the process of moroccanization

Apparently, for the past months I’ve started becoming a Moroccan. This is something that I didn’t notice and didn’t realize but I was rather told that by others. After careful consideration and being a bit surprised I had to agree with this statement.

Remember this post? I wrote that I was not very much into discovering new cultures anymore. Now, from the time perspective I think I can already say that the period when I wrote it (starting in the mid of November and lasting until I changed my flat almost a month ago) was the period of my "overseas depression". Maybe depression is too strong word but at that time I was just fed up with Morocco in many aspects and I didn’t mind leaving. Actually, I was even sort of trapped. I knew leaving for Poland would not be a solution (I am afraid of reintegration shock and all these kind of difficulties) and leaving for any other country would not be good either (I was just afraid of getting into even worse conditions). Now this period is gone.

But to the point! Once my friend told me “Kamil , I really think you are very adapted and integrated with the society. I know many foreigners who simply cannot be like you”. “Why do you think so?” I asked. “ I don’t know. For example, you always take bus and almost always you’re the only foreigner on the bus” he replied. “God! I take the buses mostly because I can’t afford going by taxis everyday. This is not the proof of me being integrated” I thought. Recently, I’ve also started buying a lot of harsha (it’s something between bread and cake I would say). But this is also because of money. I don’t mind eating at cheap places where I am almost often the only foreigner (lack of money again). But I’ve noticed that I feel very comfortable in such places and enjoy talking to people (and in this case, money is not applicable anymore).

I also moved from a rich and quite westernized district to a poorer one and more traditional one. I thought I wouldn’t like it but actually I don’t mind (ok I admit! I even enjoy living in this environment). Once I spend my day with some Moroccan friends and one of them told me he felt with me as if he were with a Moroccan. I cross street like a Moroccan (not being afraid of the crazy traffic), I look very self confident on the street, I walk alone, I eat on the streets or on the buses. I talk to random people. I use more and more Arabic words instead of English or French ones. I become guide for other foreigners. I pick up the trainees from the airport/train station. The most exciting thing I did was hitting the back door of the bus to signalize the driver to stop to get off (since there are no buttons for a request stop). Before I had noticed some Moroccans doing that and looking a bit aggressively and one time I was very happy to follow this behavioral pattern. I started hitting the door and of course the bus stopped.

I’ve also acquired some negative qualities. I have the Moroccan concept of time. I usually don’t care when I’m not on time. Usually, no one is one time and nobody makes a big deal about it. I would say also that looking through Polish reality I don’t work so much here. But it looks different when you judge me through Moroccan reality. Although I don’t feel I’m overworked people here usually say I do a very good job.

Sometimes, I can’t help but wonder if moving here for good would be possible for me. The fact that I think about it means that I may consider that so it’s already a big thing. Hopefully, I don’t need take any decisions right now or in the next months so the time will show.

Well, all these things I wrote about are very relative so it’s only up to you whether you agree with me or not. Sometimes I really wish I had a magic tool to measure all the changes that international experience had made on me… I sometimes can’t wait to go back to Poland only to see how much I changed (realizing that myself and hearing from other people) because of the year in this country.

Whatever happens, wherever I end up living, Morocco will always be a very special place to me. It is going to be my second home where I will keep returning all my life.