Sidi Bou Said

Last Sunday, I went to lunch with Kate (who I met for the first time when she picked me up for lunch).  She works at the US Embassy and was in the same program with the husband of my guidance counselor from West Lake.  Kathleen connected the two of us.  I am glad we were able to meet up and have lunch together.  She took me to Sidi Bou Said which is the most touristy part of Tunis.  Most of the pictures you see of Tunis from the internet and what not is from Sidi Bou Said.  It was so beautiful to see it is in person!

 

 

This is the cafe we ate at that over looks the Sea. 

Fun mixed fruit drink!

Veggie pizza with eggplant

The US Ambassador's home (where the pool is)

More views from the cafe

More beautiful views of Sidi Bou Said

Market Day

Every Saturday morning, I got to LaMarsa market.  It is a huge building filled with fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish.  This is the market we tried to go to but could never find it. It has a great selection of fresh vegetables and fruits.  I love stocking up for the week!

This is a mosque near the market.  These are all over Tunis.

 

Finally able to document the blue doors and windows

This picture did not turn out well but it is a white building trimmed with turquoise!  It is my favorite color combination. 

The beach that is steps away from the market

This is the area we always go to.  The peaches are by far my favorite!

Abbey showing off the fresh meat

View of the area we go to (sorry so blurry)

This guy wanted me to take his picture!  Too cute!

While I am all for trying new things, this will never happen... rabbit (Please, please, please don't show Ainsley!)

These chicken skewers are really good

The black awning is a place that makes fresh ravioli.  She wouldn't let us take pictures inside so this is the best I could do. 

Oh my gracious!!  This is the BEST doughnut pastry thing!  Its like fried dough drenched in sugar!

We walked to the boardwalk with this gorgeous view of the Mediterranean Sea

Went to this bar my first weekend here... it was interesting to say the least

Here is proof I am actually here ;)

Tamara met us at the market and we went for lunch at a Lebanese restaurant

It is a fun way to spend our Saturdays! :)

Gammarth Beach

I am so sorry I have been a bad blogger lately.  I had a goal of posting every other day... and then school started!  I have been working late and working when I get home and not taking time to blog.  I am sorry!  I will do my best to do better!

Two Sundays ago.  Tiffin invited us to the beach!  We walked along the beach for a while.  There were a lot of people there, as well as camels and horses!  On our way back, we stopped at this fun place for drinks.  Their mojitos were really good!  

After the beach, we stopped by and got a bite to eat.  We had shwarma which is chicken (I think) cooked on one of those rods like they cook gyro meat in the states.  They put it in a pita with lots of fresh veggies.  It is oh so yummy!  We went back to Tifin's house to eat on her front porch!  It was a great way to spend our last weekend before school started!

Laundry Day

My itty bitty washing machine

My high-tech dryer

Princess Baylee

 My dear friend's daughter is having surgery tomorrow on her cleft lip.  Please pray for Baylee, the doctors, and Baylee's parents, Jeanette and Christopher.  Baylee is a fighter who will come out of this surgery like a champ!  Jeanette, it meant the world to me to talk to you tonight and I love you and Baylee dearly!

Classroom Tour

While I just started my 8th year of teaching, I have never done a classroom tour.  Then again I have never done a home tour before either but if you look at my last post, that is no longer true.  So as mom keeps saying "It is a year of firsts".  But my teacher friends have been wanting to see my new classroom... so this is for you!  Sidenote... as I was rearranging and setting up my classroom (Thank you, thank you, thank you Dad... you were an amazing hot gluer, straightener, stapler-er, and SO much more!  When people comment on my room... I always credit you!), I kept thinking how I helped Brooke put up her bulletin boards, made Jeanette the best word wall EVER, advised Melissa with her rearranging and great color scheme, and helped Kelsey prepare her classroom materials.  All I could think was... I wish they were here!  It is not the same without their help, advice, and encouragement! But I will always treasure the time I had helping you!

Now, let the classroom tour begin (My classroom theme this year is chevron!!  I traded stars for chevron)...

The sign outside my classroom door

 

My classroom door

The view of my room as soon as you walk in (so thankful for my 3 rugs)

My math wall along with my writing wall... birthdays and class helpers are also there

The front of the room!  We put the fabric with the banner there because the wall was ugly but I couldn't put anything educational because it would be covered by my screen every time I use my  projector. Please ignore that ugly white call under my boards... it won't be there much longer!  I think I am going to put student work there!  I hate white walls in a classroom!!  Oh... another random information... all the walls are made of concrete so nothing can be stapled.  It all has to be hot glued.  Crazy, right?!

My Word Wall (no such thing as a chevron overload... right!?)

Another room view

My reading nook (they have a leveled library!!  This was all done when I got here!  It is leveled by Fontas and Pinnell levels)

This is where I will hold my Guided Reading groups (no kidney bean table this year)

Not a pretty picture but had to show it... this is my office.  It is separate from the classroom and is separated by a door.  

So that is it for you!  Thank you again to Dad for making my room complete!  

I have been in school for two days and today was much easier than the first day!  But it is all a learning experience!  I really love my kids and I love how they are from all over the world!  I would love more than anything to show pictures of them, but I will not post pictures of my students on the internet.  But here are some of the countries they are from: Syria, Oman, India, Japan, Korea, Gambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Italy, and Germany.  All of them have accents and I love to hear how they are all a little different!  I am looking forward to a great year full of adventure with them!

Tour of my home!

Welcome to my home!  I still have a lot of decorating to do but it is all coming in my pack-out which won't arrive until December so here is what I looks like now. Please excuse the white walls!

My apartment building from the outside: Residence Panorama

 

Front Entrance

 

My elevator

My front door: 2-1

Entryway

To the left of the entryway is my kitchen

Through that door in my kitchen, is my laundry room.  I have a washer and a dryer.  See my dryer? Look closer!  It is the rack laying up against the wall next to the window. ;)

 

And to the right of the entryway is my living and dining room

To the left of my small couch, is my porch... it is quite bare now

From the entryway, this is the hallway straight ahead that leads to the bathrooms and bedrooms. 

First door on the left is my half bath

Then the next door on the left is a full bath with tub and shower (well kind of... the shower head is low)

The third door on the left is my guest bedroom (Don't worry... I use the blanket quite often while watching TV at night)

First door on the right is my office (I have a LOT of work to do in here.  Currently, it is holding all of my school stuff that I have not taken to school yet.)

 To second door on the right is my bedroom.  This is the entrance into my bedroom. 

To the left is my closet (loving all the room)

 

and bathroom

 

Then straight ahead is my bedroom

I am enjoying my apartment and I look forward to making it feel more homey!  I have plenty of room for visitors so please come on over!