One Summer in Four Time Zones

Tunis: GMT + 1 hour (no daylight savings in 2010)

The summer in Tunis is a time for parties. Before Ramadan started, my neighborhood rang with the sound of weddings nearly every night. Families set up giant tent-like contraptions in some streets, hired DJs, and then played the same American rap songs on repeat until the early morning ("Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn" is line from a popular tune hereabouts - the listeners clearly do not understand that to which they dance because there are some very scandalous lyrics involved!). I haven't attended any of these soirees, but I did get all dolled up for several embassy-related events. I have become quite the fashion plate thanks to weekly visits to the frippe. The frippe is the gigantic used clothing market (there are many across the city but one near me on Sunday mornings) where vendors sell various items of clothing bought in bulk from Europe. I have purchased everything from bikinis to evening gowns at the frippe.

The ambassador had a party in his house to celebrate the arrival of his art collection. That arrival is, apparently, reason enough to hire a band and provide an open bar. The view from the residence's balcony is rather impressive, and to match it my pals and I donned elegant, if somber, outfits.

My look was not so somber at some of the house parties I attended. In particular, I enjoyed sporting my shiny gold dress, be that with or without mustache.

The Fourth of July is the summer event of greatest importance to the patriotic and picnic-loving among us. To properly represent my love for all things red-white-blue and shiny I commissioned a local tailor to create an American flag dress masterpiece. I wore this dress to the embassy's fancy event; even the cake was dressed up in the stars and stripes!

Members of the military wore their finest threads; nationalism and imported (USA!) beer abounded. Although Marines and Navy men and Air Force dudes and so on looked dashing in their uniforms, survey says that my outfit won the patriotism contest.

My roommates and I hosted a July 4th BBQ on our roof the next day, to which I was, once again, festively attired, now with accessories! Once one starts down the costume-wearing road, it's difficult to turn back!

California: GMT - 8 hours (plus one for daylight savings)

(The above picture of the America Peep Show was not, in fact, taken in America. I took it in Germany, so consider it foreshadowing.)

I traveled home for a two-and-a-half-week jaunt in August. There were very important people to see, events to attend, and items to consume. I became rather compulsive when it came to photographing all of my food and drinks. The grub is oh-so-delicious in California, and it is made all the more delightful by the fact that I can't get it in Tunis. To wit, sweet potatoes, Chinese eggplant and vegan carrot cake!

Well, the vegan carrot cake I could, in theory, make in Tunis. But I sure can't get vegan cottage cheese in a country that doesn't even stock tofu in its supermarkets! I also couldn't get views like these:

And I certainly have no reason to wear great big sweatshirts and jackets during August in Africa. In the Bay Area, however, more clothing was in order, even for babies.

Oahu, Hawaii: GMT - 10 (no daylight savings in 2010)

The eventiest event I attended while in America was my friends' wedding in Hawaii. This was, in fact, the reason for my cross-continental jaunt and also afforded me an excuse to enjoy new experiences like surfing and car renting.

The story of my surfing lesson makes me sound either macho or dumb, depending upon how many times you've seen Jaws: my instructor was having me practice jumping up on the board while still on the beach (not easy!) when a obviously shaken woman came out of the ocean and toward us. "I don't want to alarm you," she said, "but I just saw a big shark out there." The beast was large enough to have driven her from the waves, but she conceded under questioning that it was a hammerhead shark and not the dreaded tiger. My teacher gave me the decision as to what we should do, along with the assurance that hammerheads "almost never" attack people.

I decided to go for it. That was my biggest triumph, because after about an hour of catching waves and hanging less-than-ten, I got so sea sick that I had to stop lest my breakfast pollute the waters. I never did stand all the way up on the board, but I had some spectacular wipe-outs to boast about.

The wedding took place the morning of my lesson, so I arrived at the surf shop in high fashion:

While at the reception, I made some fabulous food sculptures. Before you think this behavior was frowned upon by the classier-than-I country club denizens, I'll have you know that the waitress, for one, was complicit. When she saw what I was doing, she started bringing me various exciting new items to stick into my food: sword-shaped toothpicks, cherries, and even a pencil! In the end, I declare this piece a group effort.

California (again)

I celebrated the afternoon of my birthday by hiking Mount Tam in search of the Tourist Club. The hiking was a bit more than the group anticipated because the Tourist Club, in part of their exclusivist conspiracy, is darn hard to find! As a result, we tramped all over hill and dale, enjoyed all sorts of nature, before finding our way.

The exertion made our picnic all the tastier.

That evening, I went with many of my friends and my one mother to enjoy the Belgian beers and funny face making. A day well spent, indeed.

Frankfurt, Germany: GMT + 1 (plus another hour for daylight savings)

My trip back to Tunis included a 7-hour lay-over in Frankfurt. This time, rather than laying about on the airport chairs and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to visit the city. I recommend this trip to anyone stuck in Frankfurt for half a day (as many trips to the Middle East require travelers to be, for some reason) - the airport is lousy but the city is a delight, and only a 15 minute train ride away!

Frankfurt is on the river Main, in which swim swans and row many groups of enterprising adults and children. I walked what felt like a great distance along both sides of this river in my search for museums, but the city stretches far farther than I got to see.

I spotted this man and his excellent mustache by one of many churches:

In the modern art museum, I was most impressed with the work of Alighiero Boetti. I don't think I could properly pronounce that name, but I greatly appreciate his aesthetic. The gigantic images (check out the scale of that behemoth below!) are completely embroidered. There is nary an inch of canvas which hasn't been stitched over with brightly colored thread. According to the lovely book which I couldn't afford (80 Euros - dang, Europe!), the actual sewing was done by crews of Afghan women. They do great work!

I had to leave the museum after an hour or so, however, because the soundtrack of several of the video displays (which I could hear throughout) was freaking me out. The music was of that rising in pitch variety used in horror movies just before the ghoul jumps through the window. To refortify myself, I went on a quest for dinner. I spotted this charming window display while trudging the area around central station in search of the very best looking Indian restaurant:

"Willkommen Ramadan" indeed!