5 Ways to Immerse Yourself in Local Culture

Time for another Blog Carnival!

Carol at Girl Gone Travel is the host this time around, so please also check out the other carnival posts! 

I used to teach English as a Second Language and these tips pretty much overlap with what I recommended for my students because the best way to learn anything is to just jump right in and immerse yourself!

Rule #1 - Get Over Yourself

Me in a fez in Marrakesh, Morocco looking ridiculous

Yup, you're going to have to drop your ego off and be prepared to look silly now and then. You're learning/trying new things so you won't fit in right away. However, if you have a really open attitude and not worry about how you look or sound, people recognize and reward effort. You stand a much higher chance of being accepted if you are not uptight or sensitive about everything. Don't try to be perfect - the fact is, no one else is really caring or watching. It's true!



 
Rule #2 - Watch TV from that culture

I always told my students to listen to the radio and watch TV (that's how I won the favorite teacher award! Joke) because not only is it in the target language which helps for learning, but because it provides valuable insight to how those people think. You can learn a lot about the values and humor of a people from their media. Yes, some is over the top and stereotypical, but it still gives you some clue (and it's easy and fun!). Not only that, but you can most likely get a head start by watching from home (on the Internet maybe) before you go, and keep the memories alive after you return.

Rule #3 - Find a lover

That sounds cliche, doesn't it? But it works! Sure, a local friend is good, but nothing makes learning about another culture more fun than a romance! You also automatically get a whole new group of friends to hang out with as well!

These aren't hard to figure out!

 Rule #4 - Go OUT

Don't be shy, be a social butterfly! Go out and ride local transportation, get lost, get out of the tourist zones (consider safety) and try a little of all the local foods you can find. I love going to grocery stores and looking at the products. The less I understand about what it is, the more likely I am to buy it. I'm not even sure what I've eaten and I'm still alive! You don't have to like everything, but you should at least try everything!


Rule #5 - CouchSurf  

Nothing immerses you more in a local culture than actually living with a local family. I highly recommend CouchSurfing for that (tips here and here). On more than one occasion, CouchSurfing has made my travel experience WAY better than anything I could have accomplished on my own. Locals help you avoid the tourist traps and get immersed in the authentic side of daily life.
Even if you're not comfortable staying on a stranger's couch, you can join just to attend public activities/meetings and you'll meet tons of people that way. Often tourists will get together and check out sites as a group, so if you get tired of being a solo woman traveler, you can always join up with a CouchSurfing group for a day.
(One caveat: don't just join Couchsurfing to score a freebie. See if you agree with the whole philosophy and then decide if it's for you or not. Us Couchsurfers really care about our community!)

Where Are They Now?

The great thing about solo travel is it's easy to meet a lot of different people on similar journeys. The plus side is if you don't get along, you never have to see that person ever again. I guess the downside is losing touch with a person you made a great connection with, as is what happened to me.

In November 2008, I was stressed out with life. I had recovered from my third miscarriage and was told I only had a one in four chance of having a child. I was caring for my father, who was then dying from Parkinson's disease. I also recently left a stressful job I hated. I didn't know what else to do but run away from it all and get a different perspective, so I booked myself a solo trip to London and Morocco.

At 4am, I was the first to arrive at the departure lounge at Luton airport for a Ryanair flight to Marrakesh. I was on my mobile phone chatting with my husband when an older gentleman walked in, put his bag down at the front of the line and sat down on seats somewhere else. I found this odd and I found him odd. Everyone else lined up, though I didn't bother because I already knew how Ryanair boarding works and there's really no point; I don't care what seat I get. The Odd Man walked up to his bag on the floor and into the front of the line. I thought nothing else of it at that point.

Our flight got diverted to Agadir because of fog and we all got stuck on to buses back to Marrakesh. I checked into my hostel that night and went to sleep. When I got up for breakfast that morning, who else was at the table but the Odd Man! He was loudly talking about his travel plans - he wanted to head to the desert - so did I, but I wasn't about to share a car with a loud, obnoxious American. That was my first impression of him and I ignored him. I decided I wasn't going to head to the desert then and instead boarded a bus for Essaouira that afternoon.

On the bus back from Essaouira to Marrakesh, I texted my hubby to help find me some accommodation ahead of time because I was arriving at night and hadn't booked anything. From Canada, he booked me into a lovely riad deep in the souq of Djemaa el-Fnaa. I finally found it late that night and went straight to bed. The next day I was sick - something I ate, I suppose - and didn't leave my room until late afternoon. The night after that, upon returning from supper, I walked into the riad and was met by a familiar face - the Odd Man. I made a joke and accused him of following me. He said, "no, you must be following me!" and we started talking.

We talked late into the wee hours of the morning. I was freezing (we were in the court yard of the riad), but he was captivating. I told him of my father and my stresses and he helped me put things into perspective. If I hadn't had to pack and get ready for my early flight that morning, I'm sure we'd still be there talking! I left him my card with my info, but he never contacted me and I never saw him again.

They say people come into your life for "a reason, a season or a lifetime," and I presume he just came into mine for a reason, but I'd like to tell him I'm alright now. My dad has since passed on and I've had the child I've always wanted. Everything is less stressful now and for some reason I feel compelled to tell him he has made a difference to me.

That's where you come in! All I know is he is a retired architecture professor named Christopher Pardee. He is American, but lives in England. He's divorced, he has grown children and he spends his free time travelling. If you see him, please tell him he helped me a lot. Or maybe share this blog post with him. I don't expect to hear from him, but if you let me know you spoke to him, I will be happy. He probably won't even remember me, but that's ok. It's the thought that counts :)

And if you ever meet a really cool person, make sure you also get their contact info.

Traveling Alone in Morocco

Don't be scared to travel alone in Morocco if you're a female!

No doubt, you will be approached/hassled to buy a tacky souvenir, eat at a certain restaurant or asked for money just about every minute while walking through a busy market, but walk quickly and with confidence and you can still get by.

Moroccans are very welcoming people and in my experience, take a firm "no!" for an answer when you don't want to be bothered. I spent a week traveling solo from Agadir, to Marrakesh, to Essaouira and the Ourika Valley and never feared for my safety.

Yes, it is very easy to get lost in those windy roads of the markets and the crowds and chaos can be bewildering, but you can find sanctuary and beauty to escape to easily.

Some men will ask to talk to you and ask you out for a coffee. If you are not interested, just say "no" and keep walking. I also found they left me alone quicker if I said I was married (which I am) and showed my wedding ring. You also have the option of covering your hair with a hijab. I found I was bothered less when I did that, however during one afternoon prayer, someone tried to pull me into a mosque (and I regret not going in to see).

If you are already shopping at a stall and the owner invites you to sit and have mint tea, it's hard to resist and can be fun. In my experience, they were happy to show me pictures of their family and country, as well as ask me about my home life. Though I'll admit, I had so much mint tea while I was there, I started to get a heartburn just thinking about another glass!

Similarily, if you are invited to their home for a meal, I think you can feel safe doing so. Even when they do not have a lot to offer, they are very giving and love to ask questions about your life and travels. I always carry small souvenirs and postcards from my city to give to people as thank you gifts. Don't be shy to give a little bit of money to pay for your meal, or there may be an item you have and take for granted that they may want or need. For example, I gave a shopkeeper's wife who made me lunch my sunglasses. She liked them and almost cried with joy when I gave them to her.

I don't know too many other countries where you can get such insight into the daily life of the people in such an intimate way. They are genuinely curious to learn more about you, especially fellow women.

On the more negative side, I did have my arm grabbed once by an over-zealous shopkeeper trying to get me to look in his store. I turned around and loudly told him to let me go. When he did not, I raised my fist, threatening to punch him and he ran away. Do not be scared to cause a scene if you need to. He was the most annoying heckler I got, so he is not representative of the people. That was also in Marrakesh, which is a bit more busy and wild than the smaller cities, like Essaouira.

It helps and gives you better service and respect if you can speak French - and I'm sure you'll get even better deals if you can speak Arabic. Even without those skills, I have no qualms advising ladies to go ahead and enjoy the country alone. Dress like the locals and keep an open mind. Take the time to talk to and get to know the locals. I did not sense any danger taking buses, taxis or traveling at night alone. A visit to Morocco is well worth it!