Day 3, May 21

This morning we went to a Youth Hostel in the Medina of Tunis. The Medina is the old city. The walls are no longer there but the structure of the city is. The alley picture with Randi in it above is a shot of one of the roads. Cars drive through here and you have to flatten yourself against the wall to avoid being run over. The Hostel we went to was in another old wealthy home. The tile work, courtyard and dining room were absolutely gorgeous. It was a sunny day and we all met in a dining room to have class. It was in this class that I realize that one of these people is not like the others, namely me. We discussed feminism. My opinions, for the most part, were kept quietly to myself, as the forum was not right to engage in an argument. It isn't that I disagreed wholeheartedly. I do think women in the same job with the same qualifications as men should get the same pay. I do think women should have a choice to have a family and that they should also be free to support said family when needed. However, its frustrating to listen to the argument that its socially irresponsible to have more than two children. Or that women are hindered and cannot do their "great" work outside the home if they have children. I often feel when talking to those that identify themselves as feminist that there is a negation of my work as a mother, that there is no value in it. When talking with the girls one on one, I found that they did not feel this way, even if they do not want to be mothers. However, in the classroom environment it was difficult for me to feel free to express myself. My professor handled it fairly well. She believes in motherhood and feels that feminism is too much an either/or proposition. Needless to say, I found myself seriously questioning pursuing further education in women's studies. I doubt there is a PhD in that in my future.



This is one of the doors of the medina. Each door faces a cardinal direction. We went through the medina to shop. It is like a huge market where people are selling every kind of thing. It was very overwhelming because if you aren't used to it you feel as though everyone is talking to you at once. Jack and I went through without the group because we weren't hungry for lunch and we didn't want to try to maneuver through the souk with the group. It was hard enough with just two. We never did get really good at bartering although some of the girls did. My roommate usually paid about 20% of the asking price. I thought the souk was exciting and fun. I didn't really like to buy things because its a lot of work. But I enjoyed watching the people interact. The boundaries in some ways are not really the same as here. The shopowners press into you, with urgency and with brilliant smiles (most of the time). They were all men. Very few women shop keepers in the souk. We saw women going about their business but they are not public figures in retail. Not in the way it is here. When you walk into a retail store in the mall, you are most likely to meet a woman salesperson. I found this very interesting. Our culture uses women to sell, everything from cars to perfume, to diapers to bug spray. The advertising in Tunisia rarely depicted women at all. We saw few posters, or street ads with women. Often it was in small shop windows that there would be a picture of a woman. Part of that is that 90% of the economy is small businesses. There are very few large corporation and therefore not nearly as much big business advertising.



This is one of the mosques in the old medina. Everyday there is a call to prayers five times a day. It is a beautiful sound, reverent and peaceful. It was one of my favorite things about being in a Muslim country. We would hear the call and our walk would slow and we would all get quiet. We did not understand the language but the spirit was there. The remembrance of God, the need of Him, the love and devotion. Muslims are intensely spiritual and have great faith. They expect God to fulfill their wishes and desires. The people I came into contact with were great examples to me of faith and devotion.

Katye Rutledge, roommate extraordinaire. I was apprehensive about this arrangement. I haven't shared a room with many but my husband in 12 years. I haven't spent this much time with anyone in a long time. I was worried we wouldn't get along, or that there would be tension of some kind, discomfort. I was pleasantly and gratefully surprised. Katye is a gentle person, compassionate and considerate. She took care of me when I was sick, she watched out for me, she listened and laughed with me. In many ways, I felt like I was not as good a roommate, hopefully, she didn't think so.