Aslama fee Tunis

It has become a ritual for us, to arrive in a place undergoing the state of emergency measures. Still aware of the risks, but certainly more serene thanks to our Egyptian experience, it felt more worrying in terms of expectations. You may fool yourself in believing that coming from Egypt, it cannot get much worse, because our hearts also beat to a Beladi tune and it was playing loud and clear as the plane hit the ground in Tunis.

From the plane, the dark blue landscape is suddenly cut by a beige wriggly line, covered in colourful circles and the shapes of people, and behind it, a mixture of white and turquoise shapes emerging, with touches and patches of green in the distance.

A different palette from the Egyptian landscape for sure, reminding us a little of the old Constantinople.

Yet, once you enter the airport, it almost felt like home, Cairo, as the understanding of queuing and stamping a passport seems a tiresome and painstaking task for each officer to undertake swiftly.

Tunis is the destination but our new workplace and their welcome is paramount to how you will feel during the first minutes, as you touch the Tunisian soil.

One hour after, and hidden behind our life packed into 9 suitcases, we were welcomed and taken care of in such a human way, every need of ours anticipated, as people, teachers, and parents.

One unsettling feeling is the language. For the past decade, a new destination has also meant the learning of a new language, and sometimes, without even the ability to read the alphabet. In Tunis, due to the Francophone aspect, French is widely spoken by most people, which is a strange feeling to experience, outside of France.

Despite not being able to speak fluent Egyptian Arabic, it is obvious that the Tunisian Arabic is very different, in accent, pronunciation and vocabulary. I am told that Tunisians understand the Egyptian Arabic but it doesn’t work the other way around. It is a matter of preference, but to my French ears, meshi or 5alas sound sweeter than behi or oufe…

In terms of landscapes, as you stroll around in the humid heat, amongst the white houses with turquoise or yellow doors, the beautiful tiles that covers their ceilings or benches, there are very few red brick houses, with the welded wires sticking out, that remind me fondly of Cairo (as well as the police presence on the streets). 
One of the best aspects is the fact that the streets are significantly cleaner in most areas, despite but some trash on the ground in certain areas, as it was in Turkey.

And now, to the most important, the people.

A wonderful trait of North Africa are the smiles, and the more, the better. People easily smile, especially if you talk to them in a language they master. You feel welcomed, as a person but also as a parent, since family values are strongly respected, whether you are a local or not.

Obviously, in this old Roman land, besides the pillars represented by the people, the beauty of the landscape and the language aspect, we could paint an entire acropolis since women appear more Western in their dressing code, both in town and on the beach. Also the variety of daily fresh markets, filled with lovely smells and colours, and much more.

However, the artist in me is not willing to draw such an ambitious canvas yet. Leaving a place and its people entails a mourning period that is still at play.

I shall conclude by telling our friends and family that we have enough space to welcome you here, and we, the 28 degree water, as well as the beach (ten minutes from our place) are not going anywhere!

Good bye Egypt – مع السلامة

I have tried to draft this entry for a while and it always ends in a blurry screen and too much heartache to continue.

The tone and prose will probably be different, because even if I have experienced Egypt with my soul since August 2013, these last few notes come directly from the strings of my heart…

Misr…

First, THANK YOU for your children: My students.

Before our arrival, I was warned about the misogynic culture and the fact that neither my gender, age, nor my way of dressing will help me gain the respect of my students. 

For the past two years, every single day, I have seen my groups of students and it has been amazing! Some will say it is luck, others that it is hard work…

It had already happened in England, with the high school students and it has happened once again. I can honestly say that I love them and have looked after them the same way as I hope my children will be looked after by their educators.

The Egyptian best feature is definitely humour and care, because they will care for you, as long as you care for them. I am very proud of their achievements and leave with them another chip of my heart, forever. Merci à tous d’avoir été vous! Vous me manquez déjà…

Misr, the next dedication goes for the beloved “Umm” I have met here.

These Egyptian mothers have a lot to fight against daily, because it isn’t easy to be a woman, a mother and a full time worker in Egypt. I have yet to learn of their energy, their generosity, their smiles, their love. They have given me the best hugs I have received in my life, after the ones from my own mother. I will miss you my friends and I strive, daily, to become as dedicated and loving as you are.

Here in Egypt, I met a hell of a bunch of FRIENDS: Egyptian and foreign friends. Some have already left Egypt, others will leave this year or stay here whilst we move on geographically.

I want to thank you for keeping me afloat, as a person, as a teacher, as a mother and as a friend, whether we were behind a cloud of shisha smoke, running, dancing, chatting, laughing or out in the deserts.

Ya Bassem, 50 dives later, I want to thank you and your team, in Dahab, for offering me a place when I could feel safe, cared for and at peace, since those precious moments are rare in my busy life as a maman. I will miss you and recommend to anybody visiting the Gulf of Aqaba “Liquid adventures”: http://liquidadventuresdahab.com/

The final good bye, unsurprisingly goes to buddies Peggy, Autum  and Brandy.

I wish I had met you three earlier in my life…

I love you for allowing me to be how I am and still love me. I have laughed with you so much, and I love you as much as our jokes are sarcastic and inappropriate!

You are three of the most incredible women I have ever met, and this isn’t farewell, just good bye. Please NEVER change and THANK YOU for being you…

Aaaaaand a quick extra for Buddy – Putain… I know you already have a brother and he’s really awesome, but I thank you for becoming a sister to me. One can never mend a broken heart or ever fill in for someone else, but merde, you have filled my heart with much more than I thought I could feel again.

Obviously, Misr….  

Thank you for Ahmed in Samanoud, Mohamed at the blue Hole, Elisabeth in Garbage city… I will defend your name abroad and the name of your people - I will acknowledge your chaos, filth, misguided men and unsafety at times.

Yet, I will fight and defend you, like a balady, about all the beauty you have, in the smiley eyes of your generous people, in your monuments, in your history, in your variety of landscapes and in your climate. One simply does not know Egypt and its traditions unless he or she has experienced them, to have the prejudices grinded down in the sand, and find themselves forever touched by it.

Ana bahpek Misr…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ6fIN9MoQw

The straw that broke the camel's back!

Camels: their silhouette, particularly their profile but also their eyes, surrounded by those long eyelashes; also, the way they hold themselves up, their pride, and their quiet strength... I have always been the biggest fan of camels, for as long as I can remember and use to visit the zoo in my French hometown, to regularly see them.

Living next to the Sahara, you see many, of different shapes, ages, breed and body types. Last week end, as four best friends went on a diving safari, we had the pleasure to ride a camel for an hour, crossing both beaches and rocky paths. Those camels were not only carrying our weight, but also the diving equipment we needed to dive in Ras Abu Gallum, including air tanks, BCDs, wetsuits and more.

During that one hour trip, as you get increasingly anxious when stepping near the pointy rocks and the sea on your right hand side, you talk to your camel, beg him to keep on the path; I wish I could say that you pet it, but I was too busy holding on to my life with both hands. However, after a while, as we strolled, it felt incredible; it was relaxing, since the pace was similar to a regular walking pace, but the movements were very soothing.

 

This week end, thanks to friends, I had the opportunity to visit a local camel market here, near Cairo. It is with both apprehension and curiosity that we stepped into the market. As you stare at the blue sky, for once painted with white clouds, a few hundred meters from the gates, are dead camels on the roadside, that have been left to rot under the eyes of Ra. 

As you step into the souk, it is Egypt, in its full blast. There are boys, teenagers and men everywhere, in different coloured galabeyas, coming from namely Sudan and Egypt. Each carry a thick wooden stick, that they will use repeatedly, unnecessarily to perhaps symbolically beat their frustration, oppression and stress out on a camel's body. During the time we spent there, I believe that each of my heartbeat was in unison with the thump of those sticks.

Those camels, there are hundreds all around, have one leg tied up, to prevent them from running away. Along this long stretch there are many camel vendors, and when someone is interested, the auction start, Egyptian style. By the time the dust spirals back to the ground, from the attempts of a camel to run away, men have shouted, argued and agreed on a price. The fate of those camels depends, some will be butchered and eaten, others will serve purpose such as transportation, and else...

From a western point of view, where meat appears in a nice, cling filmed and neat packaging, this may seem rough; however, the truth is that this is also a meat market, and even if we do not beat our industrially farmed chicken or cows with a wooden stick, our treatment towards them is as revolting as this one.

The young boys, teens and men at the market were very interested in our presence. Some of them greeted us and welcomed us, and many of them were very keen on being photographed. Harassment is always lurking in the corners, however one learns to appreciate when it is only in the shape of looks and a couple of words, to which you can respond in Arabic. Some of those men had very gentle eyes, and as always, the Egyptian featured smile, which is always beautiful.

And then a magical thing happened - I found my camel. He was standing amongst others, but he looked so peaceful, in the midst of the dusty chaos surrounding us. I have written in my mind a very optimistic future for him, I would have named him Mohamed to keep up the originality streak.

The most striking feeling, as you exit the market, wiping away the dust, the few inappropriate comments and your western upbringing regarding meat, was that this place is a true depiction of Egypt - messy, dusty, hot, sometimes scary, yet interesting, puzzling and that will make you reflect forever...