Michael E. Jones

From Peace Corps Wiki

Disclaimer: The contents of this Web site belong to the wiki's members and does not reflect any position of the U.S. Peace Corps or the U.S. government. RSS Atom

READ ME: My experience in Tunisia taught me so much about myself and was like no other experience I have ever had before or since. I think of my time there almost daily. Small moments are things that are significant - like waking up with frost on your bed or waking up with frogs hopping on your sheet while trying to sleep in the 100 degree nighttime heat. The misadventures on buses, waking up dozing luage drivers, being arrested at least a half dozen times for photography-related events and suffering the humility of being bailed out by the PC Country Director. The camaraderie of my host colleagues, the friendliness and care of my host family. The kindness of Tunisians as well as the nastiness - the spit in my face, the cursing, the rocks that plunked me on my way to and from work. The cat I reluctantly adopted and traveled with (miserably) back to the states. The bee stings in the mouth and the application of chewed cigarette tobacco by a colleague. The death of 2 friends. The friendships of fellow mates. The call to prayer and the blind imam. The medina coffee houses and the labyrinth passages. The cold open-air barbeque stands in the middle of nowhere. The cork forests along the north coast and the caper trees in the mountains near Zaghouan. The weddings, the dancing, the fine food. The souks and the traditional spas. The first Christmas in Tunisia with Brenda and Peggy! The mid-term 3-month training in Morocco was a treat - such a lovely land. The idiot geed men and the aggressive charm of the beautiful Moroccan women. The train that runs from Tunis to the south - packed and sweltering with a mix of aromas and movements. The new transit to Sidi Bou Said was a pleasant experience and getting off half-way at the cooking school up on the hill, eating a fantastic lunch, and then getting back on the train to Sidi Bou Said to enjoy some coffee and then climb some cliffs to contemplate the sea. The safsari'd ladies who would run you down if you were in their way. The quite streets at night. The sandy industrial-like towns in the southwest and their vacant loneliness. The Sufis in the south desert and their joyous weddings and celebrations. The old man and wife in the small hut with a dirt floor who gave me everything they had - I was so humbled...