前途: A Year in Morocco

At the beginning of Fulbright, it was suggested that we hire a maid to assist us with cleaning, shopping, housework, and cooking. It was also mentioned that it’s a good way to employ a Moroccan, which is a Really Good thing to do, but I remember being super uncomfortable with the idea of having someone clean for me. I’ve learned a lot about the practice since then, so I’m going to talk a little bit about it today.

Expats have maids. So do many well-off Moroccans. Which is fine, there are a lot of good things about a maid. You can send her shopping, have her deal with the language barrier and get good prices, and if you’re a busy person (which is something that is actually pretty difficult to achieve in Morocco), she is invaluable in helping keep your household running smoothly. You can learn language from her as well, and it’s a good opportunity to practice, as well as teach her some basic English.

Beyond that, it’s kind of fun to have a maid. It’s nice to not cook for yourself always, to learn Moroccan cooking and get variety in your diet. It’s nice to not be doing the housework all by your lonesome, and it goes a lot faster with someone to help and chat with. Moroccans are certainly better at cleaning a house than I am, because they’re used to the methods which are common and useful in this country. And it’s not terribly expensive, maybe 12 dollars for a few hours, and even having her come once a week helps her and her family out immensely.

What are the downsides? Well, the maids have a tendency to move things all about in their cleaning. Things don’t always go back the way they were, and you might not be able to find something because it was moved. It’s hard to maintain a good power balance and also to not completely trust the maid, just in case. They don’t know how to deal with your clothes always, and might wring your cotton shirts and stretch them out. Little things.

Honestly, I think the benefits outweigh the minor drawbacks. I have not hired a maid to come regularly, but I do appreciate being able to do so at the drop of a hat. I hate cleaning; I find it repetitive and unrewarding. I had the concierge’s wife come earlier today and help me clean everything before I move, and I’m really glad I did because it was a lot of work.