Blog 23: William

As we are nearing the end of the trip, I’ve been thinking back upon what all has contributed to such a special experience. And as I think about all my favorite moments and memories, they all center around people. Today was the day that Mr. Boccuzzi left, and as he did he left us with a question. How has our experience and our perceptions shifted from when we first arrived to now? And as I thought about this question, my mind went to my (host) family around the dinner table. For me growing up, family dinners have always been an incredibly valuable and special time, often full of laughter and bonding. And then I thought back a few days ago to a recent dinner and compared it to my first few meals here. I remember my first couple meals being eaten in mostly silence. With the kids sitting further away and the general attitude towards each other was one of shyness and nervousness (which to be fair is kinda to be expected but I’m using this for the sake of example). And then comparing to Sunday's dinner, which started in the afternoon with me working in the kitchen chopping vegetables and juicing fruit. Then with the same joyful cries of “Chef du Cuisine William”, we set the table and sat down. (Let it be noted though I was not in fact “Chef du Cuisine” as that title fully belongs to my host mom Amina, who graciously coached me along.) What followed was one of many laughter filled dinners, filled with running inside jokes, humorous transition attempts, as well as some time where I got to observe them converse in rapid-fire Darija and try to pick up what I can– interjecting to ask about a word here and there, always greeted with a joyous response with often varying results. But it didn’t matter because we were a family. The following onslaught of dishes passed uneventfully and we concluded the night by laying on the roof and watching the stars go by.

And then here are just some more small observations for those who also find joy in them: We went on a hike to the top of a small mountain and lo and behold at the top we found a small tortoise! Outside one of the houses is the beautiful “tree” which is actually an olive tree and a grape vine growing together– both bearing fruit. Due to the humidity in my bathroom in contrast to the dry air, it is normally ~25-30 degrees hotter than the rest of the house (or feels like at least). I consistently see 2-5 shooting stars a night. At the soccer field, I have observed 3 wild peacocks and one really friendly old man who said hi to me. The water is very mineral heavy, leaving deposits in the pot it’s boiled in.

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