So, as you might have guessed from the absence of posts, I have returned to the good old United States. Morocco certainly was a great experience and one that will stay with me for a long time. I wish I could have stayed for longer, especially considered that the Moroccan legislative elections are scheduled for the start of September. It will be an exciting moment in this country that continues along the difficult path towards modernization and democracy.
Thank you for reading!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
All Veils Ahead?
In French, the language from the country that bans women from wearing the veil (and men and women from wearing religious-themed apparel or accessories) in public schools, voile has an interesting double meaning: it means both sail and veil. Hence, it is good fodder for puns, for instance the French equivalent of "full sail ahead" - 'toutes voiles dehors' has been used in the title of a book talking about the Koran and Islam in the modern world. However, in spite of the title, the book stresses that Islam is about much more than a "square of fabric" despite what the critics and defenders say.
Personally, I've never felt particularly comfortable with the idea of the veil. That's not to say I've always been against it but rather than I'm uncomfortable with a lot of the issues that inevitably arise when talking about it. For instance, those talking about it as a matter of choice, not considering the difficult social pressures that distort the meaning of choice.
While being in Morocco I have heard a variety of explanations for the veil, both from those who wear it or those who do not.There was one that made me particularly uncomfortable: I was in a taxi talking to the driver, we passed a couple of women who were dressed in shirts and skirts, not anything particularly revealing and something that wouldn't have turned a head in Europe or the US. But this guy turns to me, in French, and said "This is not good. They should be covered up and wear the veil" as he implied they were bad people for dressing as they do. I did not take the easy road of just nodding and accepting this; I did not heed the words of Linus from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:"
A quick aside, I consider myself am agnostic and think I fall most closely in line with the beliefs of secular humanism. I know its trendy but then again, so am I, right? That being said, I do believe in the belief in God and acknowledge that this can play an important role in the lives of many, many good people. However, I do require that people's beliefs and values - be they religious or not - be translated into moral terms that all people can understand. Additionally, I care most of all that, whatever their motivation, they are at the end of the day caring, tolerant and kind-hearted in their actions. So for this conversation I was left very unconvinced. I think a large part of this has to do with my my knee-jerk aversion to this side of the veil issue, rife with associations to male chauvinism and restricting the rights of women. Yet something I discovered in Morocco is that this is not the complete picture.
I have had other conversations, generally with women who defend it for other, at least to me, more understandable reasons. Some cite modesty, piety (along the lines of a yarmulke, that is serving as a reminder) while oter justify it purely because it says so in the Koran. The interesting part for me has been how many veiled women have been taking part in NDI conference. The reason I find this intersting is that I often paired the idea of veiled women with those of restricted, hardly liberated women. Yet, these veiled women are campaigning to have their voices be heard. They certainly don't see the square of fabric as restricting their liberties,
Another interesting thing is the thriving veil industry. The veils seen around Morocco certainly aren't just black. They come in a panoply of colors that leaves me wondering if some see it purely as a a fashion accessory. Instead of the veil being an instrument of restricting choice, it is instead one that provides many choices I'm picturing the Gap commercial now.
Despite these cases, I still find it hard to be completely satisfied with just saying that the veil is a matter of choice, some choose to wear it while others don't. I've learned here that there is a lot of pressure on some women, either in their communities or through their piety. However, one of my Moroccan friends told me what he wanted to do when he was explaining how he felt about women and the veil. As he is not exactly a traditional guy, initially I was surprised when he said he wanted to marry a woman who wears the veil. It all made sense, however, when he explained why: to do his part to fight against the veil; he wanted to convince her to take it off.
It certainly isn't an easy situation for me to reconcile in my head, but I guess that's what makes it a good ethical dilemma. What does seen to be important though is not to let this be a stumbling block to discussing other important elements of the role of Islam or for that matter all religion in the modern world. Just because someone doesn't wear a veil does not mean she can't be just as pious and committed to preserving some parts of tradition as others. If someone does wear a veil, don't count them out of being empowered, modern and, in some cases, politically active. So, toutes voiles dehors? I still haven't figured that one out yet.
Personally, I've never felt particularly comfortable with the idea of the veil. That's not to say I've always been against it but rather than I'm uncomfortable with a lot of the issues that inevitably arise when talking about it. For instance, those talking about it as a matter of choice, not considering the difficult social pressures that distort the meaning of choice.
While being in Morocco I have heard a variety of explanations for the veil, both from those who wear it or those who do not.There was one that made me particularly uncomfortable: I was in a taxi talking to the driver, we passed a couple of women who were dressed in shirts and skirts, not anything particularly revealing and something that wouldn't have turned a head in Europe or the US. But this guy turns to me, in French, and said "This is not good. They should be covered up and wear the veil" as he implied they were bad people for dressing as they do. I did not take the easy road of just nodding and accepting this; I did not heed the words of Linus from "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:"
"There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin."I challenged him and ask why they should have to follow his belief of what he felt is proper. His answer was that it wasn't his belief, it was God's belief and all must adhere too. Still not satisfied I pushed it further, and asked why its important that God said that. Yet, unsurprisingly, I remained unsatisfied as he said that the fact that God said it is all that matters. That does not do it for me, no matter who the god is.
A quick aside, I consider myself am agnostic and think I fall most closely in line with the beliefs of secular humanism. I know its trendy but then again, so am I, right? That being said, I do believe in the belief in God and acknowledge that this can play an important role in the lives of many, many good people. However, I do require that people's beliefs and values - be they religious or not - be translated into moral terms that all people can understand. Additionally, I care most of all that, whatever their motivation, they are at the end of the day caring, tolerant and kind-hearted in their actions. So for this conversation I was left very unconvinced. I think a large part of this has to do with my my knee-jerk aversion to this side of the veil issue, rife with associations to male chauvinism and restricting the rights of women. Yet something I discovered in Morocco is that this is not the complete picture.
I have had other conversations, generally with women who defend it for other, at least to me, more understandable reasons. Some cite modesty, piety (along the lines of a yarmulke, that is serving as a reminder) while oter justify it purely because it says so in the Koran. The interesting part for me has been how many veiled women have been taking part in NDI conference. The reason I find this intersting is that I often paired the idea of veiled women with those of restricted, hardly liberated women. Yet, these veiled women are campaigning to have their voices be heard. They certainly don't see the square of fabric as restricting their liberties,
Another interesting thing is the thriving veil industry. The veils seen around Morocco certainly aren't just black. They come in a panoply of colors that leaves me wondering if some see it purely as a a fashion accessory. Instead of the veil being an instrument of restricting choice, it is instead one that provides many choices I'm picturing the Gap commercial now.
Despite these cases, I still find it hard to be completely satisfied with just saying that the veil is a matter of choice, some choose to wear it while others don't. I've learned here that there is a lot of pressure on some women, either in their communities or through their piety. However, one of my Moroccan friends told me what he wanted to do when he was explaining how he felt about women and the veil. As he is not exactly a traditional guy, initially I was surprised when he said he wanted to marry a woman who wears the veil. It all made sense, however, when he explained why: to do his part to fight against the veil; he wanted to convince her to take it off.
It certainly isn't an easy situation for me to reconcile in my head, but I guess that's what makes it a good ethical dilemma. What does seen to be important though is not to let this be a stumbling block to discussing other important elements of the role of Islam or for that matter all religion in the modern world. Just because someone doesn't wear a veil does not mean she can't be just as pious and committed to preserving some parts of tradition as others. If someone does wear a veil, don't count them out of being empowered, modern and, in some cases, politically active. So, toutes voiles dehors? I still haven't figured that one out yet.
Friday, July 20, 2007
"hey, I have a historical question..."
So, just now i was looking at my Moroccan change and n0ticed something peculiar. Each coin had two different dates on them, one which was clearly the modern date, and one which must have been some historical period - they spanned from about the late 1300s to the early 1400s. So, I turned to my colleague and asked the above question, seeing if he could explain the historical significance of all these dates.
He responded simply by saying "it was the year it was printed."
I responded with disbelief, "you're telling me this money is 600 years old?"
No, of course its not. And, as he explained to me its not a historic date. All it is is the date on the Muslim Calendar.
"Ohhhhhhh..." was my response.
It's amazing how things can just seem so weird when you don't understand the context. First example, I was walking around the neighborhood near my office and noticed a lot of streest named "Oued ____," with the street I work on Oued Sebou. So I asked a coworker who this Oued Sebou guy was, joking about how common a name that must be ...although I'd never met an "Oued". It turns out.... that Oued means river in Arabic.
"Ohhhhhh...."
Last example, every morning when I was talking the bus to work and I saw a big mass of people gather in this small park by the side of the road. They didn't look active or energetic enough to be protesters, they didn't look passive enough to be sunbathers. Instead, the person on the bus who I asked revealed to me, they are standing outside the Spanish Embassy trying to get Visas. That was apparently the line.
You can imagine what my response was to that.
He responded simply by saying "it was the year it was printed."
I responded with disbelief, "you're telling me this money is 600 years old?"
No, of course its not. And, as he explained to me its not a historic date. All it is is the date on the Muslim Calendar.
"Ohhhhhhh..." was my response.
It's amazing how things can just seem so weird when you don't understand the context. First example, I was walking around the neighborhood near my office and noticed a lot of streest named "Oued ____," with the street I work on Oued Sebou. So I asked a coworker who this Oued Sebou guy was, joking about how common a name that must be ...although I'd never met an "Oued". It turns out.... that Oued means river in Arabic.
"Ohhhhhh...."
Last example, every morning when I was talking the bus to work and I saw a big mass of people gather in this small park by the side of the road. They didn't look active or energetic enough to be protesters, they didn't look passive enough to be sunbathers. Instead, the person on the bus who I asked revealed to me, they are standing outside the Spanish Embassy trying to get Visas. That was apparently the line.
You can imagine what my response was to that.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Language of Democracy in Morocco
Something I realized is that I haven't talked too much about on this blog is my work, interning for NDI. Part of the reason might be the "well I could tell you, but....then I'd have to kill you" point, that is that a lot of NDI (National Democratic Institute)'s work in Morocco is done discreetly. As an American NGO in a nation where it isn't particularly beneficial to your political future to be considered 'pro American' or be seen as receiving help or worse from the American government. But, what I'm talking about in this blog is pretty harmless, so sorry for the lack of juicy info but I don't want to get fired from my unpaid internship!
NDI uses a lot of different tools to help support democracy in Morocco. The tactics range from trainings of Ministers of Parliament, party officials and activists and candidates on the nuts and bolts of running effective campaigns, voter outreach and communication to supporting emerging political leaders to conferences centered on promoting women's participants to attempts to increase politician accountability and citizen participation such as a website (www.moroccodemocracy.com) aiming to bring more information to Morocco's citizens. Their work here really is exciting and, seeing as it is about 6 weeks until the next elections (mark your calendar for Septembe
r 7, 2007!! You know CNN is going to give it 24 hour coverage, that is, assuming there isn't an attractive white child missing), NDI has many activities and trainings going on.
Among their activities have been a number of trainings and conferences for political parties that I have had the opportunity to help out with. I've been a part of three conferences, one with women from one of the poltical parties which provided them specifically with training on how to promote their party's message and convince voters. Another was with a variety of parties and focused on get out the vote efforts and how these can best be done. The third was on the role media plays in elections both from a theoretical/ethical point of view and from a practical, maximizing positive coverage standpoint.
These have been great experiences on three levels. First, being part of and helping put on these trainigs to help advance the capacities or politicians and those aspiring to be part of this process has made me feel - selfishly- like I am playing a role - albeit a tiny one - in helping these passionate actors in the Moroccan democracy create a more democratic, more social just nation
Second, actually meeting these - for the most part - very friendly people who have ranged from those working for their party to current MPs in office to members of the press and other NGOs, has been really fascinating. Something few Moroccans will deny is that they love talking and very few topics are off the table (especially their opinions on the US! :)) Another nice part is that, as I experienced in South Africa, the MPs
and party leaders do not perceive or treat you as if there too much of a barrier between them and some lowly intern.
The third interesting part has actually been the content. The training n how to organize a campaign, how to effectively communicate you message has been a really exciting (for me at least...) how to on conducting a campaign. I've run into a lot of tactics that I've only seen in practice, to ideas I haven't really encountered in looking at actualy campaigns. One good example is the concept of repeating an idea in communications to get it to stick. One good example is the concept of repeating an idea in communications to get it to stick.
For these conferences, I've been heavily involved in preparatory work, such as finding suitable materials for the participant packets, heling the presenters with their presentation etc. before hand. During I've been mainly doing the note-taking for the goings-on. With these notes, I've then proceeded to write the final reports that need to be submitted to national NDI in DC and eventually the donors.
Contrary to what the movie Office Space says about writing reports, those I've been writing here have actualy been pretty interesting. They have forced me to gain a grasp of NDI's mission and motivations for each of the activities and learn how to put the Moroccan context and its worldwide important into words.
The notetaking itself has also been more compelling than it is made out to be. First is because of my dorky desire to learn and retain the information at hand. Second has been my, again dorky, desire to practice my french since the conferences are usually in French with a translation into Arabic for those who aren't as fluent in French. This leads to the third reason, the language particularity.
In spite of the fact that NDI is an American NGO, it makes a considerable effort to tailor its programs to each country. A large part of this effort is the langauge of its programs, materials and publications. Thus, in Morocco there are in Moroccan Arabic and French. The conferences themselves too are in theses languages, usually with a simultaneous translation but sometimes consecutive (simultaneous is UN style, that is th
e presenter carries on in French and there is a translator who translating at the same time - shockingly called simultaneously - with participants having nifty head phones, consecutive means the presenter pauses and lets the translator do the translation then.)
All this is well and good, I could happily take the French part and copy it down in note form. However, the final reports I had to write have to be in English. As note-taker, I was faced with the dilemma of note-taking in English while the conference was in French. Luckily I had spent the last 4 months before Morocco in Dijon, France learning French or I wouldn't be able to keep up, let alone talk to the participants. That is not to say that I didn't have a few frantic translation search on my computer... hey, personne n'est parfait.
Yet, where this starts to get really interesting (for those of you keeping track, this is the 4th level of interesting) is when you take into account how many Moroccans speak in a hybrid of French and Arabic (as those of you who have read the previous blog would know). Most of the presenters would keep to one lanuage pretty well. However, once the floor was open to the often copious amounts of comments and questions (remember, loquacious people) the poor translators (one from Arabic to French and one from French to Arabic) often need to switch as participants go from one language to another. This is equally difficult for the participants that only speak one of the languages and, namely, me. Having the headphones in, I would have to take them out to hear the presenter when she spoke in French but put them right back in when she switched to Arabic.
It certainly can get confusing; I remember one time where the translator ended up translating the Arabic into...Arabic, not noticing he wasn't being particularly helpful. Talk about getting lost in translation...But, but, this difficulty is well worth the pain. Yes, for the practical point of best being able to train the participant. Yet, for me the most critical point is to highlight that NDI's work isn't about imposing a specific type of pre-packed democracy to all the nation's it works in. Yes America's model work's fairly well in America, but its clear that for democracy to work, it must be suited the the different nuances of each society. Instead, my understanding of NDI's work (disclaimer: these words are the thoughts of Alex Snider and Alex Snider alone and cannot be linked to the parent organization of which he is an unpaid intern) is that it is about using its expertise and experience to provide tools, support and help to those working to realize their own version of democracy. It's not about creating America's democracy in Morocco or anywhere else and its not anything NDI can do without the dedicate political actors in each of the countries it works in. Above all, NDI is about about helping to facilitate democratie à la Marocaine, designed according to Morocco's social circumstances and priorities, political realities, and, yes, naturally, its language(s).
NDI uses a lot of different tools to help support democracy in Morocco. The tactics range from trainings of Ministers of Parliament, party officials and activists and candidates on the nuts and bolts of running effective campaigns, voter outreach and communication to supporting emerging political leaders to conferences centered on promoting women's participants to attempts to increase politician accountability and citizen participation such as a website (www.moroccodemocracy.com) aiming to bring more information to Morocco's citizens. Their work here really is exciting and, seeing as it is about 6 weeks until the next elections (mark your calendar for Septembe
r 7, 2007!! You know CNN is going to give it 24 hour coverage, that is, assuming there isn't an attractive white child missing), NDI has many activities and trainings going on.Among their activities have been a number of trainings and conferences for political parties that I have had the opportunity to help out with. I've been a part of three conferences, one with women from one of the poltical parties which provided them specifically with training on how to promote their party's message and convince voters. Another was with a variety of parties and focused on get out the vote efforts and how these can best be done. The third was on the role media plays in elections both from a theoretical/ethical point of view and from a practical, maximizing positive coverage standpoint.
These have been great experiences on three levels. First, being part of and helping put on these trainigs to help advance the capacities or politicians and those aspiring to be part of this process has made me feel - selfishly- like I am playing a role - albeit a tiny one - in helping these passionate actors in the Moroccan democracy create a more democratic, more social just nation
Second, actually meeting these - for the most part - very friendly people who have ranged from those working for their party to current MPs in office to members of the press and other NGOs, has been really fascinating. Something few Moroccans will deny is that they love talking and very few topics are off the table (especially their opinions on the US! :)) Another nice part is that, as I experienced in South Africa, the MPs
and party leaders do not perceive or treat you as if there too much of a barrier between them and some lowly intern.The third interesting part has actually been the content. The training n how to organize a campaign, how to effectively communicate you message has been a really exciting (for me at least...) how to on conducting a campaign. I've run into a lot of tactics that I've only seen in practice, to ideas I haven't really encountered in looking at actualy campaigns. One good example is the concept of repeating an idea in communications to get it to stick. One good example is the concept of repeating an idea in communications to get it to stick.
For these conferences, I've been heavily involved in preparatory work, such as finding suitable materials for the participant packets, heling the presenters with their presentation etc. before hand. During I've been mainly doing the note-taking for the goings-on. With these notes, I've then proceeded to write the final reports that need to be submitted to national NDI in DC and eventually the donors.
Contrary to what the movie Office Space says about writing reports, those I've been writing here have actualy been pretty interesting. They have forced me to gain a grasp of NDI's mission and motivations for each of the activities and learn how to put the Moroccan context and its worldwide important into words.
The notetaking itself has also been more compelling than it is made out to be. First is because of my dorky desire to learn and retain the information at hand. Second has been my, again dorky, desire to practice my french since the conferences are usually in French with a translation into Arabic for those who aren't as fluent in French. This leads to the third reason, the language particularity.
In spite of the fact that NDI is an American NGO, it makes a considerable effort to tailor its programs to each country. A large part of this effort is the langauge of its programs, materials and publications. Thus, in Morocco there are in Moroccan Arabic and French. The conferences themselves too are in theses languages, usually with a simultaneous translation but sometimes consecutive (simultaneous is UN style, that is th
e presenter carries on in French and there is a translator who translating at the same time - shockingly called simultaneously - with participants having nifty head phones, consecutive means the presenter pauses and lets the translator do the translation then.)All this is well and good, I could happily take the French part and copy it down in note form. However, the final reports I had to write have to be in English. As note-taker, I was faced with the dilemma of note-taking in English while the conference was in French. Luckily I had spent the last 4 months before Morocco in Dijon, France learning French or I wouldn't be able to keep up, let alone talk to the participants. That is not to say that I didn't have a few frantic translation search on my computer... hey, personne n'est parfait.
Yet, where this starts to get really interesting (for those of you keeping track, this is the 4th level of interesting) is when you take into account how many Moroccans speak in a hybrid of French and Arabic (as those of you who have read the previous blog would know). Most of the presenters would keep to one lanuage pretty well. However, once the floor was open to the often copious amounts of comments and questions (remember, loquacious people) the poor translators (one from Arabic to French and one from French to Arabic) often need to switch as participants go from one language to another. This is equally difficult for the participants that only speak one of the languages and, namely, me. Having the headphones in, I would have to take them out to hear the presenter when she spoke in French but put them right back in when she switched to Arabic.
It certainly can get confusing; I remember one time where the translator ended up translating the Arabic into...Arabic, not noticing he wasn't being particularly helpful. Talk about getting lost in translation...But, but, this difficulty is well worth the pain. Yes, for the practical point of best being able to train the participant. Yet, for me the most critical point is to highlight that NDI's work isn't about imposing a specific type of pre-packed democracy to all the nation's it works in. Yes America's model work's fairly well in America, but its clear that for democracy to work, it must be suited the the different nuances of each society. Instead, my understanding of NDI's work (disclaimer: these words are the thoughts of Alex Snider and Alex Snider alone and cannot be linked to the parent organization of which he is an unpaid intern) is that it is about using its expertise and experience to provide tools, support and help to those working to realize their own version of democracy. It's not about creating America's democracy in Morocco or anywhere else and its not anything NDI can do without the dedicate political actors in each of the countries it works in. Above all, NDI is about about helping to facilitate democratie à la Marocaine, designed according to Morocco's social circumstances and priorities, political realities, and, yes, naturally, its language(s).
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Random Story
So I met this guy from Rabat on the train. Just randomly I asked him if he had a favorite restaurant in Rabat. He replied yes and proceeded to describe where it is in a telling fashion:
Him: It's located near the mosque...
Me: Which mosque?
Him: Well, the one by the McDonalds?
Me: Which McDonalds?
Well, that's it. OK I didn't say it was a good story, I just said it was a random one!
Him: It's located near the mosque...
Me: Which mosque?
Him: Well, the one by the McDonalds?
Me: Which McDonalds?
Well, that's it. OK I didn't say it was a good story, I just said it was a random one!
People Dynamics
One of the most interesting things about traveling - for me at least - is not so much those special "ethnic" things that are completely different from one society to another. Instead, it is how they those same daily, routine things are done differently and what this says about that society's priorities and values.
The first thing you realize in just any random conversation is that the whole "personal space bubble" does not apply here. This doesn't just apply to random touching to make a point but also just to where people stand. When I talk to a Moroccan, I often find myself reflexively s
tepping back for no other reason than my eyes aren't used to focusing that close on someone. In the US and Europe we -subconsciously or consciously - give others their space and ensure we are given ours. That's why if you're in an almost empty metro car or bus and you sit next to someone, they might eye you warily. Here, even the monkeys are touchy-feely (see picture).
Another example is business related encounters. In my experience in the State Department, when you call or meet with someone, its mainly business first, everything else is secondary. However, here there is an array pleasantries that must be done before you even start to think about business. It makes life a little less efficient but, at times, it certainly seems worth it.
Anyone devoted to their personal space would not be all too happy in the Medinas (old towns), buses or grand taxis of Morocco. These narrow streets more often than not filled with people, donkeys, bikes and motorcycles are the public's domain. When you talk to anyone expect to have at minimum a handshake if not 2 kisses on the cheek (regardless of sex). The taxis that go longer distances, called grand taxis, have a standard capacity of 4 in the back and 2 in the one front seat. I'm reminded as well of the mini-buses in Cape Town: a number of times I had my face squished against the "Maximum capacity 12" sign as 16+ were piled on top of me. The big city buses of Rabat have small seats and are usually overflowing with people, hence allowing you to get to know the people around you and all the assorted smells that this necessarily entails.
I want to take a minute with the buses. I remember when I first got to Morocco and my friend was telling me how the buses work. And, you certainly do need someone to help you. The routes and schedules are certainly not posted online, and, as far as I know, no hard copy guide exists. People just know. So, being a neophyte, I asked where the bus stop was for the bus I needed. He proceeded to explain the bus stops do not really exist; they usually just a group of people huddled by the side of the road. Interesting, I thought, as I imagined myself ending up somewhere in rural Morocco while my coworkers started to get worried.
With a few exceptions, the buses are fairly old and run down. Little money is wasted in keeping them in good shape or, for that matter, comfortable. They are dirty and pollute a lot, belching black smoke seemingly whenever I'm standing next to one. Often, the drivers will actually come to a complete stop at the stops, sometimes people hop in as it rolls away. The system of collecting money is not high tech - one man (and it is invariably a man)with a bag of coins and carnival-like tickets. They are not user friendly at all. You have to magically find the right place to stand to get on. To get out, there is no fancy button to press, you have to be ready where the stop is, and then bang on the door frame to get it to open up.
But...and there is a but...the buses excel in two key ways - they work ( and quickly so) and they are cheap (4 Dirhams or $0.45 per trip). In other words, they sacrifice style and comfort, but they are effective as they do what they need to do and no more. If you know where the stops are and the procedure for getting off, it certainly does work quickly and easily. And, most everyone on the bus does know how they work. With not a single exception, I have been the only white person every time when I've taken the bus to work.
Someone else extraordinary that I've seen is, every now and then one person will talk to the man collecting money, and, I assume, tell him they can't afford it. The man usually nods, leaves the person be and continues collecting money. I can imagine one pleading such as case in the US would wind up on the sidewalk, not out of a lack of sympathy but rather fear that if they let some do that, others might much such claims and, pardon the pun, try to free ride.
So for me, the bus was trial and error. I definitely missed my stop the first few times because I didn't realize you had to bang on the side of the bus for the driver to open the door...you live, you learn. What I also learned, however, is that these mundane parts of life in Morocco do seem to be more about substance than style. You get close to someone and touch them while you're talking to them to show affection, not worrying about infringing on someone's personal space. The bus isn't pretty but its gets your from point A to point B...well that is if you can figure it out. There are times I really long for online schedules, predictable stops and the peace of mind and calm this all entails.
Yet, I'm also reminded that many people cannot afford such peace of mind - what matters is that it works. In America, more often than not, if something doesn't work we toss it out. But, as a friend of mind, Ben Mansbach talked about in his blog from Cameroon (http://benjamin.nomadlife.org), in Africa people tend to fix them up again and again and again, rather than just buying a new one. Because money certainly is an object, they are eager to substitute style for substance. Maybe this is a trade-off we need to consider a little more back in the good old US. We forget that the reason we take a bus or have a car is to g
et from point A to point B. We forget that what makes life special aren't material comforts but rather the intimate personal relations and interactions that we have with people, be they members of our family, random people we meet in the street or those we do business with.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my convenience and comforts to some extent and feel fortunate to be able to afford them. Yet, too often many in the west, myself included, or others who lead privileged lives regardless of where they live, focus a little too much on the style in which we get somewhere (figuratively or literally), and forget to stop, be thankful, and appreciate the fact that we got there in the first place.
The first thing you realize in just any random conversation is that the whole "personal space bubble" does not apply here. This doesn't just apply to random touching to make a point but also just to where people stand. When I talk to a Moroccan, I often find myself reflexively s
tepping back for no other reason than my eyes aren't used to focusing that close on someone. In the US and Europe we -subconsciously or consciously - give others their space and ensure we are given ours. That's why if you're in an almost empty metro car or bus and you sit next to someone, they might eye you warily. Here, even the monkeys are touchy-feely (see picture).Another example is business related encounters. In my experience in the State Department, when you call or meet with someone, its mainly business first, everything else is secondary. However, here there is an array pleasantries that must be done before you even start to think about business. It makes life a little less efficient but, at times, it certainly seems worth it.
Anyone devoted to their personal space would not be all too happy in the Medinas (old towns), buses or grand taxis of Morocco. These narrow streets more often than not filled with people, donkeys, bikes and motorcycles are the public's domain. When you talk to anyone expect to have at minimum a handshake if not 2 kisses on the cheek (regardless of sex). The taxis that go longer distances, called grand taxis, have a standard capacity of 4 in the back and 2 in the one front seat. I'm reminded as well of the mini-buses in Cape Town: a number of times I had my face squished against the "Maximum capacity 12" sign as 16+ were piled on top of me. The big city buses of Rabat have small seats and are usually overflowing with people, hence allowing you to get to know the people around you and all the assorted smells that this necessarily entails.
I want to take a minute with the buses. I remember when I first got to Morocco and my friend was telling me how the buses work. And, you certainly do need someone to help you. The routes and schedules are certainly not posted online, and, as far as I know, no hard copy guide exists. People just know. So, being a neophyte, I asked where the bus stop was for the bus I needed. He proceeded to explain the bus stops do not really exist; they usually just a group of people huddled by the side of the road. Interesting, I thought, as I imagined myself ending up somewhere in rural Morocco while my coworkers started to get worried.
With a few exceptions, the buses are fairly old and run down. Little money is wasted in keeping them in good shape or, for that matter, comfortable. They are dirty and pollute a lot, belching black smoke seemingly whenever I'm standing next to one. Often, the drivers will actually come to a complete stop at the stops, sometimes people hop in as it rolls away. The system of collecting money is not high tech - one man (and it is invariably a man)with a bag of coins and carnival-like tickets. They are not user friendly at all. You have to magically find the right place to stand to get on. To get out, there is no fancy button to press, you have to be ready where the stop is, and then bang on the door frame to get it to open up.
But...and there is a but...the buses excel in two key ways - they work ( and quickly so) and they are cheap (4 Dirhams or $0.45 per trip). In other words, they sacrifice style and comfort, but they are effective as they do what they need to do and no more. If you know where the stops are and the procedure for getting off, it certainly does work quickly and easily. And, most everyone on the bus does know how they work. With not a single exception, I have been the only white person every time when I've taken the bus to work.
Someone else extraordinary that I've seen is, every now and then one person will talk to the man collecting money, and, I assume, tell him they can't afford it. The man usually nods, leaves the person be and continues collecting money. I can imagine one pleading such as case in the US would wind up on the sidewalk, not out of a lack of sympathy but rather fear that if they let some do that, others might much such claims and, pardon the pun, try to free ride.
So for me, the bus was trial and error. I definitely missed my stop the first few times because I didn't realize you had to bang on the side of the bus for the driver to open the door...you live, you learn. What I also learned, however, is that these mundane parts of life in Morocco do seem to be more about substance than style. You get close to someone and touch them while you're talking to them to show affection, not worrying about infringing on someone's personal space. The bus isn't pretty but its gets your from point A to point B...well that is if you can figure it out. There are times I really long for online schedules, predictable stops and the peace of mind and calm this all entails.
Yet, I'm also reminded that many people cannot afford such peace of mind - what matters is that it works. In America, more often than not, if something doesn't work we toss it out. But, as a friend of mind, Ben Mansbach talked about in his blog from Cameroon (http://benjamin.nomadlife.org), in Africa people tend to fix them up again and again and again, rather than just buying a new one. Because money certainly is an object, they are eager to substitute style for substance. Maybe this is a trade-off we need to consider a little more back in the good old US. We forget that the reason we take a bus or have a car is to g
et from point A to point B. We forget that what makes life special aren't material comforts but rather the intimate personal relations and interactions that we have with people, be they members of our family, random people we meet in the street or those we do business with.Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my convenience and comforts to some extent and feel fortunate to be able to afford them. Yet, too often many in the west, myself included, or others who lead privileged lives regardless of where they live, focus a little too much on the style in which we get somewhere (figuratively or literally), and forget to stop, be thankful, and appreciate the fact that we got there in the first place.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Newfound Patriotism
Yesterday was the 4th of July, usually a day that only means fireworks and a party for me. Today, moreso than ever before, I had a swelling of patriotism coming up to this day. That was surprising for me, particularly being in an area that never lets you forget about Iraq or Israel. Yet, what these many conversation have done - with people from taxi drivers, to shop-keepers, to those involved in Moroccan politics, is to yes, remind me of the bad America has done, but also, in defending my country against such overly-unflattering portrayals, I remember all the good we have done and all the important values we more often than not stand for.
The irony is, is that when I am in the states, I can't help but recoil when I see an American flag or hear that chillingly-catchy country song "Proud to be an American". I can't help but think about all the bad things Bush has done to threaten a lot of what I hold dear. Whenever I meet a foreigner there talking about how great America is I say "Well, wait a minute - we aren't even close to perfect.." and so on, presenting the picture that all of the good things America and Americans dois somehow mitigated by the bad. Yet, here, when I hear some critical of America, my reaction is the opposition - that, yes, we have done some bad things, but we are also a great source for good and that all the good certainly does offset certain, shall we say, lapses in judgment.
For those who have seen the movie Goodbye Lenin, it's been a similar experience to that of the main character, who when looking back at pre-fall of the Berlin wall Germany, appreciate some of the things he had neglected. That is one of the fantastic things about traveling - you get to go outside of the context you know, seeing the things you thought you knew from a new perspective. I'm reminded of a T.S.Elliot quote: " We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. "
So, for the 4th a threw a cloyingly patriotic 4th of July party, including fireworks (the powerpoint variety) and good old Moroccan-made hamburgers and hot dogs. Yet, during the party, I did try to remind people (about 3/4 foreigners) that the reason we celebrate 4th of July in the States - well at least the reason why I did it this year and why I will continue into the future - is to celebrate the great values and ideals the nation was founded on, and our responsibility to live up to these ideals in our actions within and outside of our nation's borders every day.
And, yes, I did play "Proud to be American"... that song sure is catchy...
The irony is, is that when I am in the states, I can't help but recoil when I see an American flag or hear that chillingly-catchy country song "Proud to be an American". I can't help but think about all the bad things Bush has done to threaten a lot of what I hold dear. Whenever I meet a foreigner there talking about how great America is I say "Well, wait a minute - we aren't even close to perfect.." and so on, presenting the picture that all of the good things America and Americans dois somehow mitigated by the bad. Yet, here, when I hear some critical of America, my reaction is the opposition - that, yes, we have done some bad things, but we are also a great source for good and that all the good certainly does offset certain, shall we say, lapses in judgment.
For those who have seen the movie Goodbye Lenin, it's been a similar experience to that of the main character, who when looking back at pre-fall of the Berlin wall Germany, appreciate some of the things he had neglected. That is one of the fantastic things about traveling - you get to go outside of the context you know, seeing the things you thought you knew from a new perspective. I'm reminded of a T.S.Elliot quote: " We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. "
So, for the 4th a threw a cloyingly patriotic 4th of July party, including fireworks (the powerpoint variety) and good old Moroccan-made hamburgers and hot dogs. Yet, during the party, I did try to remind people (about 3/4 foreigners) that the reason we celebrate 4th of July in the States - well at least the reason why I did it this year and why I will continue into the future - is to celebrate the great values and ideals the nation was founded on, and our responsibility to live up to these ideals in our actions within and outside of our nation's borders every day.
And, yes, I did play "Proud to be American"... that song sure is catchy...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Assumptions Part 2
Assumption #3: Democracy is good, monarchy is bad.
Shame of me for having this assumption in the first place. Mrs. Mirkow, dear Mrs. Mirkow, my 11th and 12th grade history teacher first lesson in class - I remember it like it was yesterday - instructed us to throw out all our western-centric ideas that go as follows: we are in a democracy, it works well for us, so others should follow us so they can become better.
However, over my past 3 years of Poli Sci schooling at UNC and Duke, I've had the idea that democracy is the be all and end all crammed down my throat. I've learned much about how a vibrant and active democracy it is supposed to promote peace, free trade, more sustainable & equitable development, less hunger and many other desirable traits such as have a representative government.
Two things have given me pause over the last few years however. First, that some things about democracy just plain suck. By this and I'm sure many of you feel the same way, among other things, the campaigns and media coverage thereof are ridiculous, often about style over substance, are sensationalist and rarely narrow their focus on the real nuts and bolts issues of what's important to a country. The incumbency rate is unbelievably high and politics - in America at least - seems to be more about how much money you have, who you know (and how much money THEY have) then about merit or vision. I've heard that people are predicting the 2008 presidential campaign to be the first campaign where candidates combined spend over $1 billion on expenses to win the White House. Well, at least Rupert Murdoch is happy.
Once in office, it doesn't seem to get much better. The mountains of bureaucratic-inertia are often stifling and what gets done isn't always a whole lot better than doing nothing. While The Daily Show does a fantastic job of finding and exaggerating every single ridiculous debate, rider amendment and pork-barrel spending to make it seem like this is ALL they do, it definitely seems to happen way to much as it should considering how great democracy is supposed to be.
Don't even get me started with lobbyists.
Secondly, democracy seems like it needs to much more that a system or series of
elections or new story but rather a culture and way of life. More importantly, for
democracy to work, the society that suits it. By this I mean it must have an independent and free press to be able to verify and hold leaders accountable as well as inform the public about what is going on. There must be a thriving civil society with businesses, community groups, NGOS and other interests groups so citizens can come together to lobby for their rights. There must be stable and multiple political parties so that individuals have viable alternatives to choose from if one party doesn't carry through on its promises. The democratic system must be designed in a way that suits the country's demographics. Finally, the people in the nation must at a state where they can participate. Yes, that means willing. But this also means not hungry and impoverished, with a job, educated, and not fearful for their lives because of violent conflict or insecurity.
As the French would say, "c'est pas evident" - its not easy/simple. It is these sorts of democratic enablers that Iraq lacked and is the reason that the idea of imposing democracy with the sword made and stills makes absolutely no sense. Don't get me wrong though, I think democracy is a fantastic tool. However, I do think it is one that a country must be ready to use. It is at this point that I find myself between two conflicting quotations - first, that democracy merely is "tyranny of the majority." And second, that democracy is "the worst system except for all the others."
I certainly believe that if given the choice between any given country to be either a democracy or at the whim of a random autocrat, I would certainly choose the former. However, Morocco, in particular, isn't faced with this choice.Instead, Morocco is a "democratic, social and constitutional Monarchy."
The first things one of my colleagues noted is that democratic monarchy is about as oxymoronic as it gets. In spite of this, Mohammed VI, the King, has made considerable reforms during his tenure. Provding more political and social freedoms, rewriting Morocco's antiquated family code to give women unprecedented legal rights in the Arab world and focus on poverty alleviation and housing as two of his major policies.
Hearing about this brings "benevolent dictator" to mind, which many see as the ideal form of government, if you can assume he (or her...ok he..jk) will remain this way and is motivated to be efficient in being benevolent. But it is this that gives me pause. In a democracy, there are tangible incentives for doing good, for improving the lives of your citizens: your job. If you don't produce results, you get the boot. But for dictators, unless you really terrorize your people so that they revolt against you, all you really have to do to keep your job is keep your inner circle content.
Yet, in applying my democratic education to Morocco, I've found my initial assumption - that Morocco would be better off right now with a full democracy (ie no King or a king like the UK has one) by some of the conversations I've had. Instead, it seems that what he's doing - promoting economic and social development while engaging in the process of democratization gradually and still remaining a unifying force is a pretty good step.... for the mean time. According to many I've talked to Morocco is not ready for full democracy with, for instance almost 1/2 of the population illiterate and many still in poverty and with voter education and party development still lacking.
However, is not clear cut. When South Africa held elections in 1995, it was still a very poor country. Yet, it was privvy to a unique period of unity behind Mandela that Morocco has not experienced. That doesn't mean that SA doesn't face huge democratic challenges today. SA, on the other hand, also did not have the option of a gradual transition from benevolent dictator to democracy. It is possible that with a full democracy here, the government would not be stable enough to do the hard work that must be done. The NGO I'm working with here, NDI, and many others NGOs are working with political parties, young leaders and the electorate to promote a more effective democracy. One thing I want to learn more about - and eventually write my thesis on (I think.....uggh I don't even want to start to think about my thesis) is democratic transition, how you cross the point of no return from autocracy to democracy.
For the moment, however, the King seems to be on the right track. He is providing more and more press, civil society and democratic freedoms while pushing for social justice. I only hope he continues his current reform and trend towards increased democratization and social development and, eventually, has the humility to ease gently out of the spotlight and let a thriving democracy, with all the benefits, and, yes, shortcomings, take center stage.
Unsurprisingly, it seems Mrs. Mirkow was right...she has always been there watching over me...
Shame of me for having this assumption in the first place. Mrs. Mirkow, dear Mrs. Mirkow, my 11th and 12th grade history teacher first lesson in class - I remember it like it was yesterday - instructed us to throw out all our western-centric ideas that go as follows: we are in a democracy, it works well for us, so others should follow us so they can become better.
However, over my past 3 years of Poli Sci schooling at UNC and Duke, I've had the idea that democracy is the be all and end all crammed down my throat. I've learned much about how a vibrant and active democracy it is supposed to promote peace, free trade, more sustainable & equitable development, less hunger and many other desirable traits such as have a representative government.
Two things have given me pause over the last few years however. First, that some things about democracy just plain suck. By this and I'm sure many of you feel the same way, among other things, the campaigns and media coverage thereof are ridiculous, often about style over substance, are sensationalist and rarely narrow their focus on the real nuts and bolts issues of what's important to a country. The incumbency rate is unbelievably high and politics - in America at least - seems to be more about how much money you have, who you know (and how much money THEY have) then about merit or vision. I've heard that people are predicting the 2008 presidential campaign to be the first campaign where candidates combined spend over $1 billion on expenses to win the White House. Well, at least Rupert Murdoch is happy.
Once in office, it doesn't seem to get much better. The mountains of bureaucratic-inertia are often stifling and what gets done isn't always a whole lot better than doing nothing. While The Daily Show does a fantastic job of finding and exaggerating every single ridiculous debate, rider amendment and pork-barrel spending to make it seem like this is ALL they do, it definitely seems to happen way to much as it should considering how great democracy is supposed to be.
Don't even get me started with lobbyists.
Secondly, democracy seems like it needs to much more that a system or series of
elections or new story but rather a culture and way of life. More importantly, for
democracy to work, the society that suits it. By this I mean it must have an independent and free press to be able to verify and hold leaders accountable as well as inform the public about what is going on. There must be a thriving civil society with businesses, community groups, NGOS and other interests groups so citizens can come together to lobby for their rights. There must be stable and multiple political parties so that individuals have viable alternatives to choose from if one party doesn't carry through on its promises. The democratic system must be designed in a way that suits the country's demographics. Finally, the people in the nation must at a state where they can participate. Yes, that means willing. But this also means not hungry and impoverished, with a job, educated, and not fearful for their lives because of violent conflict or insecurity.
As the French would say, "c'est pas evident" - its not easy/simple. It is these sorts of democratic enablers that Iraq lacked and is the reason that the idea of imposing democracy with the sword made and stills makes absolutely no sense. Don't get me wrong though, I think democracy is a fantastic tool. However, I do think it is one that a country must be ready to use. It is at this point that I find myself between two conflicting quotations - first, that democracy merely is "tyranny of the majority." And second, that democracy is "the worst system except for all the others."
I certainly believe that if given the choice between any given country to be either a democracy or at the whim of a random autocrat, I would certainly choose the former. However, Morocco, in particular, isn't faced with this choice.Instead, Morocco is a "democratic, social and constitutional Monarchy."
The first things one of my colleagues noted is that democratic monarchy is about as oxymoronic as it gets. In spite of this, Mohammed VI, the King, has made considerable reforms during his tenure. Provding more political and social freedoms, rewriting Morocco's antiquated family code to give women unprecedented legal rights in the Arab world and focus on poverty alleviation and housing as two of his major policies.
Hearing about this brings "benevolent dictator" to mind, which many see as the ideal form of government, if you can assume he (or her...ok he..jk) will remain this way and is motivated to be efficient in being benevolent. But it is this that gives me pause. In a democracy, there are tangible incentives for doing good, for improving the lives of your citizens: your job. If you don't produce results, you get the boot. But for dictators, unless you really terrorize your people so that they revolt against you, all you really have to do to keep your job is keep your inner circle content.
Yet, in applying my democratic education to Morocco, I've found my initial assumption - that Morocco would be better off right now with a full democracy (ie no King or a king like the UK has one) by some of the conversations I've had. Instead, it seems that what he's doing - promoting economic and social development while engaging in the process of democratization gradually and still remaining a unifying force is a pretty good step.... for the mean time. According to many I've talked to Morocco is not ready for full democracy with, for instance almost 1/2 of the population illiterate and many still in poverty and with voter education and party development still lacking.
However, is not clear cut. When South Africa held elections in 1995, it was still a very poor country. Yet, it was privvy to a unique period of unity behind Mandela that Morocco has not experienced. That doesn't mean that SA doesn't face huge democratic challenges today. SA, on the other hand, also did not have the option of a gradual transition from benevolent dictator to democracy. It is possible that with a full democracy here, the government would not be stable enough to do the hard work that must be done. The NGO I'm working with here, NDI, and many others NGOs are working with political parties, young leaders and the electorate to promote a more effective democracy. One thing I want to learn more about - and eventually write my thesis on (I think.....uggh I don't even want to start to think about my thesis) is democratic transition, how you cross the point of no return from autocracy to democracy.
For the moment, however, the King seems to be on the right track. He is providing more and more press, civil society and democratic freedoms while pushing for social justice. I only hope he continues his current reform and trend towards increased democratization and social development and, eventually, has the humility to ease gently out of the spotlight and let a thriving democracy, with all the benefits, and, yes, shortcomings, take center stage.
Unsurprisingly, it seems Mrs. Mirkow was right...she has always been there watching over me...
Monday, June 18, 2007
Assumptions Part 1
Assumption #1: I know my way around Rabat
Maybe others have had similar experiences or maybe its just because I'm a guy and a) don't like to ask for directions b) like taking shortcuts c) and c) like to pretend like I know my way around somewhere even if I really don't have a clue where I'm going, but in my life I have found that the second that I think I've figured out how to get around a city, I get horribly lost. This happened to me going home from work the other day - I just simply wasn't paying attention and found myself walking up the wrong street. Any normal person would have turned around, walked back to the junction I knew and find the right street. I, on the other hand, thought I could cut my losses by taking a short-cut. I would soon discover that this would only add to them.
Luckily for me, I was able to use my French to communicate with some nice folks and got myself in the right direction, eventually, a stable, forest and a few tennis courts later. Then, I was lucky enough t
o have my family friend see my walking the street and be nice enough to turn the car around and pick me up. In sum, I'm a lucky guy. What this experience did make me thankful for was having my French. Being in Morocco - even more so than France - has made me sympathetic to those travelling to lands where they don't speak the language. I'm thinking about those Asian tourists I see clicking photos around DC. Just like me trying to read an Arabic sign - I can't even begin to pronounce it! - the letters that your reading right now look like Greek to someone from Japan, or from Morocco for that matter, who hasn't had any schooling with them.
While French is around most of Rabat and I can get along just fine with it, especially in upscale or touristy places that cater to foreigners or local frogs or events targeted at a wider audience such as the recent Jazz festival, Arabic is the language of the street. When i take the bus to work every morning, I notice very little French and a whole lot of Arabic. Being in that environment and speaking ore or less no Arabic has reinforced the idea that not speaking the language that's around you is an isolating, difficult and frustrating experience. It's something you don't even notice in others around you when you speak the language of the place you're in, but when you have something you're dying to say and you just have no idea how to express it using gestures (and contrary to popular belief speaking the language you know REALLY LOUD won't communicate the message either), it is irrepressibly frustrating.
One of the places I've had more trouble than I expected is in whats known as Petit Taxis here - small, cheap taxis that cost about 2 bucks to go anywhere in town. Having a few drivers who barely speak any French has left me feeling distant and in a different world that the driver. For a moment, I almost started to get irritated that the driver didn't really speak French, a language I had hoped would allow me to communicate with everyone. However, I was able to take a step back and realized that Arabic really is the language of this country, not French.
What I also realized was that I was not really as irritated by the fact that he didn't speak French than by the fact that I don't speak Arabic. I always enjoy knowing enough of a language for simple pleasantries, to be able to ask questions about a person in their own language and, of course, to be able to say "I speak a little of X language" or preferably "I'm trying to learn X language, but its not going so well!". Yes, for the selfish reason of wanting to communicate to people but also to convey that I have at least made some effort to meet the other halfway - well not quite halfway, maybe 1/100th of the way.
This brings me to the next assumption...
Assumption #2: Arabic is Arabic
"Mbtekti arabi shwia" or so I thought. This, of course, means I speak a little Arabic in Arabic. But, as I pulled this expression out as I talked to a storekeeper, all I received was a blank stare. At first I thought it was just horrible pronunciation. It turns out this was PART of it, but I also learned that while this might be "I speak a little Arabic" in Classical Arabic, it doesn't really mean all that much in Moroccan Arabic.
To back up, I thought a good way to learn Arabic was to get an Arabic audio lesson so I could have the basics of Arabic . I remember vividly one of the examples used "I am not Syrian, are you?" I probably should have taken that as a hint that it might not fly. It turns out that most Moroccans can understand classical Arabic, but its not a good way to communicate.
What's interesting though, is that Derija, the Moroccan slang dialect, is a blend of Moroccan Arabic, Berber (Moroccan rural language) French and apparently some Spanish too. As I hear my colleagues and friends talk it, I can understand just about every 9th or 10th word, usually filler words like "tu vois" and "en fait" (you see and in fact). They don't help all that much with comprehension, but they are an interesting indicator of the history of this co
untry and the diverse influences that shape what it is today.
Next step, learn a enough Moroccan Arabic to get by. Wish me luck, j'en aurai besoin! (I'll need it!)
P.S. All these signs are helpful to know, the first is "Truck Exit" and the second is "It's strictly forbidden to cross the tracks" - good thing I speak French! The third obviously means "Protect the Grass" (I had to have it translated)
Maybe others have had similar experiences or maybe its just because I'm a guy and a) don't like to ask for directions b) like taking shortcuts c) and c) like to pretend like I know my way around somewhere even if I really don't have a clue where I'm going, but in my life I have found that the second that I think I've figured out how to get around a city, I get horribly lost. This happened to me going home from work the other day - I just simply wasn't paying attention and found myself walking up the wrong street. Any normal person would have turned around, walked back to the junction I knew and find the right street. I, on the other hand, thought I could cut my losses by taking a short-cut. I would soon discover that this would only add to them.
Luckily for me, I was able to use my French to communicate with some nice folks and got myself in the right direction, eventually, a stable, forest and a few tennis courts later. Then, I was lucky enough t
o have my family friend see my walking the street and be nice enough to turn the car around and pick me up. In sum, I'm a lucky guy. What this experience did make me thankful for was having my French. Being in Morocco - even more so than France - has made me sympathetic to those travelling to lands where they don't speak the language. I'm thinking about those Asian tourists I see clicking photos around DC. Just like me trying to read an Arabic sign - I can't even begin to pronounce it! - the letters that your reading right now look like Greek to someone from Japan, or from Morocco for that matter, who hasn't had any schooling with them.While French is around most of Rabat and I can get along just fine with it, especially in upscale or touristy places that cater to foreigners or local frogs or events targeted at a wider audience such as the recent Jazz festival, Arabic is the language of the street. When i take the bus to work every morning, I notice very little French and a whole lot of Arabic. Being in that environment and speaking ore or less no Arabic has reinforced the idea that not speaking the language that's around you is an isolating, difficult and frustrating experience. It's something you don't even notice in others around you when you speak the language of the place you're in, but when you have something you're dying to say and you just have no idea how to express it using gestures (and contrary to popular belief speaking the language you know REALLY LOUD won't communicate the message either), it is irrepressibly frustrating.
One of the places I've had more trouble than I expected is in whats known as Petit Taxis here - small, cheap taxis that cost about 2 bucks to go anywhere in town. Having a few drivers who barely speak any French has left me feeling distant and in a different world that the driver. For a moment, I almost started to get irritated that the driver didn't really speak French, a language I had hoped would allow me to communicate with everyone. However, I was able to take a step back and realized that Arabic really is the language of this country, not French.
What I also realized was that I was not really as irritated by the fact that he didn't speak French than by the fact that I don't speak Arabic. I always enjoy knowing enough of a language for simple pleasantries, to be able to ask questions about a person in their own language and, of course, to be able to say "I speak a little of X language" or preferably "I'm trying to learn X language, but its not going so well!". Yes, for the selfish reason of wanting to communicate to people but also to convey that I have at least made some effort to meet the other halfway - well not quite halfway, maybe 1/100th of the way.
This brings me to the next assumption...
Assumption #2: Arabic is Arabic
"Mbtekti arabi shwia" or so I thought. This, of course, means I speak a little Arabic in Arabic. But, as I pulled this expression out as I talked to a storekeeper, all I received was a blank stare. At first I thought it was just horrible pronunciation. It turns out this was PART of it, but I also learned that while this might be "I speak a little Arabic" in Classical Arabic, it doesn't really mean all that much in Moroccan Arabic.
To back up, I thought a good way to learn Arabic was to get an Arabic audio lesson so I could have the basics of Arabic . I remember vividly one of the examples used "I am not Syrian, are you?" I probably should have taken that as a hint that it might not fly. It turns out that most Moroccans can understand classical Arabic, but its not a good way to communicate.
What's interesting though, is that Derija, the Moroccan slang dialect, is a blend of Moroccan Arabic, Berber (Moroccan rural language) French and apparently some Spanish too. As I hear my colleagues and friends talk it, I can understand just about every 9th or 10th word, usually filler words like "tu vois" and "en fait" (you see and in fact). They don't help all that much with comprehension, but they are an interesting indicator of the history of this co
untry and the diverse influences that shape what it is today.Next step, learn a enough Moroccan Arabic to get by. Wish me luck, j'en aurai besoin! (I'll need it!)
P.S. All these signs are helpful to know, the first is "Truck Exit" and the second is "It's strictly forbidden to cross the tracks" - good thing I speak French! The third obviously means "Protect the Grass" (I had to have it translated)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
A Land of Contrasts
I had previously read about Morocco's important geo-political role. As an Arab nation, it is the most advanced democracy among them, the most modern and the most likely to embrace an inclusive notion of globalization. While Iraq is where the battle between the modernism and fundamentalism is taking place with guns, Morocco is on the forefront of the ideological battle, seeking to modernize and adapt while also sensing the Islamic revival that has emerged in the past couple decades. I heard that Morocco can be seen as a sign of things to come for west-east relations. If Morocco allows modernism and tolerance to overcome extremism and bigotry, it portends good things.
I've had many experiences that testify to the struggle in this country that I had read about. However, I have also been humbled by how much I did not expect, both in the ways Morocco is still tied to the past and the ways it is embracing the future, and by those small things you just cannot prepare yourself for. This is really the first place I've ever been where I've faced Islam and Arab culture head on so I've had a number of firsts: fully veiled women, a taboo against alcohol, Mosques where non-Muslims are prohibited from entry, gyms segregated by sex. By the last thing, I do not only mean that you have men's gyms and women's gyms with different focuses etc. Instead, there are gyms with hours or days for each sex so that each gender has a single-sex workout environment. I could never imagine this in the US so you can imagine my surprise when I first was made aware of this by the gym receptionist. Morocco seems to be full of contrasts, a place where where one of the biggest issues of our shrinking world, traditionalism versus modernism, is ever-present, juxtaposed and divisive.
One example of this contrast is the culture of drinking here. It's something I've struggled to get used to, particularly coming from France where anyone and everyone past infancy has a glass of wine or two with dinner. While alcohol is technically forbidden by the Koran, this does not mean that Muslims do not drink. Instead, there really is a variety of the way people interpret this: some have a glass of wine, some don't, others have about ten of them. Like some of the Southern US, there are attempts made to keep alcohol on the down low. For instance, at the local supermarket ,there is a separate subterranean (it is technically underground) floor devoted to alcohol. With wine, beer and everything it was an alcoholic's paradise. As you check out, they go to great effort to hide the contents of your bag. They are dark black and they double bag it - tying the first bag off. Interestingly, I didn't notice a single female client there.
Another example of the modernism/traditionalism contrast is the below picture .
Right outside the main square in Marrakesh, about 4 hours SW of Rabat, a teenager was selling this toy. which was an electric train with two parts: our president, Dubya, on a tank with its barrel pointed at Osama Bin Ladin in the car in front of him. As I'm sure was the intention, Dubya and him go around and around in circle, with W never catching him. In a country where most people strongly dislike Bush, this product is being marketed to tourists, representing the modern capitalistic influence, promising to share the better standard of living shared by the western world. Meanwhile, the omnipresent symbol of traditionalism, Osama, is very much a part of this picture, providing the dramatic chase and fighting against the values that tourism - and Bush - represents.I encountered this again when talking to a local shopkeep in the Medina (or old city) in Rabat that I have gotten to know. He argued two things. First, that the only thing coming between the US and the Arab world is Israel Palestine, saying that is solved tonight, Americans and Arabs would be dancing arm-in-arm. Second, that Bush is the same type of person as Bin Laden, just the other extreme. Bin Laden offers complete traditionalism with the destruction of the US and what it represents and Bush offers the opposite.
One stereotype that has proven true is that no one likes Bush in Morocco. Once, I even had a taxi driver ask me what I thought about Bus before he'd let me out of the cab. While I have been here for the summer and during the last four months in France, for that matter, I've often found myself sympathizing and agreeing with the pretty significant disdain for Bush, as I did with that cab driver. Yet, I've also occasionally - and grudgingly - found myself defending him. I've not really made an attempt to defend what he's done but more-so his intentions. Besides some of the arrogance and belligerence he's shown, I believe he has had mostly good intentions. For instance, my work here, promoting democracy, is something he's stood staunchly behind. I do commend him for this but I also remember that this is exactly what he was doing in Iraq... When thinking about Iraq, I remember my country too contains some of the same contrasts and hypocrisy I've run into in Morocco. Bush does represent a kind of extremism that does delegitimize some of the good work being done to promote democracy that NGOs such as NDI are doing. While Osama clearly is much more extreme, his presence too delegitimizes a cause that does have some merit, preserving some of our traditional values in light of a world that is rapidly changing, yes, often for better but, occasionally, also for worse.
Yet, It seems like the media sensationalizes and distorts reality by over representing these extremes. As Jon Steward says, the media only talks about the trucks that are on fire. I've been amazed by how mixed these two "worlds" are . I imagined a deeper separation
but I've encountered a blend of traditionalism and modernism in many parts of daily life. Unlike the impression I got from what I've read or seen in the media, these aren't always in conflict. One of my friends cares for both mixed drinks and Allah. I asked if he thought this was a contradiction and he said not at all. Instead, just like Christians who do not follow all of the instruction of Leviticus, he said that he has his interpretation of what's important just as others have their. Taking to him, I realized that I have a lot to learn about Islam and the role it plays in the lives of those who follow it. Just as Christians are a motley crew, so too the Islamic world is full of contrasts. That is something I hadn't really begin to understand until I got here.I also realized I did not understand what the contrasts of this nation really meant. I had in mind the deadly results of extremism and modernism clashing symbolized by the Casablanca bombings in 2003 that killed more than 40 people. However, such explosive events have seemed to be the exception, not the rule. Instead, Moroccans of all beliefs have lived together in relative peace in spite of their "contrasts". Thanks to this, baseball caps are seen next to veils, the sound of the call to prayer are heard along side the sound of merchants selling socks (made in China, of course), Coke is sold along side of The a la Menthe (traditional Moroccan mint tea) and tradition and modernism are able to live side-by-side.
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