Proud voters

To prevent repeat voting, people had to dip their middle fingers into ink when they cast their ballots. Here are some pictures of Tunisian staff members "showing their colours" the day after the election.

Election Day - Oct. 23, 2011

This video is the best "get out the vote"campaign I have ever seen. For those, like Paige, who witnessed the fall of Ben Ali, it is goose-bump making stuff.

Election day was very calm. It's was beautiful, warm sunny day, and there was a large voter turnout. Ennadha, the Islamic party, is predicting a win, and we can only hope that that is not the case. We must also hope that should they not win, they will be exemplary losers. Rumours are flying, but they are just that - rumours.

I went out with my camera this afternoon to catch a bit of the action. Earlier in the day, people had lined up for two hours and more to cast their ballots, but Sunday lunch is sacrosanct family time in Tunisia, so I didn't witness that.

To prevent anyone from voting twice, every person had to dip their index fingertip in semi-permanent ink before leaving the polling place. It will be a badge of honour tomorrow, I am sure.

Rym with Papito's drawing, titled "For my children."

Short lunch hour lineup in La Marsa.

Proud group of friends

Proud couple - she wearing her "Dégage" - Get out! - t-shirt

Three handsome types on their way to vote.

Hedy our head guard proudly giving me the finger!

On this evening's news, a BBC reporter asked a man standing in line who he thought would win. "We all win," he said. "We win because we're here voting, and because we don't already know who is going to win." Perfect answer.

Rain!

OK so it's nothing compared to Bangkok, but when it rains in Tunis, it rains hard!

My road, or my river?

 There is a wall at the end of my street separating my neighbourhood from the next. During heavy rains, it used to fall down, so now there's escape drainage. I've seen it worse, but this was bad!

Notice the level of the water on that car's tires. This is a highway!

Eid is coming again!

Today this week's flyer announces the big moment. Yes, sheep are once again on sale in the parking lot of our biggest shopping mall! Hooray! Now I can buy my sacrifice when I finish picking up that Gucci bag I've been eying.

Oh look! Here comes one now!

Day trip to Kelibia

The Fortress of Kelibia

Three hours' drive to the south, on the tip of the Cap Bon, lies the town of Kelibia. Towering over its clear turquoise and indigo waters, looms a Punic fort built  in the 4th century and later used by the Romans, Arabs, and French and Germans as one after the other, they tried to control this country.  Now The fortress is now the property of the Tunisian National Guard.

Phillipe, Suren and Mouna

Our Mediterranean playground

Ah, if only he were 20 years older...

My colleagues Phillipe, Suren and Mouna just popped in for lunch at a delightful seaside restaurant appropriately named "Les Pieds dans l'Eau", feet in the water. We swam between each course. Magnifique!

Week One 2011

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been back in Tunisia for over a week already. I am struck again and again by what a beautiful country this is. The Mediterranean is just a gorgeous in real life as it is in pictures, and this time, I've got a car to get to the beach. And the people are wonderful as well. Perhaps a bit intimidating looking at first, with their dark, serious faces. But when they smile, which they do so easily, it's like the sun has come out. A few words of Arabic - and believe me, that's all I've got - is enough to break down the barrier.

As you might imagine, Libby was delighted to see me. She's keeping pretty close when I'm in the house, too, and seems more biddable. I haven't taken her to the beach yet, because it's Ramadan and it just doesn't seem like the right thing to do, culturally. For one thing, people are more observant at this time, and Islam is anti-dog. For another, the beaches are full of people trying to keep cool during the day at this time when they are not allowed to drink during the day. Sometimes they can be a bit grouchy too because they are fasting. I'll wait another ten days before I take my furry friend with me.

New teacher orientation has gone very well. People are very pleased with how they've been treated and supported, as well they should be! Last night was the first meal any of them has had to cook. The rest of us have taken turns hosting dinners every night, and the school has provided breakfast and lunch in the library every day. That will continue Monday and Tuesday as well. Friday noon, we headed off for a day in Hammamet, staying at the Laico Hotel. It's a beautiful hotel, made to look like a cruise ship inside. Having never been on a cruise ship, I cannot comment on the success of this, but it certainly was beautiful.

I gave a library services introduction on Friday morning, and got very positive feedback from that. It feels really good to be able to offer service this year right from the beginning. The first few months of last year were taken up with learning what I was dealing with in terms of resources, space and time, and I really wasn't on my game until after Christmas. This feels so much better.

I've just come back from the market. Figs and run down your chin peaches are in season. Yum. And I got a few sardines for the grill tonight. Tomorrow night, we're going downtown for the Iftar meal at El Walima and a tour of the Medina by our Arabic teacher Dorsaf. The next night, the Director and his wife are hosting dinner. No cooking for me until Wednesday at least!

Lunar Eclipse

I saw a stunning full lunar eclipse last night. Picture this: long palm-lined avenue, an illuminated mosque in the distance, a full moon hanging in the sky just to the right of the tower, gradually turning from silver to red to black, to red and back to silver as the earth's shadow passed over it. Breath-taking. Wish I had a really good camera and a tripod so I could capture such moments.