A little bit of self-reflection...

I’ve been in Morocco for about 6 weeks now and I feel like it’s about time for a little self-reflection. Since I’ve been here, there has never been a single moment that I have regretted my decision to come to Morocco. Sure it’s been a big adjustment from my secure, stable life in the US and Lord knows it’s been tough not being able to talk to my family and friends all the time, but I wouldn’t give up this experience for anything. Yes, there have been drawbacks, but the positives way outweigh the negatives, and the things I’m learning here are already opening my eyes to possible future plans. Without a doubt, I absolutely love Morocco and all that it has to offer.
When I first arrived, I was appalled at the attitude of most Moroccan men I’d “meet” on the street and the male-dominated society was very difficult to get used to. The street harassment was one of my biggest culture shocks and while it still infuriates me, I’ve found ways to deal with it (I’ve been talked out of swift kicks to the groin by many; though from an intercultural communication standpoint, I believe this would send my message across quite clearly). I have met several Moroccan guys that have forced me to challenge my hastily-formed stereotype that all Moroccan men are sketchy, chauvinist pigs, and hanging out with these guys in a “normal” social setting helps to remind myself that I can’t hide from situations that intimidate me.
The cultural knowledge that I have gained thus far is one of the things I am most proud of. My greatest fear, when traveling is that I will offend someone because of a culturally insensitive remark or action, but I feel like I have managed to skirt by that land mine during my time here (if not, then I was simply unaware of it). Some of the little things I’ve learned: respect beggars and always give, if not a dirham or some food, a proper greeting (i.e. “may God grant you peace”); lower my voice when walking by a mosque, especially during prayer time; not to walk in the middle of the roads in the medina; never turn down an offer of tea, no matter how late it is or where else I should be; and never speak to someone in a language other than Arabic (granted they speak Arabic), without first exhausting my repertoire of fus’ha and darija vocabulary. I’ve found that in keeping these basics in mind, along with others too numerous to list, I have not only managed to avoid insulting someone, but I may have changed someone’s negative opinion of Americans. I’m not claiming to be the perfect little ambassador, but I’m a firm believer in the fact that representing the United States as a country that respects other cultures will lead to more positive views of the US from its foreign counterparts, and this in turn will produce more effective international relations. The US’ image abroad can use all the help it can get, and we can’t fix this with photo ops with heads of states, and meaningless talks that we never plan on finishing; it is through contact with ordinary American citizens that this tarnished image abroad will slowly begin to develop into something we can be proud of.
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I’ll get off of my soapbox for the night. Just a little update on my day-to-day life: Today I took a day trip to Mohammedia, a beach town 30 kms south of Rabat, with a group of American and Moroccan friends, and apart from my weekend in Moulay Bousselham, it ranks as one of the most relaxing days I’ve had. We played Ultimate Frisbee, walked along the beach (SO much cleaner than Rabat’s), played the game of who knows more American songs (one of the Moroccan guys won), read, slept, and soaked up some vitamin D on a gorgeous Moroccan day. I’m developing a lovely Moroccan tan—short-sleeved shirt and capri pants tan lines. I’m still trying to figure out what I’ll be able to get away with wearing when it starts getting too hot to wear conservative clothing. Tomorrow looks like it’s going to be a sleep in, do some Arabic, and got to the hammam kind of day. Like I said, I love Morocco.