Leaving Behind a Kindred Spirit

I try to take lots of photos as I travel so I can remember and share my experience.  But there are times when I see something amazing and I'm not able to reach my camera in time.  I think I've come to cherish those moments the most.  They allow me to simply live the moment.  Many other moments or experiences can never really be caught in the lens of a camera.  There is no way to capture the experience of finding a kindred spirit within someone otherwise so different from yourself.

Elizabeth and I were walking the busy, narrow streets of old Taza with Mohamed and his family.  Everyone was helping Elizabeth shop for a djellaba but, I was doing a little exploring on my own,  As I would venture further away from the others, I noticed Mohamed's youngest daughter, Lillia, was watching me with a concerned look on her face.  Eventually, Mohamed told me she was worried that I might get lost.  The next time I walked away from the group, I turned a corner and stopped.  A few seconds later I peaked back around the corner to see Lillia's worried face.  She saw me looking back at her as we locked eyes and smiled at each other; sharing a kindred moment that was just between the two of us and could never be saved in a photograph.  Of all the amazing things we've done here in Morocco, I think that is the moment in this great adventure I will always remember.



Returning to Rabat

I am now back in Rabat.  The other IREX fellows and I will soon be having our final meeting before returning to our homes throughout the United States. As I meet up with the others and we share experiences there is one thing we all seem to have found common among the students we have met. They want us to know they are not terrorist nor is terrorism a part of their faith or beliefs as Muslims.

    

It is difficult for an American traveling to Morocco or any other predominantly Muslim country to not consider religion.  There are also expectations of what is appropriate for me to talk about in my role as a teacher.  Add to this the world events since the attack of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 and I feel this is a topic that I must address but, with thoughtfulness and sensitivity.

 

It would not be appropriate for me to speak on behalf of Islam or any other religion.  I can only share from my own individual perspective and hope that others might find some common ground or at least parallels in their own beliefs.

 

As I have traveled around the world, I have been fascinated by many opportunities to witness and learn about other religions.  In particular, the roles of religion in various cultures as well as its role in the lives of the friends I have made around the world.  In a way, I find the world to be like a big museum or gallery in which I have been able to observe the application and interpretation of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Shinto, Judaism, Sikhism and other religions in various forms, like paintings on a wall.

 

Each painting captures its own sense of beauty or understanding of truth from the perspective of the artist.  I’m inspired when I am able to feel the sincerity of the artist as he or she offers a glimpse of the beauty or truth they have found.  While each work of art is inspired by each individual artist's unique perspective, I can take that piece of their expression and reflect it upon my own life experience and thus move the creative process forward; advancing it to a place of personal relevance.  A place where it can speak to me personally and add beauty and deeper understanding into my own life.

 

What I like about art is its ability to unite our human experiences.  Art gives us a way to reflect upon our humanity and provide an opportunity to learn more about ourselves as individuals, communities and human beings.  Sometimes my reflections expose blemishes or things that I need to improve but, they always offer a sense of hope and belief in humanity.  If I don’t find these qualities within a work of art then to me it is not art.  I think the same is true of religion.

 

My stay here in Morocco has given me a unique opportunity to spend a week with a beautiful Muslim family that clearly sees Islam as I see a beautiful painting and as many of my fellow Americans view their faith.  Each of us bring our own life experiences into the gallery.  We reflect upon each piece of art in a way that brings about a personal relevance that could be quite different from someone else.  But, if we enter the gallery with an open mind and a pure heart, we leave a better person.  To me, anything else is not art.  I think the students I met would also agree that anything else is not religion.

Last Night in Taza

Our last night in Taza was a big one. The students were performing and presenting their speeches in Arabic, French and English. Elizabeth and I were asked to be judges for the speeches in English. The speeches and performances lasted for nearly three and a half hours

Painting a Mural

Mohamed asked Elizabeth and me to work with his students to creat a mural in the courtyard of the school. 

Fes

I skipped my post for Sunday when we went to Fes on Sunday. 

While there we visited the he home of the King and then spent most of the day in the market. 

We had another great meal in a very impressive restaurant. 

Back in the Classrooms

Monday we were back in the classrooms. We started the day in a middle school art class were students were doing designs for masked they would then made out of repurposed materials. From there we went back to Mohamed's school were his English students gave us a PowerPoint presentation on the arts of Morocco. 

Elisabeth and I then gave presentation about our schools the Amercan education system. 

The Old City of Taza

The old city of Taza sits high above the new city. We walked all the way up to visit the market. 

Below you see two women and a girl getting water from a fountain. 

Spotty WiFi

Sorry I haven't been able to make regular posts but I will fill you in.  Saturday we started the day with a visit to the market in the old city if Taza. Then we headed up into Mount Atlas and had lunch in a small mountain village.

First Day in Taza

Elizabeth and I finally arrived in Taza and have met Mohamed and his family.  He took us to his school today where we meet his students and the very impressive faculty.  We had lots of time to interact with the students.  They are in many ways just like our students back in the U.S.  Later in the afternoon, we had an opportunity to see them rehearing for a performance that they will present next week.  This video is of a play based upon a poem that personifies many issues in Islamic culture and the Arabic language.  In this scene, the Arabic language is on trial.

Back online and feeling a bit better.

Sorry for the lack of posts but, neither I nor the wifi in my hotel have been functioning well. Before I and the wifi went down I got this video at an IB School in Rabat.  We got a traditional Moroccan welcome of dates and milk, then a tour of the school.

Elisabeth and I headed off to Taza this afternoon and we are looking forward to visiting Mohamed's school and meeting his students tomorrow. 

Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS)

After our morning session we had a "power lunch", which included a meeting with Nourddine Bendouqi, the President of the Moroccan Association of Teachers of English.  Then we were off to Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS) for a tour and panel discussion with educators and students at the University.

Morning Session on the History of Education in Morocco.

This morning's session on the history of education in Morocco was very interesting; especially the French influence. It was very similar to what 

I learned about the education system in Senegal under the French. 

First Full Day in Rabat

I finally got a full night's sleep in Nice bed at the Golden Tulip Hotel. Now we are getting ready for our first session on Moroccan History and Culture. 

A Walk to Dinner on My First Night in Rabat

Well here I am finally in Rabat via Atlanta and Paris.  It's off to dinner and our sessions start at 8:30 tomorrow morning.

My Great Adventure in Morocco has Begun

I just boarded the dart train to the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. I will be meeting the other teachers n Atlanta. Then we are off to Rabat with a brief layover in Paris.

Stay tuned. 

Meeting an Old Friend for the First Time

What a great surprise. I finally met Jesse Weisz from GEEO for the first time face-to-face. We have communicated via email and by phone for the last five years. As executive director of GEEO, he helps teachers travel around the world and bring that experience back into their classrooms. 

Time for a Little Sightseeing

As I was writing the last post, several of the other TGC fellows invited me to join them for a bit of sightseeing.  The picture above shows a reflection of the Washington Monument on the Vietnam Memorial.  There was a bit of chill in the air as we walked by these and other famous sights in our Nation's capitol.  We got back just in time for the Welcoming reception. where I met even more of my fellow educators preparing to venture off to all parts of the world.

First Day in Washington DC

Ms Neely and I flew from Dallas to Washington DC this morning. I'm meeting many of the other TGC Fellows as we all arrive at the Washington Court Hotel and register for the symposium.

Getting Ready for Washington D.C.

Time is going fast.  We are just a couple weeks away from the symposium in Washington DC.  Ms. Neely will be traveling with me for the three days.  We are both excited about the trip. We've both been to the capital before but, there's always lots to see and do in There. Most of our time will be occupied with the symposium itself but, well also get in a little sightseeing. For me, it will also be fun meeting the other educators I will be traveling with to Morocco.

I am also getting ready for a webinar on February 10th for the Morocco group. I'm sure the webinar will tell me more about what I can expect in both Washington and Morocco. 

Play It Again Sam

It looks like I'll be going to Morocco in March.  I was very fortunate to receive an IREX Fellowship from the United States Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.  As part of this fellowship, I have completed their TGC course that addresses the global competencies required for success in today's global society.

Before I leave for Morocco, I will also be attending a Symposium in Washington D.C.  There I will meet a delegation of other U.S. educators who will be traveling with me to Morocco.  I also hope to learn more about my activities in Morocco at that time.

So, I invite you to follow me on my next great adventure in Morocco (via Washington D.C.) and if you have any questions or comments please post them in this blog so that we can share our thoughts with everyone.