Thursday

Yesterday, Thursday, the youth ambassadors met up at the Willaya to travel together to the Ariha private school. As soon as we walked in, the group was astounded by the intricate designs and cleanliness of the place. We were asked to gather in a classroom for our final presentation about Scottsdale and Arizona. Ending with cheers and applause, we sat back down to listen to the other students' speeches about the stereotypes that Moroccans have about Americans. We left the private school to visit the museum that we missed on Tuesday and, thankfully, found it to be open for public viewing. It was completely incredible to see the architecture, as well as to learn about the history of the Moroccan people. Taking note of the time, we rushed back to the Willaya to meet up with our host families and travel home for lunch. Each of us did something different, but most of us went out to explore the city some more. In the evening, we shadowed our host siblings at the school to see the similarities and differences between the educational systems. Khalid (my host sibling), Raina, and I went to school an hour early to attend a 'Freshman' English class. They were studying phrased verbs and taught Raina and I a very difficult game (for them it was their homework assignemnt). The idea was to make a Tic-Tac-Toe board and write three-letter words that create other three-letter words no matter hwo you read the board. Afterward, Raina and I tried to go to Khalid's 'Senior' English class, but the teacher was not there. Khalid explained that when the teachers do not come to class, the class is canceled (there are no substitutes). Instead, we ventured to French class with Leah and her host sibling. All of us- Leah, Raina, and I- were completely lost because we take Spanish, instead. Raina, Khalid, and I then attended his Islamic Translation class, in which Raina wrote some Arabic and I simply admired the Arabic writing style. Classes ended at 6:00 PM (11:00 AM in Arizona), so we left class early to walk home. At the house, we ate a small snack of bread and butter and got ready to attend bowling at the Gueliz club. Both the Scottsdale ambassadors and the Moroccan hosts were invited. We were grouped to play a single game and awaited the most anticipated event- Danitza's fifteenth birthday party. We celebrated with a four-layer chocolate mousse cake, sparklers, and a variety of sodas. We sang to Dani in both English and French and enjoyed dancing, talking, and playing pool. We all had an excellent time and were so happy to celebrate with the entire group. Once it reached 9:00 PM (2:00 PM in Arizona), we met up with our host families to return home for the night. Overall, we had an excellent day with all of our activities and gained even more memories with our host siblings. This entire trip has been incredible and life-changing. The museum truly taught us that even in our history, we have never truly been different from each other, and, if anything, believed in the same values as them. Since Thursday, we have visited quite a few museums, but have learned the same message: from then to now, we are and were never completely different from each other. As ambassadors, we have learned as much in the little time that we have been here and are eager to share our experience with our own families in Arizona. We love and miss you all!
DS