Qatar student discovers treasures in Moroccan medina

Morocco, If you were a person, you would be one with multiple personalities. In the past two months, I have discovered your ethnic richness, multi-linguistic culture, and different moods. You can be the hottest person in the world and at times, the coldest, conservative, liberal and sometimes in-between. Most importantly, you have, in your own charming way, allowed me to explore your various characteristics in a series of epic adventures.

For months, I drooled over pictures of you, and started to prepare a list of all the places I wanted to visit. I told myself, however, that I would only allow myself to form an opinion of you after travelling to all the places on my list. But the moment I was picked up from Rabat Ville train station, I knew immediately that it was love at first sight. Rabat, which was my home for a month and a half, could not have been a better city to live in. Living in the traditional medina allowed me to get a sneak peek of the ancient way of life that was still practiced here. Vendors and merchants gathered together to sell their goods, workers pulled bullocks, blind beggars sang among thick crowds, and neighbors took care of each other’s children, creating a united community.

I was fortunate to intern at Amnesty International Section in Morocco. Everyday on my trek from the medina to work, I could see a distinct difference as my surroundings became cleaner as I went deeper into Mohammed V Street. People became more diverse in background and westernized. Shops and cafes became pricier and bullocks got replaced by speeding motorists and cars.

Looking back, I don’t think I could have worked with nicer people, and I cherish all the friendships I made. Apart from learning more about the organization than I could have through research and observation, I was lucky to have colleagues who constantly offered their help and advice whenever I faced any challenges or problems living abroad alone.

I especially enjoyed the one week youth summer camp that Amnesty International Morocco held at Al Akhwayn University where I was able to bond with some of the most creative, funny and talented youth I have met. I still fondly remember all those nights we spent laughing together, singing Aicha during breaks, and how we all tried to act as one big team even when things went wrong. These strangers soon became some of the greatest friends I’ve made.

I discovered you in those narrow alleys of the Fez medina where I was nearly killed by a donkey cart, in the charming medina of Essaouira where I was completely distracted by the many stunning sights of Moroccan craftsmanship and sounds of Gnaoua music, and when a snake charmer chased me at the Djemaa el Fna for a photo opportunity and money. The unending hospitality of your people who always tried to make me feel like a part of their family, the hands of crumbling women who held my hand and whispered prayers, and the two-year-old who trusted a complete stranger like me and fell asleep on my lap on a bus ride from Chefchaouen all furthered my discovery. I discovered even more of you in a sunset that melted and combined all the best possible divine brush strokes in Moulay idriss. Your kidness came through when I got lost for the millionth time and people were so nice that after giving me the directions, they walked with me all the way to the place to make sure that I’d reached it safely. I discovered you through the many foreigners, like myself, who I met along the way.

Couscous Fridays. Sipping mint tea at the oudaya café. Mastering haggling. Risking death while crossing the road. Chocolate and snail fests. Human rights craziness. Moroccan kisses. Blue walls. Green roofs. Red out of nowhere. Bonds over train rides. Bollywood in the medina. Fights breaking out on buses. Cow’s hooves. Tiny women. Worship. Rich and poor. Poor and rich. I have discovered you.

I know that this indeed fails to give even a little insight into my entire experience, but that is only because you are one of the richest people I’ve met—your tears fall mightily in cascades and flow gently in rivers, your strength is encompassed in the mighty Atlas mountains, your loveliness hidden in the many charms of a medina, your cruelty felt in the heat and forgiven by the cool breezes from the Atlantic along the Mehdya coast.

Now that I have left, please know that you have truly made my trip a journey of a lifetime and fed my soul deep and wide.