Moroccan Momma

So after a week of anticipation, the moment I have been waiting for and simultaneously dreading since I got accepted finally arrived today: I met my Moroccan momma!  After another lecture about the potential issues that could arise from dealing with miscommunications with the homestay family, we finally received a little fact sheet about the family we would be spending the next 8 weeks with.  On said sheet included the names of all the family members, what kinds of facilities they had (shower water, toilets), what language(s) they spoke, and any other relevant information.  I received my sheet and it had the names of the nine people who would make up my host family: 3 brothers,  4 sisters, mom, and dad.  It kinda reminded me of my wonderful family back home :) Then we were told that all of our families were waiting for us downstairs at the center, and I just about had a heart attack.  However, once I met my Moroccan mom, who insisted I call her mami, I instantly felt welcomed and at home.  She spoke fluent and very rapid French, and began to tell me a little bit about her very large family.  She apparently sells food at a street shop, so I am basically guaranteed fantastic food while I stay with her.  Hopefully she will teach me some of her skills so I can bring them back to the States with me.  I will have two sisters living in the house with me: one is 19 and the other 14.  Both of my host sisters are in school, and one of them takes Egyptian dance classes, which I took to be belly dancing.  One of her other 4 daughters lives in a small town outside of Casablanca with her own family.  And she has another relative who lives out in the countryside of the middle of the country.  She didn't tell me much that I could understand or pick up about her sons or husband, but I am sure I will learn whatever I need to know when I move in tomorrow!  I am so excited to finally meet the family I will be spending the majority of the next 8 weeks with, and I can't wait to move in tomorrow.  Another activity I am not looking forward to as much tomorrow is what SIT calls the "drop off" exercise.  We will each be dropped at some point in the city, and we will have to find our way back to the Center for Cross-Cultural Learning (CCCL) in the Medina. I'll let you know how that goes...