today a student of mine wanted to teach me a moroccan proverb. we were doing a lesson on vegetables. so she told me with wide eyes and a genuine smile, "in morocco we say that life is like an onion. you peel away the layers and at the end it's still bitter and makes you cry." i sort of looked at her blankly, not really sure how to react. you try and decipher that into something that's not totally depressing.
ha, and also today i was greeting a woman who apparently likes to do two kisses on each cheek sometimes instead of one. i had no idea this was like something that happened, so i turned and ended up kissing her on the lips! i of course turned red and she pinched my cheek and patted my head like i was a five-year-old and laughed sort of with me, but more at me.
misunderstandings all around. keeps things interesting.
i've been trying to learn arabic. sort of. i'm not in a class so my learning has been totally haphazard and random. i've got the bare-bone basics down, and the rest is just through interaction. the guy who works at the kiosk across the street has been eagerly trying to get me to increase my vocab. now he only lets me tell him what i want in arabic- so i know the words for toilet paper, milk, and ground coffee. not really a hot conversation topics.
anyways, i'm continuing to enjoy my time here. and as you may have seen from my last post, it looks like i'll be staying next year. maura ewing, fourth grade teacher. i haven't totally committed to the school yet. but in my mind i'm pretty set on staying. huzzah!
-maura-
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Maura
Your stories make me laugh out loud. I have to remember not to read them at work!
Mom
Staying sounds great- there are no more boats here in the US to miss than there are in Morocco. If you stay long enough maybe I'll come visit you.
aaaah! i love it! i cant wait to be abroad again, teaching and leaning, being surrounded in a buzz of general confusion and wonderment. i have to say, that Moroccan proverb is probably the saddest cultural gem a little wide eyed child could excitedly share with you. maybe you should show your little student shrek, i believe there is a slightly more optimistic version of that very proverb contained within...i really want to learn arabic! your so lucky! but first italian :)
Post a Comment