Jemaa el- Fnaa leaves you in awe!
I have finally nailed the routine of a Moroccan ASU student. I wake up every morning knowing there is a hardboiled egg, bread plate and cup of freshly brewed green tea waiting for my when I can make myself leave my bed. Before I leave the hotel, I pack the basic essentials. These essentials include: Hand sanitizer, lip balm, notebook and a pen. If you decide you are going to use hand sanitizer on the bus, make sure there is enough to go around. My lips have been chapped ever since camel riding through the Saharan desert, so lip balm is one of my new best friends. My notebook and pen help keep my thoughts organized throughout our full days of activities.
This week I roamed the crazy streets of Marrakech. The second we drove into the city, I knew that I was going to enjoy my time here. After we checked into the hotel, it was off to our meeting with the High Atlas Foundation. The foundation works to encourage sustainable development projects identified and managed by local communities in partnership with the public, private and civil sectors.
The program director, Abderrahim Ouarghidi, had a great sense of humor and was a fountain of knowledge. He talked about the foundations past successes and future goals. He addressed the socioeconomic concerns of women and children living in rural areas who are seeking employment. According to his observations, men were hesitant to allow the women in their life to hold jobs unless they could directly benefit personally.
In the United States, women do not seek approval before deciding to get a job, and employment is often associated with independence. At the High Atlas Foundation, female employees outnumber the men. Ouarghidi said that women bring a special element to organization, for example their calmness and attention to detail. At the end of the meeting, several students and I purchased organic walnut oil from the foundation.
After the meeting we explored Jemaa el- Fnaa, the marketplace in the medina of Marrakesh. This place is like the Moroccan version of Time Square. There is so much going on no matter which direction you look. There were monkeys, snake charmers, dancers, musicians, storytellers, colorful plates, hand-woven scarves and delicious street food. I walked around to do some shopping and then enjoyed two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice and a classic vegetable tagine for lunch. This is probably the most unique city I have explored in my entire life. After a long day of activities, I am always ready to return to the hotel and order some green tea and enjoy it with my friends. It will be so hard to leave here!