"What does it mean abroad: the sea, the land, the sky, the moon, or Mercury?"

(-- Naima El Ouassouli, on the disappearance of her brother by Moroccan authorities)

And here I am. The past week has been near impossible and I'm glad to have gotten through it. I've got a (basic) research design, some (preliminary) contacts, and an abundance of resources. Half of my challenge is going to be translating documents from French, and translating a survey into French and Arabic -- insha allah, I'll find help.

Despite living alone, I've managed to keep myself fed, clean, and exercised -- quite the feat! Surprising to hear, I'm not the most socially apt individual (I might border on awkward, and I'm pretty sure this translates into every language) but I persevere! I've realized that I need to commit my whole heart to this project for the next few months, and a part of me is even looking forward to it.

Also. Perks of living in the Oudaya:
1. There is a man around the corner who sells fresh, hot (skooooohn!) bread, right off the fire-y rocks, for just one dirham. I don't see reason to eat anything else.
2. The beach, of course.
3. American/Fulbright neighbors! Hooray!