New friends in new places

By Ashley Zafaranlou

I deplaned in Paris, only one more flight until a reach my destination. As I wait at my flight gate for my next plane to Morocco, I start to see some familiar faces from my ASU pre-departure class. There is an amazing sense of comfort when you see a familiar face in a foreign place. I was not friends with any of the other students prior to our pre-departure class meetings, but I know over the next three weeks I would get to know these people better than some of my friends at home.

Our group of ASU students was the last to board the plane. We were all preoccupied with swapping stories about our parents dropping us off at the airport and what we did on the plane to pass the time.

The flight from Paris to Casa Blanca was when I started to experience the difficulty of language barriers. The flight attendant came down the isle, passing out delicious looking food trays. When she handed me the tray, I began to ask if the food was vegetarian but then stopped myself because I knew they spoke French and Arabic. I probably should have familiarized myself with basic French words so I could navigate the menu more easily!

In Casa Blanca we gathered with all the students and took the bus to Hotel Balima in Rabat. The hotel was very close to the Parliament building and the train station was right down the street. While in Rabat we went on a beautiful tour and shopped in the Medina. This was a nice way for me familiarize the basic structure of the city before I dove into the class meetings and exercises.

One of my favorite meetings was visiting the University of Rabat where I met a student named Rania Bassou. She is studying aerospace engineering and has plans to visit the United States this summer. She gave us a tour of her campus and explained what her life as a student was like.

At her university, the students have class and tests six days out of the week from 8 a.m. till 6 p.m. I could not imagine being in class for so many hours a week! At ASU, men outnumber the amount of women who are studying engineering. A professor of the University of Rabat told us that ratio of males to females whose studies are concentrated on STEM is relatively equal. This was especially interesting to me since I am here in Morocco to learn more about how gender equality affects the country’s quest for sustainability.

Here in Morocco, it is impossible to discuss sustainability without bringing up education. Effective education and job opportunities seem to be primary goals for many Moroccan people. The research that I did prior to the trip explained the complications with Morocco’s education system and employment opportunities, and it was incredible to see and hear how Moroccans believe these issues can be addressed.

I am loving this country so far. The best part about being here is feeling so welcomed by the Moroccan people who have hosted our group for various meetings and tours. We are always welcomed with kind words and delicious mint tea. Another thing that I love is the gorgeous architecture. I have seen countless buildings from various time periods and that is something that I do not see a lot of living in Tempe. I am thrilled to see what else Morocco has to offer in this upcoming week!