Thursday, April 08, 2010

The Knees of Spring Return!


WARNING! THIS STORY CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES THAT MAY DISTURB!

Every year, as regular as migrating birds, the knees of spring return to Morocco. Our intrepid knee-spotter, Imelda Buttocks, has been out and about. Here is her special report:

Oh still my beating heart! It is that time again when visitors to Morocco begin to display their wondrous knees. German knees have always been a favourite, French knees are harder to find and this year's crop of Spanish knees is amazing to behold.

An amazing matching set.

In the chilly mountains of the Rif I spotted my first knees! 

The rare Spanish Skimpy

While every travel magazine and guide book informs visitors to dress respectfully, the knees emerge. And not just knees. I also spotted this rare Spanish Skimpy with her mate.

The well dressed tourist

Knee-spotters know well that if they see a visitor carrying a copy of Lonely Planet, then knees will be hard to find. As the good book says "Do make a point of dressing modestly".

We live in hope.

6 comments:

Piggy said...

It would not be so bad if these people had knees worth airing. Put them away please

keenast said...

For me it'd be more a question of having taste or being tasteless. I don't quite see what's wrong with what you call 'skimpy', it ain't THAT skimpy. Your 'well dressed tourist' is quite a bore, on the other hand ;-)

It's a conundrum of course, one can't expect tourists to dress like the locals - that would almost be a parody. Tourists by definition bring their own culture with them. That comes with the territory.

On the other hand, in my extended travels through Morocco, I've seen LOTS of nicely dressed local girls you'd call 'skimpy'. I've found them to be quite natural and charming.

Sally - Fez said...

Such knees! Such skimpyness! Keenast has obviously not learned what "modest" means. Even as a "Western woman" (and a liberated one) I find such disregard of the Moroccan social norms offensive. Thank you for this timely reminder of a reasonable dress code for Morocco.

Anonymous said...

Oh Cmon, you know Moroccans sometimes dress really "slutty". Wearing a tanktop doesnt make you skimpy. And you cant expect tourists to be hanging around wearing Djellabas.

Moroccan
Love your blog Btw.

Anonymous said...

Hi, excuse my bad english.... I really like this blog, but I don't like this thread about knees. I try to explain why: I think, the word would be better with more tolerance. When I go to Morocco I don't wear tanktops or shorts, but I think people should be free to wear what they like. For me it is all right if a moroccan woman, for example, wears jellaba and hiyab or whatever she wants in Berlin, Munich, New York. I would never critisize her, why should I? Wearing a jellaba in Berlin doesn't do any harm to anybody.
And in the same way as I do perfectly tolerate someone wearing moroccan clothes in Berlin, I think it should be tolerated that a tourist in Morocco wears shorts. If I am not a muslim, for me it is not forbidden to wear them. And those who don't like it are free not to look at me. Am I so wrong?

Anonymous said...

The Knee Liberation Front of Fez... now that is a small and dangerous cell!