I just don't know...

Valentine's day was great! The flowers I ordered online from the Tunisian post office actually arrived in Ksibet-Sousse, the lil village where my parents are from, to Niar's place. I am very very impressed with Tunisia's post office right now, because in the past, it has taken two months to just send a simple letter to someone over there, so I'm quite pleased they actually sent them on the right day too.

Last weekend was cool. I went to Freeport with Chris and Brad, co-op students working in La Porte w/ Dow, to dine with the co-op's from the Freeport site. Chris was a bit late, and we got there at 8 PM, an hour late. We come in the restaurant and everyone we saw was either wearing a tux or a nice dress. Apparently there was a high school dance going, and for a minute I thought the people we were meeting was this table full of 15-year-olds. One of the co-ops, Adam, stood outside looking for the white truck we were driving in because we got very lost in this retarded town. Here is one of the most retarded street signs I have ever seen.

Before we got to Freeport, we went into a gas station to ask for directions. The dude was telling us to go "This Way" and "That Way" as if he was directing us how to get to Cafe Anus, I mean Annice. They also seem to have color coordination problems when it comes to fire hydrants.

Anyways, Adam seems to be one of those chilled guys who can calm everyone down. I swear, if I was in an argument with someone about ready to fight, all he would probably have to do is be like "Guys...just chilll," in a soft quiet voice, and I am telling you, I probably would chill.

It was a bit awkward finally meeting everyone inside. Everyone was silent admiring their food and didn't seem to want to interract or have anything to do with us. The girls, being the angels that they always are, quickly started introducing themselves, then the fellas followed their lead. I got to say that Jace was quite a character- I don't know where to start to describe him. I went to the bathroom and came back and asked Brad if he wanted to just wait outside since there weren't any chairs for us, being the busy night it was for the restaurant. Apparently Jace told Brad to screw off by asking "Why don't you go to a Wal-Mart and go eat something?" just after meeting him with a hello. I thought it was hilarious, but shrewd, because I think Jace has his own brand of sarcasm that cannot be won over. Others told us that he talks like that in sarcasm, but I don't see the sarcasm at all, so I'll just let it be and think he's funny, otherwise Adam might need to budge in.

We ended up deciding to go to RED TOP. The sweetest burger place in Texas! We didn't feel like eating ass that night, so we preferred to skidaddle away from Cafe Anus... At Red Top, we met two lovely girls, Judy and Cherise. Best service I have ever received at a burger spot, I must say. We had so much fun messing around talking to them, saving them from their cruel boss and undying boredom, that we stayed for two hours there. They asked us to come back the next evening, but I don't think that will happen, although I sure will contact them next time we're in Freeport. Carol, another co-op, called us finally, and so we went on our way to meet her and the others. We actually ended up just chilling with her and Nathaline that night. They seem to be the most interesting out of the bunch, thus far. Hopefully I will be able to get to know the others this weekend, while we're in San Antonio.

I just dont know about Texas anymore. Texas is awesome, when it comes to weather, cuisine, diverse cultures, and nature. The people, I am not so sure about. NOT that people here are mean-they are in fact more polite and kind than people back home-This is the outmost truth. Everyone is always in a good mood and way more laid back. They form great bonds with their friends and especially their families and have real respect towards each other. They take life slowly and appreciate it, which influences their ways in how they walk and talk. Southern hospitality is not a myth indeed. Sara (co-op in Freeport) invited all of us to get away for a weekend to her home in San Antonio, and said her mother was excited to meet us. I am definitely looking forward to it and finally visiting the city that I have come to seventeen years ago and don't remember anything about it. Thing is, most people at work seem to not know much about the world and make statements about subjects and topics they absolutely know nothing about. I was in the break room, and not to my surprise but no one knew where Tunisia was(most people don't), except for this Colombian dude who looked at the huge world map on the wall because I had mentioned that it was near Italy-atleast he knew where that was. I was talking to them about Tunisia and France, and then mentioned where I was situated Texas ( a very rich white neighborhood) and one person started talking about America being the Land of the Free...hmm ok? what? She started saying, and I must make an additional remark that she did not know where Africa was-for serious, "If you really think about it, when you compare America to other countries, this is truly a free land, you are free here...yadda yadda." while others nodded. I wanted to ask "wtf? wtf is wrong with you? what are you talking about?" WHAT???!!! Anyways, another person, whom is worth finding out his name, made a change to that statement, "Aha! America should not be considered the Land of the Free, but the Land of Free Will!" Ok, I actually preferred what he said, but free will...well we all have free will, but it was better than saying that America is a free country. I think people like to say that America is the Land of the Free just to say that slavery was abolished...well abolished or not, it may seem like that on paper, but it does indeed still exist, and I'm not just talking about sweat shops going on in New York and LA or illegal immigrants from Latin America being tricked and kidnapped to work like the Old Slaves. Anyways, this was just one of those dumb conversations that you have once in a while with someone who is too stubborn to think 'outside the box' or who has never had any sort of exposure, or whiff of air, outside that box. People are quite overly patriotic here..I have to remember that this IS still Texas..and this seems to be the cause to tick me off about most people here.

It is now 2pm, and we've had two plant emergency interruptions in the past 10 minutes-one fire, the other medical. Woo! I must go back outside to work now.