I am writing from Dakar, Senegal right now, sitting in my friend’s friend’s garden- a gorgeous space that feels storied and loved. I wasn’t sure what cadence I would try to write blog entries on this trip, but with three days left in the North & West Africa section of my trip, I think it is safe to say that it has been less frequent than anticipated!
This chunk of travel has included many destinations within Morocco, Dakar, Senegal, and a surprise weekend trip to The Gambia. I want to introduce you first to some of the enthusiasts I met in Marrakesh, Morocco:
Meet Mohammed: Mohammed is the head chef at Cafe Clock in Marrakesh, Morocco. I was connected with him by a friend (thank you, Kerry!) and I am so grateful for the chance to meet him. Mohammed has a gentle and soft demeanor and a deep enthusiasm for sharing Moroccan culture through cuisine.
He cooked with his mom in the kitchen as a child (when the kitchen was considered a place only for women in Morocco). One day, he saw a male Moroccan chef on a TV program and he was inspired by the sight of a confident male chef. From that point on, Mohammed dreamed of wearing a chef’s hat and made it his goal to follow this passion.
He finds purpose not only in cooking, but also in sharing his culture through food. He is excited by the cultural exchanges he can facilitate through cooking classes— not just sharing Moroccan culture, but also learning about participants visiting from all corners of the world. While I was shadowing him, he learned Filipino phrases from an American-Filipino group after sharing some Arabic phrases with them, using food as a vehicle for cultural exchange. Given the nature of this project, I was happy to see his enthusiasm lead to connection across cultures.
Meet Mohsine: Mohsine is a storytelling enthusiast. It seems the art of storytelling in Morocco has come in and out of fashion. A once cornerstone of Moroccan culture fit for kings for millenia, storytelling eventually became a street art performed for tourists in large squares and, for locals, was often associated with ‘begging.’ In recent years, there has been a resurgence of the art of storytelling with festivals and theater performances. Mohsine has been a part of this resurgence and is enthusiastic about the art.
For Mohsine, storytelling allows him to take his audience to another dimension. Workshopping his performance as a storyteller is something he lays awake thinking about– figuring out how to play off of audience reactions and how to connect himself to his own culture to better share that connection with others.
Mohsine is a delight to speak with– you can see the enthusiasm for storytelling lighting up his eyes when he thinks about what it means to him. Watching him storytell to a small group was equally delightful.
Meet Amine: Amine is enthusiastic about incorporating Amazigh symbols into modern fashion design. In Marrakesh, you are surrounded by colorful shop stalls selling rugs, clothes, spices, and all kinds of trinkets. Many of the items available in one little shop are also available in the next ten you pass. It can be overwhelming! Amine was uninspired by all of the ‘copy-paste’ goods and set out to do something different.
Since he was a boy, he was always manipulating his clothes- adding stickers to his belt, sewing designs onto his t-shirts. He wanted his clothes to stand out. This enthusiasm continued into adulthood where Amine now designs boldly colored and textured leather jackets, shoes, and other items that truly stand out from anything else in the area.
I was inspired by Amine’s sketchbook and the way he cuts and sews his designs by hand. The enthusiasm he has both for Amazigh culture and for bold design is evident in his work.
I find it hard to believe that this post just covers the enthusiasts I met in the first city I landed in on this year-long journey. I am grateful for everyone who took the time to speak with me and look forward to sharing the enthusiasm of others along the way. In my next post, I’ll introduce you to a surf enthusiast, a skateboarding enthusiast, someone enthusiastic about art from and of the sea, and an inspirational weaver leading a co-op in Fez.
If you would like to see more regular posts about these enthusiasts, please follow @global.enthusiasts using the link below. Don’t hesitate to share the account with others to help the beginnings of this community grow!