It has been so crazy coming back to Morocco and all that has happened so far this semester that I have taken so long to respond to you.
Over winterbreak I went home and my wonderful friend Damion visited me. We had so many crazy adventures! We made it to at least three Abercrombie and Fitchs.
Updates so far:
-I have a great gym! The women are all so friendly and there are so many different classes. I've started taking Aerobics classes and it has really helped me integrate into the community.
-I went to Tangier, Ceuta, and Gibraltar. In Tangier it rained for two days and someone tried to steal my cellphone. I saw something pink coming out of my jacket pocket and then yelped and grabbed his arm. Thankfully he didn't run off with it and handed it back. I wasn't a huge fan of Tangier, but Ceuta was so nice! It was the equivalent of a European Morocco. Everyone spoke Moroccan Arabic but it was so clean, no boys calling out at you, and people went out at night. Gibraltar was also a really cool place to explore. It's basically a big rock in the middle of Spain claimed by Britain.
- Back in Casa I have been going to the Hammam with a friend, going to the gym, and trying to integrate as much as I can into the local society.
Along with integrating however, I have started to realize that my honeymoon period with Morocco is finally ending. I no longer look at Morocco with awe and think everything about this country is great. I look at it in a more realistic light. Yes, people can be so friendly, but also people can lie and be untrustworthy (like in any country). Sometimes things are hard to find here, and take extra effort because there isn't the convenience of the United States. I keep asking myself, despite these hardships in Morocco could I see myself living here longer? The answer to that question I still do not know. I need to always remember the good, but also the hard things about Morocco. One of the hardest things about living in Morocco is the male oriented society. Men on the street often call out to girls and say mean things to them. Just the other day a friend and I were simply walking and 5 boys walked by us. One of them called us the B word...who knows why. Also, the cafes are all filled with men. Men who just sit and watch people walk by. While women are at home cooking or taking care of the home. My friend put it to me so well. Moroccan men are taken care of from the time they are babies, they have it so easy. When they are born and a child their mothers take care of them and then they get married and their wives take care of them.
So will I be able to make Morocco my home for an extended period time, despite my feminist views? Maybe this means Morocco needs more people like me. To pave the way for women in a way that is culturally acceptable. I am blessed and lucky that I had the opportunity to live with a traditional Moroccan family, because I feel like I have insight to Moroccan culture and customs that I would not have had.
I am currently teaching a Girls Leadership Activity after schools on tuesday trying to encourage girls to speak about their feelings and become leaders. I hope that it goes well, so that it can be a yearly club that helps girls find their voice amongst a male oriented society.
