USA Trip Itinerary

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Wow, I knew I was behind, but I didn’t realize I hadn’t posted on here since August!  Well, if you’re clueless what I’ve been up to since then, please stop by my other two blogs – Raki’s Rad Resources and Global Teacher Connect, which get updated more regularly.  I promise to try and post a few things here in the next few weeks that will catch everyone up.  However, today, I am here to officially announce our itinerary for this summer. 

For those of you who haven’t heard, my husband is currently going to Grand Canyon University online, working on his Master’s Degree in Secondary Education.  In August, he will take his certification test, so we have decided to spend the entire summer in the United States.  Once we are there, we will purchase a van and travel quite extensively, visiting family and monuments of interest to my children.

If you look at the Google Map above, you will see our destinations.  Each blue pin is an anticipated stop, if you click on the pin, you will see the anticipated dates and activities.

I will be back soon to report on what is going on here in Morocco, but right now, I’m off to work on planning this extensive trip.

 

Chore Checkbook

Last year, we were lucky enough to have a “femme de menage” come out and help us out with chores around the house.  However, this year we have a big goal – we want to spend all of next summer (or as much as we can afford) traveling & camping in Europe.  With this goal in mind, we are economizing and doing without any household help for the year.  However, we are lucky enough to have two children old enough to be quite helpful, and we plan to put them to work!   Lucky for them, we are willing to compensate them, since it will also be a great way to teach them about budgeting and work on a bunch of math skills.  We sat down as a family and created a chore list, assigning a price to each chore, and I’ve made the boys checkbooks to help them keep track of the money they earn and spend, so that I don’t have to constantly find dirhams to pay them with.  The boys are super excited about this – especially because I have offered to exchange their dirhams to dollars (more math lessons!) and allow them to download games, books and music to their “devices”.  Anyways, while I was making the checkbook, I realized that it is something I might use in my classroom too, so I decided to put it into Google Docs, just in case anyone else wanted to use it – for inspiration or printing!  If any other parents out there want to share their chore payment ideas – I’m always open minded to options!!

 

Vacation’s Finished

For the last 2 years, our family has been pretty much in high gear movement mode (with a few long weekends thrown in for sanity).  Before deciding to move to Morocco, I was finishing my Master’s Degree (which took it’s toll on EVERYONE in the family) and then I got pregnant with our youngest son, Sam (which also took it’s toll on EVERYONE in the family).  While pregnant, we decided to do an international move – here to Morocco, and life has been in high speed since, packing, moving, setting up house, starting the Raki’s Rad Resources Blog and Website, getting 2 kids settled into school in two new languages, have wonderful family come to visit, moving house again, tutoring, etc. etc.  We have been one BUSY family.  So, we decided to take 2 weeks in the south of Morocco to recharge our batteries before the new school year starts and we begin running again!

Here are some pictures of what we did for the last two weeks:

    

At our campsite

       

At the waterfall

      

Amazing Scenery

    

At the Beach

    

At the Pool & Aquatic Park

   

At the Historic Sites

    

The Animals

Right before we left, we talked as a family about what our favorite part of vacation was and here were the responses:

Sam – collecting rocks (okay, he can’t talk, but we spoke for him)

Zaiyd – finding lots of different places to swim

Kal – going to the waterfall

Mom (Heidi) – the beautiful scenery

Dad (Khalil) – the great neighbors we met from France

 

I survived……

the first day of Ramadan!  This is the first time I have every tried to fast during Ramadan, so surviving Day 1 is super exciting to me!  Millions of Muslims around the world fast every day for an entire month, denying themselves food and water from sunrise to sunset.  This year for Ramadan, I decided I wanted to experience this with them.  Now, don’t jump to any conclusions, I am not converting to Islam. I am lucky enough to be married to a Muslim man who believes that I can and should believe anything I wish, and while I am enjoying exploring the religion, I do not feel any need to convert. However, I do want to experience life from other people’s point of view.  My reasons for wanting to try this are: 

1. to prove to myself that I can do it 

2.  to better appreciate the goodies and treats that are used to celebrate making it through a day of fasting 

3. to experience for myself the appreciation of having food on a regular basis that comes as part of fasting for Ramadan

4.  to share the experience with my 8 year old who is “trying” Ramadan for the first time and with my husband who has been doing Ramadan for the last 26 years

I don’t know if this will be the only Ramadan I participate in, or if I will even make it through the whole month, but I will check in periodically to let you know how it is going.  Here are my reflections from the first day, and some pictures of our Iftar feast.

I woke up at 3 a.m. the night before the fast to eat Suhoor, a meal of sustenance to help you through your fast.  I had oatmeal, with apples and carrots mixed in (loading up on the fiber!) and a smoothie made of avocado, milk and banana, as well as a bunch of water.  Then, back to sleep, and up with the baby around 7 a.m.  The overall fasting wasn’t bad, but there were silly things, like remembering not to like my fingers after feeding the baby something from my hands.  The smells and aromas of all foods were definitely amplified when I fed Zaiyd and Sam and when I began preparing for “Iftar” – the meal when you break your fast.  (I know people who fast and work in food service, and I can’t imagine how difficult this must be!)  We knew we would break our fast at 7:39 p.m., and by 4:00 p.m., we were in the kitchen beginning preparations.  My husband made the Haraia, the lentil soup that is full of protein and vitamins.  The boys helped me to make Zucchini bread (not traditionally Moroccan, but much loved in my household, and another way to get vegetables in).  I boiled eggs, and made a cheese ball recipe from my cookbook.  I am trying out one new recipe a day for Ramadan.  I made flan and warmed up M’smen (a Moroccan flat bread that we buy in bulk and freeze) and a Baguette.  At the last minute, we made coffee, and put out dates, chebekeah (the most delicious cookies that basically consist of deep fried dough coated in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds), a bowl of fruit and some juice for the boys.  Our Iftar is not always traditionally Moroccan, but is like our family – a mixture of American and Moroccan that fits best for our family. 

We were so anxious to eat that the table was set about 10 minutes before it was time to eat.  I used this time to take pictures for this post, and we watched a little tv.  Then, we heard the call for prayer and we began to eat.  I expected the first bite to be a big deal, but then I forgot that I have small kids who need to be helped out first, lol!  My first bite was actually a part of a banana I was serving to Sam.  I enjoyed all of the treats, but found that the chebekeah that I devoured in mounds last year (when I wasn’t fasting) was actually too sweat to eat more than one.  I also decided the coffee was too sweat right then, and opted for some leftover smoothie from Suhoor instead.  The haraia was amazing and the eggs tasted perfect.  My body craved the proteins and that is what I ate.  The whole process really makes me think about what my body NEEDS rather than what it wants.  When we were done eating, we sat around chit chatting and I had a great feeling of appreciation for the life that I have and the ability to have this experience.  We then went out and walked and enjoyed the night air.  After we returned home (and had to put Zaiyd through the window b/c we had forgotten a key, lol!)  We put the kiddos to bed and I enjoyed some rice and beans before heading to bed. 

It is now officially Day 2 and just writing this for you is making my stomach grumble, but I know that I can make it through.  That is part of what Ramadan is doing for me, building confidence in myself.  Now, here are some pictures of our Iftar table from yesterday:

The Whole Table of Goodies

Chebekeah – the cookie of the gods!

Haraiah – Ramadan soup with lentils

Cheese Balls – Ramadan Recipe of Day 1

Zucchini Bread – a Family Favorite

Ramadan Kareem to those celebrating!

 

 

The Language Learning Process

We’ve  been in Morocco a little over a year now, and the 4 of us who didn’t speak Arabic or French when we arrived have all increased our knowledge of these two languages.  However, as I stopped to reflect, I realized we also all represent different types of language learners, and thereby we have achieved different levels of success with Arabic and French.  Here’s where we currently are as language learners:

Samir – Sam is a baby and so knew nothing when we arrived.  He was only 3 months old after all.  However, now at 16 months old, he completely understand when you speak to him in Arabic, just the same as you had spoken to him in English.  He doesn’t have much spoken vocabulary yet, but his receptive vocabulary is very high in both Arabic and English.  He has had very little exposure to French, as he has spent his days with me (in English) or my husband and/or the nanny (in Arabic), but I can tell by how he responds to the Arabic that if he continues to be in this type of environment, he will view Arabic as a mother tongue.  He will be my truly “native speaker”.

Zaiyd – Zaiyd was 3 1/2 when we came to Morocco.  He knew how to speak very well in English, and was beginning to learn to read in English.  In Arabic, he knew the letters and a few key words and phrases.  In French, he knew nothing.  He began school in a program where 1/2 of his day is spent in French and 1/2 of his day is spent in Arabic.  Although his day was quite long, it was more focused on coloring, singing and vocabulary.  He amassed a huge vocabulary in both Arabic and French quite quickly.  However, due to his personality, he chooses not to speak in French or Arabic as often as he can get away with, to the point of hearing and understanding the French sentence, and then responding directly in English, showing he understands, but does not want to take the time to work on the spoken piece if he can be understood in English.  Zaiyd also took a preference for French over Arabic and so his French vocabulary started to surpass his Arabic vocabulary.  There are certain concepts that he learned in school (in French and/or Arabic) before we worked on them at home in English.  For example, Zaiyd is much more comfortable with the days of the week in French than he is in English.  While French and Arabic will never be Zaiyd’s mother tounge, it seems that if he continues to be in this type of environment, he will definitely be fluent in both shortly.

Khalil – Kal was 7 when we came to Morocco.  He attended Prek – 1st grade in a Georgia Public School in the US.  He could read and write well in English.  In Arabic, he knew the letters, his body parts, and a few key words and phrases.  In French. he knew nothing.  He began school in a program where 1/2 of his day is spent in French and 1/2 of his day is spent in Arabic.  Instead of going to second grade, he completed first grade again.  He learned to read and write again, both in French and in Arabic.  He learned grammar, memorized poems and Koran verses, and learned to write in pen.  He had some difficulty with the differences in the school systems, but he thoroughly enjoyed school.  Kal loves to learn and he threw himself into conquering these two languages.  Kal took a preference for Arabic and really enjoyed reading the street signs to us and reciting the Koran verses he had memorized via rote (even if he didn’t completely understand them yet.)  He was able to use his base in English to understand new concepts, and still translates his learning from Arabic (or French) into English in order to understand it completely.  Like Zaiyd, Kal will be fluent if he continues to be in this type of environment, in fact he already communicates quite well in both languages.  However, most of the concepts Kal learns in English and then his brain does a lot of translating between languages.

Me – I was 28 when we came to Morocco.  I was (and still am) a teacher, who is used to helping kids learn English, but I never mastered a language myself.  I learned quite a bit of Spanish in high school, but was never immersed into the language and have never felt that I am fluent there – although I am quite comfortable with the language.  I took one semester of French in college, so I had a small base of French.  I visited Morocco 6 years ago, and have lived with a Moroccan (my wonderful husband) for almost 10 years, so I knew some key phrases in Arabic, lots of food names, animal names, body parts etc., but I was far from fluent, and barely comfortable, in Arabic.  Unlike the kids, I don’t get to spend my days immersed in the language.  Instead, I teach English all day, and am in English speaking environments about 80% to 90% of the time.  I did take Arabic classes (twice a week for an hour at a time), and I’ve been in plenty of situations where no one speaks English.  However, after a year here, I’m still so very far from capable.  I can get through the pleasantries of polite conversations.  I can get my basic needs met.  I can understand the gist of a conversation, and I know how much the merchants are asking for when I buy something.  However, there is so much I would like to say, and understand in French and Arabic, that I don’t.  I have had to make myself understand that my boys will ALWAYS speak better French and Arabic than I do.  I have had to make myself understand that I’m doing the best that I can.  I’ve had to remind myself that I am speaking and understanding much more than I was last year.  I have to remind myself that it doesn’t happen overnight.  I don’t know if I’ll ever be fluent in French or Arabic, but I know I’ll keep trying and learning.

   

 

Neighbourhood Walk Around the World–Casablanca, Morocco

Jo Ebisjum of JoJebi Designs is doing a “neighbourhood walk around the world”.  I thought this was a great idea, and wanted to share a look at our neighborhood here in Casablanca, Morocco.  After you check out our pictures, please feel free to click on the badge to find all the other neighborhoods around the world.

1.  A mail box – We don’t really have a mailbox, but this is where we get our mail – these are our electric meters.  If you have anything really important, like a package, they leave you a note and you have to go to the post office and pick it up.

2.  A local store – called a Hanut, they have a little bit of everything!

3.  A manhole cover

4.  A park/play area – these are so far and few between, that we don’t have any in our area.  Here’s the “jardin” where my kids play.  It’s in the center of the apartment buildings, and it gets loud in the afternoons with rousing games of soccer!

5.  A View of the Street – We have a café right where the apartments meet the road.  When there is a soccer game, the café fills up with people and we can hear them cheer all the way back in our apartment.

6.  A Local Form of Transport – Since moving to Boskura, my kids love that you can catch a horse taxi so close by.

7. A Local Animal – In addition to wild cats, donkeys are the animal you see most often in the streets here.  They pull everything from fruit to wood to garbage.  You can find a donkey on every streets and my kids can even differentiate the sound between a donkey and a horse now!

8. A Picture of a Local Shopping Center – These are the stores you can find in the Marjane shopping center.

9.  Buildings Under Constructions – There are so many buildings being build in and around Casablanca.  It’s amazing to me to see the sticks that are used to hold up levels while they fill in the cement blocks.  After the building is built with cement, it is covered with cement or plaster.

10. A Street Sign – This is the sign you see when you are getting on the highway.

 

Another Move

This weekend, we made another move.  Luckily, this move wasn’t an international one, but still, it has been a “fun” week, trying to get packed, moved, unpacked, settled in, etc.  We moved from a half a villa in Oasis, Casablanca – pretty close to the downtown “centreville” area, out to Boskura – a small area on the outskirts of Casablanca.  It’s not very far – it only takes us 15 minutes to get from one place to the other, but it feels like a word of difference.  It’s much more “rural” and so we see sheep and cows really close by.  Instead of just donkeys and horses in the street, it’s not strange to see some sheep or cows grazing on the side of the road.  There are beautiful farms to see on the drive between the two, and if you want to, you can grab a horse drawn taxi here as well.  (There are also grand taxis – large and white, but only go along one route, and we see blue petite taxis from Mohamadia and Rabat.  The petite taxis are red in Casablanca.) 

Most of the time, this is a really quiet area, although there are many people moving here to “escape the city” and so there is a lot of construction noises going on around us.  Down the road is a huge souk, which is only open on Tuesdays, but draws huge crowds.  We didn’t make it this week, but we hope to go next week.  I can’t wait to walk around!  On Friday, the two huge mosques fill up with people from all around.  People come to pray and to shop afterwards – as all of the fruit and vegetable vendors (and some other vendors too) will be sitting outside the mosque when prayer time is over.

Our new place has two bedrooms, a salon/dining area, a bathroom and a kitchen.  It’s not much smaller than the last place, although it doesn’t have a balcony.  We are on the ground floor, which is good and bad.  It’s good because the boys can take their bikes right outside to the garden area to ride and play with friends.  It’s bad because the laundry lines are 4 floors up, so when the washing machine is done, I have to walk up 4 floors to hang the clothes.  It’s okay, though, there is an elevator which should be working soon – in’challah!  (In’challah is Arabic for “If God Wills It”, but is often used in place of “hopefully”.)

Here are a few pictures of our new place – please excuse the boxes that are all over the place!  I’ll be back in a few days with pictures of the neighborhood.