Seen From Above: A Return From Vacation

Seen from thousands of feet above, France, Spain, and Morocco don't look all that different. There are greener patches and more mountainous stretches, particularly in France. And especially south of Madrid and in large parts of Morocco there are barren flatlands. But all have farmland, houses, roads, cities, villages...and so one can't help but wonder at the great variety in human culture from one country to another and one region to another.It's also strange to to ponder the sort of pull Europe exerts. So many desire to live and work and breath on the land north of the Mediterranean.

As I was taking the train from Muhammed V Airport to Casa Voyageurs a well-built young man from Côte d'Ivoire began to talk with me. He thought I was French, so I clarified that I wasn't, going on to tell him, though, what a great vacation I had had there. Just a few minutes later he explained how he wanted to get to Europe, to play soccer professionally, any way possible. He said he hoped some of his contacts in Morocco might know someone who could help him out.

Then today I was sitting in a cafe reading the newspaper when a Moroccan friend a little younger than me sat down next to me. He asked where I had been, why I had absented myself. So once again I launched into an explanation of my great vacation. He replied, "I want to go to France." But, of course, he doesn't mean that he wants to bop into the Louvre to see the "Routes de l'Arabie" special exhibition or visit The Institute of the Arab World library, or go down to the Seine and spend time drinking with friends. He wants to get out of Morocco. He wants to find a real job. He wants another life.