This was to be one of our bigger days. We had Proctor and Gamble marketing presentations this morning at their North Africa corporate offices here in Casablanca, a visit to see how they do product promotions at a local hamam (bath house), we were supposed to check out the Moroccan stock market, and then surveys were to be done on behalf of our two businesses at the mall, with dinner to follow.
Pretty much none of that happened. After an early breakfast, I ended up going with Lynsey and Samir ( one of our local educators helping out from Akhawayan University) to get her credit card from an ATM machine that ate it yesterday after the bank had closed. Samir was very concerned about Lynsey getting her card. Lynsey was mildly concerned about getting her card. I wasn't too concerned about her card at all. Many of us would have given her cash if she needed it. But, Samir's concern won out.
We ditched the first part of Proctor and Gamble to go back to the ATM at the building we spent yesterday afternoon in. As we pulled away from the hotel to go do this, we got a great view of Hamid's car (another AUI educator), which had been side-swiped in the night, right in front of our hotel doors. Samir informed us of how Hamid's car had been "hurt". It was a mess-- he spent all day dealing with the insurance companies, actually. Meanwhile, Lynsey, Samir, and I were off on the card chase.
Which, mainly, proved fruitless. Apparently, their version of Brinks handles ATMs, so we needed to wait for them to show up and get the card. The bank couldn't do it. After waiting about 90 minutes, we gave up, made some photocopies of her IDs, and headed to meet up with our group at the hamam.
That was an adventure in and of itself. Samir had obtained the nickname "James Bond" due to his manner of driving his car in the Casa traffic. Traffic in Casa has little rhyme or reason. They have lines striped on the streets for no apparent reason. The traffic lights are just there to look nice and bring color to the town. And everyone's horn works really well. It has to, because they use it all of the time. We encountered a taxi trying to cut in front of us, which Samir would have none of. So, as we got closer and closer, neither wanted to back off. Samir's passenger side mirror hit the driver's side mirror of the taxi (I was in the passenger seat watching this from about 8" away). Neither driver liked this, but Samir got ahead. And then proceeded to drive his car down the middle of both lanes. Moroccan style, he said. Lynsey and I had our jaws hanging open. Mostly, mine was in laughter with 10% fear. Pretty sure we won, though. And to make sure, he turned right from the left lane on the road. James Bond, indeed. But we made it to the hamam.
The hamam we went to was in some lower class part of town, apparently. Honestly, it didn't look any different than most other parts of town. I didn't want to tell them that, though. We walked down the street to get to it a couple blocks. Which were unpaved. And it was raining. Most everyone ended up with red mud all over their shoes and pants. You may think this wouldn't be a problem, since we were headed to a bath house, anyhow.
Wrong.
We were there in our suits--and not bathing or birthday--for our marketing efforts. With mud all over. But it didn't stop us from hiking into 110 degree saunas to watch naked old men (us guys) or naked old women (the girls) using Proctor and Gamble products, such as Head and Shoulders or Gillette. Or some weird camera being run over a scalp to check for dander and bad stuff in the hair. There aren't pictures. You wouldn't want pictures. My eyes are still burning from some images, and it was 12 hours ago.
After the traumatic bath house, naked old dudes, and magnified images of dander on a stranger's scalp, we headed back to the hotel.
Well, not me. I went with Samir and Lynsey back to the ATM/bank to *finally* get her card. And we did. And it was glorious. Thus ends the credit card portion of today.
Meanwhile, back at the secret meetings going on at the hotel....
The plan for surveys at the mall was worked out and approved. By 1/4 of the group. But, whatever. We would have a good, productive afternoon.
Wrong.
We got to the mall, and didn't have all of the "permissions" we needed to set up shop and survey people. So, the HR guy got all our stuff to look over and basicall told us to come back Friday to do it. I think. I have no idea. The schedule still keeps changing.
So, we shopped around--it is a pretty nice mall-- the Morocco Mall. I didn't get anything except some frozen yogurt samples that were free. They quenched nothing. Not a problem, because after the mall, we headed to Rick's Cafe.
You remember Rick's Cafe? Casablanca-the movie? Yup. Pretty cool place, and the food was amazing. I think a few of the meats weren't cooked the way some folks expected, but overall, a pretty good reception of the place. My filet was perfect. I wish we could go there every night. And guess what happened next? We went back to the hotel.
To no wi-fi in our room again. It is like they are using a hamster running on a wheel to generate the power to run a router here at this hotel. But such are the perils of a 2nd world country. So, I am in the lobby now. I forgot to upload pictures of the day, so I have nothing there.
You'll need to simply use your imagination. Imagine someone you dislike that is unattractive, but you tolerate them. Like a nasty postman or someone from the IRS. Now, imagine them naked. Welcome to the hamam. See you tomorrow.
Pretty much none of that happened. After an early breakfast, I ended up going with Lynsey and Samir ( one of our local educators helping out from Akhawayan University) to get her credit card from an ATM machine that ate it yesterday after the bank had closed. Samir was very concerned about Lynsey getting her card. Lynsey was mildly concerned about getting her card. I wasn't too concerned about her card at all. Many of us would have given her cash if she needed it. But, Samir's concern won out.
We ditched the first part of Proctor and Gamble to go back to the ATM at the building we spent yesterday afternoon in. As we pulled away from the hotel to go do this, we got a great view of Hamid's car (another AUI educator), which had been side-swiped in the night, right in front of our hotel doors. Samir informed us of how Hamid's car had been "hurt". It was a mess-- he spent all day dealing with the insurance companies, actually. Meanwhile, Lynsey, Samir, and I were off on the card chase.
Which, mainly, proved fruitless. Apparently, their version of Brinks handles ATMs, so we needed to wait for them to show up and get the card. The bank couldn't do it. After waiting about 90 minutes, we gave up, made some photocopies of her IDs, and headed to meet up with our group at the hamam.
That was an adventure in and of itself. Samir had obtained the nickname "James Bond" due to his manner of driving his car in the Casa traffic. Traffic in Casa has little rhyme or reason. They have lines striped on the streets for no apparent reason. The traffic lights are just there to look nice and bring color to the town. And everyone's horn works really well. It has to, because they use it all of the time. We encountered a taxi trying to cut in front of us, which Samir would have none of. So, as we got closer and closer, neither wanted to back off. Samir's passenger side mirror hit the driver's side mirror of the taxi (I was in the passenger seat watching this from about 8" away). Neither driver liked this, but Samir got ahead. And then proceeded to drive his car down the middle of both lanes. Moroccan style, he said. Lynsey and I had our jaws hanging open. Mostly, mine was in laughter with 10% fear. Pretty sure we won, though. And to make sure, he turned right from the left lane on the road. James Bond, indeed. But we made it to the hamam.
The hamam we went to was in some lower class part of town, apparently. Honestly, it didn't look any different than most other parts of town. I didn't want to tell them that, though. We walked down the street to get to it a couple blocks. Which were unpaved. And it was raining. Most everyone ended up with red mud all over their shoes and pants. You may think this wouldn't be a problem, since we were headed to a bath house, anyhow.
Wrong.
We were there in our suits--and not bathing or birthday--for our marketing efforts. With mud all over. But it didn't stop us from hiking into 110 degree saunas to watch naked old men (us guys) or naked old women (the girls) using Proctor and Gamble products, such as Head and Shoulders or Gillette. Or some weird camera being run over a scalp to check for dander and bad stuff in the hair. There aren't pictures. You wouldn't want pictures. My eyes are still burning from some images, and it was 12 hours ago.
After the traumatic bath house, naked old dudes, and magnified images of dander on a stranger's scalp, we headed back to the hotel.
Well, not me. I went with Samir and Lynsey back to the ATM/bank to *finally* get her card. And we did. And it was glorious. Thus ends the credit card portion of today.
Meanwhile, back at the secret meetings going on at the hotel....
The plan for surveys at the mall was worked out and approved. By 1/4 of the group. But, whatever. We would have a good, productive afternoon.
Wrong.
We got to the mall, and didn't have all of the "permissions" we needed to set up shop and survey people. So, the HR guy got all our stuff to look over and basicall told us to come back Friday to do it. I think. I have no idea. The schedule still keeps changing.
So, we shopped around--it is a pretty nice mall-- the Morocco Mall. I didn't get anything except some frozen yogurt samples that were free. They quenched nothing. Not a problem, because after the mall, we headed to Rick's Cafe.
You remember Rick's Cafe? Casablanca-the movie? Yup. Pretty cool place, and the food was amazing. I think a few of the meats weren't cooked the way some folks expected, but overall, a pretty good reception of the place. My filet was perfect. I wish we could go there every night. And guess what happened next? We went back to the hotel.
To no wi-fi in our room again. It is like they are using a hamster running on a wheel to generate the power to run a router here at this hotel. But such are the perils of a 2nd world country. So, I am in the lobby now. I forgot to upload pictures of the day, so I have nothing there.
You'll need to simply use your imagination. Imagine someone you dislike that is unattractive, but you tolerate them. Like a nasty postman or someone from the IRS. Now, imagine them naked. Welcome to the hamam. See you tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment