The loneliness of the expatriate is of an odd and complicated kind, for it is inseparable from the feeling of being free, of having escaped. -A. Gopnik.
I’m living in Morocco since 2015 and I never believed that I can have such contradictory feelings about a country. I usually get along and accommodate very easy in any place. At least this was the case until I moved to Morocco.
I love this country in so many ways but, at the same time, there are things that make me scream and make me feel I just wanna leave. Though, the reasons for which I love Morocco make me stay… for now.
I also met foreigners that wouldn’t trade Morocco for any other country in the world so, it’s just a matter of perception and personal connection with the place.
Here is a list of the things for which I am in love with Morocco and for which this country is worth visiting. I also added a list of the things I totally dislike or, better to say, discourage me about Morocco.
Things that are fascinating me about/in Morocco:
– nature’s diversity: Morocco has such an amazing biodiversity and traveling just a few kilometers away brings you to another realm and to other natural wonders: mountains (the highest peak is Toubkal 4,167m), desert, oasis, waterfalls, golden beaches, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea in the North,
– the weather: there is sun for the entire year and in some places a mild and warm temperature for all the seasons (the West coast along the Atlantic Ocean and in the North the weather is tempered by the Mediterranean). Though, there are places were the thermometer might show plus 5 degrees Celsius in the winter but you will feel it as minus 1 (Marrakech, the desert),
– the preserved heritage and the popular culture: it’s fascinating to see that in many places around the country everyday life is carried out the same way as hundreds of years ago. The old buildings are well preserved and the artisans are producing handmade items as their grand-grand-grand fathers used to do it,
– the cultural heritage: numerous dialects, traditions, and customs, music diversity from the North down to the South,
– the food diversity and variety of fresh fruits and vegetable all the year round: there are dishes for every taste and that would impress even the most demanding taste buds. I’m a vegetarian and oh, there are so many fruits and vegetable to choose from and the nice part is that every season you will find new fruits available.
Moroccans are eating lots of meat, fish, bread and all sorts of products made from flour, fresh vegetable (every meal contains a kind of salad). Not to mention, the cakes and cookies made from almonds and dried fruits. Well, the Moroccan patisserie is world famous and it’s for a good reason!
In other words, life in Morocco is revolving around food and the preparation of food. Moroccans eat at least 5 times a day: breakfast in the early morning, a snack around 10 am, lunch between 12-2 pm, another snack around 6-7 pm, and dinner late in the evening at 10-11 pm.
Tea time is sacred and when people gather they will drink tea and eat something sweet.
– the traditional way of bathing and relaxing: yes, it’s correct, I’m speaking about the hammam. With approximately 1 Euro (15 dirhams), you can have such an adventure at a neighborhood hamam! Be prepared: at first, it might be a shattering experience due to the fact that the intimacy is gone (you will share a room with other 10-15 half naked women while some entirely naked),
– medinas: the old towns surrounded by large and tall walls inside the modern cities. Those narrow puzzling streets where you can easily get lost and where you simply breathe history. I’m in love with the medinas of Fes and Marrakech, it’s an experience I have never lived it in any other country,
– the fact that Morocco is so well connected with the world and close to Europe, and here I’m simply referring to the flight connections (it’s easy to fly out and in Morocco).
Things I dislike or annoy me about/in Morocco:
– Moroccans’ lack of respect towards nature and environment: it’s common to see people on the streets, even youths that are studying at the university, litter. They will eat something or drink from a plastic bottle and throw the package or even the bottle on the streets. There is no awareness about climate change and lack of responsibility of doing and changing things to better,
– the notion of time and how using “inshallah” which means God willing, give the Moroccans the belief that they are absolved by any responsibility regarding their actions. In most of the cases, if you have an appointment or a meeting with a Moroccan for them being in time means coming 30 min later. No excuses or at least mentioning something about it! Saying “Inshallah we will meet tomorrow at 2 pm” means maybe, maybe not, or guess when!
The term is deeply rooted in people’s mentality and maybe things are not getting done because “Inshallah one day…..inshallah someone, inshallah we will….”,
– doing paperwork is suicidal. Imagine you have to do some administrative work but you are sent to different offices in a never-ending-story-way.
The worst part is that even there is a queue you might find the staff speaking on the phone (on the work phone speaking with a relative), drinking a tea, or chatting with a colleague and you can’t complain because you might end up by being sent more times than necessary to different other offices for signatures and stamps,
– lack of freedom: if a single girl/woman (even with a young child) wants to have a walk there are very big chances to hear catcalling, be asked where she is from, where is she going, or to be followed on the streets by random man/boy. I’m not saying that it’s necessarily dangerous but, it’s extremely frustrating and annoying,
– Moroccans’ ways of showing love for other people’s young kids. If I go out with my son in the park, supermarket, souk (traditional market), beach…you call it, there will be at least 4-5 people bending and kissing his face. Other young children will kiss him directly on the mouth (random kids appearing from nowhere),
– driving in Morocco is like riding a rollercoaster: almost nobody respects priorities, traffic signs or the lines. You simply have to hope that everything will be OK, that nobody will get hurt and that you’ll come back with your car in one piece,
– some (many!) Moroccans’ total lack of respect towards others, their lack of sense of community and of common interest, and many times, the way of getting looked at if you are a woman,
– corruption and need for “connections” … it’s so natural to give “small attentions” to a civil servant, policeman, etc and it’s almost a must to know “someone” to get things done.
I find it surprising:
– The way all the chairs in cafeterias are positioned facing the street. Allow me to develop the idea: the chairs are lined up facing the street, transforming the clients in spectators of the life happening outside the cafeteria. In most of the local cafeterias, you will see only men sitting at the tables (no women, whatsoever!). When speaking with each other they watch people on the street rather than looking at the person one is speaking to.
– When marrying in Morocco, the new couple is the last to enter the festivity room. The bride and the groom have to wait in separate rooms that all the guests are gathered and only after, they will meet and come together to the party. They are also the first to leave the party and is not their decision when to do so, but the decision of the band or orchestra.
Leave a comment:
Have you visited Morocco or planning to do it in the future? What are you most interested in/ what did you like most?
