As I have begun to settle more into living in Rabat, I would say that I have preferred learning a new language over bargaining. While both require a lot of in the moment thinking, I appreciate that there is more preparation involved in learning a new language, giving me more control over it. I know that if I continue to practice speaking Darija in my room and with my host family I will keep improving. I know my bargaining skills will improve over time as well, but it feels like there is more of an art to it (that I might not have, at least not yet). Still, I was grateful for the opportunity to improve on both today.

My day began with my host mom waking me up with a tray of tea and bread for breakfast which I was very grateful for. Soon, we headed to the CCCL for orientations on useful Darija phrases and safety. I was overwhelmed by the number of words we were taught but appreciated the opportunities to practice with a peer and made sure to take lots of notes. After lunch with my host family, I went back to CCL for a lesson on bargaining where I was actually able to go to the shops in the medina and practice! It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to buy, but after looking around at some of the different ones I decided to back to one selling tiles. I picked out three different ones, each for one of the initials of myself and my other two friends. The tiles were our favorite colors and reminded me of all the beautiful tiles and architecture around the medina! I was told they were 10 MAD each and attempted to bargain it down for 27 MAD for all three. The shop owner refused to go below 30 MAD, and while frustrating at first, I ultimately decided that I would rather pay the higher price than miss out on purchasing something I really liked and valued. The experienced reminded me that while bargaining is important in Morocco, it also depends on the type of object I am purchasing and where it is from.

I was definitely much more uncomfortable engaging in these types of activities, but I know they are the first steps towards me feeling more comfortable and confident in Morocco. I have found myself slowly remembering more phrases and using them in practice, and plan to prepare some more questions for my host family tomorrow. I think confidence is most important when bargaining and learning a new language. I consider myself very observant and empathetic and believe these will help me as I continue practicing and improving.

PS: After a really nice walk by the Kasbah tonight I managed to find my way back through the narrow streets of the medina to my host family on my own! Progress!!