"My Study Abroad Retold in 8 Photos" by Aviv Porath
This is one of my first memories from my study abroad in Rabat. It was my first real weekend in Rabat, yet I hadn't really had a chance to explore my neighborhood. I decided to just wander, and ended up on the coast of the city. It was fairly empty and the sun was beaming intensely from above. I found a strange looking structure, and decided to explore. It turned out to a be a contemporary photography museum, placed inside an old military fortress that looked like it was made out of sand. It was an unexpected introduction to the youth art scene of Rabat. When I exited the museum, I found myself staring at an unbelievably picturesque view of the ocean and the rocky pools along its coast. I was happy to be in Morocco. Photo Credit: Porath, 2020
Morocco has a rich–I would argue integral–Jewish history, yet the legacy is often out of the public eye. Every city has a mellah, or Jewish quarter, in its medina, and many have Synagogues-turned-museums. I made it a personal mission to visit as many as I could and learn about their legacy. When in Fes, I went to the mellah, which housed the Synagogues of the Sephardic (Spanish Jews) and Amazigh (or Berber) communities. This photo was taken in the latter, and I had a really emotional experience walking around, observing the designs, reading the Hebrew, and imagining what used to take place there. The beautiful Jewish cemetery a walk away contained so many names and stories, and I felt a strong connection to them by being there. Photo Credit: Porath, 2020
This was taken in the northern city of Tetouan. One weekend I went to visit with a few friends from the program. The weather was much windier up in the mountains and the city had a very different feel than the Morocco I had seen thus far. This is because the North has more of a Spanish presence, whereas in the South the French had a stronger colonial foothold. Tetouan had colorful buildings and plazas reminiscent of Andalucia, such as the bright yellow Church depicted. It was really interesting seeing how the architecture and color scheme was so different here. My friends and I walked around until the sun set exploring the city. Photo Credit: Porath, 2020
On this same trip, we decided to take a day trip to a nearby beachtown, M'diq. It had such a different feel and aesthetic. The town was painted in only blue and white, which I found magical. It was pretty windy, so we bought jelabas, the warm local Moroccan gown that everyone wears in the streets. People called out to us, complimenting our attire. The beach welcomed the Mediterranean sea, and the water was so many shades of blue. My friends and I spent a while digging in the sand, looking for pretty seashells or pieces of colorful plastic and glass smoothed and shaped by the water (which I took back home with me). It was a friendly place and I'd love to go back in the summer. Photo Credit: Porath, 2020
Back in Rabat, I wanted to learn how to the play the Oud, a traditional Arab lute. I found a teacher, a Moroccan not much older than me named Mahdi. We used to meet twice a week, when he would teach me the traditional scales (maqamat) and we would sing songs together in Arabic. I was still an Arabic beginner, and my French was pretty rusty, but Madhi didn't speak English. So our lessons, with many moments of frustration, were conducted in Darija and French. It was a humbling experience, and I loved getting the hang out the Oud. We had our lessons at the beach, sitting in plastic chairs and sipping our black coffee, while people would stop to listen to us jamming as they walked by. Photo Credit: Porath, 2020
This is right before the end of my stay in Morocco, and hence one of my last memories. I went with some friends to Chefchaoen, the famous 'blue city.' We had a fantastic time exploring the steep, winding hills of the medina, stopping to chat with storekeepers, buying souvenirs, and discovering hidden alleyways. Me and a friend heard about a hike to a waterfall outside of town. We found a grand taxi that took us to the start of the trail. We were up in the mountains in the middle of nowhere. We didn't even know where the trail began, so we started following a random family, hoping we were going in the right direction. Along the way we encountered lots of Moroccans (who would always say 'salam' as they walked past) and travelers from around the world trudging along happily. The trail took us through a valley between two mountains, and the view was insane. Eventually we reached an enormous waterfall, shown, and sat down beside it to eat some fresh hot tagine. Photo Credit: Porath, 2020
I am a musician, and was looking for a way to meet young local musicians to play with and learn from. I found my way to La Renaissance Cinema, which every Monday hosted an open mic session. I convinced a few friends to come along with me and we found it immensely crowded. This was apparently where the young Moroccan hipsters hang out (aka mipsters, or Muslim hipsters, I was told by an AMIDEAST staff member). I went on stage, singing and playing guitar backed by a band of Moroccans, while my friends sipped tea and watched. I never realized how much Moroccans love (and excel at) the Blues. My friends and I would return almost weekly, and found this is where all the international students, as well as locals, hung out. Photo credit: Porath, 2020
