Car Talk: What is strange or different?

In the midst of our host teacher week, in between running around from school to school, from cultural site to medina, Hicham turned down the radio as we were driving around Fès one day and posed what I thought was probably the question that we are all reflecting on but perhaps not talking about out loud.  He said, "Well, what have you found strange or different or unexpected here in Fès and in Morocco?"

It was a great moment for us to think out loud, reflect, and share our thinking.
The list that I came up with immediately:

School bells
Furniture/couches
Car lock sound
Dinner time 10pm
Yalla yalla
Diversity of clothing!
Jellaba with hood storage
Footwear it’s real! Pointed slippers
School uniforms
Teacher lab coats
Classrooms and tech
Student patience
Phone rules
No hookahs or hummus
Pastilla
Mint tea
Speaking competition
Welcoming everywhere!
Teacher teacher
Cous cous Fridays

I could probably write a blog post on each of these words and phrases!  But all in all it was great car conversation - and we even got Hicham to talk about his experience in Arizona and in the US.  A perfect exchange of ideas - and reflection on what we have noticed.