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My program here in Marseille is focused on the Middle East and North Africa – all students are required to take Arabic and our humanities classes are focused, in some way, on MENA – so included in our program of study is a weeklong on-site study in Fes, Morocco. Two weeks ago we left Marseille for the start of our adventure. Even though a lot of things were familiar given last semester, I still had an incredible trip. And this time around I had the added experience of my last three months in France. Instead of just thinking about the differences and similarities between Morocco and the U.S. (as I know realize I spent most of September through December doing whether I was aware of it or not), a new spectrum of contrasts and correlations between the U.S, Morocco, and France emerged. Things struck me about Morocco that I hadn’t picked up on before, parallels between France and Morocco that I hadn’t imagined became evident, and, once again, my own identity as an American was re-enforced just as I was seeking to expand it. It is a bit hard to organize these relationships in words (on the other hand, I have finally found use for a Venn diagram) but I will try.
The U.S., Morocco, and France
Technology and pop culture have truly succeeded in connecting the entire world. It was still a little shocking to be watching a Pittbull music video while sitting on a couch inside a traditional riyad located in the 9th century medina and eating tajine with my hands from a communal plate, but that is, apparently, the modern world. Moroccans know all about American music, movies, and television shows. They watch E! News, MTV and youtube videos as much as any American. A Moroccan, an American, and A Frenchwoman could all sit down and have a perfectly delightful conversation about the acting career of Bradley Cooper.
Of course facebook is insanely popular in Morocco. The cultural rules are a bit different (Moroccans seem to think that every time you appear on facebook chat a thirty minute conversation of pleasantries must ensue) but the idea is the same. Just like in France and the U.S. facebook has become a key tool for communication and sharing photos.
And cell phones. Everyone in all three countries has one and is on it frequently. It has actually been a strange experience to be abroad with a crappy twenty-dollar Nokia phone that’s best feature is the game snake, while my French and Moroccan counterparts are whipping out Iphones and playing Angry Birds.
Of course, these similarities that connect three countries are the most modern, you might say even the most American, but their presence is strong. And the foundation they provide - for starting a conversation or a business – is critical.
France and Morocco
When you have a meeting at 9:00 am in the states, you get there at 8:45. When you have a meeting at 9:00 am in Morocco, you are lucky if everyone shows by 9:20. There is just no conception of time as something that can be “lost” and therefore no sense of urgency. The same holds true in France, although less so in a professional context. In general, France and Morocco move at a much slower pace than the U.S. People take their time, stop and sip a coffee (café culture is another shared element), and always find the time to exchange pleasantries. While sometimes I find this habit disconcerting, I also relish in taking a lazy afternoon, sitting out in the sun, and munching on a croissant.
Unfortunately, this leisurely mode vanishes, in both countries, the minute the French or the Moroccans enter a vehicle. On the road these civilized café-goers become Tasmanian devils ignoring all road regulations and squeezing three people onto one moped.
This insanity could have something to do with another similarity between the two countries – a lack of emphasis on practical information. Trying to call a movie theater and find out showing times? You will probably be told that even though the film is set to open the next day the times are unknown, then you will be hung up on. Looking for a bus schedule to get yourself to school in the morning? There isn’t one! Buses don’t have schedules! When they arrive, you can leave. So maybe the information about safe driving just hasn’t been properly disseminated yet.
Morocco and the U.S.
During my semester in Morocco I was so caught up in the differences between my current residence and my home that I never noticed any similarities. But this time, after 3 months with the French, I could finally see the connections and they were actually comforting. Moroccans – like Americans – like to talk and they like to talk LOUD. In France, everyone speaks with a low, rhythmic voice. Laughing out loud at a restaurant is considered an imposition on your fellow dinners. I have missed shouting to your friends, cracking jokes, and just generally expressing enthusiasm for things. It was also refreshing to have a break from the strict societal norms that govern France. In Morocco, like in the U.S., no one judges you for cutting cheese incorrectly. You don’t have to worry about addressing everyone with the proper form of “you.” Despite the sometimes tense male/female dynamic, there is a much more casual approach to social interactions that reminds me of the U.S. And I was surprised how much I had missed this familiar, easygoing attitude.
But even with my discovery of the parallels between the U.S. and Morocco, visit #2 still re-affirmed what I felt four months ago – that while I love Morocco, I find it incredibly difficult to live there. Parallels do exists and there are aspects of Moroccan culture that I prefer to their American counterparts, but overall the differences are vast. There are certain elements that I consider too fundamental to my life (like the freedom to leave my house safely after nine p.m., to wear shorts, to be governed by a democratic system of government, to speak freely) to give up.
The U.S. and France
This affirmation of the difficulties of living in Morocco, also explained why studying in France has been so easy. Yes, there are cultural differences between the U.S. and France that occasionally drive me crazy. But there are very important elements - secular, democratic governments, the importance cleanliness and hygiene, equality between men and women, liberal social relationships – which both cultures share. And there are the small things, like fashion, grocery stores, interior design and toilets, that in day-to-day life can be almost as critical. When I first arrived, France almost seemed too similar to the U.S. But with time, I realized that these similarities have made my life in France, in the words of a friend, “infinitely easier” than my life in Morocco.
There is, of course, still a part of me that is distinctly American. That yearns for the independence and individualism that you only find in the U.S. I miss direct communication, yes or no answers were you don’t need to read between the lines. And I miss the efficiency that comes with our obsession with the Internet – the ability find any information you need online or to receive an instant email response to any question. I want to smile in the street without it being interpreted as an invitation and I want to wave goodbye to a friend or a shop owner and receive a wave in return. But with all the history, art, panoramic views and croissants that France has to offer I think I will survive...
