Night in Tunisia

leaning buildings and friends

There was just a little something I noticed today with slight alarm.

A number of buildings in Tunisia are a little skewed off perpendicular with the horizon. That is to say, they are tilting. Strange that it took me so long to notice. I suppose that so much in this country seems a little off-balance, that I didn't really give it a second thought or second glance. Now that I'm starting to settle in this weird world, as my world has started to sink in - however tenuous the foothold, that the world itself is a little askew comes as a surprise.

Maybe it's the clay on which the foundations are built - after all, much of Tunis is filled-in ocean as of the last century (the medina, the old city, may be wonky, but it's all standing straight and tall - all of the leaning buildings are in the new districts). Maybe it's the fact that it's all heavy masonry construction with limited foundations. Whatever the case, it seems quite natural that there's an established maximum building height imposed here!

It's not as though all the buildings are tilting, but there are enough to give me pause. Frankly, any tilting building is enough to give me pause. Something about the details. Like last night buying a vat of 'vanilla' ice cream only to discover that it was vanilla mixed in with the dregs of pistachio. Odd.

Another one of those you're not in Kansas moments. Enough to reflect - and then to accept and get on with the day.

Anyhow, a last comment before I sign off. We have two guests stopping in to the Letourneau inn today - Jodie and her friend Shelley. Two little Anglos stepping into the franco-arabic Tunisian wilderness. Wish them luck - Tiara and I are just happy to have a little extra company.

posted by Loren @ 3:50 p.m.