Night in Tunisia

When it Rains...

Actually, this isn't about a terriffic run of luck or any such thing. Nope. It's about rain. Pure and simple.

I suppose that Aryn and Jack might be getting a little excited at this point, what with the West Coast being a bit of a nice looking destination and all... But I'm a little less excited.

The rain started last night a little before we went to bed. It's still going. Strong. Now I appreciate a good strong gale to keep me happy and all - of the Oh Look! Real rain, YAY! - variety. But this is ridiculous. First of all, there's lots of rain. And it's been raining a lot since we got here - I knew that's what I aught to expect from a Tunisian winter. I don't have to like it, though.

Let's describe a little, shall we? From the time we were heading to be last night, the house started slamming. Doors, windows, the wooden blinds on the outside of the windows. They're all firmly loosely locked in place, with just enough room to let us imagine that we were in bed with a pack of Japanese drummers who were letting loose on a little too much Sake. Yay for sleep.

Then there's the morning when we make the twenty-odd minute walk to the gym where we work out. You know we're dedicated when we make the treck in the rain and without umbrellas. Not that umbrellas would have made much of a difference. The wind was incredible. On my walk back home (Tiara had headed to work in a car... I got the extra walk. Bitter? Nah.) I saw a women vainly trying to flip her umbrella back around the right way. It was like a thing possessed. Also, umbrellas don't do much for feet and the puddles/rivers made sure that our feet got good and wet. Oh yeah, and with all that construction, the walk was pretty much all in mud. Yipee!

On that walk home I made sure to buy some shoe renewer and water-repeller.

There were a few neat moments, however. As we crested our first hill between Nasr 1 and Nasr 2 the wind was whipping through a construction site and the music created as the wind set up vibrations in steel supports for a new concrete roof was eery but beautiful. It helped that we were on top of a hill overlooking tunis and leaning into the wind that buffetted against our bodies. The world almost disappeared. It reminded me of the Wiwaxi Gap up in Yoho - only the wind was stronger.

Then there was discovering the bug in the shower room at the gym. It was hiding from the rain and wind too. Might have been a neat bonding moment if it hadn't been a cockroach.

Anyhow, hope all is well with the rest of you and that you're happy and dry!

posted by Loren @ 10:36 a.m.