Regional/Cultural Day
Ruz el Hanout
The hanout is the corner shop that gives credit, holds gossip, stocks everything from sugar to satellite cards, and functions as the village hub disguised as a shop. Every neighborhood has one. Every building has one on the ground floor. The owner knows who is sick, who is marrying, who owes money, and who just had a baby. He extends credit when times are hard and collects when times are better. The hanout is the informal bank, the social network, the post office, and the news agency of the quartier, and the man behind the counter is the most informed person in the district.
