15 THINGS I LEARNED IN MY FIRST 15 DAYS

I did what I thought was the normal thing to do...I researched Morocco intently even before I initially applied to CIEE's Teach Abroad program. 

I looked at weather patterns and even added the location of the school to the Weather app on my iPhone home screen. I researched the currency and read up on the latest news reports coming out of Morocco. I researched Islam in an effort to understand the religion a little more and I scoured the Internet for blogs that explained the dress code, norms, mores, and quirks. I found very little in this realm. 

So, here I am to share 15 things I learned in my first 15 days in Morocco.

1. People speak French more than not. French is more common than I had anticipated. I took 3 years of French in college and have yet to have major problems.

2. Buy a Moroccan SIM card as soon as you can. It was really simple to install in my iPhone and sync up with iMessage and iCloud with my Macbook. Having access to data, calls, and texts will give you peace of mind knowing you always have a connection and you won’t need to hop from WiFi network to WiFi network. And data is only about $1/GB. 

3. Olives. All the olives. Olives are in, on, or cooked with pretty much everything. So, if you're a olive-hater, like myself, beware!

4. Bring enough basics to live comfortably off of for at least 2 weeks. We were on the move for about 14 days before we were able to settle into our apartment, visit a grocery store, or do laundry. So make sure you have enough clothing and toiletries to last you for about that long.

5. Leave your tipping habits at Border Control. Tipping 20% for a simple meal in Morocco is unheard of...leave a few dirham if the service was really good and yala!

6. Buy all the fresh fruit and veggies you can. They’re always delicious! 

7. You get paid in cash and can't open a bank account. Here in Mohammedia we get paid in cash and are unable to open a bank account without a residence permit (we probably won't have a permit until March). This means that that balance has to last me until I get back in the summer. Personally, I have recurring monthly auto-withdraws like my student loan payments, Netflix, Spotify, etc. So, having a cushion is going to be crucial to being able to maintain your financial commitments back home. Your liquid assets will dwindle, so have a plan in place that works for you and your needs!

8. The minimum fare in a taxi before 8:30 pm is 7 MAD. Always ask how much the ride will be before you get in or asking the driver to turn the meter on is always a safe bet, too.

9. Find a local hanout and become a regular. We found a hanout on the corner by our apartment and we have grown to be regulars and it is nice to see a familiar face that is just as excited to see you. 

10. Moroccans are last minute people. Moroccans tend to prefer to wait to the last minute to do or plan anything, so prepare for disorganization and unpreparedness...this includes the school and landlords and shopkeepers and maintenance men. The only recommendation I have is to lower your expectations a little and go with the flow. That's not always easy, but you'll be better off in the long-run. A good rule of thumb is if they aren't worried you most likely shouldn't be either.

11. Balance your attire. I quickly realized that I over-estimated how conservative I thought I needed to be in what I chose to wear. I would wear a short sleeve tee shirt if I was wearing full length jeans or a maxi skirt. I would wear a long sleeve shirt and scarf, if I was wearing a 3/4 length skirt or capris. I would not wear a tee shirt with a 3/4 length skirt, though. I just try to balance when I can. Mohammedia is pretty casual. Jeans and a blouse tend to be my defaults, but I would strongly suggest covering the bottom half of your legs most of the time and wear shirts that are long in the back that are sure to cover your behind and cover at least half of your arm if you can. If shirts show your chest, cover with a scarf. Just try to find a balance.

12. Use the language you know. In my first 12 days in Morocco, I had about 6 hours of Darija under my belt total. I quickly came to find that Moroccans tend to deeply appreciate you trying to speak Darija. I usually received a surprised face and a quick response (that I didn't understand) so I had to ask them to continue in French, but they were appreciative of the effort.

13. Always carry a reusable bag with you. Buy a reusable bag when you first arrive and carry it with you whenever you can. You never know when you're going to need to randomly stop at the grocery store, see your favorite orange or strawberry fruit cart, or find a good deal on a few bottles of wine!

14. It's okay to walk in the streets. It's normal to bypass the sidewalk and walk in the streets. Obviously not the middle of the street, but to the right and left is completely normal and quite frankly safer as the sidewalks are typically in really bad shape or are overgrown with tree branches.

15. You'll spend money all the time. To me, it seemed like I was spending so much money; on eggs, juice, water, bread, veggies, etc., but in reality I was spending so little each time that it added up much more slowly than I was anticipating.

Stay Searching,

Elizabeth