Casaouis will understand…
A question to foreigners living here and to born Casaouis, can you relate to this: you see a foreign-looking person and you can say whether they live here or it is their first time in Casablanca/Morocco/Africa?
I bet you can.
It’s an built-in radar that lights up each time you see a strangely behaving creature on your way. Some taxi drivers are smart and take advantage of it, a quick head-to-toe inspection of a person, and they instantly know if they should ride with a counter or have a fixed price of 100 dhs (for a ride worth 7,5 dhs) ;)
Show me your wardrobe and I’ll tell you who you are!*
*Unless you’re an Asian with A) a mask on your face B) a Nikon or a Canon DSLR swinging in front of you, then you don’t have to show anything, we already know ;)
Freezing cold? No problem! Newbies and tourists in Casa usually wear t-shirts whilst Casaouis wear jackets and coats. Doesn’t really matter if it’s windy and cold, a t-shirt is a must! I do know that from my own experience, for first few months in Morocco I was exactly like this: swimming in the ocean in November, wearing balerinas regardless of weather. And then Morocco swallowed me up…
A decade or more ago I would just listen to my friends telling me stories about their Egyptian tour guide who wore a leather jacket in 40’C while driving a 4×4 on the desert. It sounded ridiculously outrageous back then. I totally understand the guy now! Perspective is everything.
Not many Casaouis wear sunglasses, even during summertime (well, they do but it’s not a habit.) Every single tourist wears sunglasses in winter.
“If you don’t like the way I drive, get off the sidewalk”
A simple, one-phrase conclusion of Casaoui way of driving. One sentence and sums up so much!
A newbie in Casa (or Asia/Africa/Middle East) who is used to an organized way of driving will go crazy on the streets of Casablanca (sometimes even Casaouis can’t take this crazy Tokyo Drift show)
So? what the hell do I mean, what’s the relation between tourists and driving? The way they cross the streets! Sometimes it’s funny to see a group of pale-skinned, blond-haired ladies in their late 40s, holding their hands and attempting to cross the street.
Another thing? The way they catch taxis! First question that betrays a tourist? The “how much” question. A magic phrase that is the gateway to a rip off. And don’t blame it on the driver… Just read the article I’ve tagged above!
So we MEAT again!
The look of dismay starts to appear on their faces when they see massive pieces of meat hanging on hooks at a butcher’s. And probably the weirdest thoughts floating in their heads “could that be true what I’ve heard on the news last night?!” ;)
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