Today was our first full day in Meknes!
We woke up, had breakfast, and attempted to spend some time working on our blogs. Khadija picked us up around noon, where we headed to her house for lunch with her and her friend Kim, from the ALC. Here, Khadija prepared a special meal of couscous for us, as couscous is traditionally prepared on Fridays. The meal was absolutely delicious, followed by fresh artichokes and oranges for dessert (and don't forget the coffee!). Khadija has a lovely home and I am so appreciative to be welcomed with such enthusiasm and generosity, and feel very grateful to her and her family.
We then headed the the school, where the students were having a public speaking competition. There were 12 participants, and many musical and theatrical acts in between, including song, beat box, rap, and break dancing. One young lady even played "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, while playing the guitar and harmonica. Quite the performance! Jennifer and I were judges to the public speaking competition, of which the theme was, "Be the Change You Want to See in the World." I was so impressed by these young people and their ability to speak in front of a crowd, and in their non-dominant language to top it off. I was also equally impressed by the talent of the musicians and actors that performed songs/skits/etc. When the competition was over the students rushed to welcome us and take pictures with us, which was so nice and made me feel right at home. It also made me miss my students! I also gained great respect for Khadija and the work that she does at her school. She goes above and beyond to offer her students experiences that they would normally never have and her school is lucky to have her. Students from other schools had even come to the school to try to participate in the competition.
We then went for a quick drive to see some sights, had dinner, and headed back to our hotel. I can't wait to share the video of the talent to my students!
We woke up, had breakfast, and attempted to spend some time working on our blogs. Khadija picked us up around noon, where we headed to her house for lunch with her and her friend Kim, from the ALC. Here, Khadija prepared a special meal of couscous for us, as couscous is traditionally prepared on Fridays. The meal was absolutely delicious, followed by fresh artichokes and oranges for dessert (and don't forget the coffee!). Khadija has a lovely home and I am so appreciative to be welcomed with such enthusiasm and generosity, and feel very grateful to her and her family.
We then headed the the school, where the students were having a public speaking competition. There were 12 participants, and many musical and theatrical acts in between, including song, beat box, rap, and break dancing. One young lady even played "Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan, while playing the guitar and harmonica. Quite the performance! Jennifer and I were judges to the public speaking competition, of which the theme was, "Be the Change You Want to See in the World." I was so impressed by these young people and their ability to speak in front of a crowd, and in their non-dominant language to top it off. I was also equally impressed by the talent of the musicians and actors that performed songs/skits/etc. When the competition was over the students rushed to welcome us and take pictures with us, which was so nice and made me feel right at home. It also made me miss my students! I also gained great respect for Khadija and the work that she does at her school. She goes above and beyond to offer her students experiences that they would normally never have and her school is lucky to have her. Students from other schools had even come to the school to try to participate in the competition.
We then went for a quick drive to see some sights, had dinner, and headed back to our hotel. I can't wait to share the video of the talent to my students!