Author: Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Travel Update #1: I TOLD You So!

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

If only the world would listen to me. As he mentioned in the comments this morning, Tony did call Tunisair to confirm our flight. They said everything was fine. And when we arrived at the airport, our flight was listed as on-time. In fact, they didn’t get around to changing the flight status until it was already past our 16:35 departure time, and there was no sign of the plane even landing, let alone anyone boarding.

Our first clue about the trouble should have been that while we were standing in line to check in, the Tunisair staff told the front of the line something that caused a massive stampede over to another check-in desk on the other side of the room.… Read more

International News in My Backyard

International News in My Backyard

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

The Tunisian police are holding a sit-in today to protest all the police stations that were burned during the revolution, and make sure the 23 police officers on trial for killing demonstrators during the weeks leading up to President Ali’s exit get a fair trial. They’re considering a general strike if the sit-in fails to produce the results they want. Ben Ali’s power base was largely drawn from the police force, and so the police now feel that they’ve been unfairly blamed for the violence during the protests in January.

Unfortunately, the past few weeks in Tunisia have seen a foiled bombing plot by Qaddafi, and fighting and deaths due to rioting and tribal conflict in the south, as well as a rash of muggings and car break-ins in our own neighborhood.… Read more

Saying Goodbye

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Yesterday Tony and I went on our last date in Tunisia, to Hammamet Centre. We hadn’t been on a date in a month, since our babysitter was doing Ramadan. And somehow in the intervening time we forgot how much we hate going out to eat in Hammamet. Unlike most places I’ve been, the only really good meals I’ve had here in Tunisia were at people’s houses. Apparently, none of the good cooks here work at restaurants. None of the good waiters do either, unfortunately, so the whole “going out to eat for the experience, not the food” doesn’t really work.

As a result, we haven’t been out to eat in months.… Read more

In Need of a Sabbatical

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

The time has come. Next Tuesday we will be on a plane to California. Sorry to spring these things on you so precipitously. That’s just the way things seem to work out.

Ever since our business failed after the 2008 credit crunch, life has been pretty difficult and stressful. We’ve had some exciting adventures, crazy travels, and happy times (the kind of stuff that typically ends up on the blog), but we’ve also had some very serious challenges. I can say that I’m physically, mentally, and in every other way worn out. My in-laws have graciously offered to let us stay with them while I recover from a persistent health issue and we sort out our finances and decide which direction we’d like to take our life next.… Read more

Which Mormon are You Voting For?

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

It’s the question of the hour. And if you forced me to choose between Huntsman and Romney, I’d have to say that a president who speaks Chinese would probably be more useful than one who speaks French. But eight long years of Bush and then a Mad Tea Party have almost completely sapped my patience with the G.O.P.

Fortunately, there’s another Mormon running for President. His name is Yeah Samake. Like the original Mormon presidential duo, he is clean-cut, wholesome, and charismatic. And his French makes Romney sound like an episode of Prairie Home Companion’s Guy Noir. Throughout his political career, Mr.… Read more

Finally, a Facebook App I actually Like

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Today I checked my App and Game requests on Facebook, and found that I have a closet full of HOT clothes. I’ve also been accepted into the school of wizardry, appointed starting pitcher, and put on the library staff. Several acquaintances have admitted to stalking me (isn’t being “friends” on Facebook already stalking?), I’ve been passed an Argentine mate, and people want me on their birthday calendars in various different languages, each of which (annoyingly) has its very own app. Smiles, hugs, diamonds, zombies, time machines, and empires are all mine for the taking. I guess life is full of opportunities.… Read more

Keeping Faith, Falling Leaves, and A Thousand Splendid Suns

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

I love reading, but finding English-language books can be something of a challenge for an expat. Yes, I miss my library. And then a couple of months ago my Kindle broke (sad day!), leaving me high and dry when it comes to reading material. I wrote quite a bit of poetry in the interim, and got some other equally practical stuff done. But I’ve been in serious literary withdrawal.

Enter Jo Ann, who in addition to being a fabulous artist, spearheading the clean beach campaign, and giving us dog care advice, loaned me some books! I must confess that I shamelessly gobbled them, mostly simultaneously.… Read more

Garbage In, Garbage Out

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

What is it with us and garbage problems? First there was the Italian fiasco, in which we had to evade law enforcement to get rid of our garbage. And next, we got in trouble for throwing bread to the birds, because I’m apparently the only one on the planet who somehow missed out on how taboo it is to throw bread on the ground in a Muslim country.

Now we have this problem:

This lovely little pile is located just around the corner from our house. It’s the neighborhood dumpster/garbage mountain, which happens to be sandwiched between the 4-Star Miramar Hotel and the main entrance to world famous Hammamet Beach.… Read more

Euphoria in Libya; Saif is Safe

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Looks like months of desperate fighting and daily NATO strikes have finally paid off. The Libyan rebels are largely in control of Tripoli. We’re not sure where Mad Qaddafi is now, as he’s been missing for quite some time. Rumor had it that last week he’d escaped into Tunisia, but I haven’t seen him anywhere around here. Today he sent someone over to blow up an unspecified embassy in Tunis (the would-be terrorist defected instead), so it’s probably much more likely that Qaddafi will be landing in Cuba or Venezuela within the next few days.

However, his son Saif al-Islam has been taken captive by the rag-tag rebel army, and will soon be on his way to the Hague to face trial for crimes against humanity.… Read more

The Dog That Walks By Himself

Sarah Bringhurst Familia

Perhaps we are in need of a dog after all. Before last week we had no one to steal our socks, lick up spills from the floor, or cover our hands with warm kisses.

I guess we can consider him an “oops baby” of sorts. After further grilling of all our neighbors, we were able to uncover the story of how a little black puppy came to be all alone yelping in the street outside our house. Apparently, the nice old man who lives across the street and spends hours every day sitting outside on his front porch was sitting there as usual two Fridays ago at 7:00 in the morning.… Read more