Rafael Orozco - Internship Journal

Reflection #1

    So far, my experience in Morocco has been very interesting. I have been able to experience the same things a casual tourist would be able to experience, like shopping in the medina, trying couscous for the first time, and exploring all of the beautiful locations. At the same time, I have also been able to experience way more than any casual tourist would be able to in a week, like actually being able to competitively bargain with the hanut (shop) owners in the medina (entirely in Darija, I must note!), sharing a couscous meal with a very friendly family, as well having nightmares about the constant honking you hear anytime you’re near a road. Living right next to a busy road, I can personally attest to that last one. Constant honking aside, Morocco has been a beautiful and different place to experience. So far, I have learned how to effectively communicate in Moroccan Arabic (Darija), I have drastically improved my French with the help of my French speaking host family, as well as how to live independently in a different country. I have also been fortunate enough to be able to participate in an internship that considers my academic and career future.

    The internship that I work with is through an NGO called OMC. Funnily enough, I do not know what OMC stands for, but nobody needs to know that. Their mission is to spread awareness to Moroccan citizens about all political parties present in Morocco. I believe that the mission is a very beneficial one and I am very happy to be able to learn about the politics in Morocco as well as being able to study the political psychology involved. As of now I am rushed to catch a plane, but being a reflection of my experience so far, I hope that is enough.