Why I Travel
By Birdbrain
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Mike — long overdue….
I am completely enjoying(vicariously) the trip to Japan. Clean and clear writing, photos, even the food looks clean and clear. In contrast, I’ve promised you a story about my trip to Morocco…which was delightful….but hard to grasp….particularly for a white, blue-eyed female….it’s hard to connect with the locals. With a few notable exceptions:
Towards the end of the two week trip – we were in the famous main square in the heart of Marrakesh’s old city. The square is completely mis-named — as the “Square of the Dead”, it is neither square nor dead. It has to be one of the livliest places I’ve ever seen. Crowded at all hours of the day and night with snake charmers, monkey handlers, jugglers, musicians, transvestite belly dancers, and everyone selling everything, it puts Times Square to shame. I even spotted one fellow with a table full of false teeth available to sell (and a large pair of pliers to remove yours!)…… There are oranges, dates, olives heaped all around, storytellers surrounded by pensive audiences and mounds of incense, frankincense and every other conceivable herb. Horse carts, taxis, women in veils, men in jellaba pixie hoods, and the call to prayer in the air….This is not a tourist attraction; there are plenty of Moroccans in the square.
Selling is brisk, constant, and always in-your-face. “Regarde ceci ? Aimez-vous ceci ? Combien?” Constant tugging at your sleeve…look at this, buy this….”Non, merci” became my mantra. I’m a reluctant shopper at best, and this was daunting. But it was live theatre and once or twice I stepped up and haggled in high school french. No mean feat.
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In any event, in this midst of this crazy place, I found myself standing quietly waiting for 2 friends to finish the time consuming process of buying $2 perfume….wondering why it was taking so long. A fellow salesman came over and tried to get me to make an offer on his stuff…we started in French…
He: “Aimeriez-vous acheter ce parfum” (would you like to buy this perfume?)
Me:….”Non, merci”
He: Just smell it! It’s jasmine, heavenly!
Me: No thank you.
Him: Where are you from (In English)
Me: USA. Your English is good. How many languages do you speak?
He starts counting on his hand…looking up to the sky…. “Arabic, French, Berber, Italian, a little English and a little Spanish….” I start to laugh…
I ask: Do you know the joke? What do you call someone who speaks 3 languages? Trilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks 2 languages? Bilingual.
What do you call someone who speaks 1 language?? AMERICAN!
We laugh loudly together. Clapped and started a long and wonderful conversation about Americans and the rest of the world…. “Why are we the way we are??” (was his theme)…. while I would blither “Don’t judge us on basis of our government actions….people are people…” Which led to talking about our shared joy in traveling, learning and meeting new people.
At the end of this exchange – he touched his heart, bowed and said: “this conversation has warmed my heart”.
“Moi aussi”
“Crowded at all hours of the day and night with snake charmers, monkey handlers, jugglers, musicians, transvestite belly dancers,…” Are you sure you weren’t in Harvard Square?
Wow, what a rich tale, Birdbrain, but no surprise that someone as respectful to others as yourself should make such a quick connection with a total stranger. All that’s missing from this tale is an uninvited close-up photo of your friend’s face. Ah, but perhaps that is a story for another time?
How thrilled do you suppose Ye Old Blogmaster is to have traveled from Italy to Japan and now to Africa in less than two weeks?
Comment by michael — December 8, 2005 @ 2:29 am
Beautiful. And beautiful pictures. Misty eyed ending. Why all the heart ache when we are, after all, just people?
Comment by pohaku — December 8, 2005 @ 2:57 am
You cannot see it, birdbrain, but I am bowing and touching my heart to show you that your sharing of this conversation has warmed my heart. Not such an easy thing to do these days. Merci.
Comment by FierceBaby — December 8, 2005 @ 8:30 am
Alas, but there is no photo of my fellow conversationalist because taking photos of people in this place can get awkward…. People often resent having the photo taken – and will demand payment. There is a story that someone took a photo of a snake charmer, the charmer demanded 30 dirhams, the man paid 10 and tried to walk away….the snake charmer jumped up and put the cobra on that man’s shoulders!
Comment by Birdbrain — December 8, 2005 @ 8:40 am
Your conversation warmed my heart as well. Why are we the way we are…good question. Not a snake charmer among us. You’ve captured this so vividly. Please share more pix if you can. Great story!
Comment by chris — December 8, 2005 @ 5:50 pm
Wonderful story! It takes me away from the cold (snowy), calm & quiet environs I’m inhabiting now, into the colorful, jostling marketplace of Morocco. My daughter went to the same marketplace last spring, but she wasn’t up to the task of passing on the flavor of the place. You certainly are. Arigato! Merci! Gracias! (Trilingual means you know 3 words in 3 languages).
Shamaru/rakkity
Comment by rakkity — December 8, 2005 @ 7:50 pm
As-salaam alaikum, Birdbrain! Wonderful prose, touching story. To know each other is the greatest honor we can do each other and the most powerful counter to all the rage and hate and apathy. Nice that there are Americans abroad countering our deserved but unfortunate national rep.
And the pictures teem with life!
Comment by el Kib — December 9, 2005 @ 1:55 pm
Would have added to the pleasure of reading and viewing to know who Birdbrain actually is. My, I do dislike these on-line covers.
At the risk of censorship: What do you call a guy that masters multiple tongues?
.laugnilinuC
Comment by smiling — December 9, 2005 @ 6:06 pm
Says he who signs off with an on-line cover.
So, Dan, do you remember when we all were contemplating a trip to Morocco?
Comment by michael — December 9, 2005 @ 8:09 pm