As a general rule, men frequent cafes for hours. Whether because of unemployment or a "business over coffee" mentality, some men even spend the entire day there. It is less common for women to frequent cafes--many have an unofficial but obvious 'no-women' rule. Those cafes where women are able to participate in this aspect of the culture are typically called "glaciers" (when pronouncing this word, envision yourself as a haughty French person and say with a flourish and an up-turned lip "glaas-ee-ay"; then conclude with "oui oui").
I (Ben) have been able to go to cafes to study and read. It's an opportunity to be out in public, soak in the social scene, and drink a year's supply of caffeine in one sitting. At the cafe near our apartment in Casa, however, Ashley is allowed with no social qualms...at least as far as we know. We've seen a few Moroccan women there, but the sign does not read "Glacier" (see above for pronunciation) so we're hoping our ignorance will prove us to be innocent.
To be able to have a conversation in Moroccan Arabic at one of these cafes is the indicator that a foreigner is "in" with the culture and social life of this country. Because this 'cafe culture' lies at the heart of urban Morocco, we've really enjoyed being near the beating pulse and getting a taste of what life is like in this unique part of creation.
