Since I had never travelled by plane before, it made my trip to Tunisia all the more special, I couldn’t hide my excitement, from take-off to landing all I could think about was how fun and educational will this experience be. I had high expectations, and thanks to MR HADDAD Tijani and to the Fijet academy they were met.
• Modern art in Tunis:
As I stepped foot in Tunis, I was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the city was, the architecture was astonishing, it truly left me speechless. One thing which particularly gripped my attention was the multiple graffiti walls which gave the city an urban modern flow, I only saw them through the bus’s window, yet it was able to make me stick my face to it only to try and get a better look at it. It was fascinating for me to see how something as simple as a splash of color was able to give so much life to soulless walls, how it as able to illuminate the place, and stay so imbedded in my mind, that I kept waiting to come back to Tunis just so that I would be able to see them again.
• Meeting with the minister of tourism:
During my second day in Tunis, members of Fijet and I, had the privilege to meet the minister of tourism, M. Moez BELHASSINE who found time for us, welcomed us with open arms, enlightened us with various valuable information and answered all of our questions. It was truthfully a delightful experience to sit at the same table and listen to everyone speak so eloquently. In order to commemorate that moment, we took a picture.
• The heart of Tunis:
Afterwards, we went to visit the old medina which was an exhilarating experience, it enchanted me with its beauty, it was really a fascinating experience, to go from the modern medina to the old one, it almost felt like time travel or teleportation, because of how strong the contrast was between the two places.
The old medina made me feel home, because both the place and the citizens made feel welcomed and safe. I could imagine and understand the daily life of the people who were living there just by the mere sight of the houses and how they were structured, they were built to make the people close to each other, to make neighbors feel like family, everyone was close to everyone, and I found it extremely beautiful.
Everything about the old medina made me fall in love with it, and took me on a captivating journey of senses, from the vibrant colors of the doors which made me feel calm, relaxed, peaceful over all recharged, because color theory indubitably plays an immense role in psychology, and affects our moods so subtly yet so drastically, to all the varied smells which dazzled me and left me craving for more, to the varied magnificent crafts which amazed me. And they didn’t lie when they said « Handcrafting: Where creativity meets craftsmanship, and artistry is born from the hands. »
• Seaside resort to the beautiful gardens:
Afterwards we went to Hammamet, which to me was very special, as I made a lot of good memories there. The sunny blue sky, the mesmerizing beach, the call of seagulls, the sunscreen smell… How could I not fall in love with a city as beautiful as that?
One thing which specially got engraved in my mind, was when we went to the marina, and we saw pirate boats, it wasn’t real pirates though, but it was still just as amazing as a real one, it felt like I was inside of a movie, it was a real-life fairytale.
• Tunisian delicacy:
And of course, how could I omit the food, the food was delicious, I really enjoyed discovering a new culture, and tasting new flavors. The spice was a real culture shock to be honest, it was hard at first because I have a low spice tolerance, but I got used to it, and when I did, I was able to really enjoy it.
• Ruins of Uthina:
And last but not least, I will talk about Uthina. Uthina was and still is one of my favorite places, just as I set foot on it, it felt like I was a gladiator, it was a place where history was so prominent that you could feel it in the air and see it everywhere, on the ground, on the way the rocks were shaped and delicately piled… I am a real fan of history, so you can only imagine how ecstatic I was when I saw, touched and walked on history. Uthina was an ancient roman-Berber city located near the capital of Tunisia, walking on the same ground on which someone’s ancestor also walked, was an amazing feeling, I had the privilege of also going back stage and seeing the cages where the animals were kept before entering the arena. I have never felt more grateful to have a vivid imagination than that day. I could see the scene, see the animals running to the center of the arena, hear the spectators screaming and chanting, hear the gasps and sights, I could imagine in the smallest details how their facial expressions would change from, stress, then fear and eventually relief.
• Conclusion:
All in all, show and tell used to be one of my favorite games as a child, and having the opportunity to do it again was truly a blessing, on top of living one of the greatest experiences of my life, discovering a new culture, new flavors, new smells, and new sights, I had the luck to be able to write about it, and relive my childhood all over again by playing show and tell, except this time with proper tools, and with better self-expression. Hence why this experience was so special to me and why it made me so happy.
