Ode to Morocco 13

 

4 weeks ago team Morocco 13 set down in Rabat

Surprised to see palm trees and way more than 1 cat

We didn’t expect a big welcome, so here is the thing

A parade past our hotel, featuring no less than the king

 

The weekend getting briefed then touring the city

The Chellah so ancient and the Kasbah so pretty

The wind was so strong that no one could stay

Thomas summed it up best “The view just blew me away”

 

Yoga at dawn led by Julie and Anna

To order mint tea – just say ‘all day banana’

Splitwise and Trello and Whatsup and Slack

Wear your backpack in front in case of attack

 

We’d all be quite lost without French-speaking Cecile

Explaining to shopkeepers and our driver at the wheel

And if you want to find Giulia, I am sure she’s around

Playing with the cats that are everywhere found

 

Together with our clients, trying to get all the work done

So we can leave our weekends for site-seeing and fun

The trick is to remember there is always a way

Because “there is a last minute to every day”

 

Travelling as a group to Chefchouen and Fes

Climbing in Ackhour, a quick stop in Meknes

Muruli’s selfie stick means a group picture for all

Beside a big gate or an ancient crumbling wall

 

Climbing to the top of the hill with Muruli and Eavan

Hearing the call to prayer at mid-day and dawn

Julie brought games to play in the bus and the hall

John stretching his muscles using an old tennis ball

 

Dervishes spinning was really quite hypnotic

Getting a hotel in Fez turned out quite chaotic

Which leads to a question we will debate at the bar

Will TripAdvisor accept a rating that’s less than 1 star?

 

Mehdi and his mom showed the Moroccan way

With their cheer and hospitality all through the day

Taking us touring, into their home and more

Negotiating with the sellers in every store.

 

Raluca and Weronika and Jinzi and Doreen

In their locally bought dresses made quite a lovely scene

But wash those clothes separately because of the dies

Which are still coming out despite hundreds of tries.

 

Bonding at Hamman which is a group cleaning and scrub

Sampling Tajine and Couscous at each restaurant and club

Hearing many rumours about the king and the queen

While we keep together by counting out 1 to 15

 

Trying so many new restaurants is always a thrill

Jinzi and Doreen offering medicine when I was quite ill

When you are presenting from behind the client’s podium

I hope you remembered like me, to take some Imodium

 

Surveys and coding and research all day

Getting all the work done before the bus drives away

We really are working most of the time

But our weekend activities sound better in rhyme

 

Interviewing “en francais” with the help of Manal

Giulia crouching in photos because she’s so tall

Philosophical discussions with our client Khalid

The idea of interviewing Madam is scary indeed

 

Blogging on Instagram, LinkedIn and WordPress

Facebook and Twitter to share this success

Photographing all of the food on each plate

Guessing the cost in Dirhams of what each of us ate

 

Patricia and Julie dipping their toes in the Med

Thomas taking 3-60 degree photos from over his head

Carla quietly photographing everything in sight

Disco lighting in the bus when we’re travelling at night

 

John went to the laundry and received extra pants
Malika took us to CIAT where she picked up some plants
Having fun planting on Community service day

Then one final sprint – that’s the IBM Way

 

Now 4 weeks are gone and final presentations

This experience has exceeded all our expectations

I will miss you all, but there’s no time for weeping

So don’t say goodbye, just “Leave that camel sleeping”