The things you should never talk about...or should you?

 

              (yes, this is a donkey dressed up for the Moulay Idriss Hamar Hafla/Donkey Party, and it has nothing to do with the below post)

In America, you NEVER discuss these five topics when you first meet someone:

1. religion
2. politics
3. money
4. race
5. sex

In Morocco, it is quite normal to discuss these five topics when you first meet someone:

1. religion
2. politics
3. money
4. race
5. marriage and babies (the thing that precedes and is a result of sex)

So when you are invited to someone's home, for lets say, couscous, and they start asking you who is better, Jesus or Mohammed, if you will vote for Obama, how much money you make, how much do you pay for rent, and how much did you pay for that scarf you are wearing, why do you keep saying you are American when you are obviously Italian, and when will you get married and have babies because you aren't getting any younger, don't be offended.  Yes, I know, you can probably hear your mother gasping in absolute shock and dropping to the floor in your head, but you are not crazy, THIS IS TOTALLY NORMAL.  You are not dreaming, you did in fact join the Peace Corps, and they did in fact send you to Morocco, and you are in fact eating couscous, and you are answering these questions because lets be honest these are the only questions you really know how to answer in Darija anyway.  

At least my life isn't boring.

                (this picture has nothing to do with the below post, I just thought you would enjoy it, it is from my recent trip to Sicily)

I have been in Morocco for a year, A YEAR.  You have been reading my blog FOR A YEAR. And we have been on some pretty crazy adventures so far, I mean we learned how to catch a Gazella, we found out that I in fact know John Cena, we learned about the importance of dancing like a monkey in the Peace Corps, and finally we learned how much of a badass I am compared to people who steal watermelons, WATERMELONS, I mean really?  Oh, and we also learned that I am mskina bzeef and at times a complete idiot.    

I am not going to say that this year has been easy.  I mean, the whole pooping in a hole (even a porcelain hole) has made me question my sanity in joining the Peace Corps in the first place, plus my inability to understand anything that is going on around me.   But despite all the challenges at least I can't say that my life is boring.  

Now instead of spicing up my life by taking a new route to work and buying my tall skim chai latte from a different Starbucks (true story) I am trying to convince people I am not a sad, lonely, pathetic, orphan who no one loves, occasionally being followed by random men who try to talk to me or show me their penises in an attempt to impress me? (hahahahaha, I am not that easily impressed!), having surprise meetings with everyone from the Center where I work talking about what I think is something very important but I really have no idea since I don't understand what anyone is saying, etc.   

Things like these might discourage some people and have them question why they don't just go back to America "where these things don't happen"?  But not me, because I know shit like this happens EVERYWHERE.  And this realization helps me be like, yeah, that guy with no teeth trying to get my number is a weirdo, but if I play this right, this is going to make for a GREAT party story.  And ultimately we all know that is all that really matters in life, impressing people at parties, even though I technically can't be impressive because I am an American ;)   

Oh, and don't forget to look at the above picture, it is my thank you gift to you for reading my blog.