My name is Caitlin, and I am a 2010 graduate of the University of Washington with a BA in Near Eastern studies. I am an American who speaks Arabic, Persian, Japanese, and Spanish.I received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Morocco; this blog is here for me to share my experiences with everyone. :)
IMPORTANT: This site is NOT an official Department of State website, and the views and information presented are MINE and DO NOT represent MACECE, the Fulbright program, or the Department of State. Just FYI.
The kanji in the title are read "zento" and mean both "future prospects" and "the journey ahead."
Anonymous asked: How did you feel when you finally received your placement? Were there other cities you were hoping for?
I was placed in Morocco and accepted without knowing what city I was assigned to. I received that piece of information at the Pre-Departure Orientation, and I was #1. Excited to be close to the coast just because that’s how I’ve always grown up and #2. Interested in the fact that Kenitra used to have an American naval air base.
Looking back, I would’ve loved to live in any of the other cities, although each one has its pros and cons. However, I do appreciate that Kenitra is fairly central, and getting from Kenitra to most other places doesn’t take very long: Rabat 30 min, Casa 1:30, Meknes 1:30, Fes ~2 hrs, el-Jadida ~3:30, Tangier/Tetouan ~5 hrs, Errachidia 10 hours.
Another person asked me about money. The stipend is very livable, unless you’re going to be in Rabat or Casa where the rents can be quite high. I’ll be trying to leave my apartment, furniture, and household/kitchen junk available for the next Fulbrighter because setting up a house sucks. My best advice for unfurnished apartments is to really think about what you need and what you can do without in terms of furniture and kitchen ware.
Electricity is expensive but the winter sucks without heat. Food is as cheap as you want it to be. There are communal ovens. Gas for my water heater and stove is cheap. I have not needed other sources of income to live here, and I certainly could’ve bought fewer gifts and household items than I have. I’ve been able to travel a lot. Consider that you’ll have to pay taxes. Don’t spend your materials allowance (or much of it) before you come because you don’t know what you’ll need and may end up paying for copies, a printer, etc. Cell phone services do nifty double/triple/bonus promotions fairly frequently, so that’s the best time to put money on your phone.
Let me just do a quick sample price list with general prices and conversions. They may change a lot depending on your location.
Dinner at a cheap place: 30 dirhams tops ($3.50)
Dinner at a middling place: 70-100 dirhams ($10-15)
Most expensive dinner I’ve had: 300 something dirhams ($35)
Bottle of wine: ~70 dirhams ($10)
Café noir/espresso: 18 dirhams tops, usually 10 ($1-2)
Moroccan candy: (Biggie, Meredina, etc) 1-2 dirhams ($.25)
US candy: (Twix, Kit Kat) 5-7 dirhams ($1)
Pastries: 2-5 dirhams ($.25-.55)
Loaf of bread: 1 dirham ($.15)
Eggs: 1 dirham each ($.15)
Liter of packaged orange juice: 12 dirhams ($1.50)
Whole raw chicken from the grocery: ~30 dirhams ($3.50)
Train to Rabat and back: ~30 dirhams ($3.50)
Taxi ride to university: 8 dirhams ($1) (taxi 10 mins, walking 30-40 mins)
Normal headscarf/Palestino: 20 dirhams ($2.50) (imported ones are more expensive)
Fold out futon bed: ~1000 dirhams ($125)
Hot water heater: 2000 dirhams ($250)
Internet USB Modem Maroc Telecom: 200 dirhams/month ($25/mo)
Cell phone (hardware+SIM card) ~350 dirhams ($45)
