Two weeks already.. really??

Okay so it's been about a week since I've posted so I suppose it's time for another. Since I have this picture thing semi-down I guess I'll kind of explain some pictures which adds a nice touch I like to think.

But first, I would like to start off by saying that my host sister was born last Tuesday! Yay! Her name is pronounced "my-ma" but I'm pretty positive that's not how it is spelled. She cries very little and does not wake me up at night which is nice. I haven't been around her much because she is always in my parents' room with my host mom and grandmothers and aunts. For the past week my house has been bustling with my host grandmothers and other female relatives. They are in my host parents' room (now sister and mother's room basically because Myma has taken over the host father's spot on the bed) and also in the kitchen kind of flying around. There are a lot of new chores with a new baby and it's really nice that they are all around it help. It's also great that they're around because they're always in a great mood. There is a lot of laughing and a lot of warm talking and it's great to be around. For example, last night about 8-10 female relatives were over and they were all getting ready for this baby party we are having tonight and they were SO giggley and laughing a LOT and making these other sounds that are rather unique to Tunisia but happy ones nonetheless and it makes home a great place to be. I'm excited to go back to the party tonight (especially as many of the other kids in my program will be there also).

Probably my favorite adventure that occurred this last week was a visit to this market that is set up every Sunday in a town next to us. It's crazy. Imagine about 3 football fields of dirt land on this corner of a street and then within those 3 football field, 2 of them completely covered with the market. What I mean by market is a LOT of tables set up with either spices, produce, clothes, electronics, hair things.. almost anything. It's incredible. The fruit is fresh (as always) and so are the vegetables. I wish we had a market like that to buy our produce from every day in the states. Anyhow, where I, and most of my friends, spend most of my time was at the clothing area. Apparently a ton of surplus clothing from the United States somehow gets shipped over here and distributed to people who sell it and this market was one location where they sell it. There's everything from underwear to jackets. It's all used.. kind of like the Salvation Army. Since it is so much colder here than any of us expected most people were on a hunt for a jacket.. some succeeded, others not so much. Either way, the experience was great. I liked just kind of wandering around and finding these great jackets from like 20 years ago back when neon colored pull-over jackets were in and those professional sport pull-over jackets were the coolest (the Miami Dolphins were a popular find at the market). I wish I took a picture to show you what it looked like but we didn't bring anything valuable because pit-pocketing is common in this market.

To give you a better idea of some of the Tunisian markets here are two pictures I took in a market in Tunis. This is a huge market and I don't know if it's always there or only comes a few times a week. I would imagine it is always there (except for maybe Saturday) but I don't really know.

This is some FRUIT! Mmmm mmm.

This is a look down a section of the market and the picture over that archway in the back is of Ben Ali, el presidente and his picture is in just about every shop that you would enter and probably a larger presence along street ads than any other type of advertisement.

This next picture is of my friend Maureen and I near the ocean. I thought it was really pretty. This was located right near where the market was. (However there was not quite the same picturesque view from the market).

In relation to food this was an interesting find while walking to my house the other day. A cow head hanging from a meat store. But actually this sight isn’t really TOO uncommon as people who sell meat do like to hang animals around. Mmmm.

This last picture is taken on the beach in my town. I can’t wait to go in the ocean and play on the beach when it’s sunny! This is a picture of Courtney, Maureen and I after a day at the market.

And lastly, this one is taken from the street over the same beach as the last one and shows a game of soccer going on… this one is kind of for my dad. Soccer is everywhere obviously.

So yeah, all in all everything is great. It’s interesting sometimes adjusting (for example, getting used to this dance class I’m taking) but I like that it can be interesting sometimes because that’s the challenge that I’m looking for on this trip. Everything is different but I’m definitely learning from it. Well actually, I take that back.. it’s more the same than different. But as hard as the differences can be I like them because it’s what makes me reflect and learn and think about things that I wouldn’t otherwise. For example, tow of my friends and I got in this huge discussion earlier today about being a woman and what that means and whether it’s more empowering or more of a burden etc. and our perspectives are just so different. I like that difference and I like how I am experiencing a different life/identity for a woman over here because otherwise I probably would not be able to reflect (or maybe think about at all) on my own.

Oh, and this is getting long but one last thing that I did. Today I went to a school for severely learning disabled children with three other students who are also interested in potentially volunteering. Tomorrow we are going to learn about another one and then decide if these are places we are interested in being involved in or not. I think I am definitely going to volunteer at one of them and that will be another completely new challenge. I am excited and I hope that I am not getting in over my head with the experience.

Okay, that was very long. I’ll end here.

Except guess what! A week from today I will be venturing down to the southern part of Tunisia! We leave on Monday and are going for a week! I get to ride a camel and see where Star Wars was filmed! (two of my tourist goals for this trip)

Much love!