translate and carry around a French-English dictionary. It's definitely a work in progress, but it'll come.

Just missed this by a few days. Boo.  

 Reunited!
From left to right: Fatima Zahra, Hanane, Abdelhamid, Me, Nawal, Imane, Ghizlane

Arrival meal

Literally gives a new meaning to road side cafes.

My second favorite meal, siffa.

Very fine noodles over chicken with cinnamon sugar and powdered sugar on top for taste and decoration.

 I brought the gift of Kool-aid to Morocco.

 I brought some candy as well.

Couscous

Harira

Delicious cake

Fatima Zahra and I at the Morocco Mall

Since Morocco is a Muslim country, Christmas is not celebrated. I was pretty confused when I saw all the Christmas decorations and this inflatable Santa. My cousin informed me that these are actually used for New Year's decorations. A few Christmas carols were played through the speakers. 

View from my hbibty's [grandma] apartment.

View from the roof. It's easy to see Casablanca is properly named.

Dar Bayda in Arabic means white houses, same as in Spanish.

 Ismail, Hanane, me and Fatima Zahra eating figs at the Bernoussi market

Pick up game of football in the neighborhood.

My cousin Ismail is president of Association The Young Explorer.
I am president of Food 4 Thought.
Here we are with switched shirts.

Happy New Year from Morocco! Bonne annee du Maroc! Sana saida Mina almaghrib!

My cousin Nawal made this cake.. not Fatima Zahra! =]

Ismail's 22nd birthday, January 2nd

 His mom forgot that he was turning 22.

Oh well, we still had a great time. We sang happy birthday in Arabic, French, German, English, Spanish and Berber in honor of all the different languages we know.

We had a wedding this past weekend. In preparation for the wedding, it is tradition to go to the hammam and get henna done. The hammam [speader of warmth] is a public bath. It is an interesting experience.. Haha. This woman does a great job of explaining more about hammam rituals, so you can read more here if you are so inclined.

After finishing at the hammam, it is also tradition to get a small snack.
This is a pomegranate flavored milk/ yogurt. 

Once you return from the hammam, you are greeted with bssahha [to your health]

Hanane getting her henna done. 

 My henna

Fatima Zahra's henna

Hbibty's henna

Showing off our henna.
Clockwise from top right: Fatima Zahra, Ismail, me and Hanane

Moroccan weddings are nuts! This is a picture of the groom with family and gifts for the bride. There is a band playing music in the street, and guests singing a Moroccan wedding chant. After pictures at the groom's residence, there is a caravan to the bride's house. The band plays more outside, and there is continued chanting and dancing, until the guests head inside where the bride is waiting. Once all the guests are inside, the band follows and there is a live singer. The bride changes her takchita many times. Usually, weddings start in the evening and last until 6 am. Luckily this one only lasted until 2 am, but we didn't get home until 3:30 am.

Jihane, me and Ismail.

I am wearing a takchita, which is a very formal Moroccan dress. I think it is very chiki biki! 

Fatima Zahra, me, Nawal, Jihane, and Hanane.

Fatima Zahra and Jihane

Moroccan weddings require a lot of dancing. 

 

SO. MUCH. DANCING!

While the weather back in Nebraska is incredibly disgusting, I've been enjoying sunny, 60 degree weather here in Casablanca. The beach and salty sea water of the Atlantic Ocean was just calling my name. 

Yesterday afternoon, there were very large waves which were reaching the walls and covering the entire beach area. This was unusual, and we learned this morning that the coastal areas of Morocco were hit by a small tsunami. 

David Beach

 The beach is the best place to run!

 The water was just a little chilly.

As the wave crashed over us #selfie of the year

Zwina [beautiful in Arabic] David

And now, my cousin Ismail and I are preparing for a backpacking trip to the Northern areas of Morocco. We will take a train from Casablanca to Tangier and explore from there. We plan to visit Ceuta [Spanish territory in Morocco], Tetouan, Chefchaouen, and ????

This will definitely be an adventure, but I look at it as a trial run for when I can backpack across Europe for my bucket list. 

Yallah! [let's go!] 

Bslama! [goodbye] 

Bea-UTAH-ful!

March 2013

For spring break, my friends were inspired by the movie 127 Hours to visit Arches National Park and camp out. We were very excited to take this road trip together and leave Nebraska for a few days! 

Driving through the Rockies in Colorado

This was our campsite. 

Family photo: Nick, Sam, Cam and Kyle

Kevin

Cam should probably be a model. 

We found Kyle in the strangest places. We would blink and ask "Where's Kyle?" We found him waving from really obscure places and then wonder how he got up there. 

Kevin was the same way.

Nick trying to join Kevin.

Almost..

But not enough.

Kevin

Obligatory 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' photo.

Exploring

Lauren, Sam, Ashley, Cam, Kyle

Our tent after the crazy windstorm. It was SOOO windy! It was blowing the sand and dirt around everywhere so we all had to sit in the car for half a day. Luckily, the tent did not break.

Kevin, Ashley and Lauren 

Nick

Balanced Rock

Panorama view

Double Arch

Kyle. Seriously, the STRANGEST places. 

In perspective.

Kevin.

Sam hiking to see Delicate Arch.

Delicate Arch is the pride and joy of Arches National Park. 

This arch is the one on the Utah license plate.

And for good reason. It's beautiful.

We left Utah with many scrapes and scratches from climbing and exploring Arches National Park, but we also left with more memories, stories and good times.  

My stats as of March 2013:

• 4% of the world visited
• Estimated mileage: 58282
• been to:
• 5 continents
• 11 countries
• 9 states