Our path lay through the Tunisian desert, salt marshes and savannah to the city of Hammamet, and further, to.
The road was not close, and our guide decided to diversify it with stories about the life of Tunisians. He himself is an Arab by nationality, but speaks Russian quite well with a slight accent. He has known Russian since he studied in Moscow.
According to him, Tunisians are very friendly, honest and democratic people. We were convinced of this ourselves, having lived in Tunisia for a week. There are no such strict rules for clothing and behavior of tourists as in other Arab countries, such as the UAE -. But the norms of decency, of course, must be observed.
A little more than 11 million people (11.014 million) live in Tunisia, of which:
2 million pensioners
2 million study (tuition is free)
1 million left to study and earn money in other countries
More than 6 million - working people and small children.
Children in Tunisia have been born less recently. And not every family has two or three children, as it used to be. What is it connected with? It's hard to say, maybe with the emancipation of women, with their employment. Although there are almost as many of them in Tunisia as men. There is a special relationship with them.
A woman in Tunisia feels like a WOMAN!
- the most progressive Arab country in relation to women! According to the national component: 97% of the Tunisian population are Arabs, 1% Berbers, 1.5% Circassians (immigrants from the Caucasus).
And judging by religious grounds, 98% of them are Muslims, a few Catholics. Therefore, it is surprising that Tunisian women have almost the same rights as European women!
The most important right is equality with men. They received equality in 1956. Then the Personal Status Code was adopted, which abolished and equalized the rightswomen with the rights of men.
Now many Tunisians are active in business, in enterprises and, in legislatures.
Only in the Chamber of Deputies there are 22.7% of them
You can list posts and professions for a long time, where women share equally with menresponsibility and the right to govern their country.
A significant date for the fair sex was August 13, 1992. On this day, the President of Tunisia amended the Code, and further strengthened the rights of women. Now everyone in Tunisia celebrates this day, and on the eve of the holiday, men sit in front of the TV and find out what other additional rights and benefits the government will give to their beauties. Now manythey joke that Tunisia is the only country where men are already fighting for their equality.
The notorious veil, which distinguishes an Arab woman in other countries, has been completely canceled in Tunisia, and it is forbidden to wear it. A hijab (shawl) - dress only at will. It is elegant, and of different colors - in most cases it is decorated with coin pendants. They wear the hijab beautifully, I would say coquettishly, and it gives a special charm to women. I must say that Tunisians are very beautiful. Dark skin color, regular oval face, almond-shaped eyes - all this creates its own uniqueness.
Wedding in Tunisia
And they still wear a veil, but only once, on their wedding day. The veil is all in gold jewelry, and how could it be otherwise - after all, a wedding in Tunisia is a very expensive event. Money is saved for it for a long time, and the groom must have at least three kilograms (!) of gold in order to shower his bride with it on the wedding day.
A Tunisian wedding lasts a whole week (7 days). All 6 days the bride and groom celebrate the wedding separately from each other: the bride - with her sisters, girlfriends and the female part of relatives, the groom - with his friends and relatives. Only on the seventh day get together and celebrate on a grand scale and with a large number of guests.
Guests dress in national clothes. It is quite expensive, and they try to rent it, like everything else - dishes, furniture and other wedding attributes. Not a single wedding takes place without a marriage contract and the national dish "cous-cous". This is such a tradition in the northern regions of Tunisia. In other areas, traditions are slightly different, depending on the welfare of these places and the indigenous affiliation of the newlyweds.
Other interesting facts
Marriage in Tunisia starts at the age of 17 - this is the minimum marriageable age for girls (for men, 20 years).
If three children are born in the family, then the woman has the right to retire and receive it in half. Recently, Tunisians have been able to work half the day with the preservation of 2/3 parts of the salary.
By age, women retire at 55 and men at 65. For those who work in the mining of phosphates, a preferential pension of 50 years. The pension is 80% of the last salary.
Education in the country is free, as is medicine. Tunisians are polyglots in their own way - they know Arabic, French, English, Spanish and Italian. And some are Russian. True, they speak with an accent.
In higher education institutions, the majority of students are girls, women. Excellent students are sent to study in other countries,and the state pays for their studies.
Old age is secured here, old single women are entitled to a nurse paid by the state. There are no homeless children, they are not abandoned. There are no bums either. The country lives by the motto, which is being implemented: “everything for the people”, otherwise how?
They slurp and eat with their hands
Tunisians have no problems with appetite, while at the table they like to slurp savoryly and often forget to use appliances. Although no - they just don't need a fork. It is much nicer to use a slice of bread that you can dip into soup or pick up some salad with it. All the hottest sauces are also eaten with bread. In a restaurant, the meal begins with the waiter placing a baguette basket and a plate of harissa and mishuia pepper salad (composed of egg, pepper and butter) on the table. Ten minutes later they bring a hot dish and drinks. Tunisians do not hesitate to drink cola or sitronado (lemon juice with sugar) with food. At the same time, they will gladly climb their bread into your plate. Friendship here truly knows no bounds!
They greet in transport
In the Moscow metro, people unsuccessfully try to isolate themselves from each other: they turn to the window, close their eyes and put their headphones in, turning the music on to the maximum. In Tunisia, passengers do exactly the opposite. They love to chat in a taxi, so all passengers are sure to greet and smile at each other. Then there is a political argument or a trifling conversation about how hot it is today. Even though it was hot yesterday. And it will be hot tomorrow too.
They laugh until they drop
Whatever anxieties and worries may overwhelm the head of a Tunisian, when you can laugh and have fun, he will discard other worries. Sincerely and selflessly, he will plunge into the atmosphere of the holiday at any outstanding opportunity. That's what friends are for, to forget about everything together, - this is what the native Tunisians think. If you do not want to be considered a gray mouse at a big party, join the iridescent mood of the crowd, and problems will wait at home.
They love to lie
This is the way it is in this country, but Tunisians are better at making up stories than telling the truth. It is not customary here to immediately reveal all the cards. Not a single resident of Tunisia will refuse the opportunity to “embellish reality” by talking about his life to new acquaintances, especially if there are attractive people among them. It is not uncommon that even after two years of dating you do not have the opportunity to find out how everything really is there ... A person can invent a high position on the go and compose a story about a mysterious past. Ten minutes ago, your new friend seemed like a very ordinary hardworking guy, and now he has already grown in your eyes to a massage specialist, whom he studied for ten years in China, and at the same time he keeps a nice cafe nearby and sells oils abroad. A successful businessman can easily turn out to be a fruit seller in a nearby shop. You will have to debunk the myths on the spot, but be prepared not to succumb to cheap tricks.
They count other people's money
Local girls and boys have one weakness - expensive things. Apartments, cars, any luxury appliances and accessories are discussed everywhere in this country. Many people like to complain that in neighboring Libya every second person drives around in a luxury foreign car, and in Algeria people are born with money in their pockets. At the same time, Tunisians often mention that their gasoline is more expensive than in other Arab countries, and it is difficult to buy a car, even a simple one. So if you own the latest iPhone or a good tablet, don't be surprised by the increased attention. They will definitely ask you for a price and, perhaps, they will look enviously: “Nice phone ...” There is a special attitude to phones here.
They love to tease
Well, something, but Tunisians know how to ask, and this does not bother them at all. There are cases when young guys from Tunisia, after a week of acquaintance, managed to beg a lot of money from tourists who left for their homeland. Our ladies are so naive that they are ready to believe terrible stories about the loss of money, work, housing and generously help new friends. Tunisians skillfully use such spiritual openness and kindness and accept gifts from "rich friends" without pain in their hearts. They can use the most cruel tricks and, with the dexterity of conjurers, influence the most vulnerable points of a woman's heart. Be careful!
They throw trash in the street
After the revolution and the change of government, no one here is obviously worried about cleanliness. Tunisians, without a second's hesitation, throw a bottle of juice right on the road, and after smoking a cigarette, they crush the bull with a boot. Under the government of Habib Bourguiba, who served as president for 30 years until 1987, the country had perfect discipline. Janitors cleaned the streets to a shine, as the local old people say. Everything changed quickly: today people have lost their sense of responsibility for their state, leaving only dissatisfaction and demands on the current president.
They don't keep track of time
It is pointless to complain about the lack of punctuality of the people of Tunisia. If you agreed to meet with a Tunisian at 17:00, he may come at 20:30 or even forget about the event and remember you the next day. At the same time, he may not have special affairs, but perhaps he was invited to visit on the same evening and he could not refuse good people. Only a work contract will force a person to be on time, all other reservations do not work. They do not like problems with the law, but they like being free from obligations so much that the Tunisian will easily answer your indignation: “Everything is in order, there is no problem” - and smile.
Africa in French, Tunisia - these are white-sand beaches, the ruins of the great Carthage and healing thalassotherapy, just a 4-hour flight from Moscow. The capital of the same name accepts around the clock. More precisely accepted. Following Egypt and Turkey, or somewhere in between, Tunisia has become an undesirable holiday destination for Russian tourists.
Increasing terrorist attacks and a tense situation discipline any sensible traveler. But the article is not about how everything is bad or good. I will not remember what it was like before the situation in the world began to heat up, and why the routes of Russian travelers from exotic turn into dull and tired Sochi and Crimea.
Nothing personal - I love Russia with all my heart (avid travelers will probably understand me to the bone marrow), but somehow it’s not very right to move around the planet in search of new sensations, relaxation, beautiful landscapes ... in obsessive and clearly dictated directions.
The world of the traveler, the Russian tourist, has faded a bit. From freedom of movement, choice, speech, democracy, tolerance to a ban on the widest choice of countries potentially suitable for recreation. Today, you are no longer completely free to decide where to fly. Everything is dictated for you, and from all this truncated list of cheap habitual rest, you, as it were, choose your own route to the Mineralnye Vody and Sochi.
Loving your country is good and right, but what about those who have already seen enough of Sochi, had their fill of the sources of the Mineralnye Vody, breathed in the Altai fresh air ...
And again it carries me - I want to write an article about the oddities of the Tunisians that will surprise any Russian traveler, but no - it’s pulling to speculate - to speak out ... Surely, the reader will be surprised - they say what do we care about Tunisian troubles, write more about Russia and the intricacies of local tourism . The answer is: curiosity has not yet been canceled, and perhaps someday my experience will come in handy for you)
So - Tunisian oddities - the revelations of a Russian traveler, I share my experience. “What is good for a Tunisian, a Russian cannot understand.”
8 ODDITIES OF TUNISIANS
1 | They slurp and eat with their hands
Tunisians have no problems with appetite, while at the table they like to slurp savoryly and often forget to use appliances. Although no - they just don't need a fork. It is much nicer to use a slice of bread that you can dip into soup or pick up some salad with it. All the hottest sauces are also eaten with bread. In a restaurant, the meal begins with the waiter placing a baguette basket and a plate of harissa and mishuia pepper salad (composed of egg, pepper and butter) on the table. Ten minutes later they bring a hot dish and drinks. Tunisians do not hesitate to drink cola or sitronado (lemon juice with sugar) with food. At the same time, they will gladly climb their bread into your plate. Friendship here truly knows no bounds!
2 |They greet in transport
In the Moscow metro, people unsuccessfully try to isolate themselves from each other: they turn to the window, close their eyes and put their headphones in, turning the music on to the maximum. In Tunisia, passengers do exactly the opposite. They love to chat in a taxi, so all passengers are sure to greet and smile at each other. Then there is a political argument or a trifling conversation about how hot it is today. Even though it was hot yesterday. And it will be hot tomorrow too.
3 |They laugh until they drop
Whatever anxieties and worries may overwhelm the head of a Tunisian, when you can laugh and have fun, he will discard other worries. Sincerely and selflessly, he will plunge into the atmosphere of the holiday at any outstanding opportunity. That's what friends are for, to forget about everything together, - this is what the native Tunisians think. If you do not want to be considered a gray mouse at a big party, join the iridescent mood of the crowd, and problems will wait at home.
4 |They love to lie
This is the way it is in this country, but Tunisians are better at making up stories than telling the truth. It is not customary here to immediately reveal all the cards. Not a single resident of Tunisia will refuse the opportunity to “embellish reality” by talking about his life to new acquaintances, especially if there are attractive people among them. It is not uncommon that even after two years of dating you do not have the opportunity to find out how everything really is there ... A person can invent a high position on the go and compose a story about a mysterious past. Ten minutes ago, your new friend seemed like a very ordinary hardworking guy, and now he has already grown in your eyes to a massage specialist, whom he studied for ten years in China, and at the same time he keeps a nice cafe nearby and sells oils abroad. A successful businessman can easily turn out to be a fruit seller in a nearby shop. You will have to debunk the myths on the spot, but be prepared not to succumb to cheap tricks.
5 |They count other people's money
Local girls and boys have one weakness - expensive things. Apartments, cars, any luxury appliances and accessories are discussed everywhere in this country. Many people like to complain that in neighboring Libya every second person drives around in a luxury foreign car, and in Algeria people are born with money in their pockets. At the same time, Tunisians often mention that their gasoline is more expensive than in other Arab countries, and it is difficult to buy a car, even a simple one. So if you own the latest iPhone or a good tablet, don't be surprised by the increased attention. They will definitely ask you for a price and, perhaps, they will look enviously: “Nice phone ...” There is a special attitude to phones here.
6 |They love to tease
Well, something, but Tunisians know how to ask, and this does not bother them at all. There are cases when young guys from Tunisia, after a week of acquaintance, managed to beg a lot of money from tourists who left for their homeland. Our ladies are so naive that they are ready to believe terrible stories about the loss of money, work, housing and generously help new friends. Tunisians skillfully use such spiritual openness and kindness and accept gifts from "rich friends" without pain in their hearts. They can use the most cruel tricks and, with the dexterity of conjurers, influence the most vulnerable points of a woman's heart. Be careful!
7 |They throw trash in the street
After the revolution and the change of government, no one here is obviously worried about cleanliness. Tunisians, without a second's hesitation, throw a bottle of juice right on the road, and after smoking a cigarette, they crush the bull with a boot. Under the government of Habib Bourguiba, who served as president for 30 years until 1987, the country had perfect discipline. Janitors cleaned the streets to a shine, as the local old people say. Everything changed quickly: today people have lost their sense of responsibility for their state, leaving only dissatisfaction and demands on the current president.
8 |They don't keep track of time
It is pointless to complain about the lack of punctuality of the people of Tunisia. If you agreed to meet with a Tunisian at 17:00, he may come at 20:30 or even forget about the event and remember you the next day. At the same time, he may not have special affairs, but perhaps he was invited to visit on the same evening and he could not refuse good people. Only a work contract will force a person to be on time, all other reservations do not work. They do not like problems with the law, but they like being free from obligations so much that the Tunisian will easily answer your indignation: “Everything is in order, there is no problem” - and smile.
