More Music in Sidi Bou Said

In the morning, I took the tram up to Sidi Bou Said with the Learn and Serve Program and we went to the Centre des Musiques Arabes et Mediterraneennes. It's housed in a gorgeous old house on a cliff overlooking the Sea and Cap Bon. There, we had a tour with one of the administrators, looked out the beautiful interiors and also checked out their collection of antique instruments.

A living room in the Museum

A view out towards the sea


One of the many instruments on display


Around the corner from the Museum - all buildings in Sidi Bou Said are white with blue trim


The Sea with Cap Bon in the background

Kantara Music and Riadh Fehri

Today, I had the opportunity to meet one of Tunisia's most well-known musicians, Riadh Fehri. The Learn and Serve Program was going up to Sidi Bou Said to visit the Arab Music Museum, and to see Riadh at his office, so I tagged along as, ahem, Amideast support for the expedition (it's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it). After going to the museum and having lunch at a place called Tam Tam (right off the TGM stop - I'd reccomend it), where we ate Brik (a fried salty pastry with a filling, i.e.: egg or meat), octopus, and some other goodies, we went to Riahd's conservatory.


Inside, we talked about the history of musical instruments with him. He musical instruments in terms I'd never thought of before. For example, we talked about the three types of instruments - percussion, wind, and string - and what their natural components are. He said that percussion is the most natural, because even in the womb, a baby is surrounded by the rhythm of his/her mother's heart. He also talked about wind instruments, and its background in nature - the wind whistling past a tree and creating a sound, for instance. He also said that many similar instruments had evolved on the different continents, independent of eachother - he showed us examples from Persia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
After, we had a talk on a subject that's all-too familiar, the demise of traditional Tunisian culture - in this case, its music. The big radio station here is Radio Mosaique, which plays largely American music, along with other western popular music, and Arab music from places such as Lebanon - where most of the Arab pop music comes from. They play almost no Tunisian music (whereas in a country like France, there are laws on the books which obligate statons to play a minimum percentage of local music). He doesn't hold modern music in high esteem - he calls it "false notes," and maintains that electronic music is shifting the emphasis away from the skill of instrument-playing.
Riadh is part of a group called Kantara Music. Call it "Arab-Appalachian Music." You can listen to a few of their tracks on their MySpace page (I like "Wayfaring Stranger") - there's also information available through the Kennedy Center website, since they recently played at the Millenium Stage. Kantara, which means "bridge" in Arabic, is a collaboration between Riadh and several other musicians, including a former State Department foreign service officer named Brennan, who was stationed in Tunis recently. Brennan is an accomplished country musician, and when he came to Tunis on assignment, he sought out the local music scene. Eventually, the group was formed, and now they're doing concerts all over the world. I'm going to see them in July at the Carthage Music Festival, where they'll be playing with the Palermo Orchestra.

Me and Riadh

The Learn and Serve Program + More Seafood

One of the best parts about being at Amideast during the summer is that I get to see the programs we administer pass through. Two days ago, I went with Feriel to the airport to pick up nine American students who are here for six weeks on the Learn and Serve Program. They're all college students, mostly rising seniors from the University of Wyoming and the University of Alabama. None of them have been in the Middle East/North Africa before. A few have been studying Arabic or French.

The program has two components - first off, the students explore Tunisia, take Tunisian Arabic lessons, and get acquainted with some of the NGOs around town. The second part is serve - where they go and spend four weeks at the English Language Village in Nabeul with Tunisian students. There, they'll be teaching English and having conversation classes.

I enjoy taking part in programs like these, because it's a great way to meet a mix of people. I get to tag along on some of the excursions, help out whenever I can with cultural/language issues and support, and just be a part of a fun program. For instance, last night we had a reception at the American Corner at Amideast. Wine was served, the Minister of Higher Education showed up, I got to meet lots of Tunisian professionals, and spend some time with Mohamed.

Afterwards, we (Lee + some of the interns) ended up at the restaurant La Petite Etoile for some late night seafood. It's out at the port in La Goulette, and is a very swanky place with great food and wine. I'd reccomend it along with La Mer and L'Amphitrite if you're interested in having some good seafood along the Mediterannean (and who isn't?). Here's one trick that keeps the bill down - don't order fish. Eat the Fruits de Mer instead - there's plenty of great mussels, smaller fish, shrimp, calamari, etc to fill you up at these seafood places, and they cost significantly less. As Lee explained to me at La Mer - the big fish are priced "SG" - which means selon grossesse, or by weight. You'll end up getting charged quite a bit and doubling the cost of your meal.

This weekend's going to be quite busy - I might be going to the city of Bizerte. If that's the case, I'll make sure to bring along my camera.

Moroccan Chickpeas with Cinnamon

Even though the weather has cooled down a bit lately in Tunis, it's still hot. The highs have been in the low 90s the last two days, which is a welcome reprieve from the Saharan winds what were blowing through on Sunday and Monday.

One of the ways we've been keeping cool is by staying away from the grease. Most of the food on the street is "le fast food," and it's far from healthy and satisfying when you want to beat the heat. Yesterday, Jeremy found a recipe for Chickpeas in a Middle Eastern cookbook. We decided to give it a spin tonight, and it hit the spot. Be careful on the chili pepper unless you really know what you're doing. We added some liberally, and it was difficult to get through with dry eyes. (If you want to see how the real food bloggers handle recipes, check out Chubby Hubby - one of my favorites on the web.)

Moroccan Chickpeas with Cinnamon
Adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden.


2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Large Onion, Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Ground Chili Pepper
1.5 Cups Chickpeas, or two 15 oz cans

Heat the oil in a large pan and and fry the onion until golden. Add the garlic and stir for a moment or two. Stir in the spices and add the drained soaked chickpeas. Cover with water and simmer for about an hour, or until the chickpeas are very tender, adding water to keep them covered. Reduce it at the end to a thick sauce.

We just ate ours with some leftover rice and some fresh bread, but I'm sure it'd be good with couscous or just alone as a side dish. It comes out a very nice brownish-red color.

"When are you leaving for Tanzania?"

One of the first things I had to deal with when I applied for a job in Tunisia was recognition by other people. Not surprisingly, Tunisia is not one of those countries that many people know a lot about. I got a lot of "when are you leaving for Tanzania?" and the occasional "Tazmania" (thanks Matt). Recently, a buddy from high school, let's just call him "Dan G." posted on my facebook wall wishing me the best of luck in Tanzania - despite the fact that I have listed, in three separate places on my profile, that I am in Tunisia.


If anyone's interested in learning more about Tunisia - there's a few good resources online - the Wikipedia site isn't bad, if a little contentious. Also, looking at Tunisia geographically is an interesting exercise- it puts a lot of Tunisia's shifting international rulers in perspective, from the Phoenicians (and the strategic location of Carthage), to the Romans, Arabs, Ottomans, Spanish, Italians, French, etc... ( a great book that includes a lot on the geography of the region is Fernand Braudel's two-volume masterpiece on the Mediterranean in the age of Philip II of Spain.)
Tunisia's current situation - as being so close to Europe - is evident in the ferries you see leaving for Sicily and Marseilles, as well as in the general culture. Also, without this blog degenerating into a "Pet Blog" ( I promise that won't happen), Jihad needed a bath today - some stomach troubles, which have been resolved.

If you can't stand the heat...

Google weather is putting the temperature in Tunisia right now at 115 F. I'd imagine that's pretty close to reality. It's like stepping outside into a furnace, and yes, you can fry an egg on the sidewalk (where a sidewalk exists).

Lately, the heat has been functioning as a big obstacle to getting anything done. Even the two dogs are sprawled out on the floor by my legs, trying to catch a little breeze from the fan I have pointed at me. I've gone through Season Two of Entourage, read some of the book I picked up back in Minneapolis (The Religion, by Tim Willocks), and experimented with croissant toppings (don't try curry).

Days like this are the hardest, because I don't feel like I'm getting what I should be out of this experience. Summer, in general, is a difficult time to be here. I'm at work 5 days a week, and then have a little bit of downtime, but barely enough for a weekend excursion. On top of that, it's tourist season, so everything is packed and more expensive. What I'm hoping is that I'll meet some more people within the next few weeks to hang out with over here in my new neighborhood - Ariana.

The Continuing Adventures of Jihad the Cat

So, I decided to name the cat "Jihad," which means struggle in Arabic. Be it struggling up my pant legs with her claws, roughing around with the two dogs, or just surviving the Tunisian sun, this little trooper has been through a lot. I'm going to post a notice in Amideast next week to try and find a home for her now that she's in decent health.

Because I took 252 photos, here's a few more...

B-boy at the Embassy. Holla.

The Roomies

The man in the Mentos shirt. This is Jeremy - he just graduated from Tulane and is out here for a year teaching English with Amideast.

Chelsey. She's going to be a sophomore at Texas A&M next year. She came out here on a study abroad program for a month, and liked Tunisia so much, she decided to stick around for another one. She's living with us until August and will be helping out at Amideast.

More Faces

Two of my students dancing in traditional clothing.

The "Tigers." Other team names: Stars, Lions, Team Tiger, Roaring Lions, Crazy Team, and The Scorpions.

Faces at the BBQ

The five young ladies are all students in my Access Class that I share with Karen.

Haha, this is Lee in the middle. Slightly taken aback. On his right is the American Ambassador, Robert Godec. Very nice guy.

The youngish-looking woman on the left is Lorna - she's the head of the English program at Amideast. The kids are in the middle of playing a relay game where they have to fill up sponges with water, and then run down and try to squeeze as much as possible into a water bottle.

Access at the Embassy

Today's big event was a special event at the US Embassy for the Access Program. The Access Program is a group of 84 young Tunisian students who receive government-subsidized English lessons at Amideast. They come from one of the poorest neighborhoods in Tunis - Sidi Hassine. Despite that, as you'll be able to see in the photos I'll be posting, there's a difference between many of them and the lower-income students I taught in Rabat back in 2005.

The simplest explanation is that Tunisia is more of a middle class society than Morocco, and the rest of North Africa. If you look to the East and West, you'll see Libya and Algeria - two countries with their fair share of problems (see Battle of Algiers and read A Savage War of Peace by Alistair Horne and Wretched of the Earth/Black Skin, White Masks, by Frantz Fanon to get an idea about Algeria). The reasons are complicated, and they're something I'll talk about a bit later, but suffice to say, Tunisia has had two leaders since Independence. Both have been progressive and modernizing.

Anyways, back to the BBQ at the Embassy. All of the Access students were bussed in today to the Embassy, and we divided up into classes and made team posters, played a few games (such as the egg/spoon race), had a talent show, and ate burgers and hot dogs. It was a great opportunity to just hang out with the kids - I've been filling in on a few classes lately at Amideast, and my favorite has been an Access class.

Other than the BBQ, I've been keeping very busy. Friday I was at work 7:40am to 6:00 pm. I filled in on some English classes in the morning for a sick teacher, and then helped out in the Library and took part in one of my favorite new activities at Amideast - Friday conversation at the library. We advertise a weekly two-hour free English conversation group, and we've been getting great attendance the last two weeks. Most of the people who show up are older - in their thirties - and have a decent grasp of English, so we have some great candid conversations. Very little is taboo, so there's real discussion, which is very refreshing. Yesterday, we talked about cultural relativism, Tunisian and World Cinema, agriculture and marriage. Many of the people I talk to are somewhat secular. They embrace the combination of secular and religious laws that govern the country. Tunisia, for instance, has given women the right to vote since around 1956 - the year of independence. In addition, it is in the company of nations such as France and Turkey in banning the headscarf in public buildings.

It's also been great to see some of the same faces coming back on Fridays. I'm looking forward to the next one.

To My Twenties - by Kenneth Koch

How lucky that I ran into you
When everything was possible
For my legs and arms, and with hope in my heart
And so happy to see any woman(
O woman! O my twentieth year!
Basking in you, you
Oasis from both growing and decay
Fantastic unheard of nine- or ten-year oasis
A palm tree, hey! And then another
And another (and water!
I'm still very impressed by you. Whither,
Midst falling decades, have you gone? Oh in what lucky fellow,
Unsure of himself, upset, and unemployable
For the moment in any case, do you live now?
From my window I drop a nickel
By mistake. With
You I race down to get it
But I find there on
The street instead, a good friend,
X---- N------, who says to me
Kenneth do you have a minute?
And I say yes! I am in my twenties!
I have plenty of time! In you I marry,
In you I first go to France; I make my best friends
In you, and a few enemies. I
Write a lot and am living all the time
And thinking about living. I loved to frequent you
After my teens and before my thirties.
You three together in a bar
I always preferred you because you were midmost
Most lustrous apparently strongest
Although now that I look back on you
What part have you played?
You never, ever, were stingy.
What you gave me you gave whole
But as for telling
Me how best to use it
You weren't a genius at that.
Twenties, my soul
Is yours for the asking
You know that, if you ever come back.

--Kenneth Koch

(Thanks to Lexi - she had a digital version up on Facebook)

The Stud...

Ha, and you thought I'd post a photo of myself. This is the resident male at the horse farm. He's got his own private little area, and special "mating pen." What a guy.

Some Local Flora/Fauna (?) from Mateur

Maybe someone knows what these are?

Four Quick Shots from a Moving Car

This is just as we're heading out of Manouba on my first day in Tunis.

The 19th Century Roman Catholic Church on Avenue Bourguiba - the central avenue of Tunis

Driving at night out of Tunis for the farm. Notice the traffic?

Leaving Mateur. This is a great example of the beautiful countryside in the North. We're not far at all from the Meditteranean.

Mohamed + Puppy = Staged Photo

I feel a collective "aww" coming on. This is the guy who took care of me the first week (along with help from Cherifa, her mother, and Zine). Thanks to all of them.

The New Cat... Anyone want it?

Anyone need a kitten in Tunis...?

Also, here's one more of me + some animals

PS - You can click on the images for slightly bigger ones. Sorry, I have to keep the size small, since the internet here ebbs and flows.

The Farm

Here's a shot of the house at the horse farm out in Mateur... Quite the place. Behind it, you can see a glimpse of the hay barn. The horses were kept in fenced-in areas back to the right.

Adventures in Domesticity

Right now, I have a dog nipping at my heels, a very small kitten meowing on my lap, the sounds of my new roommate's exasperation at not being able to light the stove, and a washing machine in the background that won't stop going on spin cycle. Welcome to... Tunisia?

On Sunday, I moved into a house in Ariana, a suburb just North of Tunis. An American couple and their three kids who live in Tunis are on vacation in the States for two months, and they're letting Jeremy and I rent the place from them. To be honest, it's a great deal. We get to live in a modest one-level house with a full kitchen, two baths, three bedroos, and a nice living room - along with a patio and a bbq.

Along with the family house come the family responsibilities. We're responsible for the two family dogs - Ginger and Samra - along with the unnamed little kitten (who was hopping around a bit today - major improvement). We just got back from a rather... embarassing round of shopping at the local Monoprix. We comparison-shopped for trash bags, picked up some good dry goods, and finally held up the whole checkout line for about 15 minutes. At one point, we asked a Tunisian family where the shaving cream was, and he told us and then asked, " are you American?" We gave him a nod, and he said "ca se voit" - that's obvious.

Also, Ariana is a very Tunisian neighborhood. It's a nice solidly middle class neighborhood, but very much for the locals. The good part is that even though we're living in a pretty Americanized house and watch Entourage at night, we get to go out and do the Tunisian groceries and drink mint tea in the cafes like everyone else.

New Kitten...

So, I've just moved into my new place (more on that later). It's an American family that is going on vacation and renting it out to me and one other AMIDEAST employee for the duration. They have two dogs (which is great), and one brand new kitten.

Here's the problem: This kitten was not an intentional pet. They found it in the trash bin by their house - someone had left it there to die. Now, this little thing is perched on my lap, and I'm wondering what to do with it. I've heard bad things about cow milk, but I'm not quite sure what else to feed it. I have two cats at home, and I could never just leave it outside, so any suggestions here on the comments or at my email - ibolger@gmail.com - would be appreciated. I just want to get her healthy enough so that someone from AMIDEAST can take her home and have her as a real pet.

Thanks!

The American Cemetery in Carthage

On Saturday, I took a walk through the scorching sun around the northern suburbs of Tunis. The most notable was the beautifal and touristy Sidi Bou Said. It's a nice area with plenty of cafes to sit and grab a citron presse and wait out the heat. Unfortunately, the whole leisurely side got lost in the shuffle of a busy day running around in the heat. I checked out ruins of Roman Carthage, and made my way over to the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial.
The cemetery is a great stop for Americans. You can pay your respects to the war dead and contemplate a type of history far-removed from the Romans and the old Beys. It's also American soil, and is very well-kept (the nicest piece of land I've seen so far), with a helpful Tunisian in the air-conditioned reception office. If anyone's interested, the Pulitzer Prize-winning book An Army at Dawn, by Rick Atkinson, is a fascinating and well-researched look at the American and British Armies in North Africa during WW2. I'm looking forward to the rest of his books in the Liberation Trilogy as well - it's my understanding he's going to cover Sicily and Normandy as well.

A Quick Travel Tip...

I just got this info: If you're flying to Tunis, or any flight taking you through Frankfurt, perchance, on Lufthansa (which is one of the major carriers), and aren't excited for the 12-hour layover in Frankfurt, Lufthansa supposedly gives hotel rooms upon request and gratis for long layovers (i.e.: they would never offer, but it is available). Hopefully this will spare at least one traveler the inhumanity of spending 12 hours sipping 3.50 Euro bottled water and trying to get comfortable in poorly-designed (yeah, even in Germany) chairs.

Anyone ever tried this?

Restaurant La Mer

So, it's past midnight here on a Friday night, and I've just gotten back from a great dinner/day out. I was just at a restaurant called "La Mer" which is in La Goulette, out just South of Carthage on the Meditteranean. It was me, plus the director of CEMAT - The Center for Maghreb Studies - and Lee, the director of AMIDEAST Tunisia. What a night. First off, I know I've already talked about Lee, but he really is an amazing boss. Larry also fits that mold quite nicely. He's a former Berkeley Professor who works out here on research projects and directs the institute. One of his jobs is coordinating the intensive State Dep't Arabic Language Program here during the summer. I got to meet about ten out of the thirty American students today, who were all off for the weekend to stay with a Tunisian family and delve a bit more into American life (ie: more than being in their hotel on the central road and being relatively consumed with studying).

Anyways, the dinner was another one of those amazing experiences, like going to the Amphitrite in Carthage on Tuesday. Being around two serious veterans of the academic/NGO world was quite an honor. We talked about my career (hypotheticals only...), and they gave me a lot of excellent advice. To top it off, the food was amazing. The best was squid in a cumin-tomato sauce, with very good mussels as well.

I'm beginning to adjust (maybe the meals are helping a bit), and I've been glad for the constant company of a bunch of people, both Tunisian and non-, who have shown me bits and pieces of what makes them happy here. Now that I've gotten over that initial hump of homesickness (although it's far from being *over*), I'm starting to feel more adventurous. Tomorrow is a big trip out to Sidi Bou Said, and hopefully (or not) a football game at night.

On The Road

One of the ways to get around Tunis is to hail one of the ubiquitous yellow petit taxis. They're more flexible than the bus, and are often more direct than the metro. One of the big joys of taking them is chatting up the taxi drivers. I picked up doing this while I was in Morocco. The trick was learning just the basic local greetings, and it was a pretty surefire way to avoid them fooling with the meter to give you the tourist price (although it almost never worked down in Marrakech - the cabbies were too hardened there). Normally, I get to strike up a pretty decent conversation, and it's a great way to get to know people.

Today was no exception. I got off work today around five, went down to the swanky cafe next to the Italian Cultural Center, and then hailed one of them. We got to talking, as we always do. I told him to go out to this hospital called "Hopital Razi," which is the psychological hospital right next to where I live. We chatted a bit more, and then he asked me if I was married (as in all short conversations), and then he said he wasn't because he had just spent ten years at Razi Hospital...

I tensed up for a second, but the cab ride actually turned into one of the best conversations I've had here yet. A really great, calm guy who's clearly been through a lot, but is very genuine. It's sometimes tough with the cabbies, because my French and limited Modern Standard Arabic only intersect so much with the local Dirja Arabic, but all's good when people mean well. I have his number, and I actually might call him - something I normally stay away from. He also gave me a bid discount on the ride that I was reticent to accept, but he insisted.

As long as we're on the road... Driving here is ridiculous. Tunisia has some of the worst road safety in the world. Lanes are an abstract concept, as are speed limits, stopping for pedestrians, and all manner of road courtesies. Today, for instance, there was a big backup (traffic during rush hour is just plain bad), and I'm sure anyone can relate to being in traffic on freeways back in the states - there's always a few assholes who zoom by on the shoulder. Here, it was so normal that the shoulder was completely backed up. The 45-degree sand embankment to the side of the highway was being used as the de facto shoulder for more than a few cars. I watched more than a few zoom by, kicking up dust.

Also in the recent news. Last night I had a great night out with the director of Amideast Tunisia, Lee. He's a career international NGO guy. He did the Peace Corps in Tunisia back during their pilot year, and has worked in basically every West African and North African country. For example, he's spent three years in Morocco (one year of it was living in the old US Consulate in Tangier - a Bey's Palace in the heart of the Medina that was given to the USA by King Hassan II), plenty of time in Mali, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal, plus time in Haiti and parts elsewhere. He took me out for some nice seafood at this place called "L'Amphitrite," which according to him means "mermaid" in Latin. It's right on the beach in Carthage, and it's quite gorgeous. The hills of Sidi Bou Said are just to your left, and you can sit out on the patio literally twenty feet from the Meditteranean.

Psychologically, it's still tough being here in certain respects. I left my family, my friends, I graduated from University, and Tunis is such a crazy city to get a grip on. Of course, it's only been five days, and I'm getting a little rhythm going. The way I look at this, without sounding overly paternal, is that it's good for me, despite the difficulties. (Honestly, if someone would have showed up on Sunday night when I was all alone, literally crying from emotional exhaustion, and offered me a ticket home, I would've taken it.) Luckily, everyone here has been exceptional, especially Mohamed and Cherifa, who have made me very comfortable. I'll probably be moving soon to something a little closer to town, however. The 45-min commute in either traffic or the hot and crammed metro has been grating at me.

Also, I tried uploading photos, and I'm not having any success with a decent enough connection. I'll keep on looking around for a decent connection. Also, once I get more settled, I'll be more likely to bring around the camera with me. At this point, it's just a little too much "stuff" to have with me all the time.

The first few days

The first few days here have been a whirl of people and places. I got in, after a 40-hour journey from Minneapolis on Saturday morning at 1:00am. (The length was due to an interminable layover in Frankfurt - if I never hear "Achtung Bitte" again in my life, I'll be a happy man.) Luckily, I came in freshly showered, having profited from the 6-Euro showers in Frankfurt Airport. Mohammed and one of his friends were there with a sign to greet me, and then we headed back to his place. I had a warm welcome, but I was so exhausted that it took me a while to process what was going on - lots of random buildings and crazy Tunisian driving.

Back at Mohammed's place, I met his girlfriend and fellow AIESEC member, Cherifa. We're now all living together at "our" place. It's in an apartment in Manuba, about 20 minutes outside of central Tunis. The best part about it was coming into a place that was already lived in. There'll be no trips to weird mattress shops like there were in Morocco. It's a home, and it's a great feeling.

Saturday, after waking up after 13 hours, I lounged around a bit, and then tackled the northern suburbs of Tunis in the early evening. There are the famous suburbs of Carthage and Sidi Bou Said (famous for its whitewashed houses with blue trim overlooking the Meditteranean) along with the equally swanky seaside La Marsa. After, somewhat offhandedly, the mother of Cherifa, who was driving us around, asked if we wanted to go back to her farm and spend Sunday there...

An hour and a half later, I found myself in a racing horse farm in Mateur, just outside of Bizerte. It was a great change of pace, and absolutely beautiful. I'll try to post some photos soon. It was also my big introduction to the Tunisian family. First off, as expected, it's very Meditteranean. I'd compare it the most to Italian - there's always something going on, and the family spends all day together, cooking, watching awfully-done Egyptian soap operas, and lots of other things. Seeing people so full of life helped snap me out of the initial bout of homesickness a bit. There was constant joking, and I've never meet someone so consistently loud and chatty as Cherifa's mother - a woman who's gone out of her way to help me feel welcome here.

Now, I'm sitting here relaxing after my first day of "work." I say "work" because all there was today were some introductions at AMIDEAST. The country director, Lee, is a great guy. He did the Peace Corps in the Tunisia back during the first year of the Peace Corps, and he's been out here, leading AMIDEAST since 2001. He's a fan of bright shirts and has the energy of someone half his age. He's taking me out for dinner tomorrow night to show me around. There's also a lot of westerners, mostly Canadians and Americans working at AMIDEAST. They run the gamut - there are your young post-college, buy a car, travel around Eastern Europe, run out of money and end up in Tunisia guys like our tech guy Vin, along with some recent college grads, some summer interns, plus the professional teaching staff. My first introduction was to the three older women who have all married Tunisian men and now live here. It's a trip. One was talking about her mojito party last weekend, it was this weird alternate, but totally normal universe that made me feel at home. There's also some other professional teachers, such as a great young married couple from the USA and Canada respectively, that decided to come and spend a year in Tunisia together. All in all, it's a great group of people.

In addition, AMIDEAST is right in the center of Tunis, so there's plenty to do. I went off and got some lunch, capped off by some Mint Tea, and post-work, I hung out with Vin in his very bohemian apartment that he shares with two Serbian girls who are here doing the Institut Bourguiba - an Arabic Language school here in Tunis. After, I met up with Mohamed and some of his AIESEC friends, and we passed an hour drinking (awful) coffee at a cafe on Rue Bourguiba - the central street in Tunis. (Bourguiba was the president of Tunisia post-independence.)

More to come as I get more settled... Also, I brought along my camera/lenses (permit me: Nikon D40 with the 18-55mm kit lens, a 50mm f1.8, and a 55-200mm VR Zoom Nikkor) to hopefully take some meaningful photos.