A Letter of Thanks to Morocco
As we woke up this morning, we felt content with all we had experienced and accomplished. It was a quiet
As we woke up this morning, we felt content with all we had experienced and accomplished. It was a quiet
Our final day in Morocco started as so many of our other days had. We met for breakfast on the
Our day began with an early breakfast, as we were headed to Essaouira, a small city on the Atlantic Coast
The first full day of the final leg of our trip to Morocco began in quite a relaxed fashion, with
As we crawled out of bed, we took inventory of our sore muscles and fond memories from the summit hike
At 2:00 AM, my alarm went off. With excitement and a bit of nerves, I got dressed and grabbed my
On our first day of the hiking portion of our trip, our journey toward Toubkal Base Camp began with breakfast on our hotel’s terrace overlooking the small city
Starting off our last day at Tizi-Noucheg, the day began as the last few had. We gathered, a little more tired
Today was our last full day in Tizi-Noucheg. As usual, everyone gathered on the terrace for yet another amazing breakfast, an assortment of all
We started our third day of the trip with another amazing breakfast on the terrace. We’re beginning to see why this is such
Our first full day in Morocco was full of surprises. As we woke up, we knew we were in store for
We’re so thrilled to begin the Morocco 2025 Global Learning program with RSGC. The RSGC students and teachers arrived in
We started the day off by getting to know each other through a series of group challenges in Belleview park. Next, our instructor told us to walk. The only instructions were to be conscious of our senses and to “go slow.” I had no destination in mind. The spice store caught my attention while my friend took photos of street art. The neighbourhood energy felt different, but I was frequently reminded of the Toronto I was familiar with as modern skyscrapers formed the larger landscape above crowded, colourful storefronts. We met back with the group and discussed what we saw, what sparked our interest, and how the four streets we were given maps to made us feel. Most of the group spoke about a distinctly multicultural place, and when prompted by the instructor, shared interest in understanding why this came to be. I brought up the juxtaposition between modern Toronto encroaching onto what looked like an older neighbourhood with unique character.
After discussion, researching on our phones, and being realistic about our capabilities, we came up with our question of interest that would form the foundation of the remainder of the day. Why is Kennington Market worth protecting from modern-day development? We created tasks. Roll one, stay in Belleview park to do research on current issues facing the market. Roll two, interview store owners. Roll 3, continue to observe the daily routines of the market and write a personal reflection.
When the group rejoined there was a different buzz, everyone wanted to talk. “One storefront owner told me I would never understand,” said one student. “I spoke to women who told me that small local run businesses are the only way forward for environmental sustainability,” said another. Our researchers brought up several articles regarding a successful fight to keep Walmart and Nike out of the neighbourhood. One of our creative writers read us a line from her reflection aloud “I feel people can be themselves here.”
Day one was coming to an end. After a debrief with our instructor, I did not leave the day feeling defeated, rather somewhat invigorated about the learning that I wanted to continue. I saw the layers of my own backyard that I had neglected to pay attention to. We had not answered our question today, but we got a start. Through those who wanted to talk to us, but more so, through those who didn’t, we realized there was something about this neighbourhood that was fighting to save their core, their identity. Why? We would try to find out more tomorrow.