When I reveal to new friends that I have lived for 17 months outside of the United States in India, France, and Morocco respectively, one of the first questions they will ask is “How did Country A compare to Country B?” or “Which country did you like the most?” Often I respond with “They were all great in different ways,” which is an honest answer. (And, in reality, people often only want a 20 second response to that question.) If you have longer than 20 seconds, read on to find out exactly what I like and dislike about each place and find out if I have a “favorite”.
The best things about…
India:
- The food: From southern thali plates and idli to northern sweet lassis, paratha, and butter chicken to coastal fish curries, there is no such thing as one, homogeneous “Indian food”. With each new city came a new opportunity to let my taste buds make like my exhausted, chaco-strapped feet and explore.
- The sheer religious, cultural, and ethnic diversity: With more than 800 distinct languages, numerous religions (which include Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and the Baha’i Faith), and more than 2,000 ethnic groups, India weaves a diverse tapestry.
France:
- The food: Hundreds of varieties of chocolate, cheese, wine, and other luxuries awaited my already-salivating mouth. French food, like Indian food, encompasses a wide variety of options beyond the traditional crepe-baguette-snails-croissant trope. When in doubt, find a restaurant or bakery with only French people inside and order what your neighbors have.
- The language: Ever since I watched Les Choristes at age 9 I have always loved the melodic cadence, rhythm, and rich vowels of the French language.
- The proximity: Despite French grumblings about public transport, the French train system exceeds the United States’ a thousand times over. As France is slightly smaller than Texas, travelling to other European countries is quite simple.
- The countryside: While often overlooked for larger cities such as Paris, Bordeaux, and Marseilles, the French countryside, with its rolling hills, charming villages, and sprawling vineyards, vibrant lavender fields, and charming farms never ceases to amaze. My favorite spots include Sarlat, Les Baux-de-Provence, and Brantôme. If you told me, “Sarah, you have to go live in a farm house in the French countryside,” my only question would be “When can I leave?”
Morocco:
- The food (Are you noticing the pattern here?): Moroccan cuisine is so much more than couscous! It’s tagines (clay pots filled with flavorful veggies, meat, or seafood), flaky msemen, savory and sweet pastilla (phyllo pockets filled with meat and dusted with honey or powdered sugar), and more. I adore orienting myself in a new culture through food. Meals offer me the opportunity to learn about new cultures and to engage in conversations about politics/culture/religion/life that you might not otherwise have.
- In-season produce: Each weekend I visit the souk (market) at the outskirts of town). At this outdoor market dozens of vendors sell fresh vegetables and fruit. Something I have never experience shopping in the “perpetual summer” of American grocery stores, the souk carries only in-season produce. September in Ifrane brought juicy peaches bursting with flavor, November brought delicious clementines and pomegranates, and now in April we have an endless supply of fresh strawberries.
- Geographical diversity: Morocco has it all! Deserts, beaches, oases, cedar forest, and mountains. In my time in Morocco thus far I have visited 14 towns and cities: Ifrane, Meknes, Fes, Rabat, Asilah, Chefchaouen, Volubilis, Casablanca, Essaouira, Erfoud, Merzouga, Marrakech, Moulay Idriss, and M’hamid al-Ghizlane.
- The culture of hospitality: Moroccans will ask you to share tea or tajine in their home. That invitation is not just a formality. They want to and will open the doors of their hearts and home to you and treat you as a new member of the family.
The worst things about…
India, France, and Morocco:
The Bureaucracy: “Rampant incompetence!” is a phrase you would have heard me use often, if you spent time with me in any of my three homes abroad. Most of the issues with Indian, French, and Moroccan bureaucracy come down to a bloated administrative system in which complacency has replaced work ethic. Trying to institute any changes in this context proves headache-producing.
Harassment of Women: Eve-teasing, street harassment, cat calling — A veritable game of “Choose Your Favorite Euphemism” — all refer to the same abhorrent practice in which men yell out at women in order to assert their fragile masculinity over neutral public spaces. This happens all over the world (the US included), and I detest it, though not as much as I detest the inaction of the men who could speak up in defense of women but remain silent.
India and France:
Anti-Muslim Political Rhetoric (and Islamophobia broadly): Whether the mask of choice is the BJP (radical Hindu political party in India) or the Front National (far right French populist party), high-ranking members in both parties have espoused virulent Islamophobia. Within some segments of non-Muslim French and Indian society distrust, fear, and outright loathing of Muslims boil just below the surface.
Comparisons such as these are merely subjective. Even if one country has more “pros” than “cons”, it does not mean that is “better” than the others. Travel, which has taught me many things, has taught me that there are many ways to do the same thing (i.e. pray, raise children, cook, etc.). Departure from the “normal” way of doing things does not necessarily indicate the wrongness or rightness of either side.
So, to answer your question: I love and dislike things about all three countries. I suppose I will ultimately settle on one country (when I’m 45 years old), but at 22 I’m having too much fun traveling the world and writing pro-con lists for that nonsense. Though, if I had to live anywhere long-term, I would choose France.