Postscript It is not just Fun

Carlo, Janina and Alfonso

 "When the mouse laughs at the cat, there is a hole nearby." "Every closed eye is not sleeping and every open eye not seeing." Ubuntu African Proverbs Difficult to find 100 % fruit juice on shelvings in supermarkets, one more product considered too expensive for sale? Strange, I recall information not very long ago that the harvest of oranges creates a problem as the surplus is too big for processing. Why then does the orange juice in shops usually not contain more than 10 to 20 % of orange fruit and why isn't there a larger amount of orange marmelade

Sweet Sandy

on sale? By the way, apple juice is also rare, but at least one can find it occasionally, during Ben Ali's dictatorship this wasn't the case. Before the revolution one could sometimes hear Tunisia hasn't got chocolate. My husband wondered, why do they say this, it isn't true. I replied, try the chocolate on sale and then you will understand. This also has changed, much better quality and in addition also rather expensive high quality from Europe. Not to forget delicious sweets made by locals (e. g. Chocolat pour tout type de cérémonie, www.aucoeurduchocolat.tn).  Ordering baguette filled with salad, egg, thunfish, French fries, etc, asking not to make it hot with Harisa, this is usually ignored - either the seller didn't listen or he believes you don't know what you would be missing, hot Harisa is a must. Well, when I was younger I enjoyed it, but now it gives me heartburn (gastric pyrosis). Happened over and over again. Need to watch closely that guy  who prepares the snack, or stop eating this altogether. Limited choice of cards for special function on offer, guess it's different in Tunis, anyhow I decided to use some of my own photos and get them enlarged to postcard size. Surprise, surprise, one photo with beautiful flowers and a guy with his donkey, the cap matching the flowers, was enlarged but cut, showing only half the man. So I decided to try another photoshop. My husband showed this picture and stressed that we don't want the man with his donkey cut off. Well, someone dealing with developing and cutting of photos, decided that a photo with just flowers would be more modern and left only part of the donkey's head on the side. We returned the photos and stated that this is not what we asked for. 

It is not just Fun

 "A hunter who returns from the forest with a goat is a thief." "Not all old people are wise, some foolish young people grew old too."                                      Ubuntu African Proverbs                                                                                        Visited the cemetry for Christians near Sousse. Mainly but not only Europeans are buried there. Among them a German lady we have known for a few years. During this heat a lot of watering is required for all those beautiful flowers. The dedicated gardener does a good job. Lately his work has been more demanding, not only because of the very hot season, but also because some shameless thugs had stolen the engines of the three water pumps from the wells that are used to water the plants and for some other works. Now water has to be delivered daily in tanks. The cemetry toilet door has been forced open and the toilet bowl stolen as well. The cemetry's funds are limited, they depend on donations, their charge for maintenance is modest (20 Dinar per year), quite a few relatives/friends only appear once, say they will return, but never do. Out of sight, out of mind. Traudchen Lier, the lady from Khala Shirgha I mentioned above, used to have many folks poping in for coffee and cake or even lunch, strange, nobody apart from us visited her grave, so the gardener informed us. Very sad. Anyhow, should the dedicated management of the cemetry manage to aquire enough funds to replace the stolen items, there remains the risk of these getting stolen again, not easy. Are we heading for an elbow society? I hope not. We need more solidarity. - For a while now the household water supply is stopped from approx. 10.oo p. m. until 5.oo a.m, I guess to reduce the water consumption. Presumably it doesn't apply to hotels. Anyhow, as the pipes get flushed with some additives, the water in the morning looks milky and can not be used for anything but cleaning. Just letting the water run until it is clear again, means wasting water for 10 to 30 minutes. I hate to do this and in the evening I fill some bottles while the water is more or less okay. We avoid drinking it and try to also give mineral water to our cats. I know there are areas in Tunisia, mainly in the south, where folks would be happy to have tapped water. Quite a few cats die of kidney problems and other illnesses, like stones, that can be related to bad water. What is bad for humans is also bad for their little bodies. They come running to me expecting food, good care, pur and want to cuddle, my reward. Looking into their beautiful eyes tells me it is worth it. I shall never understand why some folks treat ferals like vermin. We need more good education, ideally starting in the kindergarten. Talking about Kindergarten (pity it is not free and available for all kids), seeing 4 very young boys riding a motorbike, doing some dangerous driving, makes me wonder whether they got their lisence there? Nobody seems to care. I once tried to speak to the father of the boy that likes to set a bad example, it doesn't worry him. In Europe I did some training how to recognize and avoid possible dangers at work, in the house and outside, which resulted in me usually seeing more than others and having difficulties to ignore. The general believe, though, is nothing happened so far, why worry. "Trust in Allah but fasten your camel well." (Proverb from Libanon (?)). 

Sandy an Obituary

 Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.          Ubuntu African Proverb.                                                                                               The 21st of August 2022 is a sad day for me as my lovely very special darling Sandy passed over the rainbow. Not long ago, in May, we celebrated her and her brother Tiger's 9th birthday. In Tunisia cats are considered old at that age, but not in Europe. The tapped water which they often drink here (if nothing worse) is of a very poor quality and certainly not good for the health of the cat's small body. We mainly gave mineral water to Sandy and her family and their blood and urine test results usually were fairly good. Anyhow, the mother Amira allowed me to be present when her 3 girls and 1 boy were born, a very special experience. One day while my husband was sleeping, Amira decided he might as well babysit for her kittens and brought one after the other all her babies next to him in bed. I noticed and had a good laugh before my husband woke up. Pity I didn't make a video or at least take photos. As Sandy got older she decided to become my special girl, love me more than any cat, tolerate my husband as much as unavoidable. At night she would pur me to sleep, cat's "la-le-by", amazing experience. She liked to crawl underneath my blanket and ly on top of me. It was wonderful having her and I feared the day it would stop. About a year ago my golden/white coloured sweetheart decided to spend more time on the terrace and some nights also. She wasn't happy with us having so many cats and told them to keep a distance. My little treasure had problems with her teeth and gum, she hated vets and medications. After 7 days at a veterinarian's she lost a lot of weight (over the phone we were told she's fine) and didn't recover. A few days back at home, in the beginning drinking a lot, eating special tinned food, at first eating well, then less and less, hardly moving and finally she passed away while I stroked her and told her I want to return at least some of the love she gave me. I shall never forget my great beautiful girl, so very special. I thank heaven for having send me this gorgeous angel. 

Postscript Life ain't Easy

 "You will never reach your destination if you throw stones at every dog that 

barks." Ubuntu African Proverb.    "Animals only look with their eyes, we humans look with madness." Wajdi Monawad.                                                 Those who won't get their cat spayed and neutered (some believe it's Haram, others can't afford the operation or prefer to spend their money on other items, e. g. cigarettes, etc), all too often think they are solving the problem of unwanted kittens by placing them in front of houses of animal friendly folks. There comes the point when we are exhausted, no longer enough money, energy, capacity and in addition not getting younger, which also means health issues, having to spend regularly more money on doctors and medicine for humans. If I neglect my health in order to save money for all those poor cats,(I already live modestly) can that be a solution? I am not the only one and keep hearing from folks engaged to protect animals that people here are so inconsiderate and selfish, they just don't care if we say, please no more, it's not possible. Very depressing, all those poor innocent souls. I better live forever more..... no time and excuse for getting old. My little darlings look at me with eyes full of trust - unless I want to clean their lovely eyes (of pus, dirt), little running noses, cute ears effected with mites (that black staff, can even destroy ears), give them their medication (may be crushed tablet mixed under soft cheese). They are so clever, if I hide a tablet in a piece of salami, they spit it out, even a tiny piece. Gorgeous little Celine, eyes wide open, no teeth yet, thus lives on "mummy milk" only, is one week with us now. Kids found her in a cardboard box among the garbage, they begged me to save her. She has white, orange and black fur, 3 colours, means she's female. Celine enjoys her kitten milk (59 Dinar - her mother had that for her for free!), but she still screams a lot. My husband wondered whether this is perhaps the reason why she was thrown outside, I tell him no, Celine screams because she misses her mother and her brothers and sisters too, normally she would cuddle with them. I try to make up for this, let her suck my fingers, but it is insufficient, poor darling. My other cats and the 3 maybe 2-3 months old kittens show only limited interest. It ain't easy. Ricardo requires a vet dentist, not very cheap as it means anesthesia as well. When all my cats are spayed and neutered there are always new unplanned arrivals, more expenditures in the future. The operation of the male is simpliar, approx. half the price of that for the female, but it all adds up. All my fur family members are fine afterwards (except for a short time on the day of the operation). When I had my first cat operated and told the vet I am not quite happy to do this to him, he replied: It is okay, he is lucky, no problems with the ladies..... (and no need to mark his area with urine, run out to chase females, endanger himself, get his face slapped if he forgets the love bite afterwards). - For unknown reasons kids in North Africa can generally decide when it's time to go to bed, (so it's after midnight) a choice usually European children haven't got, hours are fixed. Scientists say that       9-12 hrs sleep are necessary for 6-12 year old kids. Less sleep effects the brain: memory, intelligence, well being, insufficient sleep leads to less grey matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory, inhibition control and causes long term harm. In addition it is important to sleep during the normally dark hrs. In my opinion we have too much of artificial lights. We have to draw the certains so that we can sleep in a dark bedroom. There is quite a potential here to save energy. In view of the heat, more and more hot days, it would be great to have plenty of

trees planted. There is a small town in Germany where authorities decided to act on expert advice, how to cool down a town, they give away various types of suitable trees to interested citizens. Actually, I have done "my bit", I planted a tree a few years ago, it is growing well and provides shadow to pedestrians and animals. 

Life ain't Easy

 "Never worry about who will be offended if you speak the truth. 

Worry about who will be misled, deceived and destroyed if you don't." Dr. Patton. 

Being asked what I like best in Tunisia, I guess my answer came as a real surprise, it is not the lovely beach, the interesting historic buildings, the food, etc. but the cats, they are so absolutely gorgeous, though their life certainly ain't easy. I overheard a mother advising her small child not to touch a cat, "they are dirty." This is not true. They usually have a white bid, white socks and maybe a white tummy, perfectly bright white, even the so-called strays, amazing. The only exception are sick and old cats, not even all of them. Is this so unlike humans, when you are no longer young and fit, do you always manage to remain proper and neat (without support)? In the morning, while having breakfast (and at other times during the day), I wish I were an octopus.... having just 2 arms and hands to cuddle so many cats seems to be too little. At present my sweet black Diamond, 2 months old, sucks my arm. She misses her real mum and tries to relax with her vice mummy, she does this a lot. Luckily I still have a bit of Baby milk for her and the other 3 kittens (all found in front of my door, from different families). With raising prices more and more folks have problems making ends meet., this effects also feeding their pets. Some let their cat out to eat with strays at my Cats' Table, or help themselves to the croquettes I put outside. It is better than throwing out the 4 legged family member in order to save money. The street is not a place that is good for their health, in addition there are other dangers like traffic and disturbed kids and youngers throwing stones, kicking, hitting innocent animals, just for fun.... . The other day I watched a kindergarten- aged boy throwing a small stone at one of "my guests". When I told him off, 2 of his friends declared that he didn't do this and never would! They lied so convincingly , had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have been tempted to believe them, the mini Donalds..... . Is this really normal behaviour for little boys? I am shocked. - Our sweet ferals decided it's time to modernize my dress, they cut slits with their multi useful claws. That is why I won't wear silk or other more or less expensive clothes in the house. If you love cats and have many around the house you have to live with some plants suffering, our "children" don't have "green thumbs". In their opinion plants should be suitable for climbing, even though they have their tree, designed to do some scratching and claw care. Most of the day our ferals are sleeping, the most lively are of course our babies, they are little mischieves and like to play together, some times a bit rough, supposed to prepare them for cats' life demands. - It may seem surprising, but I miss my beautiful puppy babe, not quite one year old. It wasn't easy having him and 30 cats in the house and on our 2 terraces. I was hoping to find a good family for him, with a big garden, plot of land, maybe a plantation. I have been misinformed, or should I say tricked? Having been advised there is a teacher in City Riad, near Sousse, who wants Djego to protect his house, some animals and big garden, I thought he is offered a better life than I can provide for him. It was agreed that I give Djego 2 days to settle with the new family and then I visit him. Guess I was too naive, what followed was excuses why I can't see him and attempts to make me believe Djego is happy in his new surrounding. As a matter of fact it looks like my poor boy was put out on the street, I can't help crying, in this heat without shelter, water, food, walking on hot stones, streets, pavement, frightened of cars, other dogs, stray cats, disturbed kids and youngsters, bad folks, much noise - can't think of a less suitable animal out on the road. My husband tries to tell me I shouldn't worry so much, he came from the road....  I actually found him on 22.10.2021 then 2,5 months old, very close to death, bite wound on his throat (from a dog), lying on a piece of cardboard, trembling, screaming with pain. We took him to the vet Dr. Saloua Ben Fredj, (who luckily starts work early in the morning), he stayed for 5 days and I must say the veterinarian did an excellent job, Djego fully recovered but remained traumatised. Lately he had become a bit calmer, no longer reacting to all the noises of our loud neighbors. I feel depressed, but still keep a tiny bit of hope that my Djego found good folks helping him and that he will return one day. I would let him stay with me if he wants to. He didn't seem to like the small kittens, but he never injured a cat. 

See my post: "Too little progress" - for a photo of beautiful Djego and "No time to get bored" for more Info