Just to continue from my last post, I thought I’d share some of the things I learned about Moroccan culture. They’re really random facts I picked up from my guide at the time and it’s helped shape my appreciation for the culture and lifestyle.
In lieu of the New Year, I’m reflecting on the “travel steps” that led me to be the traveler I am today.
Looking back at photos, I was reminiscing about a past trip to Morocco. It was my first “developing country”. Reading Paul Bowles‘ autobiography, this trip incited my thirst and curiosity for adventures, which lay beyond western borders. The thirst kept growing, because…
There’s a secret to Morocco and I’m convinced it speaks through its spices! From scented oils, city-wide prayer calls and intricate Arabic/Berber craft (more…)
So when in a medieval city like Old Fez, a popular tourist attraction is often to take a tour of a Moroccan tannery. What are tanneries? A seven century age-old way of making leather products from belts to bags, cushions, etc…through the skinning, shearing, drying and dyeing of animal skins with the help of laborious manpower and big vats of all-natural dyes.
Now guide books will be-cry the relationship between the tanneries and “its smell” as a forewarning, such that a post-911 New York resident and vegetarian like myself, immediately began drawing notions of the deathly odor as being from rotting carcasses. I admit, I was (more…)
Margaret wanted to experience mendhi, so we asked our 15 year old guide, Outman for a recommendation.
Okay, he was an illegal guide and underaged. Not very socially-responsible of us, but it was a tough call and who’s to say what’s worse. At first, we were reluctant to take on as a guide. But his English was better than our older “official guide” the day before, who spoke as if he had a rag in his mouth and then held his palm out for tips!
As I said earlier, there are many young boys who work illegally, offering their services as guides. If caught, they are punished with 2 days of imprisonment and who wants a kid to be thrown into jail? Also, the alternative job we heard about and witnessed youth doing for money was working in the tanneries. Extremely back-breaking labor with very little money, not to mention, toxic fumes.
Our youth approached us first, by steering us clear of bad salesmen and giving us local tips of how to haggle low. Basically, he told us how much Moroccans actually pay for some of the items we were shopping for! If you’re Margaret and always looking for a bargain, you’ll find this honesty hard to part with. As for me, I just felt we could trust him– he never set a fee and didn’t expect a tip– and moreover, I liked that I could understand his English.
We made sure Outman knew of the repercussions of his actions should he get caught and whenever we saw the police was near, we’d separate from him and meet up later. Honestly, we genuinely liked the kid and trusted him not to rip us off. We hired him for two days.
The alley we took to get our mendhi done was dark, but Outman assured us it was friendly and safe. He was taking us to a Berber house and to his friend’s mother, who does mendhi.
No harm. Experiencing mendhi and seeing the inside of a Moroccan home was an exciting cultural experience for us!
Mendhi is used in many countries as a symbol for female rite of passage, adornment and/or celebration. The most common use for mendhi is pre-wedding celebration, where the bride gets the front and back of her palms decorated. Mendhi is a temporary tattoo which lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a month, depending on the quality of the henna. Neither Margaret or I, were getting married, but tourists often get them for souvenir purposes so we felt it was okay.
The mendhi is made from henna powder which comes from crushed leaves. It’s mixed into a paste and then it’s ready to be squeezed on. The woman doing Margaret’s henna prepared most of it in front of us. She then created her own design. The design doesn’t seem to hold much symbolic meaning though.
Margaret & I getting Mendhi @ a Fes Henna Souk, Morocco
After applying the henna, it must set for about 20 -30 minutes. When it’s ready, it will just flake off.
I’m personally not into mendhi because I’m not into permanent or semi-permanent designs on my body. Watching it was good enough for me, but the mendhi lady was kind enough to do my pinkie for free. It was non-committal enough, so why not?
“Prayer calls in Fez, Morocco”
(Note- the first part of the audio in this video is a better than the second.
Although the second is closer to what I initially heard as I emerged from my stupor of sleep)
My first night in Fez, I was awoken around 3 AM by the Muslim adhan (Arabic: “prayer calls”) which occurs five times throughout the day.
Was it someone moaning in pain or was our riad being haunted. 3 AM and bleary-eyed, I initially couldn’t make out the difference.
It turned out to be one of the most mystical and meditative moments I’ve experienced with sound and one of my fondest highlights of Morocco. Haunting yet heavenly, the prayers are called out by a muezzin (a chosen person who leads the calls) and amplified over the mosque loudspeakers as the Islamic community (more…)
The Dar Seffarine. What was it like to stay at a Moroccan riad?
Why get frazzled when things don’t meet your pre-planned expectations? Take for instance, having your baggage not arrive with you on the flight over to Morocco!
8 ways I stay warm during winter in Korea
My narrow escape from Bangkok's Ping-pong sex show scams
GRRRL Goes Whimpery in Her New Korean Location
Getting my hair done at the Korean beauty salon
10 funny quirks you didn't know about Koreans
Travel Bucket List 2012: Booking a role on Hawaii Five-O (Part II)
8 Places to Make you Fall in Love with Seoul
Naked in a Korean Bathhouse!
Atrocities of Tourism: 6 annoying habits of tourists
Long-term solo travel and three mistakes I wish I avoided
Surviving a university job interview in Korea
Is Korea a state-of-the-art country?
My Top 3 Travel Secrets for Travel (and Korea)
| |
|
 |
|
Follow me