that Tunisian police don't read maps very well and their instructions usually consist of pointing somewhere and saying, "direct." After a lot of stopping, asking, and retracing our steps, we finally arrived at Korbous, renown for its waters used to treat arthritis, rheumatism, cellulite, and hypertension. Abdelwahb elected to stroll along the beach with his daughters and encouraged me and Mariza to get a spa treatment. The shortest treatment was 1.5 hours, which I later discovered was the minimum amount of time one must wait before being served. But I made the best of my time: while sitting around wrapped in nothing but a towel, I got to know some of the other ladies waiting for mud baths and salt water soaks. I was told time, and time again, "we like Americans, but we don't like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, or Condi." It's a real challenge to discuss U.S. foreign policy in Arabic clad only in a towel. The lesson: do not gesture broadly. The experience was a good language practicum and the bath and massage were great, even if I had no privacy. I'm used to the dogs walking in when I'm sitting in the tub, but I wasn't quite sure of what to say to the stream of Tunisian women who passed through while I was soaking.
Following Korbous, we moved northward to Al Haouaria, the northernmost point of Tunisia (Sicily is only 90 miles away), and the quarry for the stones for most of Tunisia's Roman ruins. The fish story continues here. For dinner, we had the option of fish, fish, fish, or lobster. We opted to share the ugliest 7-pound fish I've ever seen. While we waited for the fish to cook, we munched on appetizers of fish and other seafood. Abdelwahab's 3-year-old daughter took a liking to anchovies and when she could not remember them by name, nicknamed them in Arabic, "salty." I peeled & beheaded shrimp for his other daughter, who wanted to eat, but not touch them. The 2 little girls were a source of amusement throughout the day, shrieking "wee" as we navigated mountain roads, and stunning their father by wandering into the men's room (empty fortunately) and then querying him on the presence of urinals. Our 4-hour day trip, because of the circuitous route, turned into a 12-hour day, but a great experience.
The following morning, we hit the road early to drive to Sfax. I wanted to return to purchase more rugs and Mariza's guide book described the Medina, the old city and market, as the most historically intact in Tunisia. In addition to touring the Medina under the guidance of one of my instructors, a Sfax native and former tour guide, we spent most of our time with his in-laws watching the "Star Academy" finals, a Arabic cross between Star Search and American idol, and eating fish. In two days, I had grilled fish, fried fish, stewed fish, fish soup, and fish with couscous. The biggest fish was shark and the smallest was some funny-sounding thing about the size of a sardine. It wasn't bad, but I'm really looking forward to a hunk of Nebraskan corn-fed beef. (Cooking Hint: Fish cooked in the Sfax style is seasoned heavily with cumin. The next time you grill fish, try rubbing it with a little cumin, hot sauce, and olive oil before grilling.) Highpoints of this stop were the kids. I spent Christmas with the family and took some gifts for all the kids on this trip. My teacher's 5-year old immediately changed the clothes on the Barbie I gave here. His nephew, was not too thrilled with the Hot Wheels Monster Slime Racer until his sisters came home and he discovered they were afraid of the slime. His 1-year old son enjoyed his truck while we enjoyed him: with only 6 teeth, he can eat a whole olive and spit out the pit, and although his Arabic is still limited, he can sing in English, "We will, we will, rock you!"
From Sfax, we rode the ferry to the Kerkennah Islands, 20 miles off the coast of Tunisia and the site where Hannibal and former Tunisian President Bourguiba were exiled during turbulent times. The Kerkennahs consist of a series of sleepy fishing villages and the main attraction are the schools of dolphins between the islands and the mainland. Alas, we did not see any dolphins but we can confirm that the people of Kerkennah are among the nicest people in Tunisia. In our search for one of the restaurants listed in the guidebook, we stopped and asked for directions a half-dozen times and each person we met invited us to lunch.
Sunday, May 09, 2004
1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
A Dr. Seuss title seems an odd way to begin this tome, but fish played a large part of my life recently and various events made me wonder if I was in the middle of some fantasy story for children.
Following a grueling progress test in Arabic (one of my reading articles was on sports, something I barely comprehend in English) and a terrifying (both the experience and the result) interview in Arabic on the local popular radio station, I was ready for spring break. Mariza, my belly dance teacher from Washington, was coming for a 2-week visit and I thought we would have a relaxing time together as I recharged my batteries for the final few months of school and the final exam. I thought wrong. Mariza and I were on the move for the entire week I had off, and even when I returned to class, we remained busy in the evenings. We attended the local craft fair which, with over 600 exhibitors exhausted even a professional shopper like me. I made some good buys and discovered that my favorite jewelry designer, whose wares I've purchased in cities across the country, has a shop carrying the entire line located just down the street from me. Proof that Murphy's Law is international! We traveled to Dougga, site of the most complete Roman ruins and to Binzerte (my 2nd trip) for a pleasant lunch along the shore. My fish tale actually begins in Binzerte. I ordered the sole because it was one of the few fish that I actually enjoy and it somehow seemed wrong to dine on anything else while watching the fishing boats come in. After we visited the oceanographic museum in Binzerte and saw various species of fish preserved in formaldehyde, I planned on eating poultry for the rest of the week. What is it they say about the best laid plans???
Wednesday morning, Abdelwahab, one of my instructors proposed a trip to towns in northern Tunisia. We agreed to go because he suggested places I had not yet visited and I thought he was trying to get back into my good graces after forcing me to do the previously mentioned interview with Radio Mosaique. Mariza, Abdelwahad, his 2 daughters, and I set out for what became the scenic route to Korbous and Al Haouaria. Scenic because despite several visits to the sites, Abdelwahab could not remember precisely how to get to them. I've discovered 
that Tunisian police don't read maps very well and their instructions usually consist of pointing somewhere and saying, "direct." After a lot of stopping, asking, and retracing our steps, we finally arrived at Korbous, renown for its waters used to treat arthritis, rheumatism, cellulite, and hypertension. Abdelwahb elected to stroll along the beach with his daughters and encouraged me and Mariza to get a spa treatment. The shortest treatment was 1.5 hours, which I later discovered was the minimum amount of time one must wait before being served. But I made the best of my time: while sitting around wrapped in nothing but a towel, I got to know some of the other ladies waiting for mud baths and salt water soaks. I was told time, and time again, "we like Americans, but we don't like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, or Condi." It's a real challenge to discuss U.S. foreign policy in Arabic clad only in a towel. The lesson: do not gesture broadly. The experience was a good language practicum and the bath and massage were great, even if I had no privacy. I'm used to the dogs walking in when I'm sitting in the tub, but I wasn't quite sure of what to say to the stream of Tunisian women who passed through while I was soaking.
Following Korbous, we moved northward to Al Haouaria, the northernmost point of Tunisia (Sicily is only 90 miles away), and the quarry for the stones for most of Tunisia's Roman ruins. The fish story continues here. For dinner, we had the option of fish, fish, fish, or lobster. We opted to share the ugliest 7-pound fish I've ever seen. While we waited for the fish to cook, we munched on appetizers of fish and other seafood. Abdelwahab's 3-year-old daughter took a liking to anchovies and when she could not remember them by name, nicknamed them in Arabic, "salty." I peeled & beheaded shrimp for his other daughter, who wanted to eat, but not touch them. The 2 little girls were a source of amusement throughout the day, shrieking "wee" as we navigated mountain roads, and stunning their father by wandering into the men's room (empty fortunately) and then querying him on the presence of urinals. Our 4-hour day trip, because of the circuitous route, turned into a 12-hour day, but a great experience.
The following morning, we hit the road early to drive to Sfax. I wanted to return to purchase more rugs and Mariza's guide book described the Medina, the old city and market, as the most historically intact in Tunisia. In addition to touring the Medina under the guidance of one of my instructors, a Sfax native and former tour guide, we spent most of our time with his in-laws watching the "Star Academy" finals, a Arabic cross between Star Search and American idol, and eating fish. In two days, I had grilled fish, fried fish, stewed fish, fish soup, and fish with couscous. The biggest fish was shark and the smallest was some funny-sounding thing about the size of a sardine. It wasn't bad, but I'm really looking forward to a hunk of Nebraskan corn-fed beef. (Cooking Hint: Fish cooked in the Sfax style is seasoned heavily with cumin. The next time you grill fish, try rubbing it with a little cumin, hot sauce, and olive oil before grilling.) Highpoints of this stop were the kids. I spent Christmas with the family and took some gifts for all the kids on this trip. My teacher's 5-year old immediately changed the clothes on the Barbie I gave here. His nephew, was not too thrilled with the Hot Wheels Monster Slime Racer until his sisters came home and he discovered they were afraid of the slime. His 1-year old son enjoyed his truck while we enjoyed him: with only 6 teeth, he can eat a whole olive and spit out the pit, and although his Arabic is still limited, he can sing in English, "We will, we will, rock you!"
From Sfax, we rode the ferry to the Kerkennah Islands, 20 miles off the coast of Tunisia and the site where Hannibal and former Tunisian President Bourguiba were exiled during turbulent times. The Kerkennahs consist of a series of sleepy fishing villages and the main attraction are the schools of dolphins between the islands and the mainland. Alas, we did not see any dolphins but we can confirm that the people of Kerkennah are among the nicest people in Tunisia. In our search for one of the restaurants listed in the guidebook, we stopped and asked for directions a half-dozen times and each person we met invited us to lunch.
that Tunisian police don't read maps very well and their instructions usually consist of pointing somewhere and saying, "direct." After a lot of stopping, asking, and retracing our steps, we finally arrived at Korbous, renown for its waters used to treat arthritis, rheumatism, cellulite, and hypertension. Abdelwahb elected to stroll along the beach with his daughters and encouraged me and Mariza to get a spa treatment. The shortest treatment was 1.5 hours, which I later discovered was the minimum amount of time one must wait before being served. But I made the best of my time: while sitting around wrapped in nothing but a towel, I got to know some of the other ladies waiting for mud baths and salt water soaks. I was told time, and time again, "we like Americans, but we don't like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, or Condi." It's a real challenge to discuss U.S. foreign policy in Arabic clad only in a towel. The lesson: do not gesture broadly. The experience was a good language practicum and the bath and massage were great, even if I had no privacy. I'm used to the dogs walking in when I'm sitting in the tub, but I wasn't quite sure of what to say to the stream of Tunisian women who passed through while I was soaking.
Following Korbous, we moved northward to Al Haouaria, the northernmost point of Tunisia (Sicily is only 90 miles away), and the quarry for the stones for most of Tunisia's Roman ruins. The fish story continues here. For dinner, we had the option of fish, fish, fish, or lobster. We opted to share the ugliest 7-pound fish I've ever seen. While we waited for the fish to cook, we munched on appetizers of fish and other seafood. Abdelwahab's 3-year-old daughter took a liking to anchovies and when she could not remember them by name, nicknamed them in Arabic, "salty." I peeled & beheaded shrimp for his other daughter, who wanted to eat, but not touch them. The 2 little girls were a source of amusement throughout the day, shrieking "wee" as we navigated mountain roads, and stunning their father by wandering into the men's room (empty fortunately) and then querying him on the presence of urinals. Our 4-hour day trip, because of the circuitous route, turned into a 12-hour day, but a great experience.
The following morning, we hit the road early to drive to Sfax. I wanted to return to purchase more rugs and Mariza's guide book described the Medina, the old city and market, as the most historically intact in Tunisia. In addition to touring the Medina under the guidance of one of my instructors, a Sfax native and former tour guide, we spent most of our time with his in-laws watching the "Star Academy" finals, a Arabic cross between Star Search and American idol, and eating fish. In two days, I had grilled fish, fried fish, stewed fish, fish soup, and fish with couscous. The biggest fish was shark and the smallest was some funny-sounding thing about the size of a sardine. It wasn't bad, but I'm really looking forward to a hunk of Nebraskan corn-fed beef. (Cooking Hint: Fish cooked in the Sfax style is seasoned heavily with cumin. The next time you grill fish, try rubbing it with a little cumin, hot sauce, and olive oil before grilling.) Highpoints of this stop were the kids. I spent Christmas with the family and took some gifts for all the kids on this trip. My teacher's 5-year old immediately changed the clothes on the Barbie I gave here. His nephew, was not too thrilled with the Hot Wheels Monster Slime Racer until his sisters came home and he discovered they were afraid of the slime. His 1-year old son enjoyed his truck while we enjoyed him: with only 6 teeth, he can eat a whole olive and spit out the pit, and although his Arabic is still limited, he can sing in English, "We will, we will, rock you!"
From Sfax, we rode the ferry to the Kerkennah Islands, 20 miles off the coast of Tunisia and the site where Hannibal and former Tunisian President Bourguiba were exiled during turbulent times. The Kerkennahs consist of a series of sleepy fishing villages and the main attraction are the schools of dolphins between the islands and the mainland. Alas, we did not see any dolphins but we can confirm that the people of Kerkennah are among the nicest people in Tunisia. In our search for one of the restaurants listed in the guidebook, we stopped and asked for directions a half-dozen times and each person we met invited us to lunch.
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