A Definition Change
February 12, 2017So…this is journalism.
The insane rush of meeting a random person, walking onto someones turf without asking, intimate questions within five minutes, getting kicked out of fishing ports and following around weddings. Random tea time with strangers and pictures pictures pictures. This is definitely what I signed up for.
Here’s the thing about Morocco. The royal family controls everything, and freedom of the press is laughable. The access to get anywhere and any information has been really, really hard and it was only the first couple weeks. My academic director says, “If you can report in Morocco, you can report anywhere” and I believe it.
I’ve also been placed in an Arabic class an entire year ahead of my own in America, so…try conjugating arabic verbs in full sentences of past, and present tense when you don’t know any arabic. It’s a tricky one!
I’ve already learned such important things about reporting and it hasn’t been at all in a classroom, but walking around the city of Rabat and Casablanca. Here’s last Saturday with my new bud, David Fuchs. I love working with david because he’s extremely charismatic and can charm anyone into talking with him, so I can just do the work of lone photographer and not have to take on 5 jobs at once. It’s a beautiful thing, a partnership, and I’m excited to get to work with reporters like David more.
I am so, so happy. The people’s hospitality, the difference in culture, and the clarity of mind. These are all things that I have yet to experience in America. Although I miss Kole, my parents and my friends, this experience is just something that I can’t quite describe fully. Here are some pictures to help.
