Things I Will Miss About Morocco *WARNING*--These May Or May Not Sarcastic

Well, tonight is my last night in Morocco so i thought I shoudl make a list of everything I will miss about this country--I will try to give explanations of everything that requires explanations. Also these are in no particular order

1. Mouna's tea--not as sweet as regular tea--SO delicious on cold mornings

2. The dark chocolate spread that we use with breakfast and first dinner. Better than Nutella- i swear it

3. Ridiculous Turkish Soap Operas--Specifiically Noor. Every night we watch Turkish soap operas...Noor is the most popular with the laydayz because of Noor's husband. According to Selma--he is the most handsome man in the world (most definitely not true)

4. Walking up very late in the morning across the room from Selma--almost always at the same time.

5. Being asked if I STILL (after four months) know where to get on and off bus 57.

6. Temara--the family house and everything and everyone that goes with it.

7. Cedilla--aunt at Temara who always has food on the stove and whom I adore.

8. Tangerines--best fruit in the world.

9. Tutku Cookies--chocolate filled cookies available at every hanout (convenience huts)

10. Crazy Cab Drivers

11. Having to sit WAY too close to men in grand taxis--note to all--buy th extra seat in the back of the taxi. Totally worth it.

12. Being told, once again, that they smoke marijuana in Chefchouan.

13. Yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!--the noise that salesmen say when they are walking down the street

14. Call to prayer

15. Freshly squeezed orange juice

16. all of the different types of olives

17. Argon oil dip that we eat with bread at first dinner. Argan is made from the nuts of the Argan fruit--a tree found in Morocco only I believe.

18. Cafes with only men. It is amazing how comfortable one becomes being surrounded by men who stare at you.

19. 4 Dirham bus rides

20. My Moroccan family

21. Prostitute clubs

22. Janet's French voice--she speaks about an octave higher when she speaks French

23. Bargaining

24. Being asked for my MSN name

25. Being able to say and do whatever I want because everyone is already staring. (this includes many singing in the rain impressions to the absolute horror of Selma.

26. Discussing Selma's boyfriends

27. Shopping with Selma

28. "C'est bonne pour la sante"--Everything in Morocco is good for the health.

29. Being forced to wear slippers--because not wearing slippers causes colds

30. Insisting for Omar that "Yes, I can do that on my own!"

31. Cous cous

32. Communal eating dishes

33. Switching language perameters on computer keyboards in order to type normally

34. The beam on people's faces when i try to use a little Arabic

35. Omar--Everything about him!

36. Saying "bonne chance" to all my fellow runners at the Hilton park

37.My daily busride home on the 57 or 30--my only time alone during the day

38. Cheap food

39. Sober dancing

40. Jesse's mom's laugh

41. The Ammor eye roll--the general reaction to pretty much everything i say

42. Shaking one's index finger side to side and tut-tutting

43. Emma and Xotchitl's Cinderella curfew--some of the girls lived in the dorms and they had to be in by midnight or they would get locked out

44. Emma's hilarious walk: she saunters like no one i have ever seen

45. "Saaiiiiiiiiiiiiida!" --our Arabic teacher

46. Preserved lemons

47. Kefta--meatball tajine with eggs

48. Speghetti bolognaise--always reliable choice in resaurants

49. Kristina's crazy chupacabra scream--a one time event, but forever in my memory

50. Restaurant California

51. Hanout CIEE--the convenience hut that everyone in our program uses

52. "C'est la meilleure qualite"--what every vendor tells you

53. Discussing the difference between "objectif" and "subjectif" for the 8th time in my anthropology class

54. The guy who parks the cars near ESDG--he likes to sing happy birthday in english to us every day

55. Stray cats

56. Chateau Briand--a local cafe, used to be a avant garde cafe...now it is kind of seedy but fun

57. Actually having the time to read as much as i want

58. Playing hearts and rummy to pass time before buses and trains

59. Weird local "guides" who are helpful but kind of annoying

60. La Une Cafe--personal favorite because it plays American oldies in the afternoon

61. Labass? Labass--everyday greeting

62. Hemdollah-thanks be to god.

63. N'shah Allah--god willing.

64. How every town has roads called Mohammed V and Hassan II

65. "It's not possible" Professor Zaki's tagline

66. How Moroccans wear WAY too much winter clothing in 55 degree weather

67. The way people play music from their cell phones for the entire bus to hear

68. Not eating the inside of the bread loaf

69. Complete lack of insulation

70. Bus 57? Est-ce que tu connais la route pour le bus?

71. Multi-colored petite taxis

72. Women wearing headscarves and a baseball caps at the same time

73. Couches in Morocco--they are awesome!! they wrap all the way around the room and they also function as beds

74. The way my little sister Miriam sleeps with her tongue out

75. Men carrying their prayer rugs on their heads when they walk home from Mosque

76. Men in the army holding hands and kissing each other hello and goodbye--nice to see

77. The first time I was asked directions and then asked, "wait, your not Moroccan?"---it was dark, so i dont think they noticed i am really really really white

78. Passing "spooky info" sign on the bus home and wondering...what does this company do?

Thanks so much for spending the semester with me, it has been fun sharing the funny happenings of my semester abroad with all of you

love and peace and happy howlidays (pun intended)

mags