Thursday 10 October 2013

After landing in Tunisia a hot exotic country in North Africa. A warm air welcomed me, the smell of spices and weirdly, the sun had already said goodbye, at seven in evening summertime.  My family greeted us at the airport, two kisses on each cheek.  It was a very peculiar feeling, being in another country, so far away from home. I had always wanted to know the feeling, and finally I was experiencing it.  As we dragged the suitcases; walking outside of the airport, choas, mahem, craziness had smacked me right in the face.  Nothing like england, cars were speeding and beeping, Taxis everywhere, and drivers arguing with eachother.  I had no clue what was going on, I placed my heavy suitcase into a small boot of the taxi, and got inside. 

As the three taxis containing me and my family arrived, the sweet smell of yasmeen (Jasmine) welcomed me, that smell accopinied me throughout the two weeks I stayed there, and will always bring me back there , whenever I come across the smell. Truthfully, my first thought, was how rundown it looked. Dogs running freely, rocks everywhere, and no pavement.  We walked up steps and entered a house/ flat sort of thing, with everything on one floor. A tiny old fashioned Television was in the living room.  I was surprised at how open it all was, if this was in England, anyone could walk in.  

My cousin, took me and my sister to a shop, it was very dark, and dogs ran freely. As we got to the shop, my cousin collected a big clay pot, containing bread ( to eat with a spicy Tunisian sauce which was awaiting us at home). As she passed over the money, the man serving her, looked curious at me and my sister, he somehow could tell that I did not grow up in Tunisia, as he asked my cousin if I was from France, she explained to him that my mother was from England and I that's where I have grown up.

Being very exhausted, it was time to sleep. It was incredibly hot, too hot to breath in fact, I could not sleep.  My heart kept thumping fast, and adrenaline was flowing through me, the excitement filled me as I thought about the next day.  Just as I nearly dosed off, a excruciating loud sound woke me up, I couldn't believe how loud it was. The Islamic call to prayer was playing from the mosque somewhere in the area, at the time I was half asleep, very confused at what I was hearing. But in the morning I had realised. 

It was morning, around 6 o'clock, I was awake, exited, and curious to explore and get out.  I walked upstairs onto the roof, it was amazing, other roofs from all the other houses were insight.  Six  in the morning and it was HOT. The hot sun was warming my skin, and the sky was blue.  The colours of the surrounding were completely different to England, the floor was a yellowish colour, the sky was bright blue and a beautiful colourful tilling covered the walls. My first impression that I had when I arrived the night before completely disappeared. 


No comments:

Post a Comment