The First Americans

Today I set out on an adventure with my friends Kate (Boston) and Belinda (Maryland) to Temara. Our English teacher invited us to help out at the English classes she coordinates through the ACCESS program, which is sponsored by the US government. I knew today would be a day of firsts for me--my first time on the bus, first time out of Rabat, and first time volunteering in Morocco. However, as I set out from my apartment this morning, I didn't imagine that I'd be the first U.S. American to some of my new friends.

My friends and I met at the bus stop, which was already crowded with people anxiously staring down the street. We weren't sure which direction we wanted, just the bus number, but thanks to some helpful Moroccans, we realized that we needed to move to the other side of the road. Upon arriving at the actual bus stop that we needed, we waited about 10 minutes for Bus Number 4. I boarded the bus, clutching the 4 dirham fare in my hand. I didn't see any place to pay, so I proceeded to make myself comfortable (or as comfortable as possible on such a crowded bus). It wasn't until I saw a man in the middle of the bus attempting to get my attention that I learned that I had walked right past the ticket taker and neglected to pay. After handing over the equivalent of 50 cents, Kate, Belinda, and I communicated our destination to the driver, who agreed to tell us when we reached our destination. The bus transported us out of flashy Agdal, through the villas of Hay Riad, and finally, onto the main street of Temara. Temara felt oddly like small town USA--one main street, filled with stores and restaurants. The street was dotted with "koochees" which are horse drawn carriages.

After exiting the bus, we navigated to the school using the hand drawn map our English teacher had made for us. The students look at us with curiosity but also with kindness. They said "Welcome" as we entered the simple classroom, filled with hard benched desks and closed in by graffiti covered walls. We took our seats next to our Moroccan counterparts. Over the next 4 hours, we helped them with English worksheets, laughed over shared musical likes and dislikes, and of course, exchanged Facebook information. One of my favorite moments took place when our teacher played a video of the Cup Song, a popular tune from Pitch Perfect. All of the students in the class, whether Moroccan or American, joined in and sung along. View a small clip of our singing HERE.

Being surrounded by the students today gave me a breath of fresh air. Their sometimes hilarious, sometimes serious comments and questions made me both laugh and pause to think. When our teacher posed the question "Have you ever met an U.S. American before?" I was surprised to hear that many of the students in the class had not. Being one of the first U.S. Americans (along with Kate and Belinda) for these students is both an honor and responsibility. It's an honor because, out of all the people in United States, I am one of the first. It's a responsibility because to my new friends, I am the United States, I am their point of reference for my entire nation. I lived in the United States, but the United States continues to live on in me--in my view of the world, in my values, and in my mindset.

After class finished, we walked down the street together, quite literally arm in arm. We promised to meet up again soon, and bid each student farewell with kisses on the cheek when they had to turn from the group to walk home. Finally, we reached the bus stop and waved goodbye to our new friends, heading back to the bustling city of Rabat. Tonight, as I sit in my room, I am admiring a new bracelet on my wrist--it is black, with shiny round beads. One of my new friends gave it to me from her wrist. Having a small collection of beaded bracelets myself, I gave her one of mine. We are now carrying a small part of each other, representative of our different lives and cultures. When we sit across from each other in classrooms, when our tongues wrap around the words of each other's languages, when our voices trace the same melody of overplayed pop songs, the 'other' is no longer so foreign.  I feel that the type interactions I had today--friendships that stem from curiosity and bridge cultures--are what the YES Abroad program is all about. Today gave me a renewed sense of purpose of my time in Morocco, and I can't wait to see these amazing students again!