Casablanca- Have you ever wondered how Moroccan you are? Take this short quiz to find out how much “Moroccaness”lurks inside you. Non-Moroccans who have visited Morocco for some considerable time or foreigners who live in Morocco can also take this quiz.
Mind you, this quiz is not based on empirical research. The questions were inspired by a number of informal discussions on the notions of “Moroccaness”and national and cultural identity.
1. Curiosity!
Imagine you are walking down a Moroccan street early in the morning. You are late for work. On the way, you see a crowd of people gathered on the other side of the road. There is something going on there that seems to be drawing more people in to see it every 10 seconds. What do you do?
A: Without thinking I will cross the road and go check out what’s going on there…
B: I will stop for a while where I am, then resume walking. I’ll figure out what happened on my way back…
C: Who cares! I don’t want to lose my job for having been nosy!
2. A random day on the bus…
It’s burning hot! You are heading back home on a crowded bus after an exhausting, hectic day at work. You just want to be home—like NOW! Two minutes later, a bunch of kids sitting in the back start singing a very popular Moroccan song. Half of the passengers sing along and use the seats and windows as percussion instruments. What do you do at this very moment?
A: What?Of course I’ll sing along and make some noise…
B: I’ll just put on a smile and move my head slightly along with the rhythm
C: I’ll put in my ear plugs and spare my ears the auditory damage.
3. The Stranger…
You are sitting on a bench, in a park, listening to soft music and reading your favorite magazine. Out of nowhere, a random person shows up and sits next to you. Barely two minutes have elapsed, the stranger starts talking to you about a random topic—let’s say, a traffic jam in Casablanca. What do you do?
A: I’ll stop reading immediately and respond to whatever he said…
B: I’ll just nod my head whenever the stranger speaks, pretending to listen…
C: I’ll just stand up, and move as far away from the stranger as humanly possible…
4. The guests are here!
Oh, unexpected guests have just shown up at your house! They actually intend to have lunch at your home! But this week hasn’t been your best in terms of expenses, and you have barely enough money left to survive until the end of the month. You didn’t see this coming, did you? But what are you planning to do now?
A: It’s no big deal! Guests are a priority. I’ll go do some shopping and make the best lunch they could ever ask for
B: All right, I think tea and cakes will do!
C: Oh, God! Why now! Okay, I’m going to make them starve!
5. The wedding!
Your neighbor’s daughter is getting married and the wedding ceremony takes place traditionally in a big tent installed in the street. It’s 9 pm., and the wedding ceremony has just started. The music is loud. The guests’ laughs and chanting pierce the walls of your house and echo in your room, preventing you from sleeping. You need to sleep because you have to wake up very early the next day. What do you do?
A: What? My neighbor’s daughter is getting married? I need to go congratulate him then, or even join the ceremony and celebrate if possible—why not?
B: I really can’t sleep, but it’s okay. I can survive tonight.
C: Are you kidding me? I will go out and turn that wedding into a tragedy.
Check your results now!
1. Mostly “A”: Congratulations! You are 100% Moroccan! You are very generous, and you prioritize the well-being of the other (group or individual) over yourself. That sense of community tends to be referred to as a typical characteristic of Moroccans. You’re also full of life and you don’t mind showing off your Moroccaness whenever the opportunity allows.
2. Mostly “B”: You’re doing fine! You’re a 100% Moroccan, but you just don’t let it show much. You have that distinctive sense of community and innocent spontaneity that characterizes most Moroccans. Yet, you occasionally lean towards an individualistic style of life. Just get rid of your cultural shyness, and let your Moroccaness shine through!
Mostly “C”: well, it’s not that you’re not Moroccan, but you will surely face some problems when typical Moroccans are around. Although there is no such a thing as a typical Moroccan, there are certain characteristics that make people bound to relate to one another and feel some sort of a collective sense of belonging that is felt instantly when those traits are publically displayed. I think you lack the “publically”part of it! You are mostly inclined towards the individualistic extreme, which is fine, but may make your life a bit hard when the communal spirit of Moroccans is called forth in your presence.
Edited by Elisabeth Myers
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed