I am already all together impressed by several things here in Morocco. There is an energy and determination that I really appreciate. The look for solutions instead of getting frustrated about the obstacles. If something is broken, they repair it. If you do not have an income – you “create” a job.
During a trip to the south of Morocco, the Merzouga desert, I had the pleasure to observe a beautiful encounter between a friend and some young children. In the middle of nowhere, where the only thing you could see, whatever direction you looked, was sand…. This place was the “back yard”-playground for the kids. These children wanted to head for Palestine (by foot!) to solve the terrible existing situation. They pointed out the direction for Algeria, showed their muscles (to prove their strength) and said, we are strong, we can do it, let’s go!!!
The leader of their group told my friend that he was from Japan. My friend questioned the statement by asking how come his eyes didn’t confirm his origin. He then answered: I fixed them, because I do not want to look like Pokemoon! He actually meant Ban Ki-Moon, the General Secretary of UN, who a couple of weeks ago made a comment concerning Western Sahara and Morocco that upset some of the Moroccan population. The awareness of the young children in Morocco, their maturity and survival skills are remarkable. I was happy to see these one able to play around in the sand, having a moment of what it looked like, an innocent moment of childhood. This in contrast to the ones I see trying to sell paper napkins at midnight in Rabat city…