My partner was not in Arizona during this weekend, so I had to improvise things for myself. In fact it was a nice weekend. It started Friday after school. I came back home at about two and had one of the most relaxing naps I have ever had since I came to the States. I woke up at 7:00 pm and I did not even know where I was, as I was so tired. I spent the evening watching a movie that I don’t even remember now. So, that was just fabulous!

Saturday was so special. My host’s neighbor who is more than eighty years old, drove me to a shopping mall. I really appreciate people like that; she is very serene and truly very nice. We chatted on our way to the mall and she admired  the way I usually have my scarf fixed, she told me she could never do that. She was very smart in giving me some space once we got to the mall. Each of us went their ways and set a time to meet.

I bought so many things as usual. Whenever I go to a department store I buy a lot. I am one of those crazy women who are fond of shopping.

We got back home at noon, I had some lunch and I decided to go to another shopping place. So I decided to walk under the burning sun of Arizona. Dear Moroccan Fulbrighters I think I am the luckiest person as far as weather in concerned. It is very warm in here, anyway, Scottsdale, the city where I live now, is a sister city of Marrackech. The weather is just the same. I don’t want to get a tan though, “je suis assez bronzée comme ça” (ha ha ha).

I bought more stuff; I really need someone to tell me to stop buying. The reason why I am going on doing this is that, whenever I talk to my son, he asks me what I bought him and he asks for more. Now, because I am so far from him and I miss him so much, so I am getting him all those things that make me feel better (isn’t that crazy?).

And, on a whim, I decided to go to a restaurant alone, which I don’t do even in Morocco. I am in a country which is not mine, and I want to discover all the cultural aspects and the communication problems that one might have. So I just went and expected to  be served . Hoever, I asked a man working there, and he was so nice that he told me some of the anecdotes. I told him that I was vegetarian and he said how come I was in so a good health eating only vegetables. When I paid him, and I gave him 100 dollars (I had no change) after asking me about my origin (he thought that I was from India) he asked if Moroccan women usually have so much cash with them. Any way, I enjoyed the meal so much and the man would come now and then to ask if I needed something.

On Sunday, I was invited to dinner by the parents of a student. They were very nice people and we became quite close from the first minute. We ate salads and a pizza in a beautiful restaurant. During the meal, they asked me about so many things about Morocco. Later, we went to a nice place that looks unto the whole city of Phoenix. On our way home, they took me to one of the most wonderful hotels of Arizona, it is called “The Phoenician”. It is a great place, we went into the hotel, enjoyed the place and they drove me back. I gave the mother and the daughter two Moroccan jewelry pieces and they were very happy with my gift.

Maybe this weekend can be considered as a plain one, but for me I learned a lot and experienced many new things. So I am just happy with this weekend as it enabled me to meet other people and share with them views concerning the similarities and differences between out two countries.