Day23-29 - Last 7 Days

On the last weekend of our stay in Morocco, I went to medina of Rabat for shopping with some members.
For me, this was the 1st and last time to go there.  We enjoyed shopping and walking around in medina and Kasbah (a fort surrounded by wall), then walked to the center area of the city.
Since Rabat is the capital of Morocco and many administrative organizations are located here, center area is organized like European cities.  On the other hand, we can feel Moroccan culture if we go to medina and suburban area.
I feel regret that I could not have enough time to go and see various places in and around Rabat.

マラケシュやフェズに気を取られていて足元をおろそかにしていましたが、ラバトの街ももっとちゃんと見て回っておけばよかった、と最終週になってから思いました。
ラバトは人もやさしくて（道を渡ろうとしていると、車が止まってくれる率が高いです。他愛もない例ですが・・）きれいな街なので、モロッコに行く機会があれば、ぜひ立ち寄ってみてもらえたらと思います。

On Mar. 22, we had a final presentation of our suggestions for "Badawi Souk" project.
In addition to the project members who have been working with us for this 4 weeks, some members of the social economy division joined the meeting.
It was difficult to explain every details about what we found through As-Is understanding work with client members and what we would like to suggest for their project success since the time was limited.
But I hope our suggestion would be useful for client to get new insight and to define detail action plans for establishing "Badawi Souk".

初めからわかっていたことではありますが、やはり1ヶ月は短かったです。
CSCとしてのアウトプットについてクライアントと認識合わせをするのに1週間、As-Isに1週間、最終週は最終報告資料のすり合わせとプレゼンを実施する期間と考えると、Suggestionをまとめあげるために確保できる期間は1週間ということになります。
限られた時間の中でクライアントにバリューを提供することの難しさを改めて実感する日々でした。

On Mar. 23, we left Hotel TEXUDA where we CSC Morocco 2 team lived for 28 days, and headed back to Casablanca to have a closing meeting with IBM Morocco.
Although they were very busy for quarter end process, IBM Morocco members got together to share our project results and discuss how we can provide further support to the clients.
With this meeting, our CSC assignment came to an end.

最後の一仕事、ラバトからカサブランカへの大移動。
人間はミニバスに、荷物は後ろのハコに積まれて1時間ほど走り、無事カサブランカに到着しました。
カサブランカで1泊するホテルのロビーに並べられた荷物の数は、初日に見たときよりも増えている気が・・・

Thank you everyone!!  Let's keep in touch :)

#ibmcsc morocco

Day18-22 - Almost Finished?

This week was almost final week to work on our deliverable actually.
Since we need to present final report on Wednesday next week, we planned to finish core contents of our final report by this Friday and to reserve another few days for review with client and final adjustment.
It was little bit tough to make consensus among us about how the contents of final suggestions would be because we have different ways of thinking, different backgrounds, different ideas about client expectation etc.
However, we could come to the conclusion through several discussions and I believe client will be satisfied with our deliverable, hopefully.
(As of now on Mar. 18, we are still working on each part according to the preliminary feedback from client on Friday, though.)

外国人と仕事する際にいつも感じるのは、アプローチや成果物イメージを共有することの難しさです。
説明が拙いためか、ものごとの考え方や仕事の進め方が違うからなのかは定かではありません（おそらく両方でしょう）が、全員が同じ認識のもと納得のいく落としどころにたどり着くまでに、相当のパワーを要しました。
そして、いつも思うのは、書いて見せるのがいちばんということです。その点は、日本人どうしでも同じですね。

On Mar. 16, after the preliminary review meeting, our client Myriam invited us to couscous lunch at her home.
Her home is located in upper-class residential area, and we had full course of lunch at beautiful traditional dining room there.
The dishes were also gorgeous, starting from appetizers and Moroccan salad (not served normally with couscous on Friday, but her mother specially prepared for us), then huge dish of couscous was served, fruits and mille-feuille followed, and finished with mint tea and cookies.
Everything was very delicious and we really enjoyed the time.
I would like to say thank you to Myriam and her mother for their very kind hospitality :)

クライアントのMyriamさんのご自宅にお招きいただきました。
写真にうつっているのは広大なダイニングルームの一角です。
モロッコ料理は一般的に手間がかかるそうで、これだけの種類と量の料理を準備してくださったお母様にも大感謝です。

#ibmcsc morocco

Day16-17 - Good Old City

6 members including myself decided to go to Fez and got aboard the train from Rabat station this morning.
This time, the hotel we would stay has been fixed at the beginning since a client of Tracey and Karen owns riad there and we could ask her to arrange our accommodation.  Again, thank you Tracey :)
We arrived at the hotel 'Fes Yamanda' late morning, were invited to 'Moroccan Whiskey', also called mint tea :), and enjoyed the landscape of Fez from roof terrace of the hotel for a while.
As usual, the contrast between blue sky and the white (sand beige?) buildings was so beautiful.

ちょうど6人でコンパートメントを1室まるごと予約できたということもあり、電車での移動はとても快適でした。
ホテルは、邸宅を改装して作られたリアドというもので、中庭的な部分がロビー兼ダイニング、それを見下ろす形で2階に客室が並んでいるというつくりになっています。床やドアの装飾がとてもゴージャスです。

Since the medina (old town) of Fez is so complicated like maze, we hired guide who took us major sightseeing spots within medina for half a day.
He was around 60 age guy, but walked very fast!! 
Therefore, or may be because of being too busy taking pictures, some of us often got behind…but still, we could visit many interesting places (small factories of handicrafts and old buildings) thanks to him.
In those places, most unforgettable one was Tanneries, where the goat skins being tanned.  Due to the characteristic of the process, the smell was really poignant, but the process and place were interesting.

各種手工芸品の工房兼ショップや神学校、モスクなどの建造物だけにとどまらず、町のあちこちに残る古い時代の名残（水時計や、住居の玄関上部に取り付けられた覗き窓など）を教えてもらえたりと、盛りだくさんのツアーでした。
革のなめし場では、ニオイを紛らわせるためにミントの葉っぱを持たせてくれるのですが、ミントを嗅ぐともれなく独特の生臭い空気も大量に吸い込んでしまうため、口呼吸に徹するのが得策ということに、途中で気づきました。ただ、手に持っているとなんとなく嗅ぎたくなってしまうようで。。
下の写真は、出入り口のない極小店舗でお店の人が出入りする方法を実演中のガイドさんです。

On Sunday morning, we walked around in medina for shopping, and visited another sightseeing spots outside of medina using mini bus after lunch until our time to leave for Rabat.
The top-down views from Borj Sud and Borj Nord were spectacular, and again, the blue of sky was really great.

フェズのメディナはマラケシュに比べるとそれほど混雑していないのと、車やバイクが入ってくることもない（その代わりロバがいますが・・）のとで、居心地は悪くない印象です。
日本人観光客も多く訪れるようで、あちこちから「コニチハ」と声をかけられました。基本的に聞こえないフリをする私に代わって、台湾人のAustinが、都度コニチハ返しをしてくれていました。

#ibmcsc morocco

Day11-15 - Visit Visit Visit

This week was for 'As-Is Understanding'.
In order to understand how the existing souk looks like and how cooperatives are operating their businesses now, we conducted 3 souk visits, supermarket visit, and cooperative visit.

On Mar. 5, we visited 2 souks, Marché centra and Souk Akaari as an example for well-organized market and non-organized market respectively.
Both are the market for consumers and the place where people come to buy daily foods (vegetables, fruits, meats, fishes etc.).
The products sold were same, but the presentation and appearance of each shop looked different between the two souks.


多くの人が買い物に来るのは夕方からということで、残念ながら閑散とした状態での見学になりましたが、その分じっくりと見ることができました。
写真は、（上）well-organized　(下）non-organized　です。
普段スーパーでしか買い物をしない私にとってはどちらもぎょっとする光景なのですが、価格表示の有無や、きちんと通路が確保されているかどうかといった点に違いがあるようです。

On Mar. 7, we took 1 hour drive to visit the Cooperative Amanar which produces and sells Argan products.
The people of the cooperative were so friendly.  They showed us their small factory, explained how to produce their products, and invited us to home-made lunch :)
It was so nice to go and see how they work and listen to how they think face-to-face even though we needed translation.

アルガンオイルというモロッコ特産の製品（コスメ、食用）を扱っているCooperative（日本でいうところの協同組合）を見学させていただきました。
大手メーカーでも同様の製品を販売していますが、100％ナチュラルなのはCooperative製品とのことで、すかさず購入♪

On Mar. 8, we visited another souk, Souk Al Khamiss.
It was a weekly traditional market where various goods including daily foods, clothes, daily needs, tools, chickens, sheep, etc. etc. etc. were available.

前回訪問した2箇所とは異なり、ここは完全にローカルかつ貧しい人が日常の買い物をする場所とのこと。
同行してくれたクライアントの面々にとっても初体験だったそうです。
一通り見てまわった後、車に乗り込む際にふと足元を見たら、ヒザから下が土ぼこりまみれでした・・・

Just after leaving souk, we visited Marjane, local hypermarket which sells cooperative products.
Unfortunately, the store we visited was not the one with cooperative products, but we could see Argan products from other enterprises (i.e. non-cooperative companies) and discuss how to promote cooperative products efficiently.
What I was impressed here was the fact that the store was very clean and tidy.
Although the distance from Souk Al Khamiss to here was only 5 minutes drive, there was so large difference between them…

先ほどまで目にしていた光景とは打って変わって、整然と並べられた商品たち。同じ国です。

#ibmcsc morocco

Day9-10 - Rose Pink City

The place we chose for our 1st weekend trip was Marrakesh.
All 10 members got into a mini bus around 7:30 AM, and arrived at the town in rose pink after 5 hours drive.
The town-scape of Marrakesh seemed totally different from that of Rabat because of the buildings' color.  Everything was in rose pink here!

ガイドブックによると、マラケシュでは建物の色をローズピンク（と英語では書いてみましたが、赤茶色？）に統一するという決まりがあるそうで、見事に調和が取れている街です。
ちなみに、定員3名のプチタクシーは街によって色が決められているようで、カサブランカは赤、ラバトは青、マラケシュは淡い黄色と、これまたよくできています。

After the lunch at café next to the Place Jamaa El Fna, we went into the souk.
The souk was filled with colorful clothes, potteries, babouches, glasses, ramp shades, dry fruits, cosmetics, etc. etc. etc.

スークには色とりどりの雑貨が所狭しと並べられていて、見て回るだけでも十分楽しめます。
ただ、前後左右に常に気を配っている必要があり、スーク初心者の私には気の張る数時間でした。。

We also went to some sightseeing spots.
The former seminary named Medersa Ben Youssef is decorated with wood carvings and mosaic tiles.
The Jardin Majorelle is a garden with bamboo forest, well-arranged sandy place, palm trees, various cactuses and vivid blue house.
Both were so beautiful and especially, the contrast with blue sky was really impressive.

とにかく空が真っ青で雲ひとつなく晴れ渡っているため、街中でも少し目線を上げて空を眺めるだけで清清しい気分になれるのが、モロッコの素敵なところだと思います。
とりわけ、写真のベン・ユーセフ・マドラサ（上）とマジョーレ庭園（中・下）は、建物や庭園の美しさが青空によく映えていました。

It was around 8 PM of Sunday when we went back to the hotel in Rabat.
Though 2 days trip was little bit tough, it was really full days.
I would like to say thank you to Boutaina and Tracey for this perfect arrangement :)


#ibmcsc morocco

Day4-8 - Get Started!

The kick-off meeting was held on Feb. 27.
All the clients, coordinators and 10 IBM members got together, listened to the message from Secretary-General of the Government, and introduced each project and ourselves.

We are divided into four sub teams, and my client is the Ministry of General Affairs and Governance, whose mission is to coordinate economic government policies, that is, to design, develop, implement and monitor the government's strategy for economic development.
The clients for other teams are, Ministry of Agriculture, ARDI Foundation, and Moroccan Women Mentoring and Networking.
Though the projects vary according to client, I felt same passions for the contribution to society from client representatives who made presentation from each team.

モロッコではアラビア語とフランス語が公用語なので、標識や看板はこの2つの併記が標準のようです。
アラビア語のあまりの読めなさ加減に、フランス語を読めた気になってしまうところが不思議です。

Just after the kick-off meeting, we started discussion with each client respectively in order to clarify the Scope of Work (SOW) for this 1 month project.
Our 1st week was dedicated to this SOW confirmation.

One of the challenge of our project is communication with client.
Since some of the client members  do not speak English (but can speak both Moroccan-Arabic and French!), we need to have a person who can translates French to English and vice versa.  It requires time and patience for both client and ourselves.

On Mar. 2, we finally got agreement from client regarding SOW after several discussions across 3 days.
Now we are ready to tackle our theme, to assist the Ministry in defining the high-level strategy for “Badawi Souk” project, which is to introduce cooperative social enterprises to urban distribution channels on a regular basis, bring revenue to the small entrepreneurs and farmers, and help fighting against poverty and exclusion in the rural areas.

IBMメンバーは全部で10人（US3人、インド3人、フィリピン、オーストラリア、台湾、日本がそれぞれ1人）で、3人×2チーム、2人×2チームの4チームに分かれています。
チーム内の役割分担が明確に決められているわけではないため、手探りで進めてきた結果、本日めでたく棲み分けが確認されました。
Sridharがスポークスマン、Austinがブレーンです。
私は、、マネージングディレクターの称号をいただきました。。

Since the Ministry is located in government area, we do not have many choices to go for lunch without using a car.
There is a small cafeteria just in front of our project room, so it would be our regular lunch place.
We can meet some cats in this cafeteria :)

金曜日はクスクスの日です。
他のものももちろんありますが、クスクスは金曜日にしか供されないため、しっかり食べてみました。
思いのほかカサがあり、上の野菜は食べつくしたものの、本体は半分残して脱落。。
モロッコのレストランで出てくる料理は、基本的にボリュームたっぷりです。

#ibmcsc morocco