First Impressions of Morocco

May 24, 2012

Before going to Morocco, I had the romantic notion that it would be a feast for the senses, an exotic blend of Islamic and European worlds. I tried to shelve this thought, reasoning that it was probably naïve, overly romanticized, based on some distorted pop culture impression. But so far, everything I've seen has exceeded those expectations. From cheap street fare to rooftop terrace restaurants, the quality of the food is surreal. Tajines, earthen dishes with piping hot, flavorful stews inside, are the stars of the cuisine. Moroccan mint tea, poured from a teapot a foot or two above the glass, is an essential part of every meal. The tea is alarmingly sweet – “Would you like some tea with your sugar?” we joke – but we love the mint and green tea flavor of the national drink. The music, the orange blossom water poured on our hands after dinner our first night, the winding maze of shops in the Medina, richness from all directions for all the senses. And from the dynamic Moroccan seatmates on the plane who taught me Arabic phrases to people who offer to show us around without asking anything in return, the level of warmth and generosity here is unlike anything I've seen in my travels. In Arab countries, the premier mark of hospitality is making sure that no guest leaves the table hungry – and this food makes that easy. We've all had minor stomachaches, not from food poisoning, but from overeating – and don't regret one second of it.

My initial impression is that the country is thriving, not only in monetary but in social capital, the level of goodwill and trust within a society. During these two days, we've all questioned ADE's role in development here. But of course, poverty and need rarely present themselves loudly - especially in the shiny government district of Rabat where we've been staying, where a sleek new light rail line snakes through whitewashed buildings and small parks. At the free government-sponsored World Music Festival featuring Mariah Carey, it was impossible to tell which revelers were well-off and which weren't. As with cities in the U.S., a tourist in the city center of Rabat wouldn't see the illiteracy and lack of access to infrastructure and resources that beset many people living on the periphery of society. I wonder if development work can be just as important, perhaps more, in places where poverty is still present but more hidden from view.

We haven't found the answer to that question yet – perhaps, it doesn't exist - but we've been hard at work on our projects. We've all been charmed by this country, yes – but far from making us complacent about the need for development work here, we're even more motivated to leave this beautiful country changed for the better in our own small ways. Team Mobile has been hard at work on a cycle of interviewing illiterate people in the Medina, getting feedback on their notebook designs, and making revisions. Team Oil has been...well, chasing after apparently nonexistent animal feed stores and dealing with overzealous would-be translators...but also preparing materials to visit the cooperative tomorrow. We've all been bonding with our partner students at the School of Industry and Mining (ENIM), both over social dinners and at work in the classroom. One lesson I've learned already from this class is that face-to-face time with our partners, cultivating trusting relationships with partners is one of the most critical parts of a development project's success. The warm and generous Moroccans we've met are making that part easy.