No updates in a week. Weak!

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I have not had a steady internet connection for some time. I have also been busy running around town completing some paperwork and no time to write. Finally, it has been scorching hot this week - in a friend's car, windows down, no AC, it was 132 degrees F. Granted this was in the car, but it should give you an idea.

So, I received a "not a good match" email from the place I applied to last week. They were absolutely correct - it was not a good match. As far as continuing to look for work, I will take Scott's (happy birthday dude!) advice and forget about it for some time. The benefits of this strategy are that I can spend time on Silvana's visa paperwork, and that I won't have to work.

A quick note to those spoiled Americans who use the DMV as an example of bureaucratic inefficiency: here they would be hailed as the undisputed kings of expediency. This never happened (hint: yes it did), but here is a hypothetial scenario:

You need document A. In order to get it you need to request it and wait 15-25 days. Now, the request cannot be completed without having document B, so you need to get that first. You deposited the request for document B at the end of June and should expect it at the end of July. Document B is not ready yet because person A needs to sign document C and forward it to person B, who will then in turn forward it to person C. Person C will look everything over and will issue document B. Dramatic pause... He will then forward it to person B who then will give it to you. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Anyway, I try to relax.

I'll post a few photos in the next couple of days. Hope everyone is doing well.

Job search

Yesterday I had six (!!!) interviews at a Private Equity firm here in Tunis. The whole thing went well, I think, so we'll see if I get a second call. Tomorrow I have another interview, this one with an employment agency, and I may also be able to get one at a bank through a friend.

In other news, I CFAiled level 2. It is very likely that I will sign up for next June, but not until I get a job first. In September I will register for an intensive French course at a school near here.

Anyway, those are the news.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Oudna archeological site (sort of)

These photos are from an archaelogical site about one hour south of Tunis. Isabella and I took some back roads to get there and what we saw was pretty good, although not necessarily amazing. It turns out that was because we completely missed the main part of the site, which was conviniently located on the other side of the hill. What roman ampitheatre? There was no ampitheatre there!

Anyway, we did venture into the very dark ancient underground dwellings, but could not see much on account of their being very dark.









This is an underground photo made possible by a large hole in the ground - the same ground we had been walkin on earlier. There was a sign there warning about collapse or cave but we could not read it in its entirety and did the only reasonable thing - ignored it.





Partially restored roman aqueduct:

A baby falcon

These are photos I took of my friend Isabella's baby falcon. Well, it's not hers in the sense that she intends to raise it, but she did rescue him as a baby after he apparently fell off his nest, and is temporarily taking care of him (her? I didn't check). She is currently looking for an animal rescue society or individual capable of handling all the falcon's needs.

He was very sceptical of me, especially when I got close to him. Apparently, a lot of Tunisian young men raise and train these falcons to hunt. Beautiful:



Below are a couple of photos of him having lunch using his very sharp talons:





This will not make sense to you if you haven't seen Napoleon Dynamite, so ignore it if that's the case, but speaking of talons:

Bizerte

About one hour drive north of Tunis.



Small Rock:



Flowers:



Another rock:





The waves will get you:

Marsa

Flamenco Dancers, Carthage Festival

Long exposure, looks kind-of like a painting.