Spanish Teacher Finds the Sense of Community He Missed in Morocco
After teaching in the United States, Manuel Álvarez settled in Larache, in northern Morocco. The Spanish teacher discovered a way of life there that reminds him of his childhood in Galicia. Above all, he found the kind of human connections he particularly values.
“People are affectionate, take an interest in your problems, listen to you and live with less stress.” That is what Manuel Álvarez has enjoyed since settling in Morocco. Between invitations to have tea, neighbors always ready to lend a hand and friendships formed over the months, the Spanish physical education teacher has found in Larache the sense of community he had missed.
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The teacher knows what he is talking about. Originally from Galicia, in northwestern Spain, he worked in Louisiana, in the United States, among other places, before joining a Spanish school in Morocco. The two experiences were very different, he told the daily newspaper La Voz de Galicia in a profile published on Thursday, October 8.
In the United States, he says he discovered a society that was “much more individualistic and materialistic.” In Morocco, it was neighborhood life that left the biggest impression on him. Children play outside, neighbors know one another and people help each other. These everyday habits remind him of Galicia in his youth, when doors were left open and everyone knew the families in their neighborhood.
His son didn’t want to move to Morocco
Not everyone was happy about the move. His youngest son, then 14, refused to leave his school and his Spanish friends. The first few months were difficult. But the teenager eventually made new friends, while discovering that he could keep in touch with his old ones when visiting Galicia.
Manuel already knew Morocco before moving there. When the opportunity to teach abroad came up, he even put the country at the top of his list. Its proximity to Spain weighed in the decision: from Larache, he can easily get to Tangier and regularly return to see his loved ones.
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What surprises him today is the gap between the image some Spaniards have of Morocco and the reality he sees. Despite religious and cultural differences, he believes everyday life in the two countries is much more alike than people imagine. His trips to Essaouira, Chefchaouen and the mountainous regions have also shown him a country far removed from the usual desert stereotypes.
The question of whether to return remains. After several years in Morocco, the teacher would like to return to his school in Galicia, and to his friends and family. He is also considering continuing his career abroad, perhaps as an adviser to Spain’s Ministry of Education.
