For Halloween, I went as a Tunisian restaurant menu. I had things written in bad English and French grammar on the front of my shirt and a preposterous list of beers on the back that some restaurants may have on their menus but would never have in stock.
Getting back to my Mexican and Tunisian roots, I decided to make a piñata in the inevitable shape of a camel. It was a mess of balloons, paper mache, and toilet paper rolls, which I then decorated with Arabic comic strips and a fez. We hung it from a chandelier at a Halloween party, and then, because there was no stick lying around, this guy punched it and there was tons of semi-petrified candy for everyone.
People here knew the names Barack Obama and Sarah Palin before the election, but none others. Students were really curious about which side we were on, and were pretty much all pro-Obama, but were shocked when the teachers also said they were voting for him. It was strange.
We all went to this ritzy hotel for an American Embassy election party, but between the Tunisians there not entirely understanding what was going on and the Embassy people contractually obligated to show no emotion, the Amideast teachers and a small group of study abroad students were the only real ones making any noise.
These are two of my students who showed up, Ahmed and Faicel
We stayed at the hotel all night to watch the results and eat mini hamburgers, and when they announced Obama won, I yelled and whooped and hugged strangers, and then excused myself to call
Blurry celebration
When Obama said "Hi Chicago!" at the beginning of his speech in Grant Park, I yelled back at him, and this older Tunisian guy said "Oh! I think maybe she is from
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