Little on Ifrane

A little bit about Ifrane 

Living in an area like Ifrane, it is hard to tell that one is in a country that is still developing. Ifrane, Morocco is known as “little Switzerland” because of its unique European atmosphere which is emitted through the pointed uniformed rooftops, beautiful parks, and towering pine trees. Over the weekends and the holiday seasons, the city is engulfed with tour buses and flashing lights from the cameras of the visitors.

What one has to understand most about this city is that it holds the prestigious Al Akhawayn University that holds students from the elite class of Moroccan society that makes up only 5%. Therefore, the hierarchy of this city starts from- of course- the royal family of which every city and town in Morocco belongs to, then the power of this particular University dominates. All the nearby local businesses mainly try to target their two largest consumers; the tourists and the students of AUI. In addition, with some research on the zoning laws of Ifrane done through a research paper I had to write for a Business Writing Class as an exchange student here at AUI, I have come to find that the zoning laws of this city is very strict, for no large franchises are able to be established here.

Ifrane proudly makes an effort to maintain their city image as a non commercialized area with a more local feel. Ifrane, I have to admit, does a very well job keeping the city look as “natural” as it can to emphasize the mountainous beauty that the city provides. 

Once again I reiterate just how blessed 

I am to have experienced such beauty  of Morocco. 

First Snow of the Year...in Africa!

Ifrane became a Winter Wonderland...

The pond in front of Aguelmam. So beautiful!

Last Friday was the start of a big snow storm that accumulated in the city of Ifrane for the entire weekend. Classes were cancelled as the snow kept building up inch by inch. It was the first big snow I have had this year and it was very surprising to have it in Africa. Back home, in Massachusetts where I live, my mom had told me it has not really snowed that much yet at this point. 

My building, Building 34.

What took me by surprise more than anything else is that all the bulldozers and the snow clearing services were sponsored directly by AUI, where the school sent out a mass email saying that they were clearing the roads for the students and the faculty to get in and out of the campus. When conditions got very severe, they organized two convoys where they were clearing out paths for a line of cars to get from campus to the center of town. However, I think that system did not work at all because of the extreme amount of snow we ended up getting.

When I asked the students about this particular weather, many have told me that they have never seen such a big snow storm in Ifrane, ever.

With the snow, one would expect everyone to be inside in the comfort of their warm, cozy rooms. However, here at AUI and around the city, there were many students and people alike taking advantage of the beauty of a white covered city. This may be a little dorky, but everywhere I went, the effect of the white on the trees and the snow covered ground made me think of the scene in the Narnia Chronicles of The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, when in the beginning the whole land of Narnia is covered in snow during the rule of the White Witch (I know, dorky.) But in all seriousness,  this is what the city looked like to me. It is absolutely beautiful. I, myself, took advantage of the whole weekend and spent almost ever minute of it outdoors, taking pictures of the new perspective that the snow gave for Ifrane.

I do have to say, however, it is absolutely FREEZING. I definitely regret not bringing a winter coat, so I have been borrowing a friend's for about a week now. (Thank you, Simo!) I also went to the marche yesterday and bought myself a new pair of rain boots for 65MAD, 3 pairs of long socks, and long underwear, which I definitely recommend!

This weekend, it truly showed me the real beauty of Ifrane, and just why this city is attractive to tourists from within the country as well as abroad. I feel truly blessed to be here.

Please excuse us for our explicit language;) 

One on Me

I knew something was missing...

Right off the plane on my first day in Morocco

“Morocco? What’s in Morocco?” was the reaction I received from numerous people when I confessed the location in which I would study abroad. I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to go on an exchange program, which is one of the main reasons why I chose to go to Bentley University, but my initial plan was to study abroad in Italy because of my experience traveling there during my freshman year of high school. But as decision time came closer and closer, there were endless options and choices of the potential places that I could go! It was just pure excitement in the fact that I could choose anywhere in the world to spend four months of my life, engulfing myself in the culture.

So about a week before final decision had to be made, I woke up with the desire to get out of my comfort zone and to go somewhere radical, where not many people would choose to go. So out of all the places on the list of programs, I figured Morocco would be the place to be since: one, the last person that did an exchange from Bentley to Morocco was close to a decade ago and two, there wasn’t much information on what Morocco was currently like, even on the web or through people. So that is how I made my choice.

Although it may be cliché, this adventure to this beautiful country has been a life changing one. During my time here, I have learned what it is like to be part of Morocco’s elite class- which is unavoidable since I have spent the four months studying at the prestigious Al Akhawayn University of which Morocco’s small minority of middle and upper class families send their kids to college, but at the same time, I have also been able to experience the heartache and the hopelessness of the majority lower class of Morocco. I have learned that illiteracy is a reality in which over half of the Moroccan population cannot read or write, and in addition, education is so corrupt that even those who seek for higher education cannot get it because they are unable to afford the demands of the educators that are not paid up to par.

Through such an experience, I have changed my major from Finance to Marketing in hopes that with the knowledge and the skills I acquire, I could help this country, as well as similar countries, to take small steps and small measures in hopes of furthering development and self sustainability. I have come to grow a love for the country of Morocco because although people do not have much, I have never met so many generous people that are willing to give and give with nothing in return. I have traveled to many places in Morocco, and everywhere I go, there are people that are willing to help you even beyond what you ask of them, and they are just so ready to open their homes to complete strangers just to get the knowledge of diversity and differences. Especially coming from a place like America where it puts more emphasis on the individual and his American dream, it has definitely been an eye opening experience to know people that are more about the family and the well being of others rather than just the individual alone. In a country such as this, I have learned that Morocco’s true beautify comes from the people that live within it.  

My next 5 year plan is to really get all the knowledge and the resources I need in order to help places like Morocco to really be able to show their true beauty and to help its people to make further advancements in their livelihood to become self sustainable citizens of the world.

2 weeks left, and enjoying every last minute of it.

...and Morocco was the answer. 

Moroccan Football

On Moroccan Football

After the first few days in Morocco, it was an unfamiliar transition from hearing names like Tom Brady and Eli Manning to hearing the names Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Morocco is a country where soccer is not only a sport, but rather a lifestyle. Everywhere I go, I see kids and adults alike playing soccer, not only with a ball but with coke cans, water bottles, rocks, and even lighters; just about anything they can get their feet on. As my time here in Morocco progressed, I slowly caught myself dribbling a rock on the way to class or kicking a water bottle back and forth with a couple friends. The love of this sport in this country is so ubiquitous that it is contagious.

Christiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi

From being so exposed to soccer by being in Morocco, I have noticed that most people watch two types of soccer, Moroccan soccer and Spanish Soccer. When talking about Spanish Soccer, two big teams come to mind: FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Whenever I watch these games, which seems to be about every week, the two players that stick out the most to me, and I am sure every other soccer enthusiast, is Christiano Ronaldo, striker for Real Madrid, and Lionel Messi, forward for FC Barcelona. When watching these two players, it is almost hypnotizing to see their flawless plays, their incredible endurance and-how could I ever forget- their unfailing ball control. It is hard to compare the two players because they are both so good in different ways for they have very unique playing styles.

To get further information on how they are different from one another, I asked a Moroccan friend, a soccer enthusiast who has been watching soccer all his life, about the differences between the two players. First off, he tells me that Messi has played for Barcelona his entire career whereas Ronaldo has played for several different teams including Lisbon and Manchester United. Messi is the type of player where he plays very well in tight spaces and is able to control and dribble the ball in a very smart way when there is less room for him to move. On the other hand, Ronaldo is incredible in wider spaces and is known for his unfailing aim when it comes to long shots. He also describes to me that Messi is more of a team player whereas Ronaldo is more of an individualist. Additionally he comments that Ronaldo has unbelievable endurance, “He can play a whole 90 minutes without getting tired or injured. He’s almost super human.”

Although my friend’s point of view may be somewhat biased, it is very hard to doubt that some of his comments are correct when watching the two players battling it out on the field. They are very different from each other, for sure. But what both players have in common is their sense of confidence and their smart plays which contributes to making both teams powerhouse forces in the soccer world.

First week in Morocco and watching the Real Madrid vs Barcelona game with some new friends!