Intercultural Negotiations: Ifrane, Morocco

Dinner with our friend Sultan's family

Great friends & great food!

A month ago I arrived in Morocco, ready to start my next semester. Having been abroad for five months in Europe previously I thought I would be able to make a smooth transition.  I had a rough start upon my arrival because alone, I attempted to figure out how to take a train from Casablanca to Fez. I thought it was going to be simple but unfortunately I was lost for five hours before I finally arrived at my destination. Since the time I’ve been abroad, I would say this past month has been the most difficult for me. I have just hit a period of homesickness mixed with culture shock for the first time. Thankfully I have made great friends that are supportive.

According to Hybels and Weaver, your cultural identity is composed of your learned assumptions, values, and beliefs (78). By engaging in intercultural communication, you can be made more aware and observant of your own identity, rituals, and habits. I believe this it absolutely true. Just by going into town I have seen a culture very different from my own. In ways I’m so thankful for the culture I live in and the fact that women have equality to men. It is difficult attempting to adapt in a culture I feel like I don’t belong, for women it is different here. For example, each time I leave campus, even if I am dressed conservatively, guys stare and follow me and my friends. Because of this I would not feel comfortable walking alone, even though Ifrane which is a safe town. Campus has also been an adjustment too because there are many rules, such as guys and girls cannot spend time in each other’s dorms or rooms. The reason for this is cultural and I understand the importance of respecting the rules, yet it is difficult to do coming from a culture where this is not an issue. Personally at times I feel like I’m being watched and that I’m going to get in trouble for doing something I did not know was taken more seriously. There are not many shared spaces either for mixed sexes; there are only two lounges and of course public buildings. It makes hanging out with friends of the opposite sex much more difficult. Furthermore, PDA is taken seriously here, enough so that students can get expelled for a semester. It’s hard being monitored so much because I am used to being treated as an adult. So far, this experience has made me aware of the privileges I have. I do not wish to say that my culture is superior, but I understand that these comments fall into an ethnocentric way of thinking where one’s own culture is viewed as superior (Hybel and Weaver 67).

I just find it very difficult to fit into the social aspects of the culture. Everything feels so inconsistent in comparison to home. For school there are rules on every front but implementation differs on every front. Sometimes you could get in trouble and other times it isn’t a problem. So a lot of the time I am confused about if I am doing something right or wrong. I have no way of knowing. On an academic setting too I feel more stressed because there aren’t any test or paper dates listed on the syllabus. For me it feels as though everything is up in the air all the time.

The carriage ride to the train station

Even though the differences are difficult to adjust to I’m thankful for the opportunity to experience something so truly different.  Traveling around the country with friends has given me some of my favorite memories thus far. In Meknes this past weekend, we took a horse carriage to the train station because we could not find a taxi! We had seven people in a carriage which fits only four. For residents we must have looked very funny because they would laugh as we went past. I love experiencing the culture of Morocco; it is just taking me time to realize how I can fit into this culture.

Driving around Rabat