Surprises

I'm not sure that I knew what to expect coming to Morocco. I didn't have all of these preconceived notions... at least not that I could pinpoint. However, the following is a small list that I kept running throughout the semester. I would jot down things that would strike me as "odd" or "interesting" or moments where I'd say, "Huh. I wasn't expecting Morocco to..." I wanted to keep a running list because I knew that at the end of the semester, many of these things would feel normal. And now, on my last night here... what truth that is. It seems FUNNY to me that most of these things caught me off guard at one point. 

Ah, cultures...

1. Daily Bread
   I guess I wasn't expecting to eat bread with every meal. But I eat some kind of bread at breakfast, generally have bread with lunch, and 90% of the time have bread with dinner!
2. Common dish, everything
   My host family always serves dinner in a big serving dish. And we just eat from it. I have really enjoyed the communal feel every time we eat meals.
3. So coldI was super surprised to feel how cold it was at the beginning of the semester. I did not think that I'd need to sleep with three blankets, leggings, pj pants, a sweatshirt and a hat. But I did. I guess winter in Morocco with no central heating feels like... well... winter.
4. Not rude to say you don't like somethingBecause so many things have been similar to Colombia, this one caught me off guard. In Colombia, you most certainly do not say you don't like something. But apparently, here... its totally acceptable.
5. ALL the meals!
   I was a bit unprepared for the sheer quantity of food. I think that's a fair statement to make. I consistently have to say "shbaat. I'm full." All the time.
6. Sharing cups My host family gives me a cup at dinner, but other than that, they just have one cup on the table that they just all drink out of. I went out for lunch with some friends once and we asked for water and they brought out a pitcher and three cups... but there were six of us. We were just expected to share our cups.
7. Street cats
   I'm used to see stray dogs on the streets in Colombia. But not here. Dogs are not as common. Instead, there is a surprising amount of stray cats found... everywhere.
8.  Matching tracksuits = fashion statementThis may be one of my favorites. Moroccans wear matching tracksuits and it seems to be some sort of a fashion statement. The pants and jackets with the colored stripe down the side... I ended up getting one and I felt SO Moroccan :)
9. Olives... I'll live without them.I have never seen so many people eat so many olives at one time. At any restaurant you go to, you will be served olives on a dish. Sort of like chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant. Except this happens at any meal... any restaurant. Oh wow. I thought that maybe I'd acquire a taste for them while being here. But no, I still don't like them.
10. "Alo?"Moroccans answer the telephone like Colombians do!! Love it :)
11. Women get into soccer games for free.Craziness. That's what I call this. Is there really such a low interest level that its FREE for women to go? Definitely took advantage of this one.
12. Ringtones go on and on and on and on.For some reason it feels like Moroccans like to keep their phones on loud and don't like to answer them right away. Just for kicks. Make sure everyone on the bus knows that they're receiving a phone call.
13. SO generous.What a generous culture! Wow. I've been astounded by the gift-giving nature of the people here. They love to give and give... what generosity!

 

Bridal Shower

Today I went to a lovely Moroccan bridal hammam.

I suppose you could call it a literal bridal shower. My sweet friend Oumaima organized it and my friends from my study abroad program came. We went to the traditional Moroccan hammams (read this post to get a more detailed description). Apparently, the celebration of traditional Moroccan weddings begin the day before with the bride and her female friends and family going to the hammam and making sure her skin is soft and beautiful before her wedding day.

Unfortunately, my wedding is still a little more than a month away, so this hammam visit won't serve that purpose, but it was lovely spending time with friends celebrating here.

I received lovely gifts and it was fun sharing the joy and excitement of this upcoming stage with my friends here :)