お金を払って見えなくなるもの

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サウジアラビアに来ています．おそらくこのブログの読者はほとんど知り合いですので，何らかの形でアップデートなどしてたはずですが，ブラジル，台湾の後は日本で少し働き，先月からこちらに来ました．サウジアラビアでは生まれて初めて企業で働いています．企業の研究所で働くのは初めてなので，大学とどんな違いがあるのかワクワクしていたのですが，おそらく企業か大学かという組織文化の違いよりも，国による違いの方が大きいので，何とも言えない感じです．とりわけサウジの文化なのか，この国の人の「普通」の違いなのか，何をやるにものんびりしています．例えば飛行機チケットが正式に発券されたのは出発の３日前でしたし，どこのホテルに泊まるかも前日まで全く決まらず，せせこましい日本人の私はイライラしたものです．でも少しずつそういうのにも慣れてきました．サウジアラビアに来てから日本での大雪のニュースを見ていましたが，大雪の際の日本の対応（例えば飛行機会社などの対応に我慢できない）という記事を読んで思ったことには，海外留学とか色んな土地で働くことの良いことの１つは，「普通」の幅が広がることで，世の中への許容度のようなものが広がることかもしれないです．

さてサウジアラビアに来てからも，もちろんそんな手続きの不備は変わりません．例えばペーパーワークのミスが重なり，２週間に１回ずつホテルを変える羽目になっています．でもおそらくこれくらいのユルさがこの国の「普通」なのでしょうから，会社の人に怒っても，何に腹を立てているか共感してもらえません．まあ何にせよ，こちらに来てから最初の２週間は比較的普通のビジネスホテル，次の２週間は会社の敷地内にある短期滞在者用のホテルで，最後の２週間は海の見える高級ホテルになりました．ペルシャ湾に臨む綺麗なホテルですが，ややもすれば「夜景が」とか「潮の香りが」とか，スカした資本主義の権化が言いそうなことを言う人になりかねませんので，道を外れそうな言動を見せたら気兼ねなく注意して下さい．

今回はそんなホテルを転々としたことで，感じたことを書きたいと思います．僕はホテルとか買い物などにおいては，ユースホステルみたいな，少し雑多で秩序のない感じが好きです．特にその無秩序の中で，相手とやり取りをすることが好きで，そのような余地のない高級ホテルに泊まった経験は限られています．ですから「高級」に対する理解や共感に乏しいことは差し引いてもらいたいのですが，「高級」という概念は，高額な対価を払うことで，非日常とか利便性を享受することだと推測します．すごく一般的に言えば，お金をかけて「普通」じゃない状態を無理矢理に作り出す（エネルギーをかけてエントロピーを下げてるような）ことでしょう．それでは，その「高級」や「普通」の状態って，一体それぞれどのような感じなのでしょう．

例えばシャワーはこんな感じでしょうか．最初のホテルでは，水圧が低かったんですが，サウジだからこんなもんかと思っていました．僕はシャワーの水圧はそんなに気にならない方なので，サウジは水が少ないのかな，なんて思いながら，大きな問題はありませんでした．次のホテルでは，シャワーの水がしょっぱかったです．そういえばサウジは２つの細い湾に挟まれた国だし，細い湾って流れが澱むから塩度が高いと聞いたこともありますし，そんなものなのかなって思いました．またボストン時代の友人が，サウジ内の水の淡水化に関わる研究をしていたことを思い出しました．内容は詳しく聞いたことがなかったけど，彼の得意分野からすると水の配分や物流のような，operations research だと思います．サウジで淡水を得ることは本当に大事な問題であることを，文字通り塩水を身にしみ込ませて感じることができました．短期の訪問者であるけど，その問題に対する「当事者」になれたことが，少なからず嬉しかったです．その後，現在の高級ホテルに移ってからは，高い水圧で淡水の温かいシャワーを浴びられて快適な毎日を送っています．

例えばタクシーはこんな感じでしょうか．サウジはバスや電車のようなインフラがほとんどなく，短距離の移動でもタクシーに頼ります．会社の外にある最初のホテルと今のホテルでは，通勤の為にタクシーに頼らなければいけません．最初のホテルでは外部のタクシー会社と契約しているようでした．タクシーでは助手席に乗って，英語が少し苦手な運転手と会話をしながらの通勤になります．タクシーに乗れば「Are you China or Korea?」と少し間違った英語で聞かれて「Neither」と答えるところから会話が始まります．いずれ「日本人はあまり来ないな，ほとんど中国人だ」とか「お前はどこの出身だ」「バングラだよ」となり，サウジは安価な労働力を提供する東南アジアからの移民に頼っていることを再確認します．個人的な経験からも「おお，ダッカとチッタゴンに行ったよ．バングラデシュ人は多いのか，家族は一緒なの？」」みたいな会話が弾むようになります．運転中は携帯電話が鳴って，平気で応答するのですが，おそらく次の客のアレンジをしているようです．法定速度など気にせず120キロ以上出して危なっかしいのですが，この交通事情の悪さも事故の多さも，来る前に聞いていた話の通りでした．あまりにも危なっかしい時は「俺は死にたくないから電話を切ってくれ」と言うと，バツが悪そうに電話を切ってくれます．タクシーの運転手は毎日色んな人が来るのですが「今日は兄が忙しいから代わりに来た」なんて言われたりして，詳しく聞くと，同郷の出稼ぎバングラデシュ人が仕事を融通し合っていると教えてくれました．運転手の１人は「休日に外出するときは俺に直接連絡してくれ」と電話番号を渡してきたこともあって，おそらくホテルにある程度の上納金みたいなものがあるんだろう，と想像することができました．どうせ僕の払う金額は同じですから，週末の小旅行などの際には直接タクシーを予約することにしました．支払いの際には「今日は待ち時間が長かったから20リアル余分にくれ」みたいなことを言われて軽いバトルになったりもしました．600円くらいのものですが，これは結局ホテルを通じて取り返しました．予約の時間に来ないので電話をすると，明らかに他の客をダブルブッキングした雰囲気で「10分待ってくれ」と言われて，30分後に来たりもしましたが，ダッカにいる奥さんと子供の話を聞いていたので怒る気持ちがなくなりました．直接のやり取りがあったおかげで，もちろん一面なんだけど，色んなことがわかって面白かったです．今のホテルでは，タクシー会社がアレンジしたリムジンが時間通りに来て，革張りの後部座席に気持ち良く座って通勤しています．運転手も英語が上手い人が多く，誤解を恐れずに言えば，行儀が良い人が多いと思います．「Are you China or Korea?」という不躾な質問はしてくれないので，相手の出身国や身の上話を聞くチャンスも減りました．何より座る場所が後部ですから，目的地につくまでの会話もあまりありません．運転中の電話は最低限に留めてくれていることは有り難くて，安心して座っていられます．目的地に着けば，前もって料金が書かれたレシートにサインをくれと言われます．以前のタクシーならこの半額だろうと思いながら，どうせ会社が払うので細かいことは言わず，システマティックにサインをして，下車してオフィスに向かいます．お金で揉めることはありませんが，20リアルのやり取りで直面したようなリアルさはそこにありません．

そういえば，ブラジルに行った最初の週末に，後に仲良くなった日系人の友人に「ブラジルはどう」と聞かれて「ああ，楽しい国だね」と答えたら，「おそらく君が滞在中に見るブラジルは，全体の本当に小さな一部なんだろうと思うよ」と言われたのを思い出します．そういえば，冬に日本に滞在していた時に，母校である大学院の同窓会の「場所は六本木ヒルズの最上階のラウンジ，参加費は１万円」という案内が来て，こいつら何やってんだよ，と反感を持ったのを思い出します．このような場所に違和感なく参加する人が「当事者」として感じている世界観は，一体どんなものなのでしょうか．そういえば，日本で新幹線が出来てすぐ，チケットの代金を聞いて，こんなことを言った人がいるそうです．何でチケットが高くなるんだ，景色を見る時間が減ってしまうじゃないか，と．

あまりナイーブなことを言うつもりもありません．おそらくホテルに泊まっていて，タクシー通勤をしている外国人の expat である時点で，私に見えているサウジアラビアも，全体の本当に小さな一部なのでしょう．でもまだそれを認識しているからこそ，今の私はこういう小さな違和感を大事にしたいと思っています．高級ホテルに泊まりながら，居心地の良さに少しだけ抵抗し，その中で自分が見ているものを少し斜に構えて眺める，そんな柔軟さをなくさないでいたいのです．

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脚注：「普通」というのは，以前に友人のエッセーで使用されていた「ふつう」という表現を借りたのですが，原文見つからずです．本人かその兄，もしまだ残っているようなら教えて下さい．

 

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