Morocco

Sep 10-Sep 14
In the past few days I have thought hard on how to describe my experience in morocco, and until today I have not found one way that I think can defined my experience. I believe my experience in morocco was a great experience with a lot of emotional.

Morocco is a beautiful kingdom in term of its land it hold lot of Middle Eastern culture as well. To many of my friends, Morocco is described as a cultural shock, and an eye-opening. I'm not sure if all those terms apply to my experience in morocco. Its culture which is what is shocking to many of my SAS friends is based on Islam (women had to be covered up when it come to clothing, no alcohol, and a lot of restrictions, unlike Spain or the U.S).

I knew little about Morocco but I was still excited to be back in Africa, and see a similar culture to the one that I grow up in, and also be able to speak Arabic again. I was aware of Islam and it is restrictions, but I guess it I didn’t process how it shapes or effect the way people leave until I was in land when I saw everyone with similar dressing and not be able to eat for a hold day since it was Ramadan.

As I traveled through Casablanca where our ship was docked I started comparing the similar and the difference between Morocco with Sudan, I became more emotional than happy and maybe more annoyed, because I realize how religion effect people; nearly in every cab that I got in and spoke Arabic I was asked where I was from and when I told some of them I'm originally from Sudan, the response would be "oh welcome brother, Morocco is your home", and a then "are you Muslim, why not… Sudan is a great Muslim country!" this bothered me a lot because nearly in every cab I was asked again and again some started to talked about the greatness of Islam, but didn’t want to talk about the ruling of the king in Morocco. This allowed me to taking about good the life I have in the states were religion does not alter my Dailey activities.

Even thou at times I was a little paranoid with the same question and emotional about the effect and influence of religion, I enjoyed the rest of the time in Morocco special in Marrakesh were we road camels, visited some mosques and experience so of the culture of Morocco from Hookah , to music. Some of my greatest time was a service visit with SAS to an orphanage, there we played with the kids, but most importantly I felt like I made a difference just by playing with kids and put a smiled in their faces.

I guess my overall experience in Morocco taught me to cherish everything in my live more than before, whether it’s family or even the democratic state that exist back in the U.S.