Last week, I was invited by Nadia Gergis to join the blogging team at Arabisto.com, a site for news and commentary on the Middle East.  I am proud to have been invited, and excited to be able to write about the rest of the MENA region (rather than just Morocco) for a change.  Please check out my first post, on Muslim women and Vitamin D deficiency.

International Students Abroad (ISA), a program based in Austin Texas, will take U.S. students to Meknes to study at Moulay Ismail University (ISA is also opening programs in Prague and Brussels).  The students sent to Meknes will study Arabic language as well as Moroccan culture and society.

Interesting choice.  Moulay Ismail University teaches almost entirely in French, with the exception of the English Literature degree program, so this ISA program will probably add new courses to the curriculum.  Also, I bet I know several of the professors who will be involved (many of my colleagues teach at the university as well).

Still, it’s nice to see a program that will bring American students to Meknes, as the only study abroad programs (aside from language-specific programs at ALIF and such) currently in existence are with Al Akhawayn in Ifrane and Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakesh.

A Reuters report claims that Moroccan tourism has dropped in the past few weeks since the security level was raised to maximum.  It also states:

More recently, roadblocks have been set up at the entrance to big towns and police in blue riot vans watch over Marrakesh’s biggest hotels.

What was humorous about the article, however, was the opening in which a man called Ibrahim claims that no tourists have approached him for a camel tour of Marrakech.  Hmm, could that be because a camel tour of Marrakech is totally lame?  If I wanted to ride a camel, I’d go to somewhere where they somewhat naturally occur, rather than Morocco’s third largest city, thankyouverymuch.

Have you seen this train? Probably not, unless you’re a frequent traveler from Fez. Awhile back, several news sources announced (here’s one clip) that Morocco would be receiving about 24 trains from Italian company Ansaldo Breda, to the tune of about $257 million. The test run was set to go between Fez and Meknes, a 45 minute trip.

Hamza and I tried a few times to secure a ride on this train, as we travel to Fez frequently. And yet, each time we found ourselves on one of Morocco’s old, slow, bumpy traincars. Finally, he realized we’d have to just ask what time the train ran - turns out, 10 am from the main Meknes station (the large one, not the smaller, more popular Amir Abdelkader), stopping in Fez only.

I had the opportunity to ride the train a few weeks ago while a friend was in town - and trust me, it’s even better from the inside. It looks exactly like the trains in the Netherlands, only newer, with two storeys in each section, tray tables on the back of the seat in front of you, and a snack cart with far better sandwiches than the old trains provided. Even the doors are all automatic (a far cry from the old ones, which I usually needed help opening).

Although I wasn’t able to get a picture of the inside of the train (because I was chicken), I did learn some exciting news. About a week after my ride, Cat in Rabat informed me that the train is now running between Meknes and Rabat as well.

Sefrou is a small town about 32 km south of the fabled city of Fez. Always a religious city, Sefrou was the home to a well-mixed population of Muslims and Jews until Moroccan independence in 1956, when many Jews left Morocco for Israel and Europe. The city is best known for its yearly Cherry Festival, when the cherry trees blossom and a woman is elected as Miss Cherry of Sefrou and displayed on a parade float.

According to Nichane, the Cherry Festival began in 1919, with Miss Cherry of Sefrou represented by a small doll. Then, in 1934, the doll was replaced with an actual woman and over the years, the prize was given to Jewish, Christian, and Muslim women.

Now, the Sefrou Cherry Festival is falling apart - each elected Miss Cherry is subject to harassment within the confines of Sefrou, and Islamists in the area have recently proposed replacing Miss Cherry with a six-year-old in order to not attract men from around the country to attend the festival. But will this actually stop harassment? If a six-year-old girl is paraded around as Miss Cherry, won’t she be objectified just like the baby pageant contestants in the U.S.? (see Jon-Benet Ramsey if you’re unfamiliar with this phenomenon).

Admittedly, I am no fan of beauty pageants. But instead of taking away what is essentially a woman’s right to enter this pageant, wouldn’t it be better to hold men responsible for their actions by criminalizing serious sexual harassment allegations?

Cherry blossom photo by notashamed

This craft, called Damascene, is unique to Meknes. Recently, I had a conversation with one of the artisans (from whom I’ve bought several pieces), and he told me that now, following a recent death, there are only three practitioners of the art (and a few trainees) in Morocco, all in this city. Apparently there is also one in France.

The plate shown in the photo (this particular piece belongs to my friend Janine) is made of black metal, onto which thin silver filigree is hammered carefully, creating the designs (which are, of course, drawn on first by the artist). The man I spoke to told me that the filigree, which he orders from France, is getting more expensive, and that he’s concerned that the cost will raise the prices of the plates to a level tourists won’t pay.

The work is incredibly time consuming, and the plates are inexpensive by international standards. I just bought one of this size for myself; it cost me about 250 dirhams. Not too shabby.

So my question for Syrians is - do you have this craft too?  Any idea why it’s called Damascene?

Wana/Bayn is Morocco’s newest internet/phone service provider - You may remember Bayn because they host blogs as well.

This past week, they hosted a succesful marketing event in Meknes which I attended with my friend Oumama on Saturday night. It only cost 5dh to enter, and for that 5dh we were each given a Wana phone card and tickets for free popcorn, rides, and a few other things. There were children’s activities, ping pong, and plenty of tables where you could sign up for a Wana or Bayn contract.

Although most of the excitement was for children, I was pretty excited by this guy dressed as a phone:

This dude hit on me.

I guess he forgot that he was dressed as a really tall clown.

Recently, Fatima Sadiqi of the ISIS Center in Fez and Professor of Linguistics and Gender Studies sent me some of her articles.  Although we have not met, I contacted her to find out more information on the conference at which Laila Lalami was reading last month, and ever since, she has kept in contact, which I find utterly flattering.

Anyhow, her work is fantastic for anyone interested in language, gender or women’s studies in Morocco.

What do those three things have in common? Why, they’re all things that Moroccans shout to Indian, Asian, and British tourists, respectively. I was just reading this article (pointed out to me by this blogger) in which the Indian author is harassed with shouts of “Namaste!” and “Indian!”

Being a woman of little color, I admit that the only strange shouts I’ve experienced in Morocco (aside from Marrakesh’s ubiquitous “Fish and Chips!” shouted at any Anglo) have occurred while in the presence of a racial minority. Just a few weeks ago, I was hanging out with an Asian-American at a cafe; suddenly, as we got up to walk, a chorus of “Jackie Chan!” rang out (and let me tell you, he looked absolutely nothing like Mr. Chan). I’ve heard Moroccans shout “Namaste!” at Indians (shockingly, this actually happened inside the lobby of the Hassan II Mosque while I was there), and I won’t even tell you about the “African” songs I’ve heard Moroccans mocking at the beach when they spot a black family.

It kind of reminds me of another one of my favorite things (to laugh at). Anyone who has ever been to Morocco is familiar with this ubiquitous phrase: “You are welcome in Morocco.” Now, misuse of preposition aside, I find this hilarious. I’ve always wanted to spot Moroccans in the U.S. and shout “Marhaba fi’ Amerika!” as they pass by (apparently, so does Chris Hamilton).

Tell me, what is the best shoutout you’ve ever received in Morocco?