Bar with Americans, SAT's, Sick all weekend

Alrighty, so for my first actual free weekend in Tunis I had these grand plans to go out with my new American English teacher friends, discover more parts of the sprawling city of Tunis, and eat some really good food. Well, I managed to do about half of the above...the first part of the weekend was fun and exciting at least.

Friday evening I was invited out to a nice restarant/bar on the other side of town called Le Beouf sur la Toit, translated as the Cow on the Roof (and yes, there was a large statue of a cow on the roof of the restaurant). After a crazy taxi ride where the driver claimed he "didn't understand my French" and coincidentally took me halfway across town in the wrong direction (I think he was trying to make a few extra dinars off of me for the cab fare), I arrived at the restaurant to my friends waiting for me outside the gates. I was so happy to finally get out of that cab!

Quick note: In my pre-departure research, I discovered that although Tunisia is a Muslim country, alcohol is still readily available and and enjoyed by both foreigners and locals. Tunisia is especially famous for its rose wine, and it is sold throughout the Mediterranean. Normally, the production, selling, and consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Islam. As I have learned, the further away a country is from the "Islamic cultural and religious center" of the Arab World, (which for my intent and purposes is Saudi Arabia) the looser the interpretations are for what is and is not prohibited. Noted, Tunisia.

Also, the cultural dress code for women is not as strict as I was told when I departed. I was told that I must have my legs covered at all times down to me knees, which does actually reflect the fashion and modesty values here in Tunis. However, in watching what other women wear I am allowed to wear t-shirts and conservative tank tops. This comes as a relief, because it has been very warm here since I arrived.

Anyways, the bar experience was very fun. The whole room was downstairs and with a decorative theme of chrome, metal, and black floral designs. The bar itself was set directly in front of a stage where a locally famous band was playing covers of American Rock songs. The guys were total rockers who wore black skinny jeans, torn t-shirts, and smoked cigarettes with an "oh-so-effortlessly-cool" attitude, which I found to be quite hilarious. We danced and cheered them on throughout the night before catching a taxi cab ride home at around 2am. I arrived back to my appartment smelling of cigarette smoke and the sweat of 100 other young Tunisian rock enthusiasts, yet i had a smile on my face as my head hit the pillow.

The next morning came earlier than expected, as my alarm went off at 6:45am. I had been offered to opportunity to proctor the Official SAT exam to Tunisian students who desired to pursue college degrees in the US. Of course I was going to jump at the chance, especially since they were going to pay me in addition to counting the experience as part of my internship. So, I arrived on time to pick up my exam manual materials, the packet of official test booklets and answer packets, and then head up to my room. I never realized how "official" everything really had to be when it came to these exams, especially when they happen on the same day across the world. I was to write down the passport IDs of every student that came into my testing room, document the order and direction that the test packets were distributed, and the exact length of time of each testing period down to the minute. Although there were a lot of details, it was a good experience to give such an important test. It allowed me to reflect on taking that very test several years ago and all the preparations that were made in order to achieve a good score. What really impressed me was that, although most of the students were from the International American school (mainly children of embassy and foreign officer parents), there were a handfull of Tunisian students who took the exact same test. Now, I remember the test being challegning and difficult, especially the essay section. I can't imagine taking it in another language . . . and that's exactly what these students were doing. Bravo and high five to them. I wish them all the best.
So, I got to be all official and read the texts like:

"you will have 25 minutes to complete section 1. Do not begin until I tell you to do so. Make sure that you are using No.2 pencil. You are allowed to use a calculator only if you are working on a math section. If you are not, place the calculator under your desk at this time. Open your test booklets to section 1. You may read the directions and begin at this time."

I felt so . . . teacherly! Another one I liked was:

"Stop now and put your pencils down. Place your answer sheet inside your test booklet and close the cover. If you were using your calculator, place it on top on your booklet. We will now have a five minute break. You may exit the room and use the restroom, but you must remain quiet as other students may still be testing at this time. You have five minutes [insert teacherly stare or confidence and supreme reign]."

I don't feel like Im a very commanding presence in real life, so I treated the situation a bit like an acting audition where I had to convince the students that I was a serious professor instead of a bubbly intern who is learning the ropes as she goes along. It's all part of the job,and it was a good experience.

Afterwards, I met up with some Tunisian girlfriends that I met from the American Corner (see previous post) for lunch. I was starting to feel a little sick to my stomach, so I shopped with them for a little bit in the market before calling my afternoon short with them and catching an early cab home. When I arrived back to my apartment I was uncomfortably warm and really dizzy. I ended up falling asleep almost as soon as I sat down on my bed, and woke up three hours later when my roommates came in to check on me. I was definitely sick with shaky fever-like symptoms and all the lovely uncomfortably intestinal problems that come with getting used to a new developing country. Let's just say I only slept on the bathroom floor once this weekend, which was plenty enough.

My roomies were great and gave me some pills that helped settle my stomach and reduce my fever on Sunday after I had gotten close to everything out of my system. I decided to take Monday off from work too and just let my body rest. I was able to sleep, drink lots of water, skype my family, and generally enjoy my quiet apartment during the day. My other roommate stayed home for most of the day with what we think might be tonsilitis, so that made for some interesting conversations and sharing our sick stories over cups of chamomile tea. Although it is terrible to be sick, I saw it as a good experience because it means that my body is "clearing everything out" and starting from new. It also means that I probably wont get sick again for a while and my general ability to digest foods will be improved from here on out.

I just checked my skype message board, and my boss sent me a message checking in on me. She offered to bring me medicine and/or take me to the doctor at any time if i needed it. That made me feel a lot better about my whole internship experience. It's encouraging to know that your boss cares about your wellbeing outside of your time at work.

Alright, let's get out the map and plan a trip for next weekend when Im done being sick!