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Wensdy Febuar 27 2013//Th taemn
Observations of a North African kingdom
by Jacob Axelrad
outtakes photo by ruby wallau/daily
RABAT, Morocco -
O n January 26, I boarded a plane
at Los Angeles Airport and flew
to Rabat, Morocco, the country's
capital. Since then, I've been living and
studying in a country that, until a few
months ago, I knew little aside from the
fact that its largest city, Casablanca, is the
namesake of a classic Hollywood movie.
I'm staying with a host family in Rabat's
Old Medina (old city), a city filled with
mazes of tiny streets, street vendors and
motorcyclists who pass so close to your
limbs it seems they're trying to remove
one of them in the process. I take classes
at the Center for Cross Cultural Learning,
m a private institution started by Moroccan
academics that provides classes on Moroc-
can language, culture, art and history.
Since I'm not qualified to write about
subjects like politics or culture, and since
I haven't (yet) visited many major tourist
destinations, I've assembled a mishmash
of observations, encounters and thoughts
that have been my last 20 days in this very
old kingdom.
English lurks beneath the surface
Sometimes, I've noticed, Moroccans
will do this thing where when I'll ask for
directions on the street - throwing out the
three French words and one Arabic word
I know, flailing my arms in some kind of
crash-and-burn game of charades, desper-
ately trying to communicate - they'll kind
of quietly nod, not really saying anything.
Then after, say, three or four minutes,
hey'll finally point me in the right direc-
ion, at which point I thank them profusely
for putting up with my ignorant Ameri-
canness. "No problem," they might say, or
"Don't worry about it. You're welcome."
I could see how this could be funny from
their end, letting the American make a fool
of himself.-I hope they have a good laugh
at my expense. Really,It doesn't bother me
at all. Seriously, I'm fine with it. It's all cool,
ok guys!
Globalization is weird
I can't seem to walk down the streets
of the old medina without hearing PSY's
"Gangnam Style" blasting from a shop-
keeper's speakers. Yet I wonder: Is the
o song really that good? Does it honestly
deserve the cross-cultural prominence it's
garnered? I guess the evidence speaks for
itself.
Country of contrasts
Keep in mind I've been in this coun-
try long enough tojustifiably -say many
Moroccan drivers drive as though you,
personally, are responsible for any and all
of their problems, and that can be fixed by
injecting sheer terror into your heart. Any
other conclusions on my part would be pre-
mature. That being said, here's a conclu-
sion I feel a bit better about sharing, since
it was told to me by someone who lives
here: "Morocco is a country of contrasts,"
my friend said as we walked through the
two-year-old Morocco mall in Casablanca,
a place that not only holds such American
ness of this country, there are moments or
days when I do feel down for one reason
or another - I miss my friends and family
back home; I feel like this big, mute, help-
less creature that has to rely on the pity of
others in a culture where I don't know the
customs or language. I'm weighed down
by my guilt as an upper middle-class white
American in this much poorer country -
but then I go around the corner from where
I am living and buy a pizza (not a slice, an
entire margarita pizza) for the equivalent
ize just how little I know about the world
beyond U.S. borders never quite goes away.
"What age is a big deal in Morocco?"
I asked, trying to keep the conversation
from stalling. She paused as she thought
for a moment.
"Well, not 21," she replied. "But not 20
or 18 or 16 either, because your parents are
still paying for everything. Maybe when
you get a job and can pay for things your-
self, then maybe that's a big deal."
At this I wanted to laugh. I wanted to
politely inform her just how wrong she
was. Oppositely in America, being old
enough to spend your parents' money on
booze is clearly reason enough to rejoice
and celebrate. Yet I decided to keep these
thoughts to myself, fearing they could
have been taken the wrong way.
Small comforts
A bed can be the greatest luxury. To
know my host family has provided me with
something so simple yet so essential can
be better than touring the Kasbah, a for-
tress from the 12th century, or visiting the
Hassan Tower, Rabat's famed minaret. At
times, when I'm tired from class lectures,
sightseeing or from smelling the smells
of cooking shawarma mixed with engine
exhaust, I'll lie on my bed and stare at the
walls, patches of plaster peeling from the
ceiling. I try to listen - to the sounds of
my host mother cooking dinner, maybe
couscous or macaroni and cheese - or to
my host brother watching "Homeland" on
his computer dubbed in French. The other
day he jokingly asked me if Americans still
thought all Arab men were terrorists and
all Arab women wore the hijab. Though he
was joking, I thought I sensed a tiny pang of
sadness beneath his laughter. I laughed too,
thinking it the only appropriate response in
that situation.
And, sometimes, I listen to the muezzin
recite the call to prayer, which happens five
times a day, as it emanates from the loud-
speakers of the nearest mosque's minaret.
It's gotten to the point where I barely notice
it anymore. Part of everyday life, know what
I mean? I've been studying Arabic since
I got to Morocco. But I'm far from under-
standing these words, even if their meaning
is relatively simple. They roughly translate
to, "There is no god but God and Muham-
mad is the prophet of God." One day I'd like
to understand these words for myself, with-
out relying on Google translate, even if they
don't make any sense to me. Something,
however, tells me the semantics add up to
more than just linguistic barriers.
Jacob is an LSA junior and Daily Arts
writer studying through SIT Study Abroad.
r
on the record
"As Coach Carr talked about, this is for an unbelievable
cause, and an attempt for greatness in the greatest
stadium in the nation."
-- BRADY HOKE,Michiganfootballcoach, ina speech aired on theBig
Housejumbotrons during thefirst everPolarBearPlunge, held to raise
moneyfor theSpecialOlympics.
"He's just really a special player and we just love what he's
brought to the team. His handle is so sure, even in crowds.
He doesn't try to do too much, either."
- JOHN BEILEIN,Michigan basketball coach, aboutsophomorepoint
guard TreyBurke.
"It's a simple fact: The more education you have, the more
likely you are to have a job and work your way
into the middle class."
- BARACK OBAMA,president ofthe UnitedStates, ina viewpoint
about reforminghigher education.
Traces of horse meat are
It s continuing to appear
in European foods,
including our beloved
IKEA swedish meatballs.
The frozen meatballs that
tested positive for horse
DNA were not set for U.S.
distribution. But can we
still snack on them while
we shop for our karlstads,
ydbys and sommarmys?
"Those who jump in will be Champions. Go Blue!"
- University alum Jinhui Chen
Submit your own photo caption on The Michigan Daily's Facebook page for next week's outtake.
Jenmier Lawrence gave us a million more
reasons to love her after winning Best
Actress at Sunday's Oscars. Her fall?
Who cares. Watch her post-win press
conference and you'll fall in love too.
- 4..
brands as Pinkberry and Starbucks, but
also a freakishly large aquarium, a mini
amusement park and an indoor ice-skating
rink. On the beach by the mall, young boys
offer camel rides to passersby while the
minaret of the Hassan II mosque, the sev-
enth largest mosque in the world, loomed
in the distance.
But earlier, we'd passed by the bidon-
villes, or shantytowns, slums where homes
are little more than shacks comprised of
metal and tin. In the United States, we too
have extremes of poverty and wealth, but
never before had I seen the two poles rub-
bing shoulders quite so closely, quite so
glaringly.
Exchange rate
Despite the incredible beauty and rich-
of around $1.50 U.S. and I can, at least for a
short while, make myself feel much, nuch
better (Note: The white-guilt thing never
really goes away).
In which I learn about a cultural dif-
ference
"I'm 21," I told a new Moroccan friend
when introducing myself, before clumsily
adding, "It's a big deal in the States 'cause
it means you're old enough to drink."
"Yeah. I know. I've seen American mov-
ies," she said, trying to contain her laugh-
ter.
"Right," I said, feeling a tad ignorant - a
feeling I've learned to kind of accept and
embrace (as I've learned it simply won't
go away as long as I'm living in a different
country). But the initial sting when I real-
r
lween Lori Locxlear went viral with her hair
tutorial called "Burning My Hair Off," where
a demonstration goes horribly wrong. Her info
tells us to tweet it to One Direction. Yes, your
burned hair is what makes you beautiful.
"""o
F
Quveozhan6 Wallis
turned heads at the
Oscars for not only
beingthe youngest
person ever to be
nominated but also
fortoting a puppy
purse on the red
carpet. PETA let
this animal fashion
trend slide.