Job Discussion Forums

[j. remy]

Quoi de neuf? T'as vu les meufs?

I've spent the last 16 months living and working in Argenteuil, France (95100, representin' my true dawgs) - a blue collar suburb of Paris, inhabited primarily by Arab and West African immigrants. After making some great friends of Moroccan descent, and hearing so many tales of the beauty to be found in the Maghreb, I've decided to take a job in Casablanca - in search of a little of the poetry and adventure I crave. I feel that a francophone country on the 'other' side of the Mediterranean is just what I need to maintain my French speaking skills and get a new perspective on Southern Europe, while hopefully learning a bit of Arabic.

I thought I might have preferred Rabat or Safi, but Casablanca was where I was offered a job - with AMIDEAST, about which I've heard good things. I dated a Moroccan woman in Paris who assures me that Casablanca will be the best spot for me (a city kid with improvisational tendencies, nomadic leanings and hip hop seasonings) but I'd like to find out a little bit more about the city from some people on the ground.

I've heard all the naysayers who claim it's polluted and the traffic is bad - but that goes for any large city. All the self-proclaimed 'travel experts' advise people to skip Casa if they've only got a week to spend in Maroc. On this forum, I've read 'Hod's' post-ironic, jaded, 'humour' posts dissing Casa. But I don't buy it. I know the city is bumpin'.

I've noted on some of the Wanadoo Maroc apartment searches that there are some cheap, yet spacious living arrangements to be found. Can anyone drop me a little more knowledge about the best quartiers to live in Casa? Some of the fun spots to chill? Nearby beaches? Any tips on day-to-day protocol for an unwashed infidel like myself? Are the horror stories true about Western guys dating the fly Maghrebines?

Thanks in advance.

[Tina78]

j.remy I think with your fun spirit and open-mind that you will have a lot of fun in Casablanca. I spent 3 weeks in Casablanca last Summer and I enjoyed my visit there. There are a lot of fun night clubs and amazing beaches even in the city of Casablanca.

I am presently looking for a job in Casablanca and hopefully I will be teaching there in September.

I know that some people post a lot of negative things about Casablanca. It is a big city. You will experience traffic and pollution in any big city in the world.

I know one thing you have to watch out for is the bus system. Apparently it's not very reliable and the lower class take the bus. Taxis are dirt cheap so maybe go with that option.

Social classes are clearly defined in Morocco as well. A lot of upper class and a lot of lower class...very few mid-class.

I'm sure a smooth-talker like yourself will have no problem finding a girlfriend in Casablanca. Although Morocco is a Muslim society, it is influenced by the modern world. Just be cautious when trying to pick up a girl...her brother might be close by!

Good luck with your adventures....I'm sure you're going to have a blast...maybe I'll see you there!!!

Tina

[Brooks]

I worked in Rabat and Casablanca and I prefered Rabat, but Casa is where the jobs are.
Rabat`s air is cleaner, but if you are a single person, I guess Casa would be more interesting.
I didn`t know good bars in Rabat but I did in Casa.

Amideast is in Dar America and that is in the Gaultier district and is one of the better neighborhoods.
There is a fairly decent library there.
I assume at Amideast you have to teach for the TOEFL.
You may have a chance to help with administering the TOEFL. When I was there the test was given at a university of agriculture in Rabat.
Morocco I think was one of the first countries to have the computerized TOEFL.

If they have air conditioning consider yourself lucky. I used to really sweat, even in October. And I would open the windows to get some air but often the traffic was so noisy I would have to almost shut the windows. In the winter I got cold so I liked going to the Turkish bath.
Getting a space heater would be a good idea.

Casa indeed is polluted. Take a walk down to the main train station and you will understand or take a stroll on Brahim Roudani.

I had a girlfriend from Rabat but she came from a conservative family.
Some women are liberal and some aren`t.

Moroccans are good at learning languages. You will have students that are at least trilingual (Arabic, French, and English) and some people know Berber and some know some Spanish, if they lived in northern Morocco.

Poverty certainly is a problem. The Italian consulate is in Gaultier and there tends to be lines outside the building of people hoping to get visas in order to get out.

I used to teach a demographer who said that the unemployment rate was 25% There are some families that only have one person working.

Obviously knowing French helps but making an effort to learn Arabic will go a long way.

middle class people ride buses too.
Taxis are cheap so I did tend to take them. Petit taxis are for getting around a city and grand taxis are for longer distances, like to the airport.

[j. remy]

Thanks to both Tina and Brooks - helpful responses. Good luck with your job-hunt, Tina.

Just checked out some of the listings for appartments in the Gauthier district, and they seem a bit more upscale than I need, although internet search isn't necessarily the best way to find housing. Anyway, I start working the first week of April, and I'd like to be in Casa by around the 21st of March - so I have some serious crib-huntin' to do. Fortunately, AMIDEAST is generous enough to find new employees a hotel room during their inital search - so I don't need to rush rush. I would like to find a cool place to stay, though.

I wonder what my prospects of finding a place within sight of the ocean are. (I'm a realist, but I've heard too many tales of villas near the beach with citrus and fig trees in the garden... I'm trying not to envision myself kickin' back on the patio with a beat-up acoustic guitar and some prawns on the grill.) My closest friend from Paris (a maths prof - dans la fac) is checking out the job opportunities for himself and may just be moving to Casa this summer if things work out, so I've been dreaming of the laid-back bachelor pad we could afford if we pooled our resources.

I'm glad to hear that there are some pretty beaches in the city. I crave the coast, on any continent.

I'm not worried about the public transport - I've seen some pretty grimy buses, el-trains and subway cars 'round the way. Even so, thanks for the heads-up.

Good to hear that romancing les Maghrebines in Casa isn't as taboo for a Westerner as I've heard. I'm rather smitten with female Moroccan beauty, and I didn't wanna get beat down because of a tug on my heart strings. I knew there had to be some more 'Western-leaning' girls, as far as interracial dating goes.

[Brooks]

nope, if you want to be near the ocean you will need a car.
I bet you will walk to work.

[j. remy]

Thanks for the helpful dose of reality. I truly needed it.

That's the kind of thing i wanted to know about.

Walking to work is cool by me.

Can you tell me anything more specific about the Gauthier district? Are there more modern shopping centers and that kinda flow, or how's the vibe as far as a walk to work goes?

[Brooks]

just small stores. Convenience stores are call