Mackenzie Evan Smith, recent graduate at JCCC, describes time spent living in Morocco

Smith, Mackenzie

English

Scholarspace @ Johnson County Community College

Many Voices - One CommunityVolume 1Issue 3 Fall/Winter 2009-10 Article 8April 2010A Sharpened LensMackenzie SmithJohnson County Community College, mesmith@jccc.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarspace.jccc.edu/mvocThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at ScholarSpace @ JCCC. It has been acceptedfor inclusion in Many Voices - One Community by an authorized administrator of ScholarSpace @ JCCC. For more information, please contactbbaile14@jccc.edu.Recommended CitationSmith, Mackenzie (2010) "A Sharpened Lens," Many Voices - One Community: Vol. 1: Iss. 3, Article 8.Available at: http://scholarspace.jccc.edu/mvoc/vol1/iss3/8A SHARPENED LENSby Mackenzie Evan Smith, recent graduateMaking my way through the crowded market, I am over-whelmed by the mesmerizing sights, demanding soundsand intoxicating aroma of life in a North African city. As Istumble through the narrow, muddy streets of the old FezMedina, I see severed camel heads dangling above venders’stands and customers bartering for fresh meats from theirlocal butcher. Throngs of people move in waves through thecity’s core. Carts rumble past, Arabic pop music reverberatesloudly through the city walls, and a man next to me is rid-ing a donkey while chatting on his mobile phone. Pushingmy way past piles of fruits and vegetables, I smell spices andfresh mint leaves mixed with pungent body odor. I havecome to learn that Morocco is a fascinating mix of traditionaland modern, where the lines of North African, Middle East-ern and Western cultures begin to blur and lose shape asthey take on a new, distinctly Moroccan meaning.I spent six months of last year living in Morocco and study-ing Arabic at Al Akhawayn University. More than simplychanging my perspective on life in the Middle East, livingabroad sharpened the lens through which I view the UnitedStates. From time to time, I stumbled upon references toAmerican culture as I traveled around Morocco, and I wasoften asked questions about the United States. The subtleinfluence of American pop culture on Morocco first struckme while riding in a taxi cab through the tiny mountaintown of Chefchaouen. Mariah Carey’s high voice poppedand fizzled through the taxi’s aging stereo system, and thedriver sang along to every lyric as we zipped through thecity’s maze of streets. When the song concluded, the driver, who introduced him-self as Hassan, gave a satisfied sigh and said in Arabic,  “Ilove Mariah Carey.”  We spent the remainder of the journeydiscussing American pop culture. Hassan asked me to sharemy thoughts on movies, music and finally the United States’role in world politics. Driving through the streets with reck-less abandon, Hassan listened thoughtfully as I stammeredmy responses in Arabic and clutched my seat in fear of Has-san’s driving. This interaction asked me to carefully considerthe influence of American culture abroad and my role as anAmerican when I travel. Prior to my exchange with Hassan,I would have been reluctant to use American music as aconversation starter, but I have since discovered that taxidrivers in many countries have a penchant for Mariah Carey.My time abroad developed my knowledge of the MiddleEast and North Africa and fueled my desire to learn aboutthe world around me. Although the days since I left Mo-rocco are becoming numerous, Morocco remains vividly inmy mind and memory. As I cut and paste images from Mo-rocco into my brain, they have become my own mental col-lage of people, experiences and an onslaught of sensoryoverload. While living in Morocco, I gained intellectualknowledge, but more importantly I saw the world from anew angle and experienced a perspective on life very differ-ent from my own.1Smith: A Sharpened LensPublished by ScholarSpace @ JCCC, 20092Many Voices - One Community, Vol. 1 [2009], Iss. 3, Art. 8http://scholarspace.jccc.edu/mvoc/vol1/iss3/8

A Sharpened Lens

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A Sharpened Lens

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