Before I know it I'm going to be in Rabat, Morocco, taking photos, exploring new streets, eating weird food, speaking words from languages I don't know just to get by. Before I know it Morocco will feel normal and I will have a semi permanent daily routine there, and I can't wait.
From getting home from my summer in Nepal in August, to moving back to school, life has been a whirlwind, and quite honestly a blur. I knew this semester would be busy but... even I didn't see this level of craziness coming.
Preparing for my trip to Morocco has been happening every Sunday though, and every Sunday has been an exciting day. I will be in Morocco for one month, with an Ohio University Study Abroad trip for Documentary Scriptwriting. We have to take two classes, one in scriptwriting, the other titled Media in the Muslim World. The rest of the time is all our own as we work with one other partner to produce a final documentary script, as well as a photo story to support the script. I will be working on my project with my partner for the trip, (and beautiful roommate) Becca. We were given the liberty to choose whatever topic we wished, and with some interesting research I stumbled on the controversial topic of Moroccan Witchcraft.
I'm sure I'll be writing more on the topic while I'm there, but, to start- witchcraft in Morocco is a tense subject for Moroccans to discuss. Visiting a witchdoctor is against Islamic faith, Morocco is made up of about 90% Muslims... making it in many peoples' views "illegal". Being that the state of Morocco is not a theocracy, and the research we have done we have not found witchcraft, the practice of, the participation in, the knowledge of, or the inquiry of to be formally illegal by the laws of the state of Morocco. That being said... it is more on the side of risky business than not, as far as we can tell. The shocking statistic that my brain keeps going back to is that 78% of Moroccans believe in witchcraft and sorcery. The gist we have been getting from our contacts and many articles we've found is that witchcraft is believed in, and practiced, often, in secrecy.
The point here people? I'm about to have a crazy four week exploration of one of the countries I've always dreamed of traveling to. Before I know it, I'll be searching the streets for shawafas (Moroccan witch doctors) and [cross our fingers] felafel (my absolute favorite food, ever).
Before I know it I'll be on a plane out of Detroit, headed first to Paris, then to Rabat.
But first... finals week...
From getting home from my summer in Nepal in August, to moving back to school, life has been a whirlwind, and quite honestly a blur. I knew this semester would be busy but... even I didn't see this level of craziness coming.
Preparing for my trip to Morocco has been happening every Sunday though, and every Sunday has been an exciting day. I will be in Morocco for one month, with an Ohio University Study Abroad trip for Documentary Scriptwriting. We have to take two classes, one in scriptwriting, the other titled Media in the Muslim World. The rest of the time is all our own as we work with one other partner to produce a final documentary script, as well as a photo story to support the script. I will be working on my project with my partner for the trip, (and beautiful roommate) Becca. We were given the liberty to choose whatever topic we wished, and with some interesting research I stumbled on the controversial topic of Moroccan Witchcraft.
I'm sure I'll be writing more on the topic while I'm there, but, to start- witchcraft in Morocco is a tense subject for Moroccans to discuss. Visiting a witchdoctor is against Islamic faith, Morocco is made up of about 90% Muslims... making it in many peoples' views "illegal". Being that the state of Morocco is not a theocracy, and the research we have done we have not found witchcraft, the practice of, the participation in, the knowledge of, or the inquiry of to be formally illegal by the laws of the state of Morocco. That being said... it is more on the side of risky business than not, as far as we can tell. The shocking statistic that my brain keeps going back to is that 78% of Moroccans believe in witchcraft and sorcery. The gist we have been getting from our contacts and many articles we've found is that witchcraft is believed in, and practiced, often, in secrecy.
The point here people? I'm about to have a crazy four week exploration of one of the countries I've always dreamed of traveling to. Before I know it, I'll be searching the streets for shawafas (Moroccan witch doctors) and [cross our fingers] felafel (my absolute favorite food, ever).
Before I know it I'll be on a plane out of Detroit, headed first to Paris, then to Rabat.
But first... finals week...
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