I just finished rushing my way through my midterm for Professor Langerak's class, just so I could make it to my computer in time to write this blog! You can all be glad and proud of me for having such well-ordered priorities.
Seriously though, the test was not bad at all. I was well prepared and only minimally nervous. But, I am worried that my long-windedness might have gotten the best of me, yet again; too often, I end up saying more and more about less and less, and in the end I'm not really saying anything about anything; I'm just rambling. I only hope that Professor Langerak has the patience to read through all of my illegible, disorganized thoughts.
I am glad to be finished with the test. Even though studying was not overly difficult or stressful especially compared to the typical academic burden back at St. Olaf, in comparison to the the rest of the trip, which has been extremely relaxed in regards to academics, my brief, mild return to the stress and time commitments of St. Olaf was still a bit taxing.
In other news, my impression of Fez has improved considerably since my last post. Unfortunately, that improvement has been nothing more than a progression from mild disgust to persistent boredom. There's really nothing to do here during the day or during the night. I'd be just fine with Fez's lack of nighttime activities if this city had daytime diversions to offer, but as far as I can tell, there is nothing to do here, regardless of the time of day. Istanbul had it all: nightlife (bars, clubs, concerts, sporting events), cultural activities (mosques, museums), and basic diversions (beautiful views, places to exercise, etc.). There's just not enough to keep me active and engaged, and all of you how fast my attention can wander. Usually, I'd hesitate to blame my boredom on either my location or my ADD; in most cases, my boredom is my own fault, a consequence of my failure to be open-minded and adventurous. But, in the case of Fez, I can't help passing the buck.
Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed some of my time in Fez; I just wouldn't have chosen to stay here for this long if it had been up to me. I've appreciated my time with my host family much more than I expected. Last Sunday, my host dad Jamal brought me with on some of his errands throughout the Medina, guiding me through a series of small, labyrinthine side streets I never would've been confident enough to explore on my own. I've also been able to purchase some excellent gifts; definitely the first time I've ever been this prudent with my Christmas shopping.
Well, I will get an excellent respite from Fez this weekend. The day after tomorrow, I'll be heading out for the weekend on a Ryan Air flight bound for Madrid. I booked the flight for the unbelievably low price of $36USD, and I'm sure I'll get just what I paid for (tiny seat, extra charge for using the bathroom, complete lack of customer service). Whatever. I'm going to Spain!
I only have a few days left in Fez, thankfully, but hopefully I can make the most of them. Next Wednesday, I'll be off on my Moroccan Excursion, which is sure to be excellent. Turkish excursion was pretty draining, but after the boredom of Fez, even if Moroccan excursion is dominated by long bus rides, I'm sure it'll be a welcome change nonetheless. I wanted to post some pictures from Fez, including photos of the infamous 6th fingers on the hands of my host brothers, but it looks like Blogspot has disabled Image uploads for the next two hours. I'll try to put some up tomorrow if I have the time.
I hope all of you are well!
Until next time,
Your Favorite Luker
No comments:
Post a Comment