Ever since first landing in Morocco, I have enjoyed seeing the national flag fluttering on the tops of buildings, outside mosques, or atop trinkets for tourists in the medina. I have stopped the flow of the group of Humanities girls as we scurry from place to place in order to line up my camera just so and wait for the wind to stretch the flag in the most aesthetically pleasing way for a photo because I see the waving flag of Morocco as a perfect accent to the many places or buildings I have tried to take back with me through the camera. Perhaps one of the reasons I appreciate the country’s flag so much and feel that it is representative of my experience here enough to highlight it in my pictures is that it is, intended symbolism aside, about contrast; the flag consists of a green star on a bright red background, colors as opposite as can be.
These colors are visible throughout the entire country outside of the flag and on the landscape of Morocco. Every time I have driven through the countryside, I have marveled at how lush and green much of the fields are, and also how red the dirt can be. If I were told that the colors of the flag were chosen to capture the brilliant contrast between the earth and its plants, I would be likely to believe it. Morocco seems to be a land of contrasts, a quality so noticeable in many aspects of life here that it is hard to describe concisely exactly what the culture and the country are like.
Aside from being geographically diverse (such as snow-capped mountains standing not too far from the Sahara desert), Moroccan people seem to have different behaviors depending on the situation. This behavioral diversity hints at some of the contrasts within Moroccan culture, which in my opinion creates a complexity that enhances the experiences that I have been able to have while visiting this country.
While I have been in Morocco, I feel that I am first and foremost a tourist, and after that a student (which I’m sure is the opposite of how WPI would like me to feel, but maybe that shows that I’m simply absorbing the Moroccan trend towards opposites). I’ve heard time and time again that Moroccans love tourists and are very hospitable and generous people. I completely agree with this sentiment – as long as the tourists are doing what is expected of them. When American students are attempting to visit a Moroccan slaughterhouse, however, then calls must be made. I have had long conversations about what I consider to be personal subjects – family, politics, religion, etc. – with complete strangers, but when I mention that I’m here to do a research project, the questions become a little more pointed. Of the Moroccans whom I have met, I have enjoyed sometimes too much hospitality, but within a certain scope.
The contrast that I have likely enjoyed most and had the hardest time explaining to my friends and family back home would be that lavish beauty is often hidden behind an unexciting exterior. Especially in the medina, the high walls can blend together and be somewhat unstimulating; however, I don’t think I have ever walked into a home or office in the medina without being overwhelmed by amazing decorations. A shining example of this lies in what is supposedly the largest home in the medina (I say ‘supposedly’ because there was absolutely nothing from the outside that would hint that this door led to anything special, so how am I to know if perhaps an even less impressive facade leads into something even more amazing?). This house stands behind a plain, even boring, door on a bare stretch of wall; yet within, there are rooms big enough for a bird to roost in the intricately carved wooden rafters and breathtaking tile and plaster art, floor to very high ceiling. Knowing that behind the high walls and drab doors of the medina may lie the most beautiful buildings makes every trip somewhere new an excitement and a surprise.
However, I cannot in good conscience generalize and report that in Morocco, interior beauty is mostly masked by boring exteriors because so many of the doors here are masterpieces in their own right. Now, it may seem contradictory that the moment I am done explaining that one can’t judge a Moroccan building by its cover, I mention that Moroccan doors are so noteworthy to deserve their own paragraph. But this is just how Morocco is a country built on contrasts. While I am surprised at how often I walk into a building where the front face does nothing to prepare me for the beauty within, there are enough spectacular doors in every part of every city I have visited in Morocco that having photos of me in front of beautiful doors was a goal of mine that resulted in enough photos to fill an album. Doors seem to be an exception to the cultural tendency to show humility and not flaunt beauty or extravagance, and often are an opportunity to showcase immaculate tilework, intricate carvings of plaster, delicate pieces of shaved wood, or even a combination of all of those!
Other such contrasts that could be explored in more depth have a lot to do with time, privacy, ruins, and traffic. Moroccans are often late to meetings or events that even if they were the ones to set the time. Also, Moroccans tend to announce they must leave and then start a new conversation to delay the goodbyes and then say again they really do have to go. Women in Morocco are often treated kindly and allowed a lot of privacy; however making women uncomfortable through catcalling is very common, and hammams are visited regularly – which, as we recently discovered for ourselves, offer almost no privacy within genders. The Roman ruins in Morocco are a popular destination for tourists, yet the remains of traditional houses, either built with stone or clay, are not as commonly marketed even if they are just as interesting as the other ruins. Speaking of ruins, the busses in many of the Moroccan cities (especially Rabat) are poorly-maintained and quite literally falling apart, yet there are brand new tram lines and bullet trains in perfect condition. The traffic in Morocco is chaotic, but functional so that I sometimes clench my fists or jaw with nerves from being driven but have never seen a collision during the course of two months. Moroccans do well at putting others first (like pouring tea for friends before their own glass), but push to the front to be the first off the tram or stand in front of ATMs as if there is no one already waiting for a turn.
Part of the thrill and challenge of being in Morocco has been learning how to handle and predict the different inconstancies that seem to be present throughout the country. Perhaps for Moroccans, these observations may not seem noteworthy because that is simply the way of life here and these contrasts are taken for granted, as I’m sure I am accustomed to certain things back home that would confuse visitors and seem to be an inconsistency in the culture or stereotype. I appreciate that my time here has been a complex thing to explain because not everything follows the same trend even if I might expect it to because it has made me notice more and enjoy all of the red dirt and green earth, all of the beautiful contrasts.