Two Weeks

I have been in Morocco for about 2 weeks now! 7 more weeks to go! Work at the CCCL has been going pretty well. So far, I've done a lot of work in their databases, and also a lot of work with archives. I also did a little bit of translation, from English to French. Twas difficult...Next week I begin a lot of transcribing work with their lectures and such. The people I work with are all so sweet and kind. My immediate supervisors are Nawal, Bouchra, Youssef, and Rajae.

Yesterday, Saturday, my Wellesley friend Rebecca Turkington and I went out together! We first went to Chellah, an ancient ruins site. It was very beautiful, and it was cool to be stepping in such old ruins! What was interesting, is that a whole colony of storks have set up nest there! There are so many of them. Here are some pictures we took at Chellah:

Storks! 

View of Chellah from the outside

Inside the ancient ruins

More storks!

We had a lot of fun together, and we also went to visit the Royal Palace. Here are some pictures!

The mosque inside the palace grounds

The Royal Palace

And for our Wellesley friends: look what we found when we were walking outside the palace walls!!

The iconic Wellesley lamp-post!

Afterwards we took the tram (!!) to the next town over, Agdal. Agdal is much more modernized and developed than where I am in Rabat. There were lots of very expensive stores (Mango, Aldo, United Colors of Benetton), and the streets were well-kept. We ate lunch there and then just shopped around a bit. The stores were all very nice, but it made me want to run back into the Medina and buy super cheap $4 shoes!

Anyway, in other news, after two weeks, I have mastered the angry-walking face. When I walk, I put on my sunglasses (my invisibility cloak), I don't smile, and I angrily walk. When men approach me and say things, I just keep walking and since they can't see my eyes, they just give up! So that's been working well for me. Though the other day, a guy walks right up to my face and screams "WO AI NI!!" (I love you in Chinese). He was silly.
Also after two weeks, I have become a pro at crossing the streets. The trick is just to rudely barge your way onto the street, and wait until they let you cross. If it's a two-way street, you first make your way to the middle and just stand there as cars speed by behind and in front of you. Then you cross your way to the other side.

While things have been going well, and I'm learning all sorts of new things, I am still terribly homesick. I miss long hot showers, comfortable beds (not couches), and not being stared at on the streets!
7 more weeks!