Culture shock

By Adam O’Neil

I want to start off by saying how grateful I am for this amazing opportunity to study abroad. Our professors noticed how quickly all the students on the trip came together and said that we were a very unique group. I haven’t studied abroad before but I have to say I am thrilled with each and every single individual on the trip. I have already made so many great friends and it really helps ease the tension of leaving behind friends and family back home for a month!

One of the biggest highlights of the trip is the food. Tagine is my favorite and I have already sampled many different varieties. Tagine is cooked in a ceramic pot and served hot. It usually consists of chicken, beef or lamb with vegetables and spices but I have also had beef and egg tagine with tomato paste and also have tried chicken tagine served over French fries. Also mint tea is a huge part of the culture. Mint tea and bread or cookies is served with just about every meeting whether it is just a friendly get together or a professional meeting. It is served hot in small glasses and it is delicious. I will definitely miss the tea when I leave Morocco.

I have been in Morocco for about a week now and I am having the adventure of a lifetime. Our first day in Morocco we stayed in the city of Rabat and the culture shock was immediate. Most Moroccans speak at least three languages but unfortunately for me, English is not one of them. Moroccans speak their own dialect of Arabic along with French, and Berber. In the northern and southern regions of Morocco, Spanish is prominent as well. The French influence is due to the colonization of Morocco in the past while the Spanish influence is due to Morocco’s proximity to Spain.

Aside from the language there are other cultural differences that I am still getting used to. Tipping too much is considered rude, the traffic is crazy and everyone jaywalks. Another huge culture difference is time. Moroccans are not punctual people. They have such a relaxed way of living. They have old time and new time and they take advantage of this often.

In Rabat we met with Moroccan journalists and I really connected with the guys in our group. We discussed the local views of sustainable development and it was eye-opening. Environmental issues are not considered in their definition of sustainable development. Instead, they focus on education and the problems students face learning in French when the majority of the time it is not their first language. The journalists also pointed out the irony of teaching Moroccan students in French while the French are teaching their students English. The conversation inevitably turned to politics and we all shared similar frustrations.

I was fortunate enough to spend my 22nd birthday surfing at the beach! If someone had told me I would spend my birthday surfing in North Africa a year ago, I would have thought they were crazy but it happened. I met a local who let me borrow his surfboard. He was a great guy with an interesting story. He was originally from Morocco but moved to the United States when he was 17 and lived in Washington D.C. He was living the American dream. He got a great job and got married. Well one day he got in a motorcycle accident and nearly died. He had to go through months of expensive rehab and his wife left him. He decided to continue his rehab in Morocco surfing and helping out with his friend’s surfing school. He had such a positive attitude and his resilience and determination was contagious. Talking to him made the hairs on my arms stand up and I felt spiritually uplifted.

We visited the Universite of Internationale de Rabat and I cannot stress enough how much I took away from this experience. I met Moroccan students who had just finished their undergrad and were moving on to get their master’s degrees. They were also leaving to study abroad in America. Since I myself recently graduated from undergrad and am moving on to get my master’s as well, it was very refreshing to be able to discuss my feelings with someone in the same boat. We both were a little nervous to move on to the next level and whether we would be able to handle the pressure and rigor of a master’s program. It was funny because I already felt very close to this group of students just based on where we were at in our lives. When I asked them what their favorite TV shows were, they said Game of Thrones and House of Cards, which happen to be my two favorites as well. It is very fascinating to see how Western culture permeates the globe. Even half way around the world, college students are watching the same television shows and the same movies.

My short time thus far in Morocco has been a spiritual awakening. I have never felt more confident in who I am as a person and what I want to do with my life. I am without a doubt already a more tolerant and peaceful person. I do not know how to describe all the feelings I am having but I feel a great sense of inner peace and confidence that I have never known before.