Well, hey there people. I've been in Morocco now for a little over a week and now seems as good a time as any to buckle down and write an entry or two in the [no doubt eagerly anticipated] study abroad blog.

So, where to begin? I am currently studying at Al Akhawayn University in a little town in the Atlas Mountains called Ifrane. Ifrane is a relatively small town and, I'm told, not a terribly typical Moroccan city. More on that later. As for the school, it's about the same size as Haverford, except every single building except the mosque looks pretty much exactly the same. Imagine Swiss chalets if you found them somewhere in the Middle East. Oh, and they're all numbered instead of named. I guess grads haven't started sending in the big money yet. Give it time though, the school's only about twelve years old.

As for classes, I am currently taking Beginning Arabic (really fun stuff), History of the Arab World, Islamic Civilization, Film and Video Production, and Algerian History. Learning Arabic looks like it's gonna be a real tough nut to crack in the future, but for now I'm just having fun decoding the alphabet. I get a nerdy little subversive thrill out of sounding out the signs that I see around me. Speaking of which, I've got a little bit of homework to get done for that very class.

b-salaam everybody.