Postscript Trying to Think Positive

 "You know, some people say life is short and you could get hit by a bus at any moment and that you have to live each day, like it's your last. Bullshit, Life is long. You're probably not gonna get hit by a bus. And you're gonna have to live with the choices you make for the next 50 years. " Paul Auster  Two men talking: " I don't like to do this, but I have to warn you. It seems your wife is unfaithful to you." " My wife? Never, what makes you think that? " " I overheard her say: "My sweetheart, I love you so much, you are the apple of my eye. You are so beautiful, you are heaven sent, couldn't live without you, my sweet gentle habibi....." I know you weren't even in town. "  " Did she use a name? " " Well yes, Malek. " Relieved laughter: "She was talking to our cat. He loves to cuddle with me and my wife, it's so relaxing." If you want to judge you need the full picture. At present lots of unwanted cat babies - unwanted by humans, not their mothers, are getting kicked out again, in a cardboard box, a plastic bag in garbage containers or in front of various houses. It is not unfashionable to keep a cat, preferably an expensive exotic breed, but most folks don't want to pay for vets, etc. thus sick cats, also real beauties, are put out on the street.... Getting the cat spayed and neutered they call Haram, while killing the babies, one way or the other, seems to be "okay". I call it brutal, criminal. By the way, not all you see outside are strays, some may have just run out of a house, intending to return after a short while. Before you take them, inquire whether they have an owner. From time to time I lost cats that way, or should I say they were stolen? Jasmina who decided one day to live with her baby, Sunny, behind my barrier, was still feeding her milk to her golden coloured kitten, when someone took her little one. I can only hope the kitten hasn't become the toy of an ignorant child and will be dumped in the trash when no longer of any interest... I am afraid I had a lot of bad experience. More than once I even viewed a child, still or no longer wearing pampers, attempting to hit a peaceful cat. Wouldn't it be more natural for a child to stroke a cat? Guess it depends on where you live...... According to a study by the Institude of Competitiveness and Qualitative studies, Tunisia is far behind its competitors in the EU market. "Bloated administration and insufficient public operations constitude powerful brakes on investment and development of competitive industry." A lot needs to be done, I have frequently been surprised by "strange demands" in the administration section, complicating what can be simplified. I often wondered how uneducated folks cope. What happened to that brilliant North African smile that can knock you off the feet? Nowadays I view people walking with their head down, are they searching for the lost big smile? Generally speaking the citizens are better off than in the past, when many lived very modestly, an egg maybe once a week, no car, proud to possess a bike, of course no mobile phone, many without TV, flea market selling rather low quality clothes, cats on the street skinny, etc, unless I am mistaken less theft. Not enough jobs, various young women who found employment increase their income by stealing, so do tradesmen as I know from own experience. Most cases are not reported to the police, "waste of time". Wrong attitude, how can the police know the extend of crime if only a small percentage gets recorded? Tunisia-Ahmed Sassi study of 1250 folks 18 to 29 year old, concerning the mental health of young people and riks of behaviour, brought to light that most young people suffer from anxiety. The majority wishes to be treated but cannot find specialized institutions. High unemployment and rising prices doesn't help. Lots of jobs could be created, in particular in the field of education, environmental protection. While everybody seems to be grumbling about expensive petrol, there is no end to this stupid custom to keep the car or motorbike engine run idle during discussions on the street, a bit of shopping, etc. It stinks and pollutes the air. Driving schools should teach their clients how to switch the engine on and off (I wonder whether these guys fear they can't handle that....) and the health risks created by exhaust gas. 

In Europe some let their vehicle engine run idle because of freezing temperatures, in Tunisia you encounter the same behaviour with 40 or          more degrees C. Wonder why? Nothing is impossible here and bad customs die hard!