Crystal Shei rss Rabat, Fall 2010

Crystal Shei is a third-year cognitive science major at University of California, San Diego. At UCSD, she photographs for NO15, a new student publication which concentrates on fashion and aesthetics, and dances on a hiphop team. An avid reader/writer, she is leaving for Rabat, Morocco in Fall 2010, and hopes to explore a new culture, strengthen her beginning French, and get started with Arabic.

Crystal's Posts

  • Reflections on Rabat: A Year Later

    10/07/11 • (1)

    The experience of traveling alone, the experience of leaving your home to go to an unknown, the experience of being the outsider, though, those things that the photos don’t capture, are the moments that I’m the most grateful for.

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  • Wax on, wax off

    1/03/11 • (0)

    Five days after my initial flight, I’m finally home, thanks to bad French customer service and atrocious European weather.

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  • One more time with feeling

    12/14/10 • (4)

    Mostly at goodbyes though, which is going to be difficult this week, as it’s filled with lasts and goodbyes. And it’s hard, getting to this place where I feel comfortable, finally, and then leaving.

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  • Cheesin’ It: A photographic evolution of IESrabat

    12/03/10 • (0)

    A photographic evolution of IESrabat

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  • As the sun sets.

    11/23/10 • (0)

    When I look outside, I’m reminded of where I am. Bright sunset colors meet the city skyline, made up of low pale buildings interrupted by jutting mosques, while the call to prayer washes out across everything.

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  • Ordinary Days

    11/15/10 • (0)

    Life has fallen into a pleasant sort of state, where home is close enough to taste but Rabat is (almost) familiar enough to call home.

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  • The importance of sharing

    11/04/10 • (0)

    Sharing is one of those values we learned of in those glorious preschool days. Generosity, selfishness, the ability to give away what is yours for no return-that was something to be praised.

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  • Midterm hibernation

    11/01/10 • (0)

    Currently cooped into my room, headphones in my ear, some mint tea and golden ftoury crackers by my side, ready to wade through the pages and pages of readings to the other side.

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  • Dead Skin & Modesty

    10/21/10 • (1)

    Si Baghdadi told us that he had rented out the whole Hammam for our group, which was good because the idea of naked showers with all of the village women was slightly intimidating.

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  • Atlas Mountains Trip #1

    10/11/10 • (0)

    Toes push, mind steels, dig in up and away

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  • Geographic confusion: urban edition

    9/30/10 • (0)

    So, I’ve been in enough parts of the city that I should have a good sense of direction. Still, I don’t know if I could walk around the city confidently.

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  • A conversation on camels:

    9/21/10 • (0)

    Or, a snippet from my weekend Me: “So, what desert are we in, is this like, the SAHARA?” D.: “No, this is that other desert, you know?” Me: “Oh, yeah, that’s what I thought, so which desert are we in?” D.: ” No, we are definitely in the Sahara” I definitely rode camels to a [...]

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  • Last day of school

    9/13/10 • (2)

    And now we are off to Rabat, where our REAL classes begin. But to tide all of you avid readers over till then, pictures from our last day in Fes.

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  • Time and Money

    9/13/10 • (2)

    It’s 6:45pm, and I’m about to sit down for breakfast with my host family and roommate. Eating has never felt so good. My roommate hands me a simple chocolate cracker, and, I kid you not, it is probably the best thing I have ever tasted.

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  • Melting in Morocco

    9/03/10 • (1)

    Traveling from SF to Rabat was a surprisingly tiring experience, but right after arrival I was too excited at the prospect of wowactuallybeinghere that I jumped in the shower, and then jumped at the task of exploring the city.

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