<-- My Moroccan host familyThis last week has been quite busy. I just finished a 5-day course in the Arabic script. The first time around that I lived and studied here, I learned the local dialect by ear alone and by phonetic transliteration but I decided it was time to learn the Arabic script so that I can eventually read signs and write a little. My classes were four hours in the morning and by the end, I could barely remember my name.
As luck would have it, my teacher was Mohammed Reda, who was my private teacher during the first month I lived here in 2008. Reda is a great teacher and very entertaining so I was pleased to be studying with him again. The class had three other American girls in it, probably in their 20s. I'm really enjoying learning the script; not only is it artistic and aethetically beautiful, but it feels kind of like a code language or secret language. I'm excited that I'm doing pretty well and I credit it to my having learned to read music at a young age, which perhaps lends the brain towards symbolic recognition. It's also nice to be a total beginner at something.
In the afternoons, I'm either practicing guimbri on the terrace at home or have a lesson with Arafa. I've had some great opportunities to hang out with the guys for music “sessions” at Arafa's house where they take turns playing. I brought my recording equipment to yesterdays session so that some of the other guys could hear themselves and they were all tickled by it. Yesterday, we were there over four hours, talking and playing music.
It's getting rather warm here, possibly in the 80s and I dread thinking about what Marrakech must be like right now since I'll be heading South in a couple weeks. I'm starting to formulate a plan to stay here another 10 days or so, pass through Tangier to see more ma'alemin, and onto Fes before I take a train to Marrekech again. I'm happy I came to Tetouan and have a little bit of a program going on.
There seems to consistently be opportunities here for me as even last night as I was walking through the medina on my way home, I heard Gnawa music through an open door leading into a house. A guy in the street saw me standing by the door listening and told me to go in and check if i could stay. I cautiously stepped in, hoping not to interrupt anything. I introduced myself as a student of Gnawa music and a student of Arafa Chaara's, which seemed to register. I'm sure that my speaking the dialect with them helped immensely too. They got a chair for me and I stayed through a couple sets of songs. I had my small guimbri with me and one of the ma'alems pointed to it, so I offered it up for him to try. He fiddled around on it then handed it back. I excused myself and and thanked them and was really happy to have stumbled onto another group of Gnawa.
I'm still really enjoying staying with my host family here. They gave me and Chaemae, the eldest daughter, our own room together and that's been fun. Her English is better than my Arabic and we have endearing conversations about boys and clothes. It's quite nice to have the company when I want it with the option to be alone, too. The roof terrace looks out at the Rif Mountains and it's a lovely place to practice. They make me amazing food and my laundry is always done so it's actually quite luxurious.
The girls were out in the medina the other night and got me gifts. Chaemae and Wiam bought me a new outfit which is actually pretty in line with my tastes and the mother got me some pajamas which I really can use as I hadn't really brought much in that regard. On the pajama top is a teddy bear with words below it reading, “Contiuy Feel Weart Bear?” This is more evidence of my suspicion that reject clothes from factories get sent to Morocco much like the “Free Hell” sweater that Hassan had. The sisters asked me what the words meant in English and I told them, “I have no idea. I think the teddy bear is still learning English, it's his own creation.”
We're all going to the beach tomorrow as a family and that will be a kick. The girls are so excited and are already planning their swim wear, which I was shocked to see is more daring than mine. There should be some good stories to tell after this.
