‘Match Me Abroad’ Exclusive Preview: Mark Worries About ‘Kissing In Public’ In Morocco
Mark gets a huge shock as his Moroccan matchmaker gives him the 411 on the country’s conservative culture and its ‘disapproval’ of PDA.
Mark worries that his romantic efforts in Morocco may be in jeopardy over the country’s conservative culture on TLC’s latest hit show Match Me Abroad! In this EXCLUSIVE preview of the Sunday, May 28 episode, the 44-year-old Arizona native learns about the dos and donts of dating in the North African country and discovers that they may not mesh with his liberal style of loving. “I knew Morocco and the Arab world was a little more conservative, but I was not ready at all for what I’m hearing,” Mark reveals in a confessional.
The clip begins with a hotel concierge, Fatima, giving Mark the 411 on the local traditions. “The first thing you should know that it’s a conservative country,” Fatima says. “It’s totally forbidden to have a female friend with you in a room, in a hotel, if you’re not married, this is the law.”
And with that, Mark is already astounded. “No, come on! Like it’s totally illegal, like you go to jail?” Mark incredulously asks. “Yes, exactly,” Fatima replies, before dropping another bombshell. “And another thing: no intimacy in public, no kissing in public.” After Mark asks if hand-holding is kosher, Fatima answers, “It’s not really appropriate in Morocco.”
In a confessional, Mark goes over what he has learned so far from Fatima. “You can’t hug, you can’t kiss, then you definitely are not bringing girls back to your place,” he recalls, before musing, “Is every single date coming to an end with a handshake?”
He continues to fret, saying, “I’m definitely worried about connecting with someone and then there’s just nothing physically to see if it’s there or not because everyone I’ve ever gone out with, it’s always been there physically. And if we don’t have that aspect, it’s kind of be hard to judge how well we get along together.”
Find out how Mark handles his first date when the full episode airs on Sunday, May 28. And catch the whole season of Match Me Abroad as it continues every Sunday on TLC.