Isra
aka Tree2008
As salamo alaikome
Inshallah my brothers and sisters are all well and in a state of strong Iman! I pray your fasting is easy this Ramadan!
I have a problem that I didnt even know I had until just about an hour ago literally! I have been living in this situation for a little over a year now and have held everything inside each time it has happened but today I just couldnt!
Of course it has to all come to a head when Im fasting Ramadan! That is the story of my life!
What it is that is bothering me soooo much is I guess cultural? Im not even sure! I dont understand people who talk about the world as if they have been out of their little bubble they were born in with no knowledge and only their closed minded assumptions to go on!!!
I will give an example. Since I have gotten to Morocco I have noticed that it is a very rare person who actually knows the English language. Now thats fine since this is not an English speaking country I never expected to find alot of English speaking people and in fact I feel genuinely ecstatic when someone even says 2 words of English.
My problem comes in when the local people hear me and my husband speaking to each other in english that they literally charge us more for merchandise or taxi/bus fare! Or they simply stare as if we are circus creatures!
Now the area we live in is a huge tourist attraction with people from all over Europe walking around as if they belong here! There should not be any surprise amoung the locals that other languages are being spoken! Yet it never fails that MY language is ALWAYS spotlighted!!!!
Well I have come to accept this as a way of life here in Morocco and I am careful not to talk most of the time when I am out with my husband. When we go shopping I usually make a list ahead of time and he buys what is on the list. If I see something I want I wait until we leave that particular stand and then whisper to my husband so he goes back and buys it for me.
That is the way of my life here in Morocco. Ok I accept that. No problem. BUT tonight everything came to a head when one of the distant relatives came to Iftar dinner! He hung around for a few hours before the actual dinner time so he happened to overhear me and my husband speaking in the next room. Then my husband got a phone call from his friend in France who he hasnt seen in a long time so he was speaking to him in French.
The relative made a snide remark as if he were making a huge joke (HAHAHA) that this house (my husbands parents house) is like one of those big hotels downtown. Because he hears english and french being spoken he just felt the need to say something sarcastic!
Well my husband got freaked out by the relatives statement because he is very superstitious as most Moroccans are and he made his sister bring our food to the room and we ate alone!
Normally even that wont bother me because you know........Im used to it already! But what gives this guy the right to make a sarcastic remark like that in someones home when he is a guest coming to eat their food????
I think we all need to be reminded that there are people with other nationalities and other cultures and other languages in this world and we should all be tolerant!
I speak to myself before anyone and now that I have it in writing I feel much better! I will hold my temper and breath (count just count) and soon I will feel fine once again. Life goes on in beautiful Morocco! <SIGH>
Jazakallah for listening to my rant. Sorry it got so long winded!
Wa salam
Inshallah my brothers and sisters are all well and in a state of strong Iman! I pray your fasting is easy this Ramadan!
I have a problem that I didnt even know I had until just about an hour ago literally! I have been living in this situation for a little over a year now and have held everything inside each time it has happened but today I just couldnt!
Of course it has to all come to a head when Im fasting Ramadan! That is the story of my life!
What it is that is bothering me soooo much is I guess cultural? Im not even sure! I dont understand people who talk about the world as if they have been out of their little bubble they were born in with no knowledge and only their closed minded assumptions to go on!!!
I will give an example. Since I have gotten to Morocco I have noticed that it is a very rare person who actually knows the English language. Now thats fine since this is not an English speaking country I never expected to find alot of English speaking people and in fact I feel genuinely ecstatic when someone even says 2 words of English.
My problem comes in when the local people hear me and my husband speaking to each other in english that they literally charge us more for merchandise or taxi/bus fare! Or they simply stare as if we are circus creatures!
Now the area we live in is a huge tourist attraction with people from all over Europe walking around as if they belong here! There should not be any surprise amoung the locals that other languages are being spoken! Yet it never fails that MY language is ALWAYS spotlighted!!!!
Well I have come to accept this as a way of life here in Morocco and I am careful not to talk most of the time when I am out with my husband. When we go shopping I usually make a list ahead of time and he buys what is on the list. If I see something I want I wait until we leave that particular stand and then whisper to my husband so he goes back and buys it for me.
That is the way of my life here in Morocco. Ok I accept that. No problem. BUT tonight everything came to a head when one of the distant relatives came to Iftar dinner! He hung around for a few hours before the actual dinner time so he happened to overhear me and my husband speaking in the next room. Then my husband got a phone call from his friend in France who he hasnt seen in a long time so he was speaking to him in French.
The relative made a snide remark as if he were making a huge joke (HAHAHA) that this house (my husbands parents house) is like one of those big hotels downtown. Because he hears english and french being spoken he just felt the need to say something sarcastic!
Well my husband got freaked out by the relatives statement because he is very superstitious as most Moroccans are and he made his sister bring our food to the room and we ate alone!
Normally even that wont bother me because you know........Im used to it already! But what gives this guy the right to make a sarcastic remark like that in someones home when he is a guest coming to eat their food????
I think we all need to be reminded that there are people with other nationalities and other cultures and other languages in this world and we should all be tolerant!
I speak to myself before anyone and now that I have it in writing I feel much better! I will hold my temper and breath (count just count) and soon I will feel fine once again. Life goes on in beautiful Morocco! <SIGH>
Jazakallah for listening to my rant. Sorry it got so long winded!
Wa salam