marHaban! For two months this past summer I had the opportunity to study Arabic in Tangier, Morocco as part of a language-intensive federal scholarship program “CLS” (Critical Language Scholarship). While I had been studying Arabic the past two years at Loyola, this summer marked my first experience living in an Arabic-speaking country where I was fully immersed in the Arabic language and exposed to the incredibly vibrant and dynamic culture of Morocco. While I was able to experience a glimpse of life in an Arab country, there is much I have yet to learn and to reflect upon given the depth of the Arabic language and the dynamic of the Arabic-speaking world.
The eight weeks spent in Morocco were certainly challenging in many respects, but I look back on my time in Morocco with a sense of nostalgia. I find myself cherishing and missing the people the most, as well as the hustle-and-bustle of the night life, the markets in the old city, the 24-hour coffee shops, breaks to enjoy Moroccan tea, conversations with shop-keepers and taxi-drivers, and being constantly welcomed with hospitality and conversation from those I met in Morocco.It was always an experience, and often an adventure. Although words and pictures can never entirely paint the picture, I look forward to sharing some of these experiences with you all on this blog!
