What hit me the most first was the food here. Even without recipes, just tasting plain fruits and vegetables are beyond believable. The fruits are nothing at all like what you'd get in the U.S. Everything that I've tasted thus far has been super ripe, super sweet and filled to the brim with flavour. These fruits are like candy. I find myself searching for melons whenever and wherever I can get them. Its almost like eating fruit for the first time, something like a baby being introduced to nature's candy. Of course this is just the start of the food items. When I got to have Moroccan recipes I was floored. The combination has of course Arab influence but like Morocco itself there's a mix of African and Mediterranean flavors as well. I don't think Moroccans have foods that they haven't found a way to incorporate into their dishes. I don't know the names of too many dishes yet but once I find out I'll start putting them on here. Bastilla is one dish that I like a lot. It's almost like a pastry with a flaky, semi-sweet crust and it's stuffed with meat (I had mine with chicken) and sometimes rice and some vegetables. Sometimes Bastilla comes as a huge item that's cut and other times its in the form of a roll like the size of half a burrito. Another dish I've had is something with lamb and a lot of sauce along with apricots and prunes. The combination is AWESOME! You get the tender meat with the sweetness to compliment it. This plus the khubs plus the fresh salad with olive oil dressing = mumtaz!!!
There's more to Morocco besides food though. From what I've seen and experienced with the people they like most Africans are some of the nicest people you can come across. Even when people don't understand you they're willing to help you out as much as possible and if they can't, someone who can will try until you're in a good situation.
Something I'm not too comfortable with though is this idea that people who live in the U.S. can't be Muslim. How interesting is it that so many are taken by surprise when a person with an American accent says they're a Muslim. It's as if because a person lives in the west they're unable to be a Muslim. I'm starting to wonder what the family and friends of immigrants to the states say about their experience. There's also the fact that many immigrants keep to themselves and make little to no attempt at associating with people from outside their cultural bounds so due to that, they're probably not giving the whole story to their family members and friends about the Muslims in the states. Is it possible to make it known the world over that there are Muslims in the west? Maybe its the Muslims fault as well for being so meek and quiet that people would think they are non-existent in various pockets of the world...
In due time insha'Allah, I'll get used to people's reactions here and not become frustrated with their shock and surprise and I'll be able to then communicate the truth with them.
This place where I'm staying at is pretty nice, the community is vibrant and there's pretty much movement on the streets till maybe 1am or so. Around here are plenty of cafes, Cafe Dimehck (sp?) is one with very good coffee. Actually, I haven't had bad coffee since I've been here. Espresso, Au Lait, Cafe Normal, all have been superior to anything I've had in the states even at Caribou or in Seattle. I kind of expected this though. There's also a plaza with a fountain in the area. At nights families, couples, individuals and everything in between walk around and just relax. It's not unusual in the least to see 4, 5, 6 year olds out at 11pm riding their bikes or walking with their parents. Very normal. And everyone is just taking in the night, enjoying themselves, having walks, its been crowded every time I've been out. Further down I've seen a movie theater, insha'Allah I'll catch a few movies before I leave, and across from the theater is a park where even more families hang out at night.
There's more to write but, in due time insha'Allah. This is just the beginning and there'll be more to come.
