How can two lands that are so geographically close to one another, merely separated by a small slice of water, house two completely different cultures? I am still amazed by this fact.
Africa was nothing that I anticipated it to be, and I find this to be a comforting, challenging, and rewarding thing to accept. Morocco, at least from my perception, is vastly different from Spain and it is also vastly unique from the stereotypes of traditional African lands. There were no extremely dark-skinned people, no elephants, no jungles. Morocco is its own creation. A mixture of different histories and culture.
The dominant language is Arabic, and 98% of the Moroccan population practices Islam. Older men in long beige colored cloaks and small tan-skinned children with curious dark eyes fill the streets. Women were not found in the streets as easily, and the ones that were out were covered with the traditional Islamic hijab (loose clothing and head covering). It's interesting - the contrast between Morocco's landscape and their own development. The cities we visited are nestled in some of the most beautiful lands I have ever seen - lush green grass sprinkled with yellow flowers, mountains that stretched into the gray and white clouds, and then you turn to your left and see the sparkling light blue sea with miles of bright sand. Unbelievable. A true expression of God and his creation - beautiful, pure, and amazing.
Yet the infrastruce and actual development of the towns we visited was a contrast to the landscape. Rectungular shaped buildings rested within the hills of the Rif Mountains. The white paint on the outside is chipping and washed away. Walking, I feel the rough cobblestone digging into my feet with each step. Within the medina (Arabic for "city center") the roads consist of mud, orange dirt, and some cobblestone - pavement is nonexistent. The paths of the roads twist and turn and weave in and out of each other in one huge, seemingly unending maze. There are no street signs, no street names, and no street lighting. I can hardly imagine nagivating the streets during the day, much less at night. Stands of fresh fruit and meat line the twist and turns. Walking, I wonder "Where are the pharmacies? What is the health care like here? Education? Where are the doctors' offices? Where do people buy commonplace things - like toothpaste and deoderant?" I was in culture shock from both of my home cultures - the Untied States and Spain.
Fresh fish (heads and eyes fully attached), fresh chickens (yes, heads still attached), fresh pig (entire pigs hanging by the huffs) are found in the local markets. Where am I? I kept wondering. Is it really 2010?
It seems as though everything is made by hand in Morocco. Bread is not bought - you make the dough and take it to the bread baker who warms it and lets it rise. Clothes are not washed in a washing machine - the women take them down to the fresh spring and rinse and scrub them by hand. Rugs are not made by fancy sowing machines and in factories - they are sown for hours by hand. Things are not carried by trucks - instead old women and men walk past me, hunched over with large squares of spices and hay pressing down on their backs.
And I wonder, what do they think of us - Americans? Do they view us as selfish, greedy, thoughtless consumers? Or do they envy our culture of comfort and ease? Or do they view their own way of life as the best method of living? Do they think we should change our ways of life to comply with their culture?
This trip has sparked a new questioning of culture for me. Why do we live the way we do? I'm reading a book that Mom gave to me before coming to Spain -- The Monkey and the Fish by author Dave Gibbons. Although I'm not far along in the book, it's already been thought-provoking. Gibbons explores an idea called "third culture" and challenges each member of the church to embrace a third culture mentality. Third culture, according to Gibbons, is this idea of living in a fleixible, adaptable, changable mindset. It's about loving those who are different from us. It's about seeing things from others perspectives. It's about embracing culture and community. Last night I read about the following:
"Brooks then refers to a study by professor of psychology Richard Besbitt in which Americans and Asians were shown individual pictures of a chicken, a cow, and hay. When they were asked which of the pictures go together, Americans typically picked the two animals. Asians typically picked the cow and the hay, since cows eat hay. Americans tend to see categories, whereas Asians are more likely to see relationships. That's why doing business in Asia is about more than signing a contract; it's about relationships of trust." (p.50)
Now you may be thinking -- Brittany went to Africa; why is she writing about Asian culture? But this study got me thinking about my trip to Africa. It got me thinking about culture and relationships. I say that Africa is underdeveloped - and perhaps in many ways they are. But think of it - due to them not having gas or washing machines in their homes, they are forced to depend on one another more. You must take your dough to the bread-maker. You must leave your home to wash your clothes. And you need help with doing these things -- you cannot do it all alone. And us? In the US? Goodness knows we can function independently and in quite an isolated manner. We can buy (or make) our own bread, we can wash and dry on our own clothes, we can order practially everything on-line and have it delivered to us -- without even having to step a foot of our home. And although this technology and convience is amazing and life-changing, and yes, certainly it is something that I enjoy and am thankful for, I think it causes us to lose another important part of culture -- community and relationships. So perhaps Morocco is not as advanced in terms of technology, perhaps they are "developing" in many ways, but maybe there is something we can learn from them. We can learn about community, we can learn about dependence, we can learn about appreciation and gratitude. Maybe they are developed too, just differently.
Look out for another blog about Africa -- the trip was so full and thought-provoking that I couldn't fit everything into one post! :) As always, thank you for reading and for being a part of my life here. I hope that this post challenges you to think about your own culture and values. I love you and am praying safety, health, blessings, and joy for you!
Besos from your American traveler... :)
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