Rain and Covering Up

            I got really lucky with my Peace Corps placement when it comes to dress code. Yes, I still have to ware way more clothing than I would like in this 120-degree weather, but I can ware short sleeves and don’t have to ware a hijab. This was something I was willing to do when asked in my interview back in NYC, but being here of course changes everything. Every little piece of over confidence goes away once you get here and have that first stone throne at you just for being well you. I have so many friends that did not get quite as lucky when it comes to the dress code in their sites.

            Today it rained for the first time in my site. Of course this was right after I did laundry.  After pulling in all of my clothing from the rain J and I walked to the Dar Chabab. Just because it is raining does not mean that it cools the town down unfortunately, but it was nice to walk in this light drizzle. One the way home it was raining just slightly harder. J and I parted ways because I needed to run to the hanut and pick up some milk. As I was saying goodbye to everyone at the hanut, which can sometimes take forever, it started to rain harder. Nothing that would ever keep me from walking the two blocks home.  As I prepared for the short sprint I began felling the eyes of the little old ladies behind me. This was when I realized that they were waiting to see if the scarf around my neck would make its way over my head before I took a step out into the rain.

            Granny always told me to put a sweater on because she was cold. This is no different than not going out with wet hair in the winter, but sometimes here in Morocco the little things like that go a little to far. “You can’t sit where there is a breeze because the cold will hit you and seal your health. You can sit on the floor because you will never be able to have babies”, and I guess you can add this to the list. Even though it is 120 degrees outside, don’t step out in the rain without your head covered.

            I don’t know why it bothered me this time. I guess it was because even after the conversation I just had with these women their entire perception of me would be altered by me taking one step out from under the awning.

As my covered little head made its way home I began to ponder about how funny it is that rain can make you home sick. Actually anybody from South Carolina would laugh at this being called rain. It is the lightest drizzle, but it come with some thunder, no lightning, but for the last week you can smell the rain everyday from 4:30-6. It is generally insignificant but still enough to make me homesick.