Day 2- Arrival and a Visit to the Mosque

DAY 2: a voyage through Morocco

By Natasha & Carlotta

Last night, after boarding the plane, our group seemed to divide itself into two groups: the sleepers, and the …not sleepers. The sleepers, on one hand, could be found at any point during the trip dozing in crammed, awkward, and sometimes completely incomprehensible positions, while the non-sleepers engaged in various estranged activities. Alexis was spotted carrying a child, (for a substantial portion of the flight), which clearly did not belong to her, while Hannah pawned off pounds of chocolate to unsuspecting sleepers.
Carlotta, however, was in a completely separate category: comatose. She failed to acknowledge a near- ten pound backpack being dropped on her head while sleeping (or the service cart rammed into her arm several times). She seemed amused when informed of said events the following morning.
Next came customs and baggage claim, which surprisingly enough came through without a hitch, with the exception of a customs officer mocking each and every one of our highly embarrassing passport photos. Bags in hand(s), we boarded the bus.
About a half hour of driving later, we arrived at the Mosque Hassan II, which truly proved to be an architectural wonder. Upon entering Hassan II, the group could feel the heat radiate from the local Moroccan marble and limestone. The mosque, a highly exquisite center for communal prayer, consisted of 57 chandeliers made from Venetian glass and 360 well hidden speakers used to call prayer. As we glanced around the interior of the mosque, including the ceiling, we discovered that a segment of the roof opens to form a skylight. This is very much necessary when the mosque is packed to a full capacity, seeing as there was no air-conditioning installed originally. The portion of the mosque that resonated most with the group was the “Ablution Rooms” due to the monotonous practice of cleansing. The Ablution rooms serve as an area where one beatifies oneself before prayer. The walls themselves are composed of a mixture of limestone, egg yolks and clay, which creates a humidity absorbing effect. We were stunned as our guide explained a step-by-step ritual of traditional cleansing before actual prayer.

STEPS FOR PROPER SELF-CLEANSING:
1. Wash right hand up to wrists 3 times
2. Wash left hand up to wrists 3 times
3. Wash mouth 3 times
4. Wash nose three times
5. Wash face 3 times
6. Wash right hand up to elbow 3 times
7. Wash left hand up to elbow 3 times
8. Pass water on head back and forth once
9. Wash ears once
10. Wash right foot up to ankle. Repeat 3 times
11. Wash let foot up to ankle. Repeat 3 times.

On the way home, we stopped for food at Oasis Cafe. Since no one on the trip speaks Arabic, Natasha (and all of the other French speaking students) became quickly utilized in just about every conversation in order to bridge the gap.
During the drive to the hotel from Oasis, just about everyone was power-napping (especially those “non-sleepers”). Once at the hotel, we were finally able to shower, change, and crack down on work. As we type, the group resembles a think tank in the hotel lobby, chewing over ideas for our visit with the circus school tomorrow.
Next is dinner with the group in the hotel restaurant, then off to much needed sleep!

ALEXIS’ VOCABULARY TERMS (presented by Carlotta):

• A DUMMY- noun. One who checks the premise for missing items before departure.

• DUMMY CHECK- verb. The act of checking the premise for missing items before departure.

• DOG’S BODY- noun. One who is stuck with all the “grunt” work for being “naughty” (see definition)
•
• NAUGHTY- verb. The act of doing something you shouldn’t be doing, but not really sinful. Ex.) “They were just being loud naughty teenagers!”

• A BABY- noun. An extra suitcase that does NOT belong to you. Often filled with charity donations when leaving for a trip. When departing back to said home base; often filled with souvenirs and other useless stuff.

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