The Good, the Bad & those In-Between

 Father:"My son, if you ever manage to be the only one in the the class who can answer one of your teacher's question, I'll buy you a new football." A couple of days later: "Daddy, the teacher asked, why the light isn't working and I knew the answer." Father: " Good, this concerns physics, what did you say?" Son: "I smashed the light bulb." - The other day folks (mainly elderly) met and prayed for rain, badly needed for the crops and water supply. It did actually rain that day, but very very little in Souse, in Kairouan more, but in addition there was hail and storm. The extreme weather everywhere this year one can see as an answer to people who believe, like Trump, that money is more valuable than nature and scientific knowledge reference the effects on the climate can be ignored. There is so much pollution in the air, soil and water that should and could be reduced, but we have too many short-sighted young and not so young folks who just don't care (live fast, die young). Anyhow, surprise, surprise, it rained again the next and the following day. Seems like if good citizens pray for rain, they'll get rewarded! - The effects of negligence on children can be studied in this part of Souse. The kids don't know how to play (apart from football according to their own, local rules, or sometimes game at marble), their games are full of aggression, hitting, kicking, throwing stones, running and yelling, boys and girls alike, a nightmare when they gang together, no respect for anyone. As one man from the neighbourhood put it: "Good parents have good children. Then there are those with bad parents who don't care, don't educate their kids, these children can not be blamed for the way they are."  Several persons stressed they won't allow their children to mix with those who roam the streets. I can understand if one sometimes feels tempted to beat the little and not so little hooligans (though violence can never be the solution, it only makes more aggressive), if this happens suddenly the father/mother or both appear, furious, may be even ready to start a fight because of their for ever innocent angels. A sample of a good mother, Gloria, my gorgeous "street cat", when an orphan kitten asked her for milk, she laid down and allowed the little one to drink. She is so lovely, gentle, respects and trusts me. Lately some big expensive cars passed my house, driving slowly, the men, women and children apparently enjoyed watching these beautiful peaceful cats in front of my house. One man told me: "Now that you feed the cats here, they have changed, they are contend and relaxed." The only problem remaining are these neglected kids that still try to get rid of their frustrations by throwing stones at cats (even those hiding beneath cars), my house, me. I guess what their parents teach them is, if you feel envy, there is a simple solution, you have the power to ensure that certain persons can't enjoy whatever they possess. Do I need to stress, I never show off, don't wear expensive jewellery, usually no handbag, no mobile phone when I go out on the street (in case of an emergency immediate help is highly unlikely, unless by decent people who happen to notice this)? How can kids who grew up without love, were never taught basic values (unless at school, before it's too late?) become good wives/husbands/ parents? Some call them "the lost generation".  When I say, with their life style they won't get old, I often hear: Just as well. What a horrible thought.  Information from the radio, parents complained their poor kids have nowhere to sit at school during their break, when they leave the building. Are they that old and fragile that they most urgently need to sit down again? Perhaps there should be some settees in the school yard , so these poor students can relax and maybe sleep a bit? When I attended school there were also no benches etc., supposed to be better for the body and brain not to constantly sit down. Maybe this is too much for those kids who travel to school by taxi. When I was young I walked 5 km to grammar school because I wanted to save the bus fare for paperbacks. I just loved literature (still do!) and discovered at a very young age writers like James Baldwin, Ernest Hemingway, Arthur Miller, etc.  - Mainly elderly folks, educated, good manners, several religious (not fanatics) give me hope, they represent the good Tunisia, its beauty. One thing one can learn here, the importance of education. Unfortunately it is impossible to force parents to love their offspring, but perhaps one can make them understand what they are doing to their kids. Let us educate the ignorant, Tunisia is beautiful, don't allow them to spoil this. We have laws/regulations to achieve clean streets  etc., the fines for offenders are  high - catch a few and the word will spread. Maybe no more chewing gum, cigarette packets and other wrappings on my pavement in future and a  clean area along school buildings, etc. I look forward to that. The ladies living in houses overlooking places with rubbish containers (several cleaning up daily, a bit like fighting windmills) will also very much appreciate this.

My lovely big Cats' Family

Children:"Why  do you like cats?" My reply: "I like all animals." "But why cats in particular?" "Because I discovered that they are poor and suffer a lot here." I of course can't help all animals. I would love to buy a piece of land and use it as a big garden/park/farm for animals in need of support, unfortunately this I cannot afford. The so-called stray cats are amazing, so beautiful, expensive breeds among them. Where do they come from? Left behind when some folks left this country? One big fluffy Persian cat, we believed to be male, difficult to see the difference with all that long hair. Anyhow, she enjoyed me brushing her (appeared no one else did), nevertheless I wondered why she spend so much time in front of my house, wanting to move in with me, though her owners in the neighbourhood are well-off. One day, when she was really persistent, I let her sleep in a small corridor. The next morning I was surprised to see she had given birth to 2 baby kittens, one dead, one alive. She seemed to be weak, I regretted that I hadn't understood before that she really needed help. Anyhow, hours later I was shocked to find both the mother and the other kitten dead. When we informed the owners, well their reaction was not what I expected, they just couldn't care less: "She was already old (11 years approx.) and has had many kittens." Not interested in burying the cats either, suited them the cats died in my house.- Two years ago I discovered a Siamese colour-point cat (blue eyes, light fur with all the markings as described in literature) near the rubbish dump, supposed to be one of the most expensive cats in the world and rare, also known as Royal Cat of Siam, that once upon a time no one but the king and members of the royal family were permitted to own. A day later 2 young men knocked at our door, enquiring about this cat, stating they are the owners and that they heard the cat would be with us. This was not the case and I didn't see the Siamese cat again until one year later, just briefly and then not until lately, when a couple of children asked me for food for their (?) cat. Strange, if you are the owner of such an exclusive cat yet have no money for food. I regret I never took the the phone number of the previously mentioned young men. Any how, the other day these young boys offered the Siamese cat to me for 30 Dinar, then going down to 5. I discovered the little darling is in a poor shape, almost skinny, a strip of fur missing, from between the ears further down the back and another such marking around the neck and little wounds. I declared she is very sick, not at all well kept and I'll need my money to take her to the vet. Depending on what the vet says I may pay the 5 Dinar, though I wonder where they picked up the poor little honey and hope I can find a good family for her. I named her "Madonna", she is intelligent, likes to cuddle and be the "only child", doesn't like other cats, just needs someone who really cares for her. How old Madonna is I can not say and I regret I can't keep her. She is so lovely and deserves to live in a good family, where she is appreciated. I am going to get my vet to check her state of health, age and may be she can help me find suitable people to give her a good home. - Among the cats that live with us are 2 Persian cats (Saladin & Amir) as well as a Chinchilla cat (Cinderella) and more beauties. When lovely gentle Saladin looks at me with his big eyes, I wonder what he is thinking. Cinderella has blue eyes and always seems to be happy and willing to cuddle. Tariqqa, a quiet sweet lady cat, has only one eye, nevertheless she can really scrutinise you that's why I gave her that name, meaning conqueror. Tomcat Tiger is a gentleman, whenever I give him food and another cat wants it, he stands back, letting her/him have it. The other day one of our cats knocked at the kitchen door and Bijou opened the door from inside. Pity I haven't caught this on video. It was so funny. - Gloria, the most gorgeous cat I've ever seen, I've been feeding for some time and one day I discovered a little kitten looking 95% like her, yet Gloria's reaction left me uncertain whether she is the Mum or not. Then I saw Gloria with 2 kittens that almost got squashed by the wheels of a car, unnoticed by the driver, I managed to save them just in time and took them indoors, together with the kitten that resembles Gloria so much. A couple of weeks later I found a tiny black baby cat in front of my entrance door and added it to the little family. It worked well, Gloria gives milk to all of them. She completely trusts me. I am allowed to pick her and any of her babies up, no protest, I am allowed to baby-sit for her, when she wants to go for a walk. - Cats hate getting their eyes, nose or ears treated, cleaned. Some accept it more than others, that is talking about my in-door mates. Surprise, surprise, a big tomcat with golden coloured fur, a so-called "stray cat", my little sunshine, seems to be specially detached to me and likes to accompany we when I go shopping, I named him Habibi, allowed me today to clean his nose and hears, just like that, wow. - While some cats don't like kittens of other cats (competition concerning limited food supply),  my great black ladies, Lilly and Felicitas, welcome all. Amazing how fast kittens often secure their food and if there is more than one piece of food put one leg over it, "all mine." Cats are great let's appreciate, protect and save them. Pity several children here have a disturbed relationship with cats (letting them suffer in an attempt to get rid of their frustation as neglected kids) and not surprising most cats run away when children approach them. How cats react to me is a real surprise from many: "Never seen anything like it before."

Postcript Life never gets Boring

Should there ever be an Olympic competition in queue jumping, Tunisian would obtain all medals. Sometimes I wonder in which jungle various folks grew up. Strange, I never encountered such rude manners before - not for decades. I think it's important to complain and make these elbow folks feel embarrassed. In the neighborhood

a small supermarket owner watched a man pulling a woman by her arm aside so that he can be first at the counter. When the shop owner asked him, what are you doing, the guy replied: "I'm in a hurry." This is a standard "excuse" for this type of people. It appears they don't even have the time to say: "Excuse me, would you allow me to be served first..... " With so many unemployed, why are all these folks in a hurry? To get to the cafe? Would they have the time  to work should a job be offered to them? Time management and planning abilities are frequently underdeveloped , this I noted over and over again here. Anyhow, the shopkeeper's further reaction: "You better go to the market, I will not serve You". Fantastic, wow, more of this please! It is such a shame most of the time crude behaviour appears to be acceptable nowadays, they manage to get serviced first, nobody says anything. They have no reason to change, success makes you stronger - do we want an elbow society? - For unknown reasons the postal service doesn't function well. Several letters and parcels from and to Germany and England over and over again don't arrive, and those that do often take much longer than in the past. The local postman is not the problem, I am sure. He knows us and appears to be quite reliable. We've complained to the postal headquarters in Tunis and of course never received a reply. This is normal here, since they didn't ask us to write to them, why waste time and money on a reply? In Europe authorities and other folks working in an admin section have on the computer a program with elements that only need to be put together as appropriate in order to print e.g. a reply in no time, then just add the name and address of the recipient. This is obviously considered a luxury in Tunisia, what you don't know you won't miss. Any how, I hope my bog makes some persons think. Thank you if you do, it would mean that all my academic education and efforts are not wasted here. Let us all try to make Tunisia great and enjoy the beauty.

Life never gets Boring

In a factory with various machines one man runs from machine to machine as he is the sol employee there and then there is the administration building with 100 members of staff. One day a letter arrives stating staff expenditures are too high, one person needs to be dismissed; so they wonder: do we still need that man in the factory? - Bureaucracy is highly developed with lots of fantasy, surprises - as in many other countries. Tunisia is fighting against corruption, which often leads to not the most suitable person being the successful applicant but whoever managed one way or another to pay to be chosen, as the "most qualified applicant". Several procedures don't seem to be very logical and could surely be simplified. Such changes take time but they are worth it! A work-study-engineer could have an interesting job here. - The other day a young lady asked me how are you, when I honestly replied that I am sick, her reaction was a real surprise - she looked so happy. Why did I bother to buy removal-cardboard boxes full of toys for children I don't even know, when I can make this kids happy by simply falling sick? No, it's not fair, though I got the same reaction by a young man (my little test), the children are not all like that, thank heaven. But the experience showed what I noticed at other occasions, some folks don't like foreigners, may be even blame them for their own misfortune. I've got a fair idea what is said about Europeans (if you've been abroad for long enough, you are seen as such, not as a Tunisian) in some ignorant families. Foreigners as scape-goats, nothing new, this stupidity  exists in just about every country. - The other day we travelled via mini-bus (a kind of collective taxi for 8 passengers) to Kairouan, though we regard buses as the better choice, safer drive, but  the departure times are uncertain with large crowds waiting. At the counter various persons try to be served first in particular those who just arrived, women and men alike. In Kairouan, travelling back, my husband had to queue up for nearly an hour. I went outside and waited in the yard/ parking area for the mini-buses. Twice young women appeared, briefly entered the building and returned with tickets in no-time, no queueing-up, must be very important persons (?). Some times a driver offers to take passengers without tickets, which he either buys himself, or not. Without tickets there is no insurance and it's not fair to jump the queues. The guy who arranges the procedure of getting the right passengers on the right buses and ensures tickets are properly bought, suddenly turned up and said the first eight at the counter can board a bus to Souse, he'll get the tickets. My husband was meanwhile second in the queue  and we hurried to the bus with a group of other folks, who wouldn't think twice about pushing us aside. We had to complain in order to obtain the last 2 seats on the bus. A young woman thought we "as Europeans" were given priority, which actually she should have, young and fit, with elbows, I guess she would be very happy to learn that we have kids in the neighbourhood throwing stones......The vast majority of the population in Tunisia is very young. If you are confronted with those who lack education, basic manners, respect, life can be very tough should you happen to be a gentle polite person and you better not be old and fragile - unless you've got a "body-guard".  Much needs to be done to make Tunisia great, it is possible, step by step. I think it's important to speak up, educate the ignorant and explain over and over again the importance of tourists, some times elderly, not to be less respected as they may well choose to spend their money in another country the next time, and last not least, how much expats have done for this country and are still doing. They don't deserve to be made unwelcome, be confronted with envy and stones! - Another item that needs to be tackled are those thieves on motorbikes who specialise in handbag snatching, quite professional, as I know from my own experience. I didn't even feel the touch when the 2. guy on the bike removed the handbag off my shoulder, the strap tore,  suddenly the weight of the bag was gone. I know of several persons who have been robbed like that in Jawhara, e.g. a hairdresser, a baker, a shop employee, an elderly couple, a housewife, a tailor - all with little income and no hope to ever have the stolen items returned to them. In Germany the thieves at least throw the papers and keys into a letter box so that these can be given back to the owner. No such luck here. Often folks don't even report the theft to the police "who won't be able to help". I think that is totally wrong, without the accurate statistic the police can not know where the hot spots are, nor the extend of the problem. If they do, though, then hopefully appropriate measures are taken to trace the gang. By the way, one victim was so chocked: "They were kids on a motorbike". - A taxi driver complained, in this neighbourhood you can not park a car without it getting damaged, parts broken off, it's terrible. Not everybody has got a garage and the profit is not such that one can easily pay for that. Yes, some of these street children   proudly damage whatever they can. Unfortunately they have no feeling of wrong doing, these neglected kids from ignorant families. I pray for a project with social workers to get them off the street and teach them basic values to start off with; there is so much they need to learn so that they have a chance in life without violating the laws. Tunisia can be beautiful, it won't be if we let the ignorant create an elbow society.