“A Moroccan Song” The beat from my headphones combines with the muffled whispers of young men as I pass by. Mews of small animals float into the air, and pattering footsteps commingle with the hum of a motorcycle engine. This city is full of strange sounds — sounds that transcend the constraints of verbal communication […]
Lake Rotoiti: Lichenophilia
I vaguely remember our group being told a story about the creation of the South Island while we were all back in Portland, excitedly anticipating what this place would be like. The story explained how the South Island was given beautiful beaches, tall mountains, and plentiful sea life. However, this place could not be perfect, […]
This is Fez
For the first few days here, most of us only went two places; our homes, and the Institute for Language and Culture (INLAC). INLAC is inside the old medina, and is the school where we’ll be taking our classes for the next two months. My host-mother just calls it “al-madrasa,” and that’s where I tell […]
مرحباً
Earlier this week, I arrived in Fes after a six-hour train ride from Tangier along with eight other students. I stepped off the train and through a glass-covered pointed arch that took up most of the building’s facade. It was evocative of those medina entrances visible all over Marrakech. The group stepped into the station, […]
Getting Our Bearings – La primera día
19 Feb 2014 Getting Our Bearings – La primera día Our first day in La Habana, we were ecstatic to find out what the city had in store for us. The morning began with a generous breakfast comprised of eggs, pineapple, batidos and papaya (a false cognate in Spanish that should not be uttered). […]