Indirectness

A cultural factor that has been very hard for us to grasp has been Indirectness. Moroccan culture is very indirect. If someone is uncomfortable with something, someone likes someone, someone has a problem etc…they ALWAYS go through a third party to address the problem. Or…they just don’t address the problem. AND…from our experience…THIS DOESN’T WORK.  We on the other hand are very direct when it comes to our frustrations.  Under those circumstances we come across as rude and selfish to varying degrees.

Case 1: Minor situation/ Pet peeve

Situation A: LCF=Language and cultural Facilitator
                         PCT=Peace Corps Trainee

Our LCF says maybe after everything to be as indirect as possible. There is no food left and we wont be able to eat lunch tomorrow if we don’t go shopping. We are walking home from the D.C. at 8pm.

LCF “We need to go shopping, Maybe."  
PCT- “It is 8pm and we have been working hard all day. If we only MAYBE need to go    shopping for food then it can wait until tomorrow. Do we NEED food or NOT?”
LCF-“Maybe we don’t have food.”
PCT-“Maybe you don’t know what Maybe Means!”

Situation B:

We have a meeting with the Mudira at our Dar Chebab tomorrow that we don’t know about.

LCF- “Maybe we need to go to the DC tomorrow early.”  
PCT-“Why would we need to go early.”
LCF-“Maybe we have a meeting with the Mudira tomorrow.”
PCT- “Do we have a meeting with the Moudira tomorrow?”
LCF-“I don’t know, just maybe we need to go early.”
PCT- “DO we need to go early or not!? YES or NO?”
LCF-“Yes.”

Case 2: Major situation/ Infuriating after 2 months

 My host mother (and family in general) has been exploiting our cook. We pay a lovely woman to come to our home and make us two breaks and a lunch each day. At first my host mom got mad because we wouldn’t give her the money to pay the cook, we paid the cook directly. But since then she has taken advantage of the situation by forcing the cook, to cook for her and clean for her and is not paying her extra. She has thrown parties and left all the dishes for the cook to clean up the next day as if it were ours.  This makes us very angry because we feel that not only is the cook being taken advantage of but we are as well. On top of this, my host mom and host sister, use the food that we buy for their own meals. We have tried to be very direct and tell them that they aren’t supposed to be in that part of the house in general while we are in class. They shouldn’t be using our food unless they are replacing it. They should be paying the cook in addition to what we pay her…to which they respond MAYBE.  Our LCF and the housing coordinator refuse to bring up these topics directly for several reasons, none of which are satisfying to us, and the problems continue. We will have a lot to say on our final report about CBT.

Explanation:

One explanation for this is the use of one of my favorite god phrases.

INCHALLAH. As was the case in Senegal and Guinea, Inchallah, is also a phrase used at the end of almost every sentence here in Morocco. Inchallah means God willing. I love the phrase not only because it pleases Moroccans when they hear it but because it can be used as a tool from which I benefit. If someone asks if I can come to dinner next week I can say Inchallah, which basically means no guarentee. When I grow up I will get married, Inchallah. When I go to RoseValley I will teach English, Inchallah. In Senegal this phrase was useful to decline wedding proposals. What this phrase also does is eliminate all accountability.  When someone says of course I’ll come to the meeting tomorrow, Inchallah, when they don’t show up it is not their fault; it is god who willed it. At these times I really just want to yell, “YOU willing!!! Not GOD willing!!!” Of course those are just inside words.