Class of 2008
Major: Society, Technology and Policy / International Studies (Double Major)
Project Center: Ifrane, Morocco
Major Qualifying Project: Moroccan migration to Spain and its economic and political ramifications on both countries.
Virginia Ward
October 4, 2007
This week, it started to feel like I'm really leaving Morocco soon. Every once and a while I have a look at my calendar to see how many days are left, and was startled when I saw how few are truly left. I've seen a lot of Morocco and have had some amazing experiences in my short time here. I'm starting to get excited about the prospect of going home, but I know I will miss Morocco once I'm home. This week things started to feel like they were winding down with the final drafts of my paper and talk of finals in class. Though I have had 3 years of experience with them, 7 week terms still seem to go by very quickly!
The number of classes left in Islamic Civilization and Arabic are rapidly dwindling and we are down to our final few assignments. In Islamic Civilization, we are continuing to study the first few centuries of Islam and the formation of the caliphates or ruling dynasties. We have learned quite a bit in a short period of time, but Islamic history is such a broad topic, we have only scratched the surface of what the culture and history of Islam is all about. Arabic is going well, but increases in difficulty every week. We have started to learn more vocabulary and verb conjugations. We have also finished learning all 28 letters in the Arabic alphabet and Indian numbers, which are used often when writing Arabic. Everyone in my group found it a little ironic that the numbers we have used all our lives are called Arabic numbers, yet when learning Arabic, there is a whole different set of numbers!
I've been pretty busy working on my MQP over the past week. Everyday there is something new to read, write or edit. I've already written about all the major topics and concepts and all that is left is filling in more details, facts and figures. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to a very busy weekend finishing my paper. It has been a few months since I started researching migration from Morocco to Spain, but I am still very interested in it and excited to see where my work ends up. Reading and discovering more has only fueled my interest. I think the fact that I have genuine interest in what I am working on and carefully chose my topic has helped to make the whole MQP process much more enjoyable.
For our last group trip, we visited Meknes and the Roman ruins at Volibulis, about half of an hour north of Meknes. I was excited to finally see Meknes since we only got a very brief glimpse when we first arrived there by train at the very beginning of our trip. In the morning we had a guided tour of Volibulis. It was built in the first century AD by the Romans who were attracted to the region by the high concentration of olive trees. The oil extracted from olives grown in the region was exported all over the Roman empire. When I first heard about Roman ruins in Morocco, I was a bit surprised. I've always associated Morocco with Islam but I have learned during my time here that the history and culture of Morocco is quite diverse. The site itself it on a hill top and is covered with buildings, roads, and monuments in various stages of decay. Not only is the site almost 2 millennia old, but an earthquake in 1755 damaged what was left standing. Some structures were almost totally intact, like a giant arch and steps to what was a temple, while in other spots, only a foundation and floor mosaics remained. It was truly amazing to be able to walk through something so ancient.
Though only a short drive from Volibulis, the city of Meknes seemed a world away. Our first stop was the tomb of Moulay Ismael. He ruled Morocco about 300 years ago and for part of his reign, Meknes was the capital of the country. I was able to enter the building and walk around the adjoining rooms, but I couldn't enter the actual tomb. I could only look inside from behind a barrier because I am not a Muslim. Next we visited an underground prison used for some centuries. It was certainly not a place I would like to spend any length of time. The next place we visited was certainly one of the most odd and out of place I have visited during my time in Morocco; a golf course on the grounds of a former royal palace. Formerly a garden used by the royal family, Hassan II, the previous ruler of Morocco, turned it into a 9-hole golf course currently available to those who are able to pay the stiff entry fee. Usually tourists aren't allowed to even enter, but because our guide talked to the guards, we were permitted a quick peek. It seemed a little odd and elitist to use so much water and manpower to create something used by so few people. Later in the day we got to explore the medina, which was quite similar to those we have visited in the past. Though each has its own character, all of the medinas have the same basic set-up and merchandise.
Last night we returned to Azrou to visit the market. A few weeks ago we visited on market day and were somewhat disappointed by the available items for sale, produce and livestock. Yesterday, however, we were not disappointed. Since it is still Ramadan, things did not open until fairly late, around 9pm. I finished all of my shopping for people back home and can only hope that everything will fit into my luggage. Azrou is a much smaller town than those we have visited for trips and felt much more like a community than other major cities.
There are no planned trips for this coming weekend, but several people from my group are going to explore some of the cities we haven't visited so far. I have a busy weekend of my own planned editing and finishing my MQP!
-Virginia
