1.) I'm beginning to think that maybe in the Arab world a girl sitting alone on a bench is the equivalence of a shimmy in a halter top and go-go boots, and possibly a "Hello there, sailor." Because yesterday afternoon I was sitting on a bench overlooking the water, reading a book and enjoying the solitude and two guys came up within 20 minutes of each other and started chatting, and then asking if I would like to go for coffee, and then inviting me over for couscous later on, and asking if I was married. One even asked if I would consider marrying an Arab.
2.) I went to a concert last night with Walli, who teaches math here at the American school. She's 70 and she has traveled all over the world. I want to be her when I grow up. It was up at Sidi Bou Said in this glorious old mansion that has been converted into a museum and music venue. I'm determined to go back so I can take pictures because it was unbelievable inside. We had no idea what type of music we were going to be hearing but were pleasantly suprised to hear these guys who sing traditional Occitan songs. What, you don't know what Occitan is? Neither did I. And I didn't actually find out until I got home and looked it up because all the chitchat in between songs was in French. They must have been hilarious because they had the crowd rolling. And at one point I made out that they were talking about the Dalai Lama and then everyone broke out into sincere and earnest clapping.
3.) I have given up on doing my hair. It is so humid here (well, certainly more so than back home) that my hair refuses to stay straightened. It just isn't worth the effort. So it's usually back in a ponytail or I throw in some defrizzer serum to dry naturally and let the tumbleweed take over. Speaking of humidity, it is so humid in the embassy gym that I think my eyeballs were sweating this morning.
6 comments:
So, I'm not really great at math, but i thought you were 80 yrs old. So how can you want to be this lady when you grow up, since she is only 70?? Just curious.
This summer, it was so humid here for almost the entire summer. I found that the more effort I put into my hair, the worse it looked. Too bad it wasn't yet ready for a ponytail. Enjoy your extra time in the morning!
I adore humidity. After living in the south, I'm convinced that my skin feels better and my hair has a bounce that it just doesn't have here in the desert. Yes, it takes the fun out of a straightening iron, but I think the rewards are great!
So glad you're making friends.
Hey, hot stuff!
I had actually *heard* of the Occitan region, but honestly didn't know anything about it other than it existed and was in the southern France area.
We are old enough ladies to appreciate just how super cool the internet is. You can tell me a bout a concert you just went to and then I can watch a video of the very guys you just saw in concert. Seriously, in high school I had to drive to Claremont and read xeroxed music 'zines to find out about interesting music. Now I just click on it. Bloody awesome.
I got a little too excited there for a second.
All this talk of humidity and crazy hair makes me think of that episode of Friends where they are in the Bahamas or something and Monica develops an Afro
must. find. job. listings. in. tunisia.
I think Occitan was an answer to a crossword puzzle I did the other day.
Humidity actually gave me curls, and you know how stick straight my hair was before the great move to the South. So I can only imagine dealing with curly hair like you are. The ponytail is a beautiful thing.
Nice to know if you're looking for a man in Tunisia you just need to sit on a bench with a book.
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