The "Drop Off" and Tea Room Adventures

                So today was the drop off in the city. They dropped us off in small groups and had us find our way back to the Medina where the Cross Cultural Center is. It was pretty easy to find our way back, we just had to look for the main streets, Hassan II and Mohammad V.  We stopped at one point to double check that we were going in the right direction; so we headed towards a woman who was working behind a fruit stand. As soon as we tried asking her, she backed away and pointed us to the man next to her. It’s odd to think that we couldn’t approach the woman because there was a man nearby.  Figuring out the cultural differences and what is acceptable and what isn’t, is still difficult.  We ended up walking through the main downtown so it was interesting to see again the mix of modern and traditional.

After we got back to the Medina, we had more orientation type things about health and bargaining. The most interesting part was learning about street harassment. We have all noticed that the men in Morocco tend to do cat-calls and try to draw the attention of all women. Although it can be uncomfortable, we did learn that it’s actually part of the culture and there is a historical reason behind it. Men are still adjusting to women not being strictly in the home, and in a way are asserting that the outside, and the streets, are still their territory. Typically the harassment is harmless and you should just ignore it because it’s simply an act of masculinity. Very rarely should a female feel threatened by the calls, it’s more of an annoyance than anything else. This was comforting to learn, but so different than in the United States. The adjustments are going to be hard, but it’s still reassuring to know that some things that would be viewed as really uncomfortable in the U.S, is something that can be ignored for the most part here.

After trying to figure out that part of the orientation, we had dinner then proceeded to wander around some more. The city is super accessible and there are buses, taxis and a tram. We found a Tea Room was friendly for women to be at, because typically, cafes are like a men’s hang out spot. As it gets dark, as a woman, I have to be careful what places I go to. The group of us got a bunch of delicious pastries to try, and got the traditional mint tea and some coffee with milk. The experiences here are great so far and we’re having a great time so far. Tomorrow is the first Arabic lesson and I can’t wait to actually be able to communicate with people.

I'll be sure to upload some more pictures tomorrow :)