Blog - Page 109 of 131 - Off-Campus Study

Term Break Part 2

Creation is pretty great, isn't it?! I couldn't even fit the whole waterfall into the photo! — Creation is pretty great, isn’t it?! I couldn’t even fit the whole waterfall into the photo!

This was the DoC hut we stayed in for the night

During the second half of term break, we were set to tramp one of New Zealand’s 9 Great Walks, but due to considerable avalanche risk in the middle of the track, we were only able to hike a portion of the track. It was pretty cloudy most of the track, but I think that added all the more to the wonder and sublimity the walk. It was like walking through a movie. About two hours into the track, we came upon one of the most incredible views I’ve ever witnessed: a cliff, a couple hundred meters tall with water rushing down into a pond below. I only wish pictures could do it justice. We stood in awe of this impeccable piece of creation for a moment before continuing on. There definitely was no doubt as to why this was considered one of New Zealand’s Great Walks. It took just over four hours to reach our DoC hut where we would spend the night. Legs sore from the long hike, we quickly ate our PB&J before heading straight for our beds. When the rain wasn’t letting up the next morning, we decided to head back out anyways. After some rushing stream leaping, thunder and lightning, running, and three ours of tramping, we made it back to the car park. We were soaking wet, cold, and exhausted, but we had just witnessed some of New Zealand’s wonders and made it out mostly in one piece, so we were contented. We left in perfect time for Dunedin as the road closed shortly after due to considerable avalanche and tree falling risk.

Drenched, but I made it out in mostly one piece

Tunnel Beach – probably a favorite of mine!

Spring colors made for a really beautiful walk through the botanical gardens

Dunedin is New Zealand’s university town so the streets were lively and coffee shops were every ten feet. Our first day in Dunedin was spent taking a scenic drive to Nugget Point for some more amazing views before spending the afternoon in the Botanical Gardens for a walk and nap amongst the spring blooms. Day 2 consisted of a drive around the Otago Peninsula in search of some penguins and albatross but had no such luck. We did take a walk through the sand up to Sandymount for some panoramic views though. The walk continued through sheep pastures to The Chasm and Lover’s Leap. We ended the day at my favorite place on the entire trip: Tunnel Beach. If you want to realize just how small you are in this big world, go to Tunnel Beach and stand on top of the cliff and have someone take your photo from below. Sometimes I can’t help but imagine how much fun God probably had in creating such wonders. New Zealand definitely must have been a favorite of His.

The most photographed railway station..I can imagine why!

Moeraki Boulders...really awesome geologic formations for the geology nerds out there! — Moeraki Boulders…really awesome geologic formations for the geology nerds out there!

In New Zealand we have penguin crossing signs instead of deer.

On our final day in Dunedin, we took a walk up the steepest street in the world, killing our calves even more, before heading north toward Christchurch. We made stops along the way, visiting the Moeraki boulders (a really cool geologic formation) and an old Victorian town. We spent the night in a small town at a friend’s mom’s farm. We fed baby lambs, watched the sunset, got our cute dog fill, and ate a real meal that did not involve peanut butter or jelly. We also visited her work the next morning to get a sneak peak at the milking industry. Aside from the cow dung that ended up all over my clothes, it was a pretty neat experience. We concluded our journey in Christchurch where we caught a bus back to Kaikoura.

It was pretty great visiting the milking farms in New Zealand

By the end of the trip, my wallet was empty but my heart was so full. I experienced so many of New Zealand’s natural wonders, grew in fellowship with four wonderful women of Christ, and ate my weight in PB&J. Thanks for memories this week, New Zealand.

Term Break Part 1

This past week students had the opportunity to travel for a week and explore more of the South Pacific. Some students went to the North Island and others, like myself, remained on the South Island. We saw and experienced so many incredible things in our week of travel, so I’m going to break my trip up into two blogs. In the first half of our trip, we stopped in Christchurch, Tekapo, Wanaka, and Queenstown.

Absolutely beautiful sunset over Lake Tekapo

Setting up camp in the dark at Lake Tekapo

At the start of our trip, we had 8 girls and all their backpacks packed into an 8-seat mini van…it was quite the start to the trip! Once we managed by some miracle to pack into the van, we headed south toward Lake Tekapo. It never stopped raining the entire ride until we were about five minutes from the lake when the clouds broke and we were able to view an immaculate sunset over the lake. We stargazed on the beach before heading to the tent for the night. Little did we know the night we were about to have. At about 2 am, the gusting winds came, folding our tent nearly in half. At about 5am, the addition of down pouring rain came. None of us slept that night nor did any of us leave that tent dry. It’s a good thing coffee is a fix-all.

After leaving Lake Tekapo, we headed for another well know lake in New Zealand, Lake Wanaka. We spent our afternoon in Wanaka taking pictures on the beach, walking to see the infamous Wanaka tree, swinging on swings, doing cartwheels in the grass, hugging abnormally large trees, and eating the “student on a budget” diet of PB&J. Once our hearts and stomachs were full, we headed further south for Queenstown.

It took 7 of us to wrap around the whole tree!

You're never too old for some fun on the swings — You’re never too old for some fun on the swings

The diet of college students on a budget

It isn't Queenstown unless you eat at Fergburger — It isn’t Queenstown unless you eat at Fergburger

The plan was to skydive in Queenstown, but New Zealand weather had other plans for us. When the skydiving fell through and canyon swinging became a challenge, we decided a gondola ride up a mountain and luging would have to suffice in fulfilling our need for an adrenaline rush in the adventure capital of the world. After some luge rides and selfies on the mountain, we headed back down for our try at the famous Fergburger. Fergburger with a ginger beer makes for the perfect New Zealand meal. We took a drive to the old mining town of Arrowtown where we took a scenic walk along a river that was apparently one of the Lord of the Rings movies. I probably should’ve watched those before I came. Anyways, after that we topped off at Mrs. Ferg’s with some delicious gelato, said hello to some of our Convent friends passing through, did a little souvenir shopping, and retired for the night.

After dropping three off at the airport to head north, five of us remained. Next stop, the Milford Sounds for some tramping.

“Now watch me whip, watch me nae-nae…”

Ok all, prepare your minds and hearts for a bit of a rant. After being in South Africa for two months, I wonder if Americans fully understand the pervasiveness of American popular (pop) culture globally. What do I mean? Well I’ll bet, and I’m not a betting person, that you can walk up to any kid in South Africa and start singing the “Watch Me” song and they will begin singing with you. Now every single South African kid may not know that song but most of them probably do, even kids in rural areas. Why you ask? Because American pop culture is everywhere! I was shocked when my Colored (in South Africa “Colored” is a race so, chill politically correct people, I got this) host parents started playing R&B artists Joe, BoyzIIMen and Brandy. I was like, what do they know about that?! My Colored homestay parents’ friend even remarked about how anytime John Legend, Rihanna, or Michael Jackson came to Durban the stadiums were packed. Yet, in that same conversation I could not think of one South African artist that I knew before coming to South Africa. Not one! Now I know a few but I still know only 5 South African artists and that’s after being here for two months.

With the monopoly America has on global pop culture, one has to congratulate any international artist that Americans know, because when Americans know you, that’s when you’ve made it. I know a few people in the U.S. trying to make it into the music industry and the more I’m in South Africa the more I understand the appeal. If you make it into the U.S. mainstream then you, automatically have an international fan base. I mean so international that kids who barely have running water, know your songs. The gravity of that fact is insane.

Another food for thought is how hard it must be for local South African artist to make it globally. If an artist is South African famous, they can walk around the streets of America with no problem because being South African famous does not equate to American famous. Whereas if Kanye West or Beyoncé stroll into Durban, everyone and their mama is going to want to get a picture with them. And to an extent with the pervasiveness of American pop culture, even if you are South African famous you might not be South African famous that is to say being famous in Durban doesn’t mean you are famous in Jozi aka Johannesburg. As a local South African artist where do you fit? Because, to be honest, even the rejects of America have a place at the international table from music to movies even TV shows, for example, I’ve seen a few Black sitcoms that I use to watch years ago, on TV running as current series instead of re-runs. I’m not ranting like this to have a completely let’s critique America fest. All I want to say is that Americans need to fully grasp the weight of our reach. Ok, America has a monopoly on pop culture, so what are we going to do about it? Our influence is insane and I think we take it too lightly. We shouldn’t. We should be using that influence for good as often as we can. To be fair people do, some celebrities are great philanthropist. But we can always do more and be conscious of what we are sending out to the rest of the world. That’s all I’m saying.

An Introduction to the ISP

These past few weeks have flown by. I can’t believe it is already time for a second excursion! We will be leaving Monday morning and returning next Monday. This time we will be heading South and hitting many different towns and visiting parts of the Star Wars set! We are all very much looking forward to that.

Part of the Star Wars set we will be visiting.

When we come back we have one week with many tests and papers and then it will be time for the ISP (Independent Study Project) period to begin. One of the things that drew me to an SIT study abroad program versus other programs was the in independent study project. Each student conducts interview-based research in the final month of the program. I really enjoy doing research and the opportunity to do research abroad is very unique. I am also looking forward to using my new Tunsi and Arabic skills to conduct interviews.

My ISP project could have been about anything. For those of you who know me well it should come as no surprise that I struggled for a while to narrow down my research ideas and changed my mind quite a bit! We had to decide pretty early what we wanted our project to be about since we have had to submit various project proposals throughout the semester. Having to think about my project early on was very beneficial because I started with a large topic and was able to narrow my focus and mold my project as I learned more about Tunisia.

SIT does a very good job of connecting students to local organizations. We have visited many CSOs and NGOs since we have been in Tunisia. This has been one of my favorite parts of the program. Civil Society Organizations sprang up all over the country after the revolution. Many of these organizations are run by young people and it has been very inspiring to hear from so many people who have a positive outlook of their country’s future.

Cogite: the first co-working space in Tunisia.

One of the organizations we visited this week was called Cogite. They were the first co-working space in Tunisia. Many CSOs lack the finances to purchase or rent their own offices so spaces like this are very beneficial and have been gaining popularity throughout the country. In addition to providing offices and working space, Cogite also trains entrepreneurs who have ideas about crating a “social business.” An example of this is a beekeeper in a small town who employs 30 people. And this is just one example of the many organizations we have seen.

Several of the organizations we meet had to do wih women. One in particular that stuck with me is called Aswat Nissa (in English this means “voices of the women”). I was so impressed with this organization. First of all, it is run by three people! When this organization first began they focused on raising awareness about domestic violence against women. As time has progressed they have changed their focus and their newest project is providing training for women in political parties.

The training involves teaching the women skills such as leadership, public speaking, and policy-making.The group hopes to expand in the future and find other ways to support women in politics in Tunisia as there are many obstacles.

This organization lead me to an idea for my project. Although Tunisia has a history of being one of the most progressive countries for women in the Middle East, there is a gap between what the law says regarding women and the mentality of the society.

Although this gap existed during the Ben Ali era, after the revolution Tunisians were given a chance to change this. Women are now challenging the government and society to ensure the writes they work to have included in the constitution are present in society.

Women protesting to maintain their rights during the revolution.

This is where my project comes into play. I will examine several organizations such as Aswat Nissa and a few others in order to determine how CSOs are working to ensure the legal rights of women are implemented in society.

I am looking forward to immersing myself in this topic for a month. I can’t believe how fast time has flown while I have been here, but it’s not over yet! My next blog won’t be for a few weeks since I will be on the excursion and the following weeks is finals weeks, but don’t worry, you’ll hear from me again!

Learning to be present…

When I arrived in Johannesburg almost two months ago, my academic director kept reiterating the idea of being present in South Africa for the time that we are here. He began to explain that South Africa is not as Wi-Fi connected as the US therefore; my peers and I should try to adjust to our limited access but also embrace it so that we could “land” in South Africa and not straggle in the US. With this information, I planned to slowly ease myself off of my Wi-Fi connection but first I wanted to do this and that. Oh how my plans changed…

Within the first month of my arrival in Durban my Samsung Galaxy S5 got stolen or lost. One minute I had it in my pocket the next it was gone. And ok fine I can live without my phone but I’m still responsible for taking pictures for my blog so now what do I do? I had to use other people’s cameras and that was helpful but complicated so I eventually got my own camera. Ok, now I’m back on top of the world right? Nope! A few weeks later my computer’s CD drive just stops working. As a result, I had to take it to an apple store to get it fixed. And let’s just say that was not cheap. Ok, computer fixed now I’m on top of the world, oh contraire. My CD drive stops working again but I was headed to my rural homestay for a week so it would have to wait to be fixed. And for the icing on the cake, while I’m enjoying my rural homestay, I go to the beach and forget my South African phone is in my pocket so that, of course, it gets water damaged and no longer works. Now how do I interpret all of these events? Why am I explaining all of this? Who really cares?

This blog is titled, “Learning to be present” because in each one of these electronic mishaps I had to learn to be present in the moment in a different way. For example, when I went to the South Coast, it was the first significant experience I had without my phone to take pictures. Someone lent me their camera but I had never used a camera like that so I did not take a lot of my own photos. Instead I relied on others to capture the moment while I enjoyed every moment. Instead of worrying about capturing the right angle, I just reveled in the natural beauty of the place. I walked along the beach, breathing in the ocean air. I was awestruck by how a place that beautiful could exist. And I can honestly say I fully enjoyed the experience of the South Coast.

As I learned to be present, I also wrestled with this notion of learning to be quiet and fully disconnect. I’ve already mentioned that South Africa overall is not as Wi-Fi connected as the states. Well, that translates to all of my homestays being without Wi-Fi. So what do I do during those moments of no Facebook, email or Skype? Once again I am forced to experience my surroundings up close and personal. I am forced to be quiet, alone with my thoughts, journal or read a book. These moments of quiet have become so important to my time here in ways I could not anticipate. For example, while in my Cato Manor homestay, I finished reading Forgive Us, in which the authors, who are leaders in the evangelical church, admit ways that the church has failed in regards to race, gender, homosexuality etc. The authors ask the people the church has hurt to “forgive us”. The book has of course more depth and complexity but while I was reading it, I realized that the church can be and should be God’s vehicle to move on earth. This realization has led to my current research project that will involve me studying how a specific church community in Durban engaged in the anti-apartheid struggle. I hope to see how God used or didn’t use this church community to change the community and society.

I write all of this to explain that my journey to presence and quiet was not easy nor was it my idea. But I believe that God has taught me and allowed me to engage with Durban in a way that I have never engaged with a new experience before. I have been forced out of my comfort zone on so many levels and learned to accept it. To face each day as a new adventure whether the experience is great or not so great it does not matter because the point is to be there in the moment. I would encourage everyone to be present because once the moment is gone it’s gone but that’s ok if we learn to be present.

Mozambique there and back again

September 20-23rd, my peers and I drove to Maputo, Mozambique from Durban, South Africa in order to get an on the ground look at the relationship between South Africa (ANC) and Mozambique (Frelimo) during and post apartheid. In order to get to Maputo we crossed the South African border into Swaziland then from Swaziland into Maputo. The journey was an all day venture and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat for several reasons.

First, crossing an African border on land is an experience for the books. To cross an African border on land as an American is such a rare experience because usually one just flies into another country. I have my reasons for not going more in detail about the experience but I will say that it’s a totally different experience crossing countries on land and it’s definitely eye opening and a must do for Americans.

Another reason, I would repeat this trip is Maputo is it is an amazing little city. The Portuguese colonized Mozambique, so there is an Afro-Latino feel to the city. Compared to Durban, Maputo is ‘turn-up’ central. I would describe Durban as a sort of sleepy city like Holland, MI where as Maputo is like Chicago, the city that never sleeps. I mean you will find droves of people walking around Maputo at anytime of the day everyday of the week, it’s amazing. I think Maputo and Durban are good complimenting cities, in the sense that if you live in one you should vacation in the other for your sanity :).

Stature of Samora Machel aka Nelson Mandela of Mozambique

A third reason to return to Maputo is the history of the place. I already mentioned that the Portuguese colonized Mozambique and fun fact the Communist party Frelimo liberated Mozambique in 1975. Mozambique being Communist created a strenuous relationship between itself, apartheid South Africa and the US if you can imagine back in the Cold War. Fear of Communism led the apartheid South African and US governments to support Renamo, the opposition to Frelimo. Frelimo and Renamo had a bloody civil war for 12 years in which whole parts of Maputo were bombed and 1 million Mozambicans died. Complete craziness!

Matola Memorial Monument- pillars commemorate frontline states

Meanwhile, Frelimo completely supported the ANC’s struggle for liberation during apartheid. So much so that uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) the armed part of the ANC, had camps in Mozambique. And when the South African government bombed several of the MK secret houses, in the Matola Raid, the leader of Frelimo at the time, Samora Machel, told Oliver Tambo, the President of the ANC, to “Let them come.” Mozambique would take the hits for South Africa’s freedom struggle because it was not just about Mozambique, or South Africa’s freedom but all of Southern Africa’s freedom from colonization. To continue on this note, there is a beautiful history of struggle among the frontline states of South Africa i.e. Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia etc. All of these countries struggled together at one point or another for their freedoms. In addition, while we were in Maputo, we visited the Matola Monument and Interpretative Centre that commemorates the relationships between the frontline states. The Centre hones in on the Matola Raid, thus our visit to the MK houses that were attack.

One of the houses attacked during Matola Raid

Bullet holes on the balcony of the house

But I think the Centre’s main focus is to help the front line states remember their relationship as all the countries press forward in their own perspective ways. It’s so important to remember the histories of struggle especially in times of xenophobia when Mozambicans can be killed in South Africa for no other reason then they are foreigners. It’s so important to remember.

My fourth reason for returning to Maputo is language. After liberation from the Portuguese, Frelimo wanted to unify the country, so they decide to make Portuguese the official language. Now taking on the colonizer’s language has it own implications but the point is most people in Maputo speak Portuguese. Oh and might I mention only Portuguese, like they are not trying to learn English anytime soon. So here I am, barely learning Zulu and now I am thrust into a Portuguese speaking environment with very little English available anywhere. This teaches me several things. First, I am humbled because I think as an English speaker, there is the arrogance that everyone speaks English or at least wants to learn English and that’s not true. Second, that language really is a bridge and a barrier when entering new spaces. It’s one thing to not know the culture, but if you the know the language at least you can ask questions. But if you don’t know the culture or the language, you run the risk of being perceived as rude, arrogant or just a silly American tourist. Lastly, while in Maputo we had the privilege of listening in on a lecture at the Frelimo party, the lecture was in Portuguese. Listening to the lecture, I got a peak into what a study abroad program based in a non-English speaking university would have been like for me. I would have learned Portuguese for sure but it would have been a challenging adjustment yet equally as valuable experience as my current program, that being said, I am very certain everyday that this program is for me, no worries.

In conclusion, Maputo is the place to be, all should go. Learn a little Portuguese before you go there or it will be a struggle but an exciting time nonetheless. I love Maputo, if you did not already know this. It’s the bomb diggity even though Durban holds my heart, Maputo will forever be one of my favorite places.

Mystra in the Mist

Ahoy again!

Josh the Wandering Hedgehog has just returned from his field trip in the Peloponnese. He has been very good at buying postcards, but very bad at budgeting. I’m very tempted to speak about the Stadium at Olympia -site of the eponymous games, or of my recent trip to Mycenae. Perhaps I’ll do that for next week, but instead I’ll just talk about things Byzantine, as the Hedgehog Bard is wont to do.

The town of New Sparta is, as an old Victorian traveler wrote, full of neat streets crossing at “right angles.” Built right after the war of Greek Indepence in the 1800s, it straddles the lush Eurotas Valley, site of Ancient Sparta. It’s a strange town; “This Is Sparta” shirts rub shoulders with lamp stores, stationery shops, and hotels named after Homeric heroes. Ours was, unsurprisingly the “Hotel Menelaion.”* My professor guided us through the ruins of the old acropolis outside of town, but as might be expected of the terse Spartans, we’ve got nothing. Mind you, they weren’t big on infrastructure, or writing, or civil liberties, so we saw very little above ground. The ruins, however, were situated quite neatly in an olive grove. Pretty things.

IMG_20151015_175149 — Think of it; Leonidas probably walked on these stones, shield and pralines in hand.

The Eurotas Valley, needless to say, has been inhabited for a while. And it’s not hard to see why -flanked by massive mountains, and home to one of the most fertile river vales in fair Greece, it’s hard to find something not lovely about the place. Which brings us to Mystra, the Byzantine city we visited the next morning.

The first thing a visitor notices are the oranges. Rows and rows of green orange trees rustle against the side of your bus as you wind up into the foothills of the Taygetus Mountains. The mist has begun to clear out from the cliff tops, and the first red tiles of Mystra appear to their eye.**

Professor Despina Iosef, our peppy Byzantine historian and guide, meets us at the gate. I’m virtually palpitating in glee -I’ve been waiting for years to visit these sights: to, as Despina says, “to walk where emperors walked.” Truly, it’s a treat. Built in the thirteenth century, Mystras was a town that blossomed at the twilight of the Byzantine Empire, the Greekified Eastern Roman Empire that lasted a thousand years after Western Rome fell. Down the years it became a regional capital and a hangout place for Neo-Platonist philosophers. As the empire slowly declined, the literary treasures of Classical Greece trickled in, eventually arriving in Italy, and sparking the Western Renaissance. In the scheme of things, Mystra’s a remarkable town, in a gorgeous valley, and a Byzantinist like me is one happy camper.

Aleppo pines and grass have grown over the terrace slope leading up to the seasonal palace. Literally carved on top of a hill, the streets wind in ziggerzags, turning into chapel and after church after chapel. It’s incredibly well preserved -icons still adorn these grass-strewn churches- some remain in use today. It’s quite the fairy tale. Mental note: wedding photos would be fantastic here.

It’s a solemn place -the very last Byzantine Emperor was crowned here, before hurrying off to defend Constantinople in 1453. As befitting of an empire in its last age of art and glory, the figures are solemn and heavy, full of dark colors and deep frowns. Take the Christos Pantokrator below. THe photo’s not immaculate, I confess, but take the dome as a sample of Byzantine art. This is the interior of a Byzantine church -the round dome ceiling acts as a kind of symbolism of the world -with Christ at the center, clutching a book. His tunic is red (for his blood is human and red), but his cloak is blue (for He’s God and Spirit). All around Him in this dome are saints, flanked by other saints, and quite literally the icons tumble down on the viewer, story after story. The idea behind this one aspect of a church -the Pantokrator -is that Christ is quite truly sustaining all things, the heart of the party and the duke of the disco. Or All Ruler, as it translates more solemnly from Greek.

Unlike the more Protestant layout familiar to our Dutch Hope-lites, the Eastern Orthodox Tradition places great pride on adorning the interior of their churches, with gold, wood, and paintings of the saints. From what I’ve heard of Orthodox Christians, the point is that God is now both flesh and spirit, both physical and metaphysical. To emphasize one over the other borders on heresy -and they had seven feisty councils to prove it. How can liturgy and theology be refined and polished, while the house of God remains empty? How can a church declare both the carnality and the eternity of its King? The Byzantine answer lies in the icons here.

Courtesy of redlist.com. I failed to get a decent shot of this one, alas. But it is a glorious depiction of the Nativity.

The descent is a tricky one -the moss has grown over the cobblestones, but slowly we make our way back to the bus. Pass the arches and pillars and cypresses, the red brick hums to itself as we make our way back to New Sparta. In antiquity, the roar of Lacedaemonians, the chants of monks; in the present, the whisper of motorbikes, the sweet press of oranges.

* Menelaus was the husband of Helen in the Trojan War, and King of Sparta. He’s a very decent wimp, and if it weren’t for his ~~Republi-~~ warhawk brother Agamemnon, the Trojan War would not have been such a thing.

**As a devout Strunkist, I would say “him and her,” referring to an obviative fourth person. But this seems a little gender-binary, and so “them/their” is the best I can do, given the limitations of English. Forgive my ingrammaticality.

Hiking in Hammam Lift

I have only been to downtown Tunis twice during my time in Tunisia and have been wanting to return. The two times I visited downtown were to visit some NGOs as part of one of my SIT courses.

So last weekend two of my friends and I decided to explore Tunisia a little bit. We left Sunday morning for downtown Tunis. We were pretty proud of ourselves for navigating around the city. We were able to catch a bus from La Marsa to Tunis and once we were in the city we made our way toward Bourguiba Avenue.

Bourguiba Avenue is in the center of the city and has many nice cafes. We stopped and had a nice and relaxing breakfast. I had been wanting crepes for some time now and I finally got my wish! We all really liked the cafe we went to and definitely hope to return. Cafes are everywhere in Tunisia and offer a wide variety of prices. This particular cafe was decently priced and they had a lot of baked goods as well. We also noticed that the cafe had a good number of women as well. In general, cafes are Tunisia are more often frequented by men.

My delicious breakfast of a nutella crepe and a cappucino!

After breakfast we made our way to the train station. We had been wanting to go hiking for some time and had found an article about a good hiking spot on http://www.tunisia-live.net/. The town we were headed to is called Hammam Lift. Figuring out which train to take was fairly easy. It was also incredibly cheap at around 40 cents.

We watched the suburbs of Tunis pass by and tried to read the Arabic graffiti. After about a half hour we arrived at Hammam Lift. The next order of business was actually finding our way to the mountain. We stopped to ask directions from a local. He was very helpful but also cautioned us against going to hiking alone. We promised to be careful and headed toward the direction he had pointed.

The view from the bottom of the mountain.

There was a large gate that appeared to be locked before the entrance to the trail. we asked the guard if we could end. Unfortunately he did not speak any English and had a hard time understanding us. Another man approached who spoke English. He exchanged a few words with the guard and then entered the path through a small side door. He told us we were welcome to come with him. He came here almost every weekend to walk his dog. He also explained that the trail closed in the afternoon so we would not have that much time.

We walked and chatted with our new friend. His name is Marwan and he is originally from Hammam Lift but know he lives in La Marsa because that is where his wife is from. He had a black lab with him named Joker. Joker was five months old and a bundle of energy. Seeing him made me miss my dog.

We walked for about fifteen or twenty minutes and then we came to a small park. We got Joker some water and took pictures of our surroundings.

After spending some time in the park we headed back. We decided we would have to come a little bit earlier next time so we could have more time to hike.

Since we still had some time left before we needed to head back we decided to eat our lunches at the beach. Originally our plan had been to have a picnic on the mountain, but the ocean was just as nice.

After lunch and a short walk in the town we headed back towards the train station to head back into Tunis.

Once we were downtown again we decided we wanted a little treat before we went back to La Marsa. We stopped for some gelati. There are actually quite a lot of gelaterias in Tunisia. Considering the proximity to Italy, this makes sense. Although the gelati was good, it wasn’t my favorite that I’ve had in Tunisia.

During the first week we were here, our AD took us to what he called “the best gelati in Africa.” So far it really has been the best place.

In one more week we will be heading on our second excursion to the South so maybe we will find some gelati there as well. Personally, I am very excited for the dates because they grow in the South and we are right in the middle of date season.

That’s all for now. I know this post is a bit short, but not much has been happening this week. We’ve had a lot more homework so I’ve been spending a lot of time in cafes working.

Bsleema!

Estuaries

IMG_20151010_134100 — The picture’s terrible, but I’m afraid it’s hard to take appetizing pictures in a cramped corner of an Athenian restaurant. It’s chili-fried tofu, by the way.

Not much in a way of pictorial evidence for this one, friends. My apologies. I ate too quickly. As Caldwell says, I regret nothing.

So I visited a tiny Chinese restaurant in the middle of Syntagma Square, Athens. Tucked away to the left of the ~~hipsterville~~ Ermou Street, was a little pan-Asian enclave of sushi joints, Korean barbecues, and the ubiquitous noodle shops for gullible tourists. About as far west as the Silk Road goes, the bashless “East Pearl Restaurant” plies its trade feeding hungry Athenians, and the Chinese tourists who come to Greece…to order takeout.

It was really not something I expected to find. Here I was in the heart of modern Athens, a stone’s throw from the Parliament and a spit away from the plateia where 19th century Greeks rallied for their constitution. And here I was, a Malaysian-Chinese American Classics major studying Byzantine Greek. And still, swirling in the middle of everything, a little shop sells tofu, fried rice, and stir-fried pak choy.

It’s about as Overseas Chinese as it gets in here. A vast Golden buddha pats his paunch in a corner of the room. Mirrors, calligraphy, bamboo, check. So much for ostensibility. Oh, and a little potted plant with the Greek and Communist flags crossed over each other. It’s shamelessly tacky but frankly I don’t mind. The window dressing is for tourists; I’m here for food.

Walking in, however, it’s a pony-tailed, middled-age Greek guy manning the counter. I ask for the menu in Greek, but ask if I can use my credit card in Mandarin, rather by mistake. There are three languages running in my head and the mixed signals are confuzzling everything. It turns out he also speaks Mandarin, evidently taught by his wife, who owns the establishment. A brief conversation with her lets me know she’s lived here for four years. She’s from Wenzhou, a city two provinces south of Shanghai.

“Oh, me? I’m a student,” I say, the hilt of my once-decent Chinese rusting away like a Mycenaean burial spear, “studying Greek history.”

“Oh yes,” she nods. “They’ve a very long history, don’t they. You’re studying here for how long? Four months? Only four? Well! And after that you’re going back to…”

“America,” I say, rather hastily. “But my family lives in Malaysia.”

“Ah! Yes, you’re Malaysian Chinese, then?”

It’s incomplete but close enough, so I nod. We smile. I order tofu, which I’ve been sorely missing, among other things. “Your Mandarin’s not bad,” she adds, not unkindly. Then she tosses her waves of hair and strides over the French lady at the next table.

Don’t get me wrong, Amy in the Study Abroad Office. Greek food is gobsmackingly stupendous. I can’t begin to describe the joy of Northern Greek cheese, or Epirot-styled sausage, or souvlaki with fries wrapped inside the pita, or cheese-baked egglant, or apple pie gelatos. I’m intending to post something about all those fantastic things in a jiffy. 😉 But there is something remarkable about eating home-food in a place one didn’t expect to find home-food. And it’s so bizarre when very interesting, very separate parts of my identity meet physically, in a restaurant, or a book, or anything. I’m not going to spoil with triteness, of course, so I best drop the pen soon. I had a splendid lunch. I paid. Then I gathered my books on Byzantine poetry, swept them into my satchel, and stepped out into Syntagma Square. The street was buzzing with a dozen languages and the trolleys were surging on their way past Ermou to Omonoia, and the tour guides were swatting at buildings with their placards; couples were sipping frappés, Germans were pushing their strollers, and I was in Greece again, jostling my way to Pangrati district.

Northern Excursion: Part 2

After leaving Le Kef we started on our way towards Tabarka. The surrounding scenery was beautiful. I kept wanting to close my eyes and nap, but I was afraid of missing something. For such a small country, Tunisia is very geographically diverse. We drove through plains, mountains and rolling hills.

On our way to Takarba we stopped near a very small village in the mountains. We were given a tour of a large dam near the village and then we were taken to one of the most interesting restaurants I have ever been to for lunch.

The most unique restaurant I've ever been to. — The most unique restaurant I’ve ever been to.

The owner of the restaurant is married to an American woman and has spent time in America. He lived in Texas for a number of years and his time in the states was reflected in the design of the restaurant. One of the other SIT students on the program is from Texas and remarked that the restaurant did remind her of Texas.

During lunch we were joined by women from a nearby NGO. The organization is a cooperative and gives women in the surrounding area a plot of land so they can grow various types of herbs as well as grains, fruits and vegetables. Part of what the women do is make homemade soap and then they sell it to larger companies who distribute it. They also focus on growing mushrooms as well because they are easy to grow and have many health benefits.

Most of the women who work for the co-op were peasant before and this organizations gives them an opportunity to be able to provide for themselves. One of the women who was sitting with us at lunch appeared to be very quiet and only spoke Tunsi. We exchanged a few words but that was all I could manage. When the other women who spoke English started explaining more about the organization she also explained that when the organization started it was both men and women. However, the men were very demanding and were constantly telling the women what to do while the men themselves did not want to work. After the revolution the women held a meeting, led by the very woman who was sitting across from me at lunch and voted to make the organization only for women. We were all so impressed by this. I could tell the women was very proud of her actions. The women who spoke English also explained how the organizations was able to apply for more grants now that they only have women working for the co-op. It was nice to see some good things that had come out of the revolution since lately we have been hearing many mixed ideas about Tunisia after the revolution.

We arrived in Tabarka in late afternoon to a light rainstorm. We relaxed at the hotel for a bit before exploring. We had hoped to visit the fortress, but it was closed. Instead we climbed around on some rocks and walked by the ocean.

If you look close enough you can see some graffiti in the picture above. Every year Tabarka hosts a jazz festival and there was a painting from almost every year.

A painting of Cheb Khaled, a well known Algerian artist who performed at the festival in 2007.

After exploring we had dinner back at the hotel. A few of us were feeling ill. Someone had gotten a virus and it was being passed around so those of us who were ill were grateful to have a buffet option were we could choose our portion sizes.

We left the next morning just as the sun was coming out.

We drove for a few hours until we reached Bizerte. We had some free time to walk by the sea before lunch. Bizerte is a beautiful little town. We ate lunch near the old city in the marina.

For lunch we bought fish from the medina and brought it to a restaurant where they grilled if for us. It was delicious and very fresh!

After lunch we had free time so some of us went swimming. The water felt so refreshing. Our academic director said we were crazy to be swimming since by Tunisian standards it was too cold for swimming. It was about 75 degrees outside.

Before dinner we went to a cafe near the marina. One of the other SIT students has a friend from Tunisia who is from Bizerte so we were able to meet with him. It was nice to be able to talk to a Tunisian who is able to converse in English since I was able to ask him more questions than I normally can with my host family or other Tunisians.

His name was Majd and he studied abroad in the U.S during high school for a year, which is how he knew one of the SIT students. He had studied at her high school. We all sat sipping coffee and tea for a while and then went back to the hotel for dinner.

I woke up the next day feeling very sick. I had finally come down with the virus that was going around. I didn’t end up doing much today since I wasn’t feeling well. Being sick while traveling is never fun, but I was glad I was only sick for the last few days.

The next day we headed back towards Tunis. We stopped at a beautiful beach along the way and ate some more fish, although I mostly ate potatoes since I was still sick.

We arrived back at La Marsa around 3pm. The trip was a great way to see more of Tunisia. I think I can speak for all my fellow SIT classmates when I say we are all very much looking forward to the southern excursion where we will get to visit part of the Star Wars set!

Until next time…

Bsleema!

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