Djemma al Fna and my First Moroccan Weekend

I am writing from my bed right now in my newly decorated room! This weekend was my first weekend in Marrakesh and also the first real down time I have had thus far, so I took some time to do my laundry and fully unpack. The walls are no longer bare, but covered with pictures of my friends and family. My favorite part about my room are the glow in the dark stars that I brought to put on my ceiling. Before I left home, I gave a set of stars to my four best friends. We are all thousands of miles apart this year, so we decided to all put them up on our ceilings so that we can sleep under the same stars no matter where we are. Looking up right now with the lights off, I can see the constellation of the Big Dipper that I constructed and it makes me feel so at home.

I had a great first weekend in Marrakesh. On Friday afternoon my resident director Margaret came home from school with me to eat couscous, a Moroccan tradition at the week's end. The couscous was delicious, and we ate so much. After we finished eating, a contented hush fell over the house and we all slept and relaxed together for the rest of the afternoon. Numerous guests came in and out of the house to eat and talk, and I realized that the famous "Moroccan hospitality" I had heard about was not an exaggeration. We spent the evening in the garden and talked late into the night in the cooling air.

On Saturday, I woke up early and took my first solo taxi ride to the CLC. The cab driver was so nice, as all the drivers I have encountered in Marrakesh have been, and he helped me practice my Arabic once he realized I was a student and not just a tourist. From 9 to 12:30, the NSLI-y students and about 30 Moroccan students at the CLC split into teams and ran around the city collecting objects and taking pictures for a scavenger hunt. I loved the Moroccans on my team and have been texting with some of them! It was a great opportunity to get to know people, and I really liked getting to see more of the city. Some of the tasks were impossible (for example, to bring back a live sheep in a taxi), but we had so much fun. One of my favorite memories from my trip so far happened that morning as we were trying to get back to the CLC on time.  A really nice Moroccan named Zakaria led Seth and I through the winding streets of the medina. We sprinted through narrow alleyways of rose-colored stone and small shops, weaving around donkeys and carts. Everyone around us was smiling at us slightly bemusedly, and I was carrying a love potion, a used novel, and a live turtle in my hands and laughing so hard I could barely run.

That night, Zineb and I went to the first Debate Club meeting at the CLC. I liked meeting lots of Moroccans there, and I think the club will be a good way to improve my public speaking and make more friends here. Afterwards, we went to a beautiful rooftop cafe overlooking Djemma al Fna to drink coffee and enjoy the view. At night the frenetic music of street performers rises over the square in a strange harmony, mixing with the constant low undertone of bargaining and laughter and chatter. The lights from the stalls mix in a bright blur, illuminating the sea of people below. The glowing minaret of the Koutoubiya appears on the skyline high above the square in the distance.

Today, after a wonderful breakfast and morning of studying with my damily, I returned to Djemma al Fna to walk around to souk. I went back to the rooftop cafe with some American friends, their host siblings, and Oumaima. The square is so beautiful during the day, but it is even more incredible at night.  I'm excited to spend a lot of my time there in the coming months.

Some pictures from my weekend are attached!