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We are living in uncertain times. The new decade has begun full of unrest and shock as the global COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping the globe.
In this situation, many people in the world are placed under quarantine, some not even in their own countries, because of government restrictions limiting international travel or prohibiting it completely.
This global lockdown is changing the daily routines of many, but I am here to share a story of discovery and cultural exploration in this uncertain and wary time.
I am Swedish-American, currently in Morocco, and I lived in Los Angeles this past year. While there, money and power were driving the city, and with a fast-paced life, I found no time to slow down and just breathe.
My husband and I flew to Morocco at the beginning of March 2020. Upon landing in the country, I was greeted with smiles and kindness from strangers that I did not know. I saw genuine love in people’s eyes when speaking to them. No matter who they were or how much they had, they offered to locals and tourists, I saw and felt their genuine gratitude and love for their country and people. Their willingness to give, even if they did not have much themselves.
This country opened its arms, heart, and flavors to me. Moroccan food is cooked with love and passion for hours with only the freshest ingredients from markets and local farmers. Every spice is marinated into the meats and vegetables, and time is taken to eat and indulge in the flavors. Nothing is rushed. Neither the time to cook nor eat, as the focus is placed on enjoying meals to the fullest with loved ones.
Moroccans prioritize family and flavor, speaking about stories of the past and hopes of the future as they gather around the table. Their genuine love and hospitality radiate as you are welcomed into their homes.
As I experience lockdown in Morocco, I am rediscovering the beauty in the stillness of life once again.
No longer am I waking up to an alarm with a to-do list waiting for me in the morning by my bedside, but instead to birds chirping outside my window and the sound of ocean waves crashing into rocks at the beach.
A warm and crispy French baguette breaks in my hands, topped with olive oil and fresh cheese for my breakfast.
A tagine, which has been cooking for 4 hours, awaits me at lunch. The beef is so tender it falls off the bone, the vegetables so flavorful they melt in in my mouth, and the earthy herbs and spices like ginger, cumin, and turmeric, create harmony as they dance on my taste buds.
In the afternoon we have traditional Moroccan tea, with origins dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, made with fresh mint leaves and plenty of sugar to cleanse the palate.
When I taste these exquisite flavors of Morocco, I feel connected to the Earth.
Being under lockdown in Morocco has been a time of rebirth for me, a time to slow down, to breathe. To reconnect with nature, food, family, and the simplicity of life.
Although it is scary, unpredictable, and even difficult to understand the chaos that has taken ahold of the world in this time, let us try to see the beauty in this time of stillness and appreciate all the simple things that life has to offer us, meanwhile cheering on those that are out there fighting this virus for us every single day.
Read also: Morocco’s State of Emergency Through an Australian Expat’s Eyes
