NO MARMITE IN TUNISIA

*Recommended*

Le Salon du Meuble de Tunis
13-22 February 2009

Tunisia hosts many exhibitions every year!
One of the most popular, is without doubt, the furniture extravaganza held at Kram just outside Tunis!
A miserable, rainy Wednesday morning was an excellent time to view the new 2009 lines from many furniture stores across Tunisia!

Bustling Souk Of Nabeul - Friday Market 2nd January 2009

Festival des Poupées de Sucre - Festival of the Sugar dolls 2008 in Nabeul
 
If you haven't eaten enough sweets at Christmas don't miss 26th to 29th December, the stalls are already up throughout Nabeul, offering sweets, nuts and the famous dolls made entirely of sugar!  Don't forget also, the traditional "sweet couscous," served with lamb, eggs and even more sweets!

The closure of the Festival of Sugar Dolls in Nabeul, was marked today, 29th December 2008, with celebrations and activities such as "painting your own doll," for the children, taking place in a beautiful old Arab House in the centre of Nabeul.  Entertainment was provided from a children's band and team of majorettes and cheerleaders. 

A prize of 1000 Tunisian Dinars was awarded for the maker of the best sugar doll!

The closure of the festival of sugar dolls coincided with the beginning of the Islamic New Year, 1430 AH, (29th December 2008.) 

The Islamic year begins on the first day of Muharram and is counted from the year of the Hijra, the year in which the Prophet Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina.

A traditional delight from Nabeul!  The Islamic New Year is seen in with Kadide or Couscous Ras el Am (couscous with salted lamb, decorated with eggs, dates, nuts, sugar lumps and many different sweets!)

One of the signs of winter in Tunisia are oranges.  On the trees, or lying on the ground - they are everywhere!  

Today is the morning of 2nd December 2006, flowers are still blooming and the weather still mild enough, even for shorts! 

 

 

What a difference a few hours makes!

By midday roads had turned into rivers!!

   

 

She stepped in a puddle
Right up to her middle!

    

 

Compared to Britain's drizzle, Tunisia's rain is like receiving a short, sharp bucket thrown all over you!!  And whilst we are on the subject......How about Tunisia's storms?!!  Loud and ferocious with a few power-cuts thrown in for good measure!!

 

 

Thankfully never lasting long, Tunisia's blue skies are soon back again.

   

                     Our back garden,  Beni Khiar, Tunisia,  December 2006

So how are you finding life in Tunisia during the winter?  Anybody who would like to contribute to this page, please email me.  How will those of us not going back to England for the holidays, be celebrating Christmas and the New Year?  Send in your thoughts and photographs! 
nomarmiteintunisia@yahoo.fr

21ST INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL NEAPOLIS FOR KIDS THEATRE NABEUL   TUNISIA 17TH - 22ND DECEMBER 2006 Children's theatre groups from 20 different countries performing in Nabeul 18th December 2006  3.00pm Complex Culturel, Avenue Med IV, Nabeul Opening Session

                Thank you Helen

     Shanna enjoys the heart-shaped

Marmites that you sent us from England

    

FREE BEGINNER INTERNET COURSES 2006  The internet provider Wanadoo (Planet) are asking for children aged between 7 and 12, who would like to become 'Champions of the Internet' if they would like to attend FREE beginner courses held in Sousse between the dates of 18th to the 30th December.  If you would like to participate just go along to their new office at Agence PlaNet, Avenue 7 Novembre, Khezama, Sousse

Sunday 28th January saw a special event taking place in the main, large sports stadium in Nabeul.  Both photographers and the television channel Tunisie 7 were taking photographs and filming the extravanganza being held. 

Children from many different schools across Nabeul, Hammamet and surrounding districts dressed up in traditional costumes and brought traditional dishes as they celebrated the event's theme 'Children Of The World.'

The effort and hours put into the costumes and makeup were plain to see.  As were the hours of practise that the children must have put into the little dance routines that accompanied their parading around the arena.  Spanish, Dutch, Mexican, South African, Saudi Arabian, and Japanese atire, amongst many others, were applauded time and time again by the huge numbers of proud parents and relatives filling the stands.

Below are some photographs of the many, amazing, different nationalities portrayed by the children.  Tunisie 7 should be showing the event on television on a Sunday morning in two week's time.

Click photos to enlarge

   

     

   

   

Visit the following website for all Union Jack purchases, whether it is for fancy dress, or just for plain sentimental reasons whilst living abroad, you can take your pick from anything from hats, teeshirts and flags, to sunglasses, duvets, scarves, wigs, ponchos or mousemats!  Fast and friendly service, with no extra cost for international delivery!

http://www.unionjackwear.co.uk

Update

7th March 2007.  We have now spent two winters in Tunisia.  Apart from the odd few hiccups with the weather, you would not really have noticed this year that we have had a winter.  Already the temperatures have been hitting 25 degrees celcius!  Last winter was different again, and I can remember many days walking around, wrapped in a blanket, drinking hot chocolate, dreaming of central heating and fluffy carpets in England! 

On the whole, we are lucky with the weather, here in Tunisia, with winter arriving late and spring arriving early.  But what other things are similar to the British wintertime?  

• Many shops, hotels and restaurants decorate for Christmas with a few streamers and a little Christmas tree.  Hotels will sometimes bring in Santa Claus to keep the children happy! 
• Whilst there is no official holiday for Christmas or Boxing Day, with working life carrying on as usual, the New Year's Day is a holiday.
• New Years Eve is celebrated just as much as in the UK.  Many people book packages to hotels which include dinner, a night's stay and a handful of acts to keep you entertained (or not entertained...as in one expat's experience in Sousse this year!)  Expats living in Hammamet, have told me they often visit each other's houses for a meal and a lively get together (looking forward to my invite next year!!!)
• Valentines Day and Mothers Day
• The Muslim festival of Eid ul Adha, which is the same date, the world over.
• School holidays are similar with time off over Christmas and two weeks normally coinciding with Easter time in the UK

For something completely different, the town of Nabeul had a festival of sugar dolls from 18-20 January this year.  Thanks Kate for letting me know that this originally began as a Jewish festival, from the large community that lived out here at one time.  The Jewish community mostly lives on the Island of Djerba now, but the tradition still lives on.  Children are able to purchase a statue or doll made entirely out of sugar from the many stalls lining the streets.  A big tradition in Nabeul, taking place for as long as I can remember, I haven't quite worked out yet whether this can replace Cadbury's Cream Eggs, which would have been hitting the UK shops for some time now!