Collin's Visit: Week 2

It seems like it could have been both ages and moments since the last time I wrote. Collin and I have been up to a lot.

Last week Collin gave a presentation to the American Corner about Scandinavian Americans. This gave him a platform to talk about Swedish meatballs, lutefisk and a couple of other exciting things. AC patrons enjoyed his talk and had many questions for him. I believe this later turned into a discussion about religion which Collin has been getting an awful lot since he arrived here. :-P



Collin giving his Power Point presentation to an attentive group of Tunisians

We also went on a beach trip to a coastal suburb of Tunis called La Marsa. There Collin experienced his first body surfing in the Mediterranean Sea. We swam, laid in the sun, had ice cream and then headed back to Tunis.



Later we went for a stroll down Avenue Habib Bourgiba and Collin tasted Tunisian brik, couscous and mint tea.



A picture of the clock tower taken during our stroll down Habib Bourgiba Avenue

The following day after work at the American Corner, we went to the chic and trendy neighborhood of En-nasser again with my roommate. This time we ate a Lebanese sandwich which was really tasty. While we were there, a little girl came in and asked us if we would give her our left over french fries and water. We sat there for a while she ate and then said goodbye and moved on. She didn't look homeless and we weren't sure what her story was. Whatever the story, by the way she inhaled those french fries, we could tell she was hungry. After this experience, we had chocolate fondue at an old hang out from mine in 2008, Karousel. It was fun to take Collin to a place that he heard so much about before even if they did get our order wrong! :-P



En-nasser mosque by day

After a long week at the American Corner, Collin and I settled on a relaxed Friday evening. We walked to Avenue Habib Bourgiba where we shared a pasta in the outdoor seating at one of the avenues many restaurants and cafes. We also enjoyed strawberry juice and the fresh smell of jasmine flowers.



Collin with his jasmine



Jasmine



Delicious fresh strawberry juice

On Saturday, we had an unexpectedly eventful and exciting day. Doug, my distant cousin, often very helpful with making connections to interesting people, put me in contact with a freelance journalist. She invited us to come to her hotel and swim at the private beach and talk with her there. Afterward, we went downtown, did some errands and had a snack. Then we went to Sidi Bou Said where we had dinner with some young Libyan activists. We spent the afternoon and evening discussing developments in the Arab World and comparing life stories over fresh seafood. Despite language barriers, Collin even managed to make a connection with the only other male in our group, a 24-year-old from Libya. Male bonding transcends language and culture I guess.



We made friends with the most delightful black cat who had no problems helping us out with the tuna we couldn't finish at lunch!




Sidi Bou Said by night

On Sunday, we got the day started early. Since I also had Monday off in observance of Tunisian Republic Day, Collin and I decided to go to Kelibia, the city with "the most beautiful beach in Tunisia" with a friend from the American Corner and some of her friends. We rented a house for only 10 dinars for the night! After we got the housing situation settled, we headed for the beach. The water was crystal clear and Collin and I went for several swims. We also tried the Tunisian candy apple! After our trip to the beach, we went home, showered and got ready for dinner. One of the guys who was with us is from Kelibia and has a friend in the restaurant business. So, that evening we dined on Kelibia's famous fish accompanied by "Tunisian Salad" and french fries of course! Then we went to a remote beach cafe where we were able to stargaze and watch the moon rise up over the water of the Mediterranean. I counted 5 shooting stars myself and Collin saw some that I didn't. It brought me back to memories of long summer nights spent stargazing at Grannie's. I wished she was there!



Collin enjoying a mint tea at one of Tunisia's MANY "manfes" (man + cafe = manfe). There are many cafes in Tunisia where women simply don't go. Men go to them to meet up with other men, smoke cigarettes or hookah and play card games and board games. One funny thing Collin noticed was that the overwhelming majority of men in the manfe had mustaches!



There was a pet bird in the house we rented. Surprisingly, it was pretty quiet throughout our stay.



Tunisian candy apple! Sarah Gawne really needs to try this so we can add it to the list of sweet things we like (blondie and brownie) ;-)




Tunisian friends relaxing on the beach and also enjoying candy apples.



Collin and I in front of the clear blue waters of Kelibia



Collin on the rocks




Sun-kissed faces



Sunset




Ready for a night out stargazing

The next day in Kelibia, we went to visit the ruins of a Byzantine fort that overlooks the sea. While we were there it started to sprinkle. It was the first rain I have felt since I arrived in Tunisia and it felt wonderful. For a moment there, surrounded by green hills, it felt like I could have been back in Oregon. After the rain died down, we left the fort and headed for some ruins of an old Roman villa. There was still mosaic tile flooring laying there. Although, it made me very sad to see them so poorly cared for. Some mosaics had graffiti on them and the ruins themselves were surrounded by trash. People truly don't realize what a historical treasure they have in their midst.



View from the Byzantine fort in Kelibia (photo credit: Collin)




With the wind in our hair (photo credit: Wafa)




Looking up at the fort (photo credit: Collin)



I climbed up on the fort :-P (photo credit: Collin)






View of the fort from down the hill



A mosaic floor of an old Roman villa in Kelibia



Globe trotters



Graffiti on a historic national treasure. I despise when people disrespect their country by littering and destroying their heritage



A Tunisian butterfly

After lunch, we took a louage back to Tunis. Collin and I made ourselves some pasta and had Tunisian pastries and ice cream for dessert and watched Avatar (surprisingly, neither of us had seen in)! It was a great way to end the long weekend. Ready for another busy week so stand by for another update!

Collin's Visit: Week 1

This post is mostly to satisfy those who want to see pictures. I can't promise that it will be particularly insightful but hopefully enjoyable nonetheless...

So, Collin arrived last Tuesday afternoon. I picked him up at the airport and whisked him away to the American Corner where he met Ravi (my predecessor) and several American Corner members. Afterward, we walked around Habib Bourgiba Avenue, which many call the Champs-Élysées of North Africa. We then went with my host brother from 2008, Rached to a beach town near Tunis called Gammarth for a late dinner and some delicious fruit juice. Collin, not knowing any better, ordered himself the most expensive juice on the menu!



Collin feeling sleepy on his first late night in Tunisia (Gammarth, Tunisia)

The next day was a busy one for me at work. I have been busy allocating the budget for new books, DVDs and equipment for the American Corner this year. We also had several events that day. Reza Aslan, a very impressive scholar on Islam spoke to the American Corner via Skype. Collin enjoyed it immensely and took the opportunity to engage with Tunisian students after the event on the topic of religion.

Thursday Collin and I joined some American Corner patrons and friends at a cafe down the street from Amideast (where the American Corner is located). The cafe waiters welcomed us and turned on the Women's World Cup game that was playing (France v USA). We watched the game and ate a Tunisian sandwich of tuna and harissa (spicy Tunisian sauce), even though we had actually ordered a mozzarella and tomato sandwich. Such is the life here in Tunis. ;-)

Friday after work I took Collin to the stunning Sidi Bou Said! It is one of my favorite places in Tunisia and located just 30 minutes away from Tunis. We spent the evening strolling around the small coastal town admiring the blue and white buildings accented with purple and pink bougainvillea flowers.



A view from Sidi Bou Said



Collin and I in front of some bougainvillea.



A mosque in Sidi Bou Said

Saturday we went back in time to ancient Carthage, a town that I feel a special connection to because of my shared name with its founder. Legend has it that when the King of Tyre (modern day Lebanon) died in the 8th century BC, he made his daughter, Alissa and son, Pygmalion joint heirs to his kingdom. Alissa married a wealthy priest named Acerbas. Pygmalion had Acerbas killed in order to obtain his wealth and strengthen his own hold as sole ruler of Tyre. After having learned of her husband's murder, Alissa fled to modern day Tunisia where she asked from the locals for the amount of land that could be covered by an ox hide. Alissa, cunning as she was, cut the ox hide into strips in order to encircle a hill which is now knows as Byrsa (hide) Hill. The city became a strategic post for the Phoenicians and was eventually conquered by the Romans and was later mostly destroyed by the vandals. Collin and I visited the original Byrsa Hill and the cathedral and museum that are now also on that site, the Roman Villas and the Roman Antonin Baths. Most of what remains are Roman ruins although a trace of Phoenician ruins and artifacts can be found in and around these sites.



Byrsa Hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea



Me in front of the French Cathedral built on Byrsa Hill right above the Roman and Phoenician ruins (photo credit: Collin)



Phoenician Goddess Tanit




Phoenician writing found on a stone dating back to the 5th century BC. The stone plaque marked the inauguration of Punic Carthage's main street.



A cat relaxing on some ancient Roman mosaics in the Carthage Museum



At the site of the Roman Villas, there was a room full of mosaics just laying there. Among the mosaics was a swastika. I wonder what that symbol meant for ancient Rome or Roman Carthage. (photo credit: Collin)



Collin and I in the room stacked with mosaics (photo credit: Collin)



A main street through the Roman Villas (photo credit: Collin)




Alissa, princess of Carthage! (photo credit: Collin)



And Hannibal (one of the greatest Carthaginian military commanders of his time)




Collin and I at the Antonin Baths (photo credit: Collin)

After our long and exhaustive walking tour of Carthage, Collin and I went to one of the most lively neighborhoods in Tunis, En-Nasser. I had heard about a Mexican restaurant there, so we thought we would check it out. The "burritos" were good but definitely Tunisian sandwiches with a Mexican twist. We enjoyed our sandwich-burritos and an Apla (delicious Tunsian apple soda) and then went to a popular cafe called Chesterfield which over looks a very modern mosque (I like to call it the techno mosque).



Tunisian Mexican food, served up with a side of fries.



Artistic Apla (photo credit: Collin)




Collin and I with delicious melon and peach juice at Chesterfield



The Mosque in En-Nasser

Sunday we went back to Sidi Bou Said with my roommate, Vanessa to have lunch and go to the beach. It was Collin's first ever dip in the Mediterranean!



Collin and I getting tan. :-)

Today we wandered the streets of the Medina with friends Mourad and Taher from the American Corner. We went to a cafe, talked politics, visited major sites of revolution protests and witnessed the ceremony for taking down the flag in front of a square containing several government buildings.



Collin at a cafe in the Medina with Mourad and Taher being patriotic



The site of major protests on January 14



Tunisian flag removal entourage complete with drums, trumpets, fun outfits and swords!




French cathedral in downtown Tunis



Collin and I at the clock tour on Avenue Habib Bourgiba



The clock tower (in 2008 we used to jokingly call it "Big Ben Ali")


Stay tuned for an update of future adventures!!