Door/Key Issues

Well... I am not the sharpest tool in the box!  Read more as I explain why... Last night Laura invited me over to her place to have drinks with the girls and then we were headed out to dinner after that.  So I grabbed my small purse and my spare key (so I wouldn't have to bring my huge key chain) and headed out the door.  I shut the door, put the key into lock it, and realized it wouldn't turn.  Yes... my key wouldn't turn!!!  I started to panic!  I have used my spare key many times before (Dad used it the whole time he was here) and it worked every time!  So I went over to Laura's and told the girls for advice.  Abbey came over to see if she could wiggle it and make it work.  But nope!  So I called our facilities guy.  He sent someone over with a spare key and it DIDN'T work!!  We were quite puzzled!  The guy went back to school and got other spare keys.  NONE of them worked.  He called our facilities guy who talked to me and he figured it out... I left my other key in the key hole on the other side (inside) when I left because we dont have deadbolt knobs, we used our keys instead.  I decided to leave it in there so it would be safe when I home and that way I won't loose it.  Well... when it is in there, you cannot turn the key from the other side!  He said he could send someone over that night to break the lock but then it would be unlocked throughout the night until someone can come to fix it in the morning.  I did not like the idea of sleeping with an unlocked door so I spent the night at Laura's and he came over this morning to fix it.  He put something in there and pushed it hard enough to push my other key out!  I wanted to get a picture but they did it before they called me!  This was definitely a lesson well learned!  Thanks to Laura for sharing her apartment with me!  She was a great hostess!

Lebanese Food with friends

Last night, some new friends and I went to a Lebanese restaurant and it was oh so yummy!  

We got pita roll-ups which were made on this hot grill (looks like an upside down big bowl) and were oh so yummy!  They had meat, cheese, and veggies inside.

 

We also got a platter of beef, lamb, and chicken skewers, garlic mayonaise-like spread, humus, baba ghanoush,  and salad with radishes, cucumbers, onions, etc.  It was oh so yummy!

Tamara, Abbey, Laura showing off our food

Carrefour!

Carrefour is the Walmart of the Tunis.  It has house items as well as food.  The day after we landed the school took us to get items we need to get started of with.  It is huge (well just like Walmart but when there are many people who don't speak your language, it seems even bigger) and super busy!  Well there is still a lot I need that I didn't know I needed the first trip there.  So I put on my big girl panties, got brave, and went there on my own! I got a cab and off I went!  I was so proud of myself and happy to stock up on my food as well as get some much needed items like Brita filter (this water makes my tummy hurt) and mattress topper (the beds are hard here).  When I was checking out, someone was talking to me in French but I was unable to communicate back.  Then all of a sudden she says... "Do you speak English?"!  It was like a breath of fresh air to be able to talk with someone for a little bit!  Then my cab driver on the way home spoke English (which is very very very rare)!  All in all it was a great trip!

 

My loot! 

(Love, love, love these bags!  Thank you to all of you who have gotten them for me!  They are a life saver here!)

Thank you, Dad!

Dad flew with me to Tunisia and stayed with me for a week!  He left this afternoon.  He was an AMAZING help... figured out how to work my washer, how to turn on my stove, moved up my closet bar so my dressed wouldn't drag on the floor, cooked dinner, opened Abbey's safe, got Laura's dishwasher to work, opened up a bottle of wine for Nadia, helped me set up my entire classroom, and the list goes on!  He meant many of my new co-workers and supported me every step of the way!  It was so hard to say goodbye to him this morning as I headed to work and it was every harder coming home and knowing he was gone!  He was an amazing person to help me adjust to life here and I miss him oh so very much!

Thank you Dad!  Being here for a week meant the world to me!  I love you to the moon and back!

**These pictures were taken on Monday when we ate a whole fish!  This was an achievement for the two of us... Dad hates fish and I hate fish bones!  Love that we made this memory together!

To the market... or so we thought!

On Sunday, the four of us who live in the same apartment building, took a trip to La Marsa market.  Or so that was our plan!  When we got into the taxi, we realized he did not know English and we did not know the French word for market so we did our best.  He ended up dropping us off in La Marsa but there was no market to be found.  We knew we had to be close so we got off and walked around. First thing we found was the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea! 

Nadia is a great poser!

We had to put our toes in it of course!

We continued to walk and found this cute outdoor cafe where we got expressos and water.

Abby, Laura, Nadia

We asked someone at the cafe where the market was and we headed down there but realized he was sending us to the Monoprix (grocery store).  We decided to go ahead and pick up some things we needed.  We continued to ask for help to the market but continued to come up empty handed.  So we headed back to our apartments but enjoying our morning of venturing out in La Marsa. 

Later that afternoon, we went shopping with a group from school.  We realized we were back in the same area from that morning.  We asked Susan (director of curriculum) to show us where it was.  And... we walked RIGHT past it.  We even saw the "Fresh Fish" sign Laura commented on this am.  Oh gracious us!!

There are street cats ALL over Tunis!  They are very sweet and harmless... just looking for food.  Well I have found them very cute and thought I'd share some of my pictures with you. 

Thank you so much for all of your comments!  It means so much to me to hear from you and know you are reading!  I have not taken anymore pictures since this because I have been in my classroom most of the time but I hope to do a post with a tour of my apartment and classroom very soon!  Dad is also doing a post on a tour he went on while I was at work.  He had a blast!  Love to you all!

Venturing off around my neighborhood

Yesterday afternoon, Dad and I walked around the area of my apartment.  First we walked to school which took about 15-20 minutes.  We had to go over a highway to get to the street my school is on.  In the distance is a walking bridge that took us over the highway. 

After winding around some streets, we found the school!  This is just the gate around it.  It is too tall to see the school inside.  (Safety first!)

Then we found a more direct route back to my apartment.  We decided to then walk to the Lac (lake) near my house.  That was a direct route and we got there in 5 minutes!  It was gorgeous!

 

It was great to finally walk around and see what was near where I live! 

Day 2 in Tunis

Today was a very busy but productive day!  We had meetings at school and got a tour of the school.  Then we had lunch at a hotel right on the Mediteranian Sea.  After lunch we had a shopping trip at Carrfour (like a Walmart).  Then we headed up to finally finish unpacking! :)  It was a great day but I need to head to bed.  I wanted to leave you with a few pictures from our day.  Thank you dad for taking such great pictures!

The outside of building E where my classroom is (see the E behind the bushes)

 A peak into my classroom (the door was locked so this is what we could see from the window on the door)

The Tunisian flag

Our view of the Mediterranean Sea at lunch

The view from the stairwell at my apartment

Love you all!  Thank you for the continued prayers!