Couscous and Conversation!: My Morocco Experience- 05/16/2025

As I awoke to the soft ringing of my alarm and scrolled for a couple of minutes on Instagram, I prepared myself for the day. I shared bread, eggs, and potatoes with my homestay roommate and homestay mom for breakfast while reviewing numbers in Arabic. Our homestay mom makes it a priority for us to learn her language in order to better communicate with her and others.Sometimes, we get so caught up in memorization that we forget the word we all use over and

over, shukran (which means "thank you" and is the only word we all know).

During our lecture today, we discussed the BEVI assessment, which highlights group similarities and differences across scales representing beliefs, values, and identities both personally and globally. Through this lecture, we were able to reflect on some of our results and the reasoning behind why our group scored higher in certain areas than others. When assessing the areas we struggled with most, we engaged in an activity where we were given scenarios a friend might experience and asked how we would navigate the situation. Through this, we were able to share some of our commonalities and perspectives on the struggles of being first-generation college students.

After the lecture, we enjoyed couscous with our host family. The previous night, my host mom, Fatima, had us cut vegetables to prepare for Friday couscous. In Morocco, it is common to have couscous on Fridays because it is a day of rest and a reward for the hard work of the week. Let me just say this—it was as good as it looks in the picture. The sweet caramelized onions and raisins, combined with the roasted vegetables and fluffy couscous, were absolutely delectable. I ate so much, I felt like I was in a food coma!

Couscous!

Once lunch ended, we headed to a café to meet with Moroccan students to learn Arabic and about the lives of local college students. As I sipped on my delicious mango juice, I learned how different college is in Morocco and how not to get ripped off at the Medina. College students in Morocco study at the university for only three years and must complete a final research project to graduate, much different from college in the U.S. I also had the opportunity to discuss politics in both Morocco and the U.S., in addition to comparing music tastes (everyone loves Rihanna). I really enjoyed talking to the Moroccan students, as I was able to gain insight into their college experiences and compare them to mine.

Coffee with Moroccan Students

When we returned to the homestay, our homestay mom taught us how to properly wrap our hair in a hijab for our mosque visit the next day. She generously provided me with one of her beautiful headscarves.

Me and Andrea with our hijabs before the mosque visit!

Me getting henna done

Throughout my experience in Morocco, I have been able to deeply immerse myself in the culture through the cuisine, architectural sites, and, most importantly, the conversations with my homestay mom. I am excited to continue learning about Moroccan culture and experiencing new traditions throughout this trip!

Signing off,

Mia