Email about the causes of homelessness.

Dear Brian,
I hope you are well and that the first semester of school is going smoothly for you. I am writing in response to your question regarding the causes of homelessness in my country.
Firstly, Homelessness and poverty are inextricably linked. When poor people cannot provide for their kids, these resort to living on the street. Secondly, family dysfunction -conflict, misbehavior, neglect or abuse of children- drives children onto the streets. Thirdly, lack of affordable housing is among the leading causes of homelessness and pushes children and families to live on the streets. Lastly, umemployment may cause youth homelessness because losing the job usually means losing the source of income and home.
So, the government, civil society and the private sector should all work together to find a sustainable solution to this growing phenomenon.
Yours,
Mohammed

Email about the effects of smoking.

Hello Sean,
How are you doing? Today is May 31, the No Tobacco Day, and I am writing to tell you about the effects of smoking.
First, smokers are prone to many respiratory diseases like lung cancer, bronchitis, asthma and others. Also, smokers are dirty people: they smell awful and have lousy breath and decayed bad teeth. As Larry james said,  “kissing a smoker is like licking an ashtray ”. In addition, smoking costs a lot of money because cigarettes are expensive and their price keeps rising. People can save that money to go on holidays, buy clothes, pay debts, etc. Finally, smoking causes premature aging : it causes skin discoloration, wrinkles, and fine lines.
So, you need to give up smoking, begin a hobby, and take up a sports activity .
Best,
Samira

My Strory

Three years ago, when I was 14, my family moved here from a small village east of Khemisset. I had lived all my life with my parents and sisters in that peaceful and quiet village. My parents said it was important for my future and that of my sisters.

A few days after we had settled in Khemisset things began to change. In addition to a different new house, different people, and different school, there was a totally different father. My dad has completely changed. He has changed for the worse. He has become tense and aggressive at times towards me of all my other sisters.

His behavior confuses and hurts me. He tells me off all the time for the things he ignored before. He has become a nagging father, and very critical of whatever small and childish –typical of a child- thing I do. He complains about me all the time, and every small mistake I make is met with criticism instead of advice as before.

I know neither the reason nor the cure, but he often tells Mom that it is for my own good and that I am not a child anymore. He usually adds that it’s high time I behaved like a grown up and started to think about the future.

I am lying if I said I am not sad. However, I need to be stoical about it and keep a clear mind to face the baccalaureate exam. It is my passport to the future.

By L. C.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Boarding School

A boarding school is a school which provides living accommodation –meals and lodging- for some or all of its students. However, a Moroccan boarding school has its pros and cons.
On the one hand, a boarding school can be a great place to meet new people and make new close friends. Also, it is a great solution for people who cannot afford to rent a suitable home in big cities for their kids. Besides, living in a boarding school teaches discipline, adaptation, and academic excellence as well as the values of social adjustment, leadership, initiative, and sharing. In addition, student can learn to be independent and gain a sense of autonomy, which will help them in the long run. Last but not least, a boarding school provides students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of extra-curricular activities that they may otherwise miss out on.
On the other hand, the life of a boarder is a bit too regimented: meals, rising, and going to bed at specific hours. Also, some boarders feel homesick, lonely, and unhappy about being away from parents and loved ones. Besides, a boarding school may be a place to pick up a bad habit like smoking, drugs and other practices if the boarder gets into bad company. Ultimately, a boarding school is sometimes a breeding ground for students’ inappropriate behavior like bullying, petty theft, fighting and the like.
All in all, a boarding school has great facilities for boarders. So students should keep a positive attitude towards it and try to get the maximum benefit possible.

By M.O.

Is Technology Good or Bad?

Technology is an important part of our life. It gives us knowledge, saves labor, and entertains us. However, there are some negative aspects about technology. It can ruin people's lives and health in different ways.

On the one hand, technology has benefited us in many ways. First, it has facilitated communication because it has turned the world into a global village. Also, technology has improved our lives a lot. Vacuum cleaners, washing machines, computers etc all save us time, money and resources and do complex tasks. In addition, technology helps improve education. Students can access more information and a lot easier than before. Today, with the Internet, the sky is the limit for accessing all kinds of information and broaden our knowledge.

On the other hand, technology has a dark side too. It creates unemployent because machines take the place of people and a small tool can do the work of many workers. Also, technology can create addiction. This dependency on the machine can make people lose many social skills, as is the case with computers, as well as cause or worsen diseases. Moreover, machines create a digital divide between the North and South and within the same society. So, many people are left out and behind.

In a nutshell, technology is both good and bad like anything else in life. It all depends on the intention of the user who should approach it in a more rational way.

By M.E.

A Trip to the Mountains*

Not long ago, my friends and I decided to go on picnic to Ifrane, a small Moroccan resort town in the Middle Atlas Mountains. There were eight of us and we rented a van.

We met early in the morning on a cold Sunday at the agreed place – the Khémisset taxi stand – where the van owner had been checking the engine oil and water levels. It was very cold but no one dared complain. As we waited for the van to warm up, we walked around to warm ourselves and keep our feet from freezing.

When the driver asked us to get in, everyone rushed to the door, bumping into each other as we went. Each person urged the others to hurry.

It was much warmer inside the van. There was a rap song playing on the radio, and we tapped our feet to it to keep ourselves warm. Soon, the cold began to ebb and the sun peeked out from behind the lofty Atlas Mountains miles away.

When we arrived to Dayet Aoua, almost 12 miles from Ifrane, there were still clouds in the sky and the sun was playing peek-a-boo behind them. It was scary how calm the place was. There was no soul in sight and you could hear nothing except for the chirping of birds and splashing of fish in the water. The scenery, as well, was breathtaking: majestic snow-bonneted mountains and tall canopy trees that reflected in the water. The soft green grass all around the lake made us want to roll around.

The first thing we did was put up the tent near an umbrella-like oak tree. We, then, collected fallen dry sticks and twigs and built a fire to make tea and coffee for breakfast and warm ourselves.

By the time we finished breakfast, the sun had broken the clouds but it was still cold in the shade of the trees. So, we decided to play soccer while we waited for the lake water to warm up.

After swimming and playing in the water for almost an hour, we all felt extremely hungry. Everyone began doing their share to cook a Moroccan Tajine. It was surprisingly delicious considering not one of us had ever cooked Tajine before. As I look back, I realize that it was because of the proverbial sauce.

After lunch, I had my usual siesta while the others read, played cards, and listened to music. They also took photos of me asleep with my mouth wide open. I still have one as my cell phone screen saver.

Just as we were teasing each other, fighting, and laughing at the jokes we had played on one another, we felt the sun lose its strength. I looked up and saw thick black clouds gather in the sky above. We quickly broke down the tent, packed up our belongings, and set off towards the town of Ifrane before a torrential rainstorm hit us.

It was already cold, windy, and totally cloudy when we got to Ifrane. The first heavy drops of rain began falling on our heads like acorns. Still, everyone adamantly insisted on taking photos with the famous stone lion there. People usually pose with the ‘lion’ as evidence that they have been to Ifrane.

The rain was so heavy and fast that the windshield wipers couldn’t keep up with it. The driver waited for the rain to stop or subside because it was dangerously strong. However, it was so frighteningly beautiful.

The streets were eerily empty when the rain stopped and you could hear nothing but the sound of water gushing down the road. The sound of our van broke the town silence and startled the birds which had taken shelter in their usual roost trees.

We spent most of the trip back home with our cell phones and iPods in our ears.
Those who had their headphones around their necks were daydreaming and fantasizing.

“My backpack!” The words came from the back of the van like a rifle shot in a calm country night. With these words came the picture of Hassan’s backpack hanging from an oak tree a few steps from the lake. There was a moment of dead silence before complaints and accusations began to fly.

After much thought and discussion, the driver agreed to take Hassan back to the lake early the following day.


*Noureddine Boutahar (teacher)