Ramadan Kareem!

We are in Ramadan! It just started, we are just a few days in. The daily sunsets, the Tarawih prayers at the Mosques, the eerie quiet on the streets, this is a dreamy time of year.

By daylight, the Muslims fast, no food, water. Normally the fast is broken with dates and water, before feasting on your national delicacies, in Tunisia it's Brik, Chorba soup, Tajine (which is like a fritatta) and sweet pastries. I've been invited for some Iftars so I'll update you accordingly, as and when. I'm planning on fasting Fridays as a cultural experience. I'm doing this mainly for the amusement of the four Muslim colleagues that I share my office with. I think without food, I'll be okay. I think without water, it will be hell.

This week, has been a big week for talking about Islam in the office. We had a Muslim-off where we competed to name the different Islamic months, needless to say, I didn't win. Then I got a big lesson on Women's rights and Islam (which I'm quite sure I didn't ask for!) and I was told that sexism in Saudi Arabia is caused by tradition and the Prophet's wife was actually a business woman who rode a horse and the Prophet actually worked for her. From horse riding, we got on to Game of Thrones, which my colleagues (all men) have decided to stop watching during Ramadan as it makes fasting that little bit more difficult (oh yes, it's not just food and drinks we are fasting...).

But the general feeling is excitement. My general feeling is fear, at sharing an office with four, hungry, thirsty, un-caffinated men... I'll let you know how it goes.

In other news, I have been away for centuries!! I'm so sorry, let me just give you a quick round up of some of the other fun activities that I have been up to...

Training in Hammamet

Now I've already taught you all about Hammamet, but I just spent another week down there on a training course. It was extra fun because we were allowed to bring our families, and they could sit by the pool all day, while we filled our brains with all sorts of nonsense. In lieu of my own family, I just borrowed a bit of everyone else's and spent the long evening testing my American colleague's daughter on her SAT words - I knew hardly ANY of them!! It was quite traumatic. Luckily, she was a smartie pants, so she'll be just fine in her exams.

I spent some time by the pool and at the beaches. The tourists aren't really about, so it was lots of Tunisians at the beach - lots of Burkinis!

You wanna see a selfie of me enjoying the sunshine? Yes you do! because I am a rockstar, pure and simple, and I am fuelled by your jealousy.

I also spent loads of time researching for my essay and revising French because I had a massive french exam... more on this in a hot minute.

Total Tophet-Tastic

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Jess left Tunis. This was her second placement here, and last time she came, she was involved in the attack on the American Embassy and was trapped in the shelter inside for several hours, before, being shipped off to Germany, and then Poland. I promised her that she would have a good send off this time, although I couldn't guarantee the drama and excitement of last time.

So we went to the Punic Port and the Tophet at Carthage. It was after work and both were shut, but some smiles and some dinars managed to grease those gates back open. It was quiet, tranquil, the sun was setting... it was all very dramatic. And we had whiskey. In plastic bottles.

The remains of the Punic Port, from around 300BC are clear and visible, you can climb all over those monsters. In its hayday, the area hosted up to two hundred of the biggest and most fearsome warships of the time. Now it's overgrown and breezy and you really do wish you had bought a picnic.

Afterwards we went to the Tophet. Woah kids, this is not for the faint-hearted. I was scared. Here is a list of things that I fear:

1. Cochroaches

2. Changing a light bulb when you can't remember if you left the light on or off

3. Infant Burial sites at sundown.

This was a solid case of number 3. 

The Tophet is the site of a Punic infant burial site, where babies and young children were sacrificed to the goddess Tanit (the sky goddess of Carthage) and the god Baal (the god of rain). The excavations are on three levels, showing three separate uses of the site, and remains of both children and animals, have been found. I can't even begin to imagine what went down in Phoenician Carthage. Standing here, on the same ground, under the same sun... makes my brain explode.

Then we did more cheerful activities, like go for coffee and then go to my most favourite, lovely pants, fish restaurant where I haven't been for about 100 years. Everyone thought we were lost finding it, but I knew the way all along and just followed my heart. Everyone's expectations were exceeded. They should learn to trust me.

Massive French Exam

Then after that, I went for it and took the Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF) exam, level B1. It was the one that I had postponed from March (actually, although I didn't want to do it, it was actually written in the stars because they didn't have any space left for my class to enrol in March anyhow). 

The exam was written for me. The listening was really fast and horrible, but one of the reading articles was on the growth of popularity of handcrafts in post-recession France. Knitting? Beautiful. The writing was okay, it's always hard, because I have quite an imagination, and lack the vocabulary to support it.

I had to go back the next day for my oral exam and there are all different parts, but at the end, you have to give a speech. Mine was on whether or not mathematics should be compulsory for all university entrants. Beautiful. 

I did my best. I hope it was enough. Fingers crossed.

Hen Party Madness

And then... as if that wasn't enough excitement - I went to the UK last weekend for a Hen Party as my friend Gemma is getting hitched, later this summer. It was in London, and I just flew in on Friday and out on Sunday. London was beautiful. So warm and gorgeous and sunny, for a split second I forgot about the 11 months a year of grey skies and almost thought that I could move back. Almost.

So I've been having a problem with all these hen parties. We always seem to do nice, classy activities, like afternoon tea, or spa days, or Britney Spears Dance Classes... can you see me?

There are no willy straws, no drunk mother-in-laws-to-be learning way too much information about their new daughter-in-law, and much to my perpetual disappointment, no strippers. These are all things that I would want need at any Hen party of my own (pending on finding someone mental enough to agree to marry me in the first place).  I spent a long time thinking about this (or strippers generally) over the weekend, and asked the other married girls about their hen parties. Similar stuff; photo treasure hunts, fancy dinners, cupcake making classes... then it hit me... this is possibly why no one has/will ever marry me. Note to self... be more classy.

Needless to say, I completed the obligatory fancy-dress night out sitting on the floor, picking off my eyelashes. At least it was the floor of someone's house and not a kebab shop. 

Baby steps...