Slow Living

While I enjoy the easy living rhythm here in Tunisia, time still seems to fly.

I've been here for over 8 months now. When I look around my house I can hardly believe that I came here with only two suitcases (and a few sports bags on a previous visit). For example, my kitchen cupboards are now filled with pans (okay... a few haha) and enough crockery. There are also much nicer clothes in my wardrobe than I had in the Netherlands.

In addition, I have found all kinds of old furniture and authentic home accessories that now make my house home, but which will also fit well in our new house.

Last but not least, there are also two kittens (in puberty) lying on my couch in the evening. I found both of these on the street motherless at the end of last year, unable to fend for themselves. They are inseparable, playful and funny together. Boef! (which means 'Crook' in English) and Rebel; together they bring life into this house. They also play with the stray cats out here, explore the beach and a hungry stomach makes them come back home.

And I, too, feel incredibly at home here!

News about our country and the building of our house

Of course, a more relaxed rhythm of life does not only come with benefits. It took a while before we could call ourselves the proud owners of the plot of land in Hergla. The official handover was only last month. And we are not there yet, because now the municipality has to arrange facilities for, for example, the sewage system, electricity cables and more.

In addition, the attention for Hergla is growing rapidly. The government wants to turn Hergla into a kind of second Sidi Bou Said. For many, this is the most beautiful place in Tunisia. All traditional Tunisian white houses with blue doors, windows and shutters. It is very reminiscent of Santorini in Greece. Since our land is in second line from the sea, we also have to commit ourselves to a number of rules: the house may have a color scheme of white, blue or blue with white. That is why there will be a second review of our plan. It won't be a problem because our original design is a house with Tunisian features and it's white.

We have now stripped the land of all trees and shrubs, not to mention the turkey and countless chickens. That in itself was quite an experience. We were lucky that our architect was happy to take over the palm trees from us. After talking about this, the next (Sunday!) morning at 5 o'clock (because Ramadan) men were ready with an excavator, hoist and truck to remove the trees, roots and all. That same afternoon we rode after Firas (the architect) to witness the trees on his land outside Sousse go back into the ground.

Our country is completely empty now, in two days at low cost and without needing a permit. Can you imagine what such an operation would have looked like in the Netherlands?

Clearance of our piece of land in Hergla... and eventually the new home of the palm trees.

At the same time, we also have to wait for our architect, who now has to form a construction team and draw up a construction schedule. And all that will also take time. Target date for the start of construction is July (fortunately this year haha).

For those who know me a little, it comes as no surprise when I say that patience is not my strong suit. However, it really is 'Go With The Flow' here and there is absolutely no point in worrying about it because nobody really cares. It is better to do a lot of fun things in the time you have to wait. And it works pretty well here I must say! There is so much history and culture to be found here.

A Day in Monastir

Water shortage

Spring has arrived here. Sitting outside with the laptop... the door open all day. All told, I've had the heating on for maybe ten days here this winter. The energy bill therefore means nothing. To be fair, I have to mention that we have had low water pressure in the evenings for quite some time now. Too low to shower in any case. Tunisia suffers from a tap water shortage. The basins with water resources are only 16% full and then summer has yet to begin. For this reason it has now also been announced that during the summer months there will be no water pressure from the evening until the next morning in order to cope with the shortage. Hotels do have that water pressure for their guests, the locals don't.

Do I find that annoying? The answer to that is 'no'. You can get drinking water here in plastic bottles anyway, so I don't have to miss my coffee in the evening after dinner. In addition, you will be surprised how easily you adapt. Then you take a shower in the morning instead of in the evening. You make sure the dishes are done on time (nope, I don't have a dishwasher here, but hey, plenty of time to do the dishes and I hardly ever cook anyway) and you also wash and brush your teeth before going to sleep with some water from the bottle. I do realize that it is of course a different story if you have a large family ... or if you want to take a shower in the evening after sports. But here too it's 'Go With The Flow' and I'm starting to get pretty good at that.

Taking pictures remains fun... pictures on the beach at home, big picture Monastir and the mosque is in Hergla

Boredom, new friends and activities

"Isn't being free always getting boring? Are you still having fun?" asked someone on the phone the other day. This question actually came as a surprise. If you know me even a little, you know that I am never bored. I've been jokingly shouting for years that I would be the best pensioner in the world.

How long have I been alone? Over 7 years now I believe. And the longer I'm alone the better I get along with myself. For a long time I didn't like going through life without a buddy. I kept hoping for 'The One'. Now that I'm here, I recently thought to myself: that One, that One ... that's me! I'm having a great time with myself these days!

In addition, I have an extremely curious and inquisitive brain. Always been like that. I think there is still an investigative journalist in me. Especially in this time when the world is changing so much, I want to know where all those changes originate. Well, then you are quite busy today!

I listen to an incredible amount of podcasts. I haven't watched TV in years. I have too many questions that are not answered by the mainstream media. Questions such as why it is considered acceptable for the pharmaceutical industry to be allowed to make unimaginable profits. Isn't the prevailing Woke ideology just a business model? Profiting from transhumanism while it feels to me like a war against the soul of man? Windmills in Natura 2000 areas and in the North Sea? What's environmentally friendly about that? Solar energy in a country where the sun does not shine every day? And how environmentally friendly will the demolition of those solar panels be in the future? Sexualization of young children at school? Why? Seems to me like a counterfeit contraceptive against overpopulation? Why is the majority of global wealth in the hands of a handful? Why is there always war? The West lives in a debt system. Will it ever be possible to pay back all those debts? Who benefits from all the crises that keep humanity in a stranglehold of fear?

When I ask critical questions with all these thoughts (I have many more), it strikes me that there is no room for debate. Only one truth seems to have a right to exist. Trust the Science. But science exists (and gets better) for me by the grace of debate, and it seems hijacked. Media/Journalism has the role of the 4th controlling power (looking from both sides) and I miss that. There is a lot of censorship of the critical sound and that feels very unfree to me. And I? I like freedom! And I feel it more strongly here in Tunisia than in the Netherlands. In addition, I now also have time to look for answers to my questions and I am becoming wiser every day.

Am I a pessimist? No! Since I declared The Truth my only boss, I have become much more aware. And happier with what is. More grateful too. And last but not least: free from fear. Because of this I dare to sail on my intuitive compass and that is a beautiful journey.

Of course I spend a lot of time with Femke. We do our shopping together, go to terraces together, go to Frips (second-hand clothing stores), often drive to Hergla, which we love so much, and almost every evening we play a few games of cards together. Whoever has reached 1,000 points first has to pay for a lunch, so it's going to be fanatical.

And we (Femke, Nizar and I) of course make a lot of plans for the house. For example, we want to organize trips through Tunisia for tenants of our apartments. There is so much beauty to see and discover in this country, but there are few or no organized trips to special places. We would love to be able to offer that experience. Of course we also want to sell nice Tunisian home accessories, rent (painted) bicycles and so on. And of course we want to furnish our house, the apartments and the garden perfectly for the ultimate living and holiday experience. No shortage of ideas. We're like a bunch of effervescent tablets together!

In addition, there are regular activities, lunches or drinks with members of the Meet Up group. The group is a nice mix of people, with the common denominator that you were all born in a country other than Tunisia. Always nice to see and talk to each other. Sometimes planned, other times on short notice. Sometimes with a large group and occasionally also in a smaller context. But just how it suits. I am grateful to be part of this group.

I also have an incredibly nice Italian upstairs neighbor who then also has other friends here in Tunisia. I have already played paddle with some of his acquaintances. Because French is the second language here and Italians also speak French as a second language, I started DuoLingo anyway to improve my rickety and more than 40 years old knowledge of the French language. Fifteen minutes to half an hour a day. I don't always feel like it, but I already have a series of 53 uninterrupted days in my App. In addition, it is simply useful to be able to make yourself understood because most people here do speak French, but not everyone speaks English. Young people here seem to prefer English more and more. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they don't really care about the former colonizer France?

I also have an incredibly nice Italian upstairs neighbor who then also has other friends here in Tunisia. I have already played paddle with some of his acquaintances. Because French is the second language here and Italians also speak French as a second language, I started DuoLingo anyway to improve my rickety and more than 40 years old knowledge of the French language. Fifteen minutes to half an hour a day. I don't always feel like it, but I already have a series of 53 uninterrupted days in my App. In addition, it is simply useful to be able to make yourself understood because most people here do speak French, but not everyone speaks English. Young people here seem to prefer English more and more. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they don't really care about the former colonizer France?

Meetup Group outings, dinners and also drinking coffee with Italians from my street and Fattma!

Meet Up Group Afternoon Takrouna, an almost deserted place on top of a mountain/hill with a special history. I really love 'old stones' so goosebumps afternoon!

Land of huge contrasts

My mother is coming to Tunisia for two weeks next month. Besides the fact that I think it's super fun (and cool, because she will be 84 years old when she's here) I'm very curious how she will experience it. The first time I visited Tunisia I found it a very confusing experience. The contrasts here and there are sometimes very large. There is a very big difference between rich and poor. You see beautiful houses, but also many impoverished houses. Half-finished buildings, at least, that's how Western eyes see it, I think. Often people build a house and then start with the ground floor. After that, savings are made and there is enough money to start on the first floor.

We currently live in Kantaoui, a more luxurious part of Sousse. Many large hotels, a great golf course, but you also see whole pieces of land full of waste and blown away plastic. You won't see it in my photos because I'm an optimist... I prefer to focus on what's beautiful. But maybe ... for a next blog? You simply take your waste to a container somewhere near you. These containers are often the domain of the countless stray cats you see here. Here in the street there are also the necessary. I have named them all for myself and will feed them at once. Are they here with me on the wall. So I renamed the wall De Cat Wall (k). You can also see stray dogs here regularly. They are not cuddly, shall we say. It's hard, not being able to hug them with a heart for dogs. Cat food is also very expensive here. Since Tunisia does not produce its own cat food, it all has to be imported. Keeping pets has not yet really been embraced here, although it seems that it is starting to do so).

Tunisia often reminds me of the holidays with my parents in the past. It is sometimes a bit like it was 40 to 50 years ago in Greece, Spain or Italy. The waiters who do mental calculations instead of taking orders and smoking is allowed everywhere (yes, also inside). Asking for a doggy bag (foody bag for the English readers) after dinner is not uncommon here. Almost everyone pays cash and I have not seen paying with your phone anywhere. You can park almost anywhere on the street and I have yet to encounter the first parking meter. You also hardly see speed cameras or traffic lights in Sousse. Music can be heard everywhere and the shops are open until late at night.

There are cars driving around that would not have passed the APK inspection ten years ago. I certainly don't see hybrid cars at all, although I do see preparations for the arrival of these cars at petrol stations. In addition, cars here are also a lot more expensive than in Europe. Same story as with the cat food. There is only one Tunisian car brand: Wallys Car. The rest of the cars must therefore be imported at European prices. The petrol price, on the other hand, is a lot lower than in the Netherlands, for example.

The working Tunisian has a 48-hour working week (ie six days a week) and earns an average of about € 350 per month (and no, I'm not forgetting a zero!). With this in mind, you may have a little more understanding for a Tunisian who may be a little too enthusiastic about his wares to tourists.

You also eat with the seasons here. No expensive imported fruit and vegetables such as Kiwis from New Zealand. Both the fruit and vegetables are unsprayed. They don't always look as beautiful and shiny as in the Netherlands, but they taste pure. I always find it a nice detail that they leave the stems with leaves on the oranges and lemons. That looks super nice, but the purpose is that the fruits can be stored for longer.

The carrots and tomatoes are much tastier here. It is of course warm here, but people are not concerned with the environment. Everything goes in plastic bags and no one who takes their own shopping bag with them when they go shopping. I do the latter. That has become a force of habit. And if you're a vegan, you might find it quite difficult here because I haven't come across vegan meat and meat substitutes or anything like that here yet. Of course, pork is not eaten here anyway. If you eat ham, it's chicken ham. Otherwise, it will be imported pork, which is relatively expensive. You don't have to look for soy or oatmeal milk here either. The same goes for Ikea or McDonald's. You will not find them in all of Tunisia. Burger King, by the way. And KFC. In addition, online ordering is still in its infancy. Also quite difficult to deliver knowing that most neighborhoods do not have street names.

But not everything here goes back 40 to 50 years. Absolutely not. Incredibly luxurious clubs, bars and restaurants can be found here. The Mall of Sousse is an incredibly luxurious shopping mall. The Carrefour also offers you everything you could miss from Europe. And you also see incredibly large and luxurious houses here. An Oosterbeek or Wassenaar really pales in my eyes. However, I like the traditional Tunisian houses the most. Lots of arches, terraces and court yards... and of course 'the old stones'.

So far I'm not really missing anything here. Maybe the bitterballen? And the (small-scale) pop concerts. Hard Rock is only 100 meters from home and live bands perform there every evening from about ten o'clock. And you can hear music everywhere here. It all just depends on what perspective you want to look at. I choose to want to see the positive without being blind to the dark side.

I don't even miss loved ones in the absolute sense of missing. They are in my heart and what is in my heart I always have with me. And next year it will also be easier for these loved ones to come my way for a holiday, get-together or whatever. In addition, it is also very easy to keep in touch nowadays.

Taking pictures is fun. A common hobby...

There is so much more to tell, but it doesn't all fit in one blog. To be honest, I also planned to 'blog' more often, but I've been busy and time seems to fly here. In addition, I'm not a big fan of small talk and I'm looking for a nice balance between 'fun' and 'informative' for my blog. If I also want it to look nice... does it require more work and attention than I had previously thought of.

More news will follow next time. This also applies to the news about immigration from Tunisia that has regularly made the Dutch newspapers in recent weeks. But Boof! was neutered this morning and is lying very sad in his basket in my bedroom and Rebel appears to have fleas, so the washing machine has been running at full speed all day and I am now going to empty it for the umpteenth time!

So you see... some duties you can't avoid!

Have a nice spring! X