30.08.09

Since my room is temporary at the moment, I've resisted putting up all the pictures I brought to decorate the walls. For now, my room decor mostly consists of my favorite birthday cards that people gave me this year or in years past, a few sand dollars and a shell that I couldn't not bring with me. Whatever the reason, I was reading through the cards again and the one that Sabrina sent me suddenly carried more meaning that it had only a few weeks ago. The front of it reads:

"We all let people into our lives, but you will find that really good friends let you into your own."

You all know how how much I'm a sucker for the sentimental, and yeah, I guess you could say that I relished in nostalgia for a few moments, thinking about all my friends and family at home and how much I really miss everyone. But instead of getting really sad or upset, I felt a huge wave of gratitude to have those people in my life, regardless of how far away you all may be. And being here gives me the opportunity to establish a similar, though different connection with people elsewhere, using a new language, exploring a new country, and perhaps, learning more about myself in the process.

My friend Ali has definitely helped me take a step in that direction, though he may not realize it. Since we both had a long break today (from noon to 6:45pm), we decided to hang out in the afternoon and go for a walk. Chatting and laughing and walking, we made it to a small park that jets out like a mini peninsula where many people go to sunbathe, swim, and play volleyball. We sat there and talked about our families, friends, plans for the future, and music. Armed with his iPhone, Ali took on the role of DJ and played some popular American tunes, the two of us bopping our heads while catching some afternoon rays in the grass. His playlist included: Akon's "I Wanna Love You" (yes, the clean version), some Michael Jackson numbers, Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up," Kid Cudi's "Day and Night," and my personal favorite, Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." Apparently, when Ali spent a few months in London learning English, he would walk around listening to Celine when he was lonely (he also loves to sing this song and the others when polishing glasses after the dinner rush--our very own nightly playlist by Ali). If I didn't already think we would be friends, this did it. Oh, and he played Rihanna's "Disturbia" which nearly made me cry (shout out: Shan and Car!). And get this: when Rihanna was giving a concert in Casablanca last summer, Ali's dad was the guy that ran the venue where her concert took place, and since Ali was the only person on staff that could speak good English, he got to hang out with her and be her personal translator for an afternoon. I just about died.

Because we both have this Friday off, I think we may take the boat for a ride on the lake. As much as I love being alone at times, I could not be happier to have a friend that wants to go exploring during the day. And equally as cool, I know that Ali is grateful to have me too. The others don't usually do stuff during the day beyond sitting in their rooms eating and sleeping. A new partner in crime? Yup, I think I may just have one! Okay, he may not be dancing on the tables to Rihanna with me at a bar, but that's what I have Shan and Car for among other things.