Day 2 in Morocco, our first full day was was jam packed with activities and lessons. The day started off with a lesson on the Moroccan history and culture presented by Meriem Lahrizi from Casablanca, Morocco. The Moroccan culture is a blend of Arabic, Berber and other African and European influences. The religion is 98.7% Muslim, 1.1% Christian, and 0.2% other. The official language is Standard Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, Berber and French are also spoken. Hassanlya Aribicis sometimes considered a type of Moroccan Arabic mostly spoken in the Sahara regions of Morocco. Sometimes English and Spanish are spoken. English is becoming more and more common.
We then took a minibus to the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (MACECE) where we spoke with Dr. James Miller the Executive Director. He spoke to us about the travel opportunities that were available for high school and university students, teachers and administrators.
After lunch we then visited the U.S Embassy in Morocco. This was the first time I had ever been in any Embassy. When you enter the Embassy you have to check in your camera and phone have a security check very similar to the airport. Once we got into the Embassy we spoke with Ms. Rebecca Smoak the Regional English Language Officer. She told us about all the different opportunities that the Embassy has available for students and teachers.
After we left the Embassy we went to our first historical site visit. We went to see the Hassan II Mausoleum and the Hassan Tower. Then we went to have an authentic Moroccan cultural dinner at Dar Naji restaurant in Agdal. The food was delicious and it was fun to watch the waiters pour the mint tea. Mint tea is brewed with dry tea leaves, fresh mint and sugar. Tea is served at the end of the meal. The class is filled only halfway and the more foam the better the tea is supposed to be. The less tea in the cup shows ones wealth.
We then took a minibus to the Moroccan-American Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (MACECE) where we spoke with Dr. James Miller the Executive Director. He spoke to us about the travel opportunities that were available for high school and university students, teachers and administrators.
After lunch we then visited the U.S Embassy in Morocco. This was the first time I had ever been in any Embassy. When you enter the Embassy you have to check in your camera and phone have a security check very similar to the airport. Once we got into the Embassy we spoke with Ms. Rebecca Smoak the Regional English Language Officer. She told us about all the different opportunities that the Embassy has available for students and teachers.
After we left the Embassy we went to our first historical site visit. We went to see the Hassan II Mausoleum and the Hassan Tower. Then we went to have an authentic Moroccan cultural dinner at Dar Naji restaurant in Agdal. The food was delicious and it was fun to watch the waiters pour the mint tea. Mint tea is brewed with dry tea leaves, fresh mint and sugar. Tea is served at the end of the meal. The class is filled only halfway and the more foam the better the tea is supposed to be. The less tea in the cup shows ones wealth.