Tuesday morning we had some great presentations by Meriam about the history of the educator system and the current structure of schools. Also, she presented about the language and how it impacts culture in Morocco. For some folks these may seem like dry subjects but for me they were very engaging. Language in Morocco is fascinating because it flows between French, Arabic, and Berber. Also, sometimes people slip in English and Spanish words. I have been impressed and amazed by how fluid language is here. Almost everybody slips smoothly between two, three, even four languages.
In the afternoon we went to visit Moulay Youssef High School. The school is one of the best public high schools in Morocco with a strong focus on science and mathematics. Many of the students live in dorms at the school. It was a very dynamic experience with some very articulate students. The highlights for me were shooting a few hoops with some of the girls in the school yard then talking to them in there dorms about school, music they enjoy, life in the dorms and differences between American and Moroccan schools.
After the school visit we went to see the Kasbah Les Oudaias. The Kasbah is actually a castle/walled area right on the coast where the river enters the Atlantic. It has lots of gorgeous meandering white washed streets.
The next big adventure was for some of the women to visit a traditional Hammamm. A Hammamm is a bath house that involves lots of rigorous scrubbing in a steamy room. Let just say it was an amazing experience but definitely a cross cultural experience. Eventually we figured out the the protocol and had one of the best full body exfoliating experiences of our lives.
Once we finished our communal bathing experience we went to Riad Oudaya. A Riad is a small traditional bed and breakfast but this one also had restaurant. To visit the restaurant you had to call ahead so they knew how much food to buy from the market. We went in search of the Riad in the Medina. After asking a few folks in our fumbling French we eventually found the Riad tucked down a very small alley. A lovely friendly lady let us in through a large wooden door and revealed a lovely court yard. We sat in a small alcove and were served one of the best meals of my life. Salads, pastillas, a Tajine of vegables, saffron chicken and two amazing deserts.
What day! So many diverse and inspiring memories.