Arriving in Tunis:
At the start of my second week of cycling in Tunis, Tunisia, I started to use my calendar again. I have to make choices because there are too many appealing activities. The potential initiatives and, of course, spontaneous social gatherings. As an introvert, I also need some moments to myself, including a decent amount of sleep. Anyway, it’s great to be integrating into the social life here.
One moment, you decide to join for a Saturday morning coffee in the oldest café of Africa. (I’m just taking this as a fact; there’s no way I could check it anyway 😉). The next day you spend a few hours in that place, followed by a tour through the medina – counting 700 monuments by the way! Going for a quick lunch in between – very spicy, but we were sweating anyway- and then find yourself singing the Tunisian happy birthday song for a friend’s brother in the hospital.
Adapting with the culture:
I have now learned to reserve a few extra hours in my calendar for every social event that I’m invited to. They don’t only end but usually also start later than planned. Cycling in Tunis helped me to connect with many people and especially discover places like the medina of Tunis, Sidi Bousaid, the museum of bardo, wich is 200m away from Nomadic Bike..
In general, I’ve learned to appreciate this life rhythm. It feels less rushed than in the Netherlands. The moments I am waiting for people give me a chance to stand still, be in the moment, learn some patience, respond to some texts, or maybe – just maybe – connect with the people around me 😉 I think the fact that Dutch society is so tightly scheduled, creates a lot of the stress, restlessness and even loneliness that we sometimes experience.
Enjoying the present moment:
At the same time, I have met Tunisians who are critical about ‘Tunisian time’ and wish for a society where they can depend on their appointments more often. I guess there’s something to learn from both ways of living. For now, let me just enjoy the fact that I don’t have to plan two weeks in advance when I want to meet some friends. And that I do not have an employer expecting me to do anything else than connect with the people around me.
- See also my Instagram post about the coffee culture in Tunisia
by Gini
