Culture Shock 101

So before studying abroad, William&Mary requires students to take an online course about culture shock. I'm very familiar with the concept, as I had the training before going to Cuba and again before leaving for Morocco. I don't think I've ever experienced this phenomenon myself, however. I am blessed with the natural state of being generally unfazed by people who are different from myself. 

That being said, I have definitely picked up on some cultural differences worth noting!

1) I kept being woken up in the morning and during naps by a man on the street screaming yuuu-UUUP....yuuu-UUUPPP. The worst part is that he waits just long enough between yups, so I start to fall asleep and then get jolted awake again. After a couple weeks I mentioned this to my host family, and it amused them to no end. As it turns out, he is screaming "bee-AAA," which is Arabic for "sell." The man goes around paying people a few dirham for their used household goods and reselling them. 

2) Eat! Eat...eat! I hear this command about 57 times a day. I explained to my host mother that I'm trying to fast for Ramadan, but this hasn't curbed the onslaught. I wake up and eat one egg (so I can take my medicine) and I drink water. This is what is known as "fasting for kids." Apparently there are all sorts of "cheats" for kids participating in Ramadan. Some moms tell their kids to "chew only on the right side of your mouth, that way the left side is fasting," others give them breakfast and have them fast until lunch. I have a habit of waking up at 2am to use the bathroom, but I have to run, or else I will be invited to EAT!!!!

3) That transitions nicely into Ramadan. My first couple of weeks here were drastically different from the life we live now that it is Ramadan. Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims, a spiritual journey that brings you closer to God by the end of it. Muslims pray several times a day, and two of these prayers are Fajr (at dawn) and Maghreb (at sundown). During Ramadan, there is no eating, drinking, swearing, sex, or other sinning between Fajr and Maghreb. This means everybody basically lays around all day, avoiding the heat (if they don't have to go outside for work, that is) and conserving their energy. At Maghreb (about 7:48pm) we break our fast with Iftar. Iftar is the same in every Moroccan household: meloui (a type of bread), hard boiled eggs, shbekya (a sweet), dates, beghrir (pancake type bread), harira (a soup), water, milk, and, of course, Moroccan mint tea. Every single night, this is my dinner and their breakfast. After Iftar, my host father leaves to pray at the mosque and the girls clean up from dinner. I only know what happens after this because I managed to stay up until about 3am one night and observe. The family watches the well-known Ramadan programs on TV. Apparently, the television becomes absurdly dramatic during Ramadan because so many people are home and watching. It seems to be a cross between soap operas and Superbowl commercials. The other night a man fell out of a window that he merely leaned against. Anyway, dinner (Sahoor) is served at about 2-3am, right before Fajr. This is usually traditional Moroccan cuisine: tajine, couscous, etc. 

4) The hamam! Here in Morocco there are traditional public baths known as hamams. In the hamam there are three rooms: hot, hotter, and hottest. There are two pipes (hot and cold) with spouts every few feet. You strip down, pick a spout, lay down your mat, and get to washing. It is normal to wash your hair 5-7 times in the hamam (the point is to get as clean as possible.) Then you start in on the body, using a glove that has a rough surface to scratch away your dead skin. If you aren't proficient in the art of scratching (like me), then you can ask one of the ladies working at the hamam to help you. By the end of it, you're two shades lighter and squeaky clean!