I met Aziz in the summer of 2016 (it seems centuries have passed), and precisely in July while we were both attending a summer school organized by the Ministry of Moroccans Resident Abroad and which targeted young university students aged 18 to 25 years old. We were 270 from all over the world. During those relaxing 5 days, I met many young Moroccans, that are not really Moroccans, including Aziz, born in Saudi Arabia, from both Moroccan parents, but who has no relationship whatsoever with his country of origin. But mind you, Aziz loves Morocco, of that love unknown to the Moroccans born and raised in it. He loves it with a love that sees no faults, and this has always been one of our points of disagreement.
I met Aziz during one of the last days of the summer school. He was not a guy who immediately jumped out because he didn't talk much but he was an excellent observer. I don't remember how we ended up talking about films and photography, but I immediately realized that I was in front of an extremely intelligent person despite his young age.
It is absurd to note that we became very close friends after the end of the summer school, through Whatsapp messages, long phone calls, endless voice messages, especially after he told me he was moving to Sudan to finish his university studies. I called him crazy back then, but I'm sure that for him it was a unique experience, stopped by recent demonstrations in the country (the universities have closed, and Aziz still doesn't know what he will do). I was proud of him, a boy who left the comforts of Saudi Arabia to go to study in a country where he doesn't have much comfort! I remember he told me that he only met the face of poverty when he lived in Sudan because he had never seen poor people before.
To my friend who has always been present especially in times of need, to the shy and sometimes too innocent boy, I want to dedicate this post remembering one of the magnificent places we visited during the summer school: Chefchaouen. And I'd also like to mention that "I'm introverted but I don't want people to know it" as he would say!
Chefchaouen wrapped us (270 cackling people) in his blue. It is a magical city, which transmits to you a calm I never experienced in my whole life. Its small streets, inheritance of the Andalusian exiles, Muslims and Jews, is one of the characteristics that I most loved. Colorful streets crossed by people dressed in colorful clothes. In short, it was a joy for all 5 senses. Founded in 1471, the city has an ancient high part and a modern part built at the bottom. The city was considered so sacred that it was forbidden for foreigners to enter it, until things changed with the Spanish colonization. In short, if you were to go to Morocco, take advantage of it and visit Chefchaouen even for just one day!
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