Blog 6: Emani

During our pre-trip days, we were tasked with writing a list of our concerns for the trip. Looming on each list was the bullet point: “language barrier”. While our Arabic lessons have definitely reassured us, it wasn’t until Day 6 that I was able to realize that there are so many more ways to bypass the complexities of a language barrier and build deep connections.

  1. Food: It is no exaggeration when I say we are eating well here in Morocco. However, it is not solely the delicious meals that makes it so special, it is the whole eating process. Meals can truly be a multiple hour experience, Syndiely and I have been able to connect with our host mother, Fatimah, by preparing cous cous together, her repeatedly telling us “cooli” (eat!) even though we are contentedly full, and the way she subtly pushes more food in our direction. I remember how our family warned us when we added spice to our side of the plate, and the surprised laughter and smiles when we gave two big thumbs up after tasting the spice. There is truly so much love behind the entire process of sharing a meal.

  2. Math: “Math is a universal language” is a phrase I’ve always heard, but never understood the truth behind until we taught our first math class. We were all worried about how to teach when we didn’t all speak the same language. However, our first activity, a math competition in two teams, quickly created an extremely fun and competitive environment. Each solved problem set resulted in large applause and high fives all around.

  3. Games: I didn’t realize how impactful games would become when our 10-year-old host brother, Ayoud, first asked us to play Uno. Uno has become a staple in every single household, and has become an amazing way to connect with our families. We have stayed up till 1am, just laughing and even some trash-talking, Ayoud plays by his own rules, sometimes putting cards back, passing on his turn when he doesn’t want to give you a +4, trading cards, and even singing “Uno uno uno” so you have to draw two cards. Uno quickly branched off into card tricks, drawing pictures, simple hand games, making up handshakes, and lots of running around outside. Today I met Nihed, a girl who immediately linked arms with me who I spent the rest of the day playing games with. When it was time to say goodnight, she gave me a huge hug and said, “You are my best friend, I love you.”


In only three nights in the host community, we have been able to begin new friendships through food, math, and games, even without a common language. I’m hopeful that with these three things, and certainly lots more practice, we will be able to build lifelong connections.

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