Yalla, yalla!

Yalla, yalla!

If there were ever two words to describe the last 48 hours, it would be "Yalla, yalla" - "Hurry up, come on!!" in Arabic. We have done so much that it's hard to believe we only arrived 2 days ago!

Introductions to the Team
All 15 of us were eager to see everything, walk everywhere, and do everything as soon as we arrived. It was a pleasure finally meeting the other 14 people with whom we had chatted and worked via conference call for the past 3 months. Finally, we were able to put faces and personalities to the names we encountered. I was completely impressed and humbled by the other IBMers here; each person has such a unique story and skillset, and they have brought such a passion and enthusiasm to our trip that I am truly honored to be part of such a talented team. I am so excited to continue getting to know everyone and get started with our work!

10 out of 15 of team Morocco 5

A walking introduction to the real Casa
Yesterday, we met Imane and Nabil, two people who have been facilitating and supporting our travel logistics and our upcoming assignments. After an introduction to our team and the assignments, Imane led us on an informal excursion to the heart of Casablanca. We left the beaten tourist path and saw a lot of the city on foot; Imane was very adamant that we should experience all of Casa, not just the touristy areas.

We walked past the high-end district where you saw stores like Zara and Hermes, while just a few blocks later, you saw the Casa which was older, vibrant with colors but with buildings in need of repair. Most buildings were white, but there were pops of color and beautiful art deco architecture in every corner. In my opinion, the details of the architecture and the colors are what differentiate the beauty of Casa from other cities.

We walked past convenience stores, stores that sold electronics, and even the Grand Medina, though we did not enter until Sunday. The storefronts were written in French and Arabic, unless it was an American brand.

The palm trees lined the broad avenues, where there were cars (some older, some newer) zipping along the street honking at each other. Even on the weekend, the streets were full of people running errands or hurriedly going to work

People were walking along in groups of two and four, of all different ages, skin complexions, and dress. We saw women dressed in full gowns and headscarves walking to the bus, men in jeans and button-down shirts drinking mint tea in cafe terraces, and children playing in the parks and the stoops in the narrow alleys near their houses. One of the things I loved most was seeing the colors of the women in gowns. Even those who covered their faces had such colorful gowns and patterns that it seemed to be a way of expressing their personalities.

For those of us on the SMIT project, we especially appreciated this insight into every facet of life in Casablanca; I hope that we can use our experiences to really make a difference in how tourists and the world see Casablanca.

A taste of Moroccan food
The food is absolutely incredible here! There is such a variety in the flavors, meats, and dishes that I think it will take me an entire month to try everything....and I do plan to try everything! The first night, we had a tajine with lamb, one of the specialties of the country. A tajine is a clay pot that looks like this:

The meat is cooked in the pots with spices and vegetables, and the result is amazing. I am already trying to figure out how to bring one of these home so I can try it myself!

All of the other dishes we've had (couscous, mint tea, Moroccan salads, pigeon, coffee...I could go on) have been a real treat. I've also enjoyed seeing the different colors and spices in the presentation of the dishes.

I was going to continue this post with a recap of the Medina and our tour today, but I really should be getting to bed! It is nearly 2am (obviously, I am a night owl), and we are beginning the first official day of our assignments in 6 hours!

I will be back later this week to share more of my experiences, including the medina and the first couple of days of our work with SMIT, inshallah (Arabic, meaning "God willing"). Until then, thanks for reading!

~Brittany

#ibmcsc #morocco5