Shalom et Marriage

Last Friday did not just start with the before mentioned wedding. Oh no. The night started with me in a borrowed evening gown and Fareed meeting his 2 friends for dinner at a hotel next to the marriage reception site where I was essentially whisked back to Newton. And by that I mean I found myself at a Shabat dinner in a hotel with 60 Tunisian expat Jews who now live in France, but come back for holidays to Tunisia in August. Apparently, the different hotels in this 'chique' beach resort area take turns sponsoring Shabat dinner throughout the month. Well I (and Fareed apparently) was greatly surprised to walk in and hear Jewish prayers and songs which are much more familiar to my ears than the Tunisian language at this point. The dinner was complete with prayers, Kosher food (with challah!)and wine and typical family feuds found at large family events. Apparently, there used to be a much larger population of Jews in Tunisia, but most have moved away over the years and only come back for holidays.
Then we went to the hotel next door for the wedding. Beautiful hotel and beautiful reception but not really a traditional Tunisian wedding which was too bad. Apparently the families are very wealthy and there were a lot of government ministers, famous lawyers and artists in attendance. I was simply in awe at the incredible and elaborate and expensive and quite provocative dresses the women wore. I was quite underdressed, but I think my American-ness let me get away with it. To be honest, it was pretty awkward at first only knowing one person, but after a drink and some introductions, things improved. I spent pretty much the whole night talking with this one woman named Attiat whose husband is a famous lawyer. She was incredibly fun and sweet and has invited me to her house in Gammarth (has a pool!) which I hope to take her up on this weekend. Oh, and there was not much dancing although there was an impressive traditional band that i enjoyed.
All in all the night was extremely interesting, but not particularly traditional Tunisian. I still hope to go to a traditional wedding, insh'allah. This weekend- going to Hammamet on Friday to stay with a friend of Ceyda's. The area is a fun, young beach area with famous night clubs. Poor me. :)

My mailing address for those that would like to know where to send me things : )


Alki/Henkel
Ms. Alison Gilman
Ongle Rue du Metal et Rue des Entrepreneurs Charguia 2
Tunis Cedex, 1080

Yes, its my work address but seems to be the best way to receive mail.

Other note.. going to the wedding tonite in a borrowed dress, new shoes and a borrowed purse. Should be quite an experience!!

Coin Bleue

Every morning when i get to work, i look forward to one main thing- my sandwich. Across the street is this little hole in the wall restaurant called Coin Bleue that would certainly make mom shudder, but they make a mean tuna sandwich with lots of veggie and hot sauce and for less than a dollar. Mmmm! P.S. tuna is on everything here.. literally everything. Good thing i like it...

Social Engagements Galore

2 Fridays ago, I was at a nice restaurant/bar called The Plaza (rumored to be owned by the guy that started the NYC one) with Youssef, Ceyda and Mohammed. While there, an older man by the name of Ferid Boughedir, who was a shorter Albert Einstein/Groucho Marx lookalike, began talking with me. Turns out he's Tunisia's most famous movie director and has made some pretty 'scandalous' movies such as 'Halfaouine' (which i saw and really enjoyed) and 'A Summer in La Goulette.' He is a very animated and friendly guy and was quite kind to me- not in a flirty way at all. 3 nights later, my roommate and I went to his lovely home in La Marsa where his wife and sister prepared an amazing 4 course authentic Tunisian meal. I kept thinking i couldnt eat any more, but more plates just kept coming out! His 22 year daughter was also there and she might be heading to MIT for research for 6 months- very nice, sweet girl. All in all, it was a lovely evening and a real glimpse into family life here.
Which brings me to the next point- I stopped by their house on Sunday to return the copy of his movie i had borrowed (english subtitles) and to thank them again. After chatting with them for a few minutes, I found myself being invited to attend a wedding with them this coming Friday! August is wedding season here, and you cant go anywhere at night without seeing the car processions or hearing the loud music from the many wedding venues (including one right near our house). Not only was I honored to be invited, but very excited to get to go to a Tunisian wedding. The catch: it's apparently a very rich family and they said i should essentially wear a ball gown. Problem being that i certainly didn't bring a dress like that nor can i afford one on my salary. Solution: borrow. I am going to Mo's house to try on a his sister's dresses so hopefully something works so I can go on Friday!!

I found heaven on earth. 2 Saturdays ago, Youssef (AIESEC friend of mine) and his friend (Mohammed) brought me to Bizerte, which is a beach town about an hour bus ride from Tunis. We spent the weekend with their friend Amine, who currently lives at his family’s beautiful house there that overlooks the ocean. We went to a beach about 40 minutes from town that was pretty secluded, but beautiful with only a few other visitors there. We spent the early evening (we arrived around 4) swimming in the clear water, talking about our cultures and drinking some of the beers they brought and buried in the sand to keep them cool. Our beach adventures were followed by a wonderful home cooked meal made by Mohammed at the hotel.
I was certain that Saturday’s beach must have been the most beautiful in Tunisia… until Sunday came around. After brunch at Amine’s (whose kind mother encouraged me to visit anytime which I just might do), we piled into another friend’s giant pick-up truck and headed off for another beach. I think their friend must be a professional off-roader because the ‘road’ we had to take to get to this hidden beach was literally the most formidable and treacherous path one could imagine, but lordy was it sweet! After what seemed like a neverending trek, we finally stopped in front of a GIANT sand dune. I balked initially at the thought of climbing the steep hill, but it was worth it. At the top of the first dune was the most breathtaking view of rolling sand dunes, lush green flora, ancient rocks and brilliant blue ocean. I felt compelled to take tons of pics, but they simply don’t do the view justice.
After an arduous trek through the sand dunes (aka screaming calves), we found the ‘path’ that took us down to our private beach. The path consisted of a steep hill of sand and rocks that I pretty much just slid down. The beach itself was a small cove with towering rocks and crystal water for our own enjoyment. It was just the 5 of us and we had a blast playing in the very wavy water and in the sand. It was hard to leave such a beautiful place (especially thinking of the trek back to the car).
We returned to Bizerte this past Saturday, but instead of sleeping at a hotel, we pitched a big tent (which took over an hour) and slept under the most incredible stars I have ever seen. We also managed to get a decent fire going to cook the fish we had bought at the market. Beautiful beaches, amazing views and good friends… real real tough to go to work the next morning!