I assume that living in Morocco means almost guaranteed dry weather and that working in an embassy means good security. Most people don't have these two luxuries, and adapt their choice of bike to commute on accordingly. I still don't like riding with a backpack on, though, regardless of the bike I'm riding, unless the ride is non-strenuous and less than 10 minutes long. A seat-post mounted rack with trunk bag is how I carry stuff when I'm riding my road bike.