Tounes el'youm

- Allah y3inek
- y3aychek...y3aychek
- ...
- mraret el'5obza
- ach bech na3mlou!!

- salam. Bakou mouchoir bellèhi
- zidni 5amsin
- 3lèch? Ya5i el'mouchoir mouch b'mya wo'5amsin?
- ya 7asra. Tawwa walla b'mitin. Hiyya b9at 7aja tawwa mazadouch fiha?!

- bsara7a lèzem tzidni fel masrouf. Eddenia ghlèt wo el'flous elli ta3tili faha ma3adech ta3melli chay. Ti barcha 7ajèt tawwa wallit nechrihom men 3andi wo chay baqi mouch 5allta...
- bellèhi ak tchoufi fi 7ali kifèch. La bedni mertè7 wo'la mo5i mertè7. Nhar wo'toulou wana nejri wen'jarri wo'fel le5er ma ntayyer ak le'frank kèn bel'3dèb. Ti Kèn jiti ta3rfi bel'7a9 9adèch nsawwer ana kol youm raki majbetilich hel'mawdhou3 jimla wa7da.

The future!

"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face-for ever...And remember that it is for ever"

From 'Nineteen Eighty-Four'
A novel of the British writer
George Orwell (1903 - 1950)

The Martyrs' Day

Today, Tunisia commemorates the bloody events of 9 April 1938 on which a multitude of Tunisians sacrificed their lives in service of this country and in defense of its right to be independent from colonial France. On a day as special as this one, the least thing I can do is to observe a minute of silence in memory and honor of those good souls. May they all and all martyrs in the world rest in peace!

Flora and fauna

This was the phrase I learnt from one of my best friends when I met him a couple of days ago.

The flora and fauna of a particular place just means its plants and animals. It is as simple as that so do not worry much about it!

What is very important is not that phrase but how good it really feels when I learn any English word, phrase or idiom from someone. I do not know why but I just feel that every word someone and especially a friend asks me about, lets me think about, teases me about and then tells me about becomes very special and absolutely very memorable.

A couple of days ago, not only did I learn what flora and fauna means but also I had a lengthy conversation with my friend in English. We really enjoyed ourselves making English our only language of communication. In fact, that has been always our way of practicing English together. But it is really sad that we do not meet very often to do that kind of thing. That kind of thing which makes me leave my friend feeling as if I have just released a caged bird and got a prize for it!

Insomnia!

I have been feeling unwell lately. I do not know why but I can't really sleep at night no matter how hard I try and when sleep eventually comes sometime in the early morning, I always remain asleep to the late afternoon no matter how hard people try to wake me up. I believe these are the symptoms of insomnia but I still wonder what kind of reasons could have led me to it. It is true that I have recently had some feelings of stress, anxiety and exhaustion but those feelings have been actually there almost always and I can't remember that I had this problem once before.

Yesterday, a friend called me to ask about my health and know how I had spent my past few days. When I told him about my problem, he was very puzzled but then, after a little thought, he said playfully: "boy, you must be in love". So, I smiled and said to myself: "5alli barka 3zaha sket! it's not really the right time to add fresh cuts to those wounds".

The Spring Break is over!

Once again, time slips away like the wind and the Spring Break comes to an end. Now, It will only take one month for me to be confronted with the final exams of the year. Not good news I think, at least not for someone like me who still can't believe that he had a two-week holiday. Anyway, it is time to work hard now not to keep complaining about not having enough time to rest. At least, there is still something in the university that one does not need much to be prepared for. It is absolutely a meal at le restaurant universitaire. All you need to get prepared for it is to be very hungry and broke!

Le repas universitaire is sometimes excellent
and other times not worth
the two hundret millimes paid for it!

The truth of the grave!

A cemetery I came across in Sidi Bou Said

Is death really the end of suffering or is it only the beginning of it?
What does each grave hold for its occupant? Is it good or evil or absolutely nothing?
I just do not know.

However, each time I see a cemetery, I feel that each grave has an answer for any question I can possibly think about. I also feel that it is only in the grave that the truth may disclose itself entirely and that it is only the person lying down in it that can really perceive it.