September has been a whirlwind. It was a month ago today that I said goodbye to my family and the United States. I now realize that I have prepared myself pretty well for being in Morocco. My internalized motto has been to expect everything to take forever and nothing to happen just as planned. I am an anal person, so this transition has been a bit difficult, but I believe that the 2 months I just spent in Jordan perpared me for this cultural change. I’m working on embracing the cultural differences; the concept of time, male-female friendships, personal space differences, gym culture, and food (I am not a cook and also not particularly a fan of Tajine…so I have been eating an absorbent amount of sushi). What I have found most difficult has been the lack of structure, but I am working to create my life and schedule here in Tangier day by day.
Two days ago, I finally got to go to my school, meet a professor, and learn more about what my role will be. I have learned that if I have a problem, suggestion, or concern, I need to voice it multiple times with certain people, and only once with others. I’m learning to navigate this new professional workspace where I will be known as “Professor Sherwood” to my students and “Clara” to fellow teachers, probably all at least a decade my elders. While I have still been given no precise outline, structure, or syllabus for my courses, I am learning to “go with the flow.” I have been given 3 courses to teach that I will be splitting with 3 different professors. I’m finding this a bit difficult to understand because each teacher works at a different pace, has a different pedagogy, and overall different goals. As to how I will effectively split a class with another professor, I am still attempting to figure out.
Now that I have a schedule, I am beginning to find ways to become more involved with the university and local community. I am going to be in charge of 2 clubs on campus, one focused on culture and the other on conversation. I will also be assisting with a school-run journal, final projects, and perhaps giving guest lectures in other classes about American culture, plagiarism, and Fulbright opportunities. I’m excited to meet my students and to get involved on campus. While I have been SUPER fortunate to live with Courtney this past month, I have felt rather isolated. I am used to having a full schedule, many friends to visit with, and a manner to pursue my hobbies. Slowly but surely, I am making friends and beginning my own language training. Aside from teaching, what I am most excited about right now is learning French (a life-long aspiration that I have never been able to pursue). I have found a fantastic tutor who has worked with past Fulbrighters and have already learned more in one session than I have in 4 months of Duolingo!
Tomorrow (9/30), I will finally be moving into my apartment. The apartment search was not fun, but after hearing from other ETA Fulbrighters, my experience has been easier than others. I will be living above a Moroccan family in an apartment overlooking Tangier’s port. I have particularly become close to the uncle (Abdu) and his nephew, using English, Spanish, and MSA to communicate with them. They have invited me and Courtney over for dinner twice and have welcomed me into their home very graciously. While I toured other apartments, I am really pleased with where I will be living because everyone in “the barrio” seems to know Abdu, so I have an extra layer of support and security. I’m fortunate to have already experienced the Moroccan hospitality that all of my friends who have lived in Morocco have told me about. I begin classes next week and am excited to meet students, begin coordinating clubs, and continue my own language acquisition. There is a Chinese Institute at King Fahd School and my contact told me I could take language classes there for free. Although I never had an interest in learning Chinese….when else will I get this opportunity? We shall see. I think that a combination of learning French, Darija, MSA, and Chinese while relying primarily on my Spanish could prove overwhelming, but “when in Tangier.”
