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Anyone in Seattle?

2007-10-13T22:59:00.000-05:00

It has been so long since i posted a word to this blog. i've been very busy lately wrapping up my 15yrs journey in Canada to move to Seattle, Washington, ...it's been fun so far !

The new job at one of the NASDAQ movers is quite challenging, lots to learn. Life in downtown Seattle, especially in corp temp housing is really cool !!!

Pike and Pine streets being at a walking distance, with daily offering of fresh Pacific NorthWest fish and baguette does make a significant difference in once's lifestyle.

Anyhow, I will provide more details later. Yet, for those folks living in Seattle or those who have been around here, i need to know if Seattle is home to any Tunisians? Coz i can't even notice Arabs around, excepts Somalis. Mind you, i'm still new in town :-)

Also, i need to find a Halal Market/Middle Eastern place ASAP. So suggestions are very welcome.

Cheers all, good to be back among you.

Negative blogopshere...

2007-06-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

It's been quite some time since i didn't throw a post around, never mind i was busy and i'll talk about that later.

Nonetheless, i've been scouring the blogs during the past few months and i could not notice a brink of hope or positive thinking towards the homeland, aside from few posts here and there, notably the 'Development Series" by our fellow resident of ox.ac.uk.

Most of the people are complaining about every little aspect of life in Tunisia, ranging from free speech & bad sccops to the latest behavioural pattern or the degrading standard of living, as if we're alone in this world that has a shitload of problems, sort of going downhill fast to our own innahalation. Ouuch !

One can certainly notice the presence of professional bashers who spend hours looking for the latest youtube or scandal on the net about the country, the post it before eating lunch, and expect the crowd to applause and cheer...WOW what a scoop !!!

There are others who sit procrastinating about a deep thought that hardly a gifted phiolosher can understand, these claim to be the elite think tank that have the potential to move mountains of ideas..and free the people from the darkness of ignorance !!! How retarded and disconnected these people can sometimes be.

For the sake of the almighty, why we are we so hooked on portraying every negative aspect of the homeland - notwithstanding legitimate obversations - while we ignore our basic duty of working hard (at least making up the hours) , contributing a dollar, making an investment, helping a fellow TN achieve his objectives, promote an institution or just basic caregiving?

Let be no doubt, that certain right such as the right to free speech - and among many other - are certainly guaranteed and even solicited, but these are second to the sacred duty of contribution, ... sounds unfamiliar i guess ?!?!

I'll be back...

2007-06-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

I'll be back

Lots of things to say, topics to discuss..

Moods to swing, ideas to scrutinize...

'Interesting things' to reveal...

So stay tuned :-)

Diving & Hibernating

2007-03-08T09:01:00.000-05:00

This blog has entered a period of hibernation....

I may surface from time to time to get some fresh air, otherwise i need to take care of a some business deep my own ocean & backyard.

Till then, enjoy everyone !

Privacy 101

2007-02-25T16:12:00.000-05:00

From Wiki: Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to control the flow of information about themselves”

But it’s more than that.

Privacy is when you don’t interfere into other people’s life, way of life, decision making, private life, emotional life and professional, social and financial life.

Privacy is when you don’t sneak and try to catch a glimpse of someone’s details, be it physical or moral

Privacy is when you stand correctly in a line up; keep a distance between yourself and the person in front of you, especially when that person is being served

Privacy is when you mind your own business

Privacy is when you talk quietly in a public place or among a crowd

Privacy is upheld when you receive an application, be it for a passport, a loan or a registration, and you do not share its details with anyone else, except trusted people that are involved in the process.

Privacy is when you keep a secret, a record of someone you know, someone who had a mishap in his/her life, went to prison, declares love to you or decides to shares his/her sexual orientation

Privacy is when you meet someone, discuss confidential or personal details and you keep them for yourself, and forever

Privacy is golden when the holder knows the boundary between public and private

Privacy is void when the holder claims to know the virtue of privacy, yet acts otherwise

Privacy starts with you and not with the others

Privacy is a cornerstone of relationship, which in turn is the founding element of a society

Privacy is a measure of civilization

...so think again about your entourage before you talk.

And the Temperature Today is...

2007-02-05T14:51:00.000-05:00

Accross Eastern Canada and the North-East.

Actually, it's tracking at -24 C, with the windchill factor feels like -37 C

Tunisia Inc. (revised)

2007-02-03T10:51:00.000-05:00

With input from Naddou, Swifty, Snawsi, Samsoum, and others he’s a rephrased and augmented list of articles that can potentially make Tunisia Inc. Please note these articles are not cast in stone, they still need to be run by a counsel for validation, and they may be be further adjusted, detailed or obfuscated.

Feel free to comment. I really find this exercise most interesting, because it takes blogging to a totally new dimension, as in collaborative blogging, where talented people contribute effectively to a good cause.

1) English will be the language of the workplace, spoken and written. Tunisian Arabic will be the common language, French supported but not recommended [No change]

2) The company will be run by a Tunisian CEO reporting directly to the board, which is made of Americans, Canadians or Asians [No Change]

3) Employees will be Tunisians only
[Changed to: employees will have to hold a Tunisian nationality]

4) Employees will be hired through referrals only, no posting on any job boards [No change]

5) Employees will work for free the first month, and then get compensated onward [Dropped]

6) Employees will earn shares of the parent company, as they gain seniority, their shares[Changed to: Employees will earn shares of the parent company, after 2 years of seniority and depending on feasibility from a taxation standpoint]

7) Employees will have to sign non-disclosure agreement and agree to pay penalties (deducted from salary in an escrow account) should they be proven guilty of breach of trust in a Tunisian court of law [Changed to: Employees will have to sign non-disclosure agreement and accept full liabilities for damage to the company should they be proven guilty of a breach of trust or damages in a Tunisian court of law or after a board review]

8) Termination for cause or without cause is permitted, as long as it’s not abusive, there will be no job security [Changed to: Employees can be termined for cause or without cause with , 2 weeks notice or a pay in lieu]

9) All employees will be granted a paid 4 days leisure travel once per year to any European city of their choosing, granted that ¾ of them over-achieve [Dropped all together]

10) Training is at the own time and expense of the employee [Changed to: Company may provides training per need basis]

11) 2 major mistakes are allowed per year, termination thereafter, to the sole discretion of the manager with review from the Board [Dropped all together]

12) The Tunisian office can shutdown anytime and relocate somewhere else, at the sole discretion of the board. All employees will be fired with 2 weeks notice [Changed to: There will be no guaranteed continued operation. This will depend on the competitiveness of Tunisian Inc. in a global market]

13) The office will feature an open concept cubicle setting, a boardroom, with a game room equipped with a state of the art sound and video system, and a WII console.[No change]

14) Internet connection will be handled by a satellite link. [No change, subject to technical feasibility]

15) Work hours will be flexible, minimum 6 hours per day, maximum at the discretion of the employee [Change to: Work hours will be flexible, minimum 6 hours per day, maximum at the discretion of the employee, to a weekly maximum of 48 hours per week (including over-time), there will be no compensation for over-time, except in special cases]

16) There will be no maternity benefits, but 1 over 4 employee must be female [Changed to: There will be no maternity benefits, but maternity leave up to 3 months will be allowed]

17) Working from home will be allowed [No change]

18) There will be 3 weeks vacation per year, and 1 week sick leave [Changed to: There will be 10 business days vacation days per year, and 5 sick days (including family sick days) ]

19) There will be whistleblower policy in place. I.e. it is the responsibility of every employee to report unacceptable behavior of another employee or manager. Abuse of this rule will lead to immediate termination [Changed to: There will be a whistleblower policy in place in case of major breach of trust. It is the responsibility of every employee to report unacceptable behavior of another employee or manager]

20) There will be no business travel overseas [Dropped]

21) The office will not be located in the Capital [No change]

22) There will be 3 special days. One family day where employees bring their spouses and kids, one Civic day where employees debate and discuss their community issues and one cleanup job day, where they pick a location and clean it up! [Dropped all together]

23) There will be 360 degree review of immediate managers per year [No change]

24) Security will be handed to a strong private security company [No change]

25) Dress code will be 'dress down', that is shorts in the summer, and jeans in the winter, except when there are visitors, dress code will move up to be formal neck and tie for managers, skirts and heels for the ladies, and business casual for the rest.[No change]

26) Last but not the least; i will not look after this company :) [No change]

Now the new rules:

27) Compensation will range from 2000 US$ for starters to 3000 US$ for experienced per month (Gross numbers). Increases will be compounded by the inflation, as long as the operations of Tunisian Inc remain ‘competitive'

28) Benefits will include comprehensive full medical and dental coverage to a maximum of 1500US$ for the medical coverage and 500US$ for the dental per calendar year. STD and LTD are optional and payable by the employee. Life insurance payable by the employer, in compliance with the TN law. All of this is contingent to tax incentives, social security payment exemptions and and assistance provided by the gov.

29) A guaranteed bonus ranging from 1000US$ to 5000US$ (taxable income) per year will be granted to the top 1 or 2 or 3 performers (depending on corporate finance), available for rank and file employees only (mangers get a different type of bonus).

30) Brown bags or Lunch and Learn (an Accenture concept) will be held bi-weekly, where employees perform research on hot topics on their own time, and share findings with their peers, as a learning exercise. Company will pay for software licenses and hardware if need be, at the discretion of Senior Management.

31) Performance expectations will be set, debated, agreed upon mutually by the employee and his supervisor on a yearly basis, with quarterly reviews. Warnings & Probation will be used for failing employees leading to possible termination.

32) Referral bonus will amount to 1000 US$ and will be given to whoever refers an A-player, if the latter stays 1 year on the job and meets or exceed his expectations.

35) Tunisia Inc will not discriminate against religion, race, color, gender, dress code (as long at it’s decent). United States employment fairness act will apply in Tunisia Inc, in harmony with the Tunisian Labor (and decency) laws; the only exception is stated in article 3.

36) Working hours: Monday to Friday.
Regular time: 9am-5pm, with half-an-hour lunch break.
Ramadhan time: 7am-3pm, un-interrupted.
Summer time: Same as regular time, there will be no special accommodation during the summer whatsoever.
There will be a night shift from 6pm to 12pm for 1-2 employees (mostly managers) during peak period to cover US EST schedule.

37) Stat holidays. Tunisian Holidays per TN schedule.

38) Hiring will require police certficate and credit file check.

That's it

Union du Maghreb Arabe, 18ans deja

2007-01-31T19:09:00.000-05:00

Quel gâchait historique..

18 ans d'inaction, de négligence et d'indifférence envers des aspirations des peuples...

Ailleurs, une telle union aurait déjà porte des fruits tangibles en l'occurrence

1) Une route trans-maghrébine

2) Une monnaie unique

3) Une intégration économique parfaite assorti d’un marche commun

4) Une mobilité de ressources humaines et naturelles fluide

5) Un bloc économique, énergétique, sans égal

6) Une politique étrangère commune et forte

Même sous les pires conflits frontaliers, les disparités idéologiques, et les variétés ethniques...

Dommage, vraiment Dommage...

Tunisia Inc.

2007-01-30T20:15:00.000-05:00

Below is my vision of a global organization with operations in Tunisia, also refered to as "Tunisia Inc"

1) English will be the language of the workplace, spoken and written. Tunisian Arabic will be the common language, French supported but not recommended

2) The company will be run by a Tunisian CEO reporting directly to the board, which is made of Americans, Canadians or Asians

3) Employees will be Tunisians only

4) Employees will be hired through referrals only, no posting on any job boards

5) Employees will work for free the first month, and then get compensated onward

6) Employees will earn shares of the parent company, as they gain seniority, their shares grow

7) Employees will have to sign non-disclosure agreement and agree to pay penalties (deducted from salary in an escrow account) should they be proven guilty of breach of trust in a Tunisian court of law

8) Termination for cause or without cause is permitted, as long as it’s not abusive, there will be no job security

9) All employees will be granted a paid 4 days leisure travel once per year to any European city of their choosing, granted that ¾ of them over-achieve

10) Training is at the own time and expense of the employee

11) 2 major mistakes are allowed per year, termination thereafter, to the sole discretion of the manager with review from the Board

12) The Tunisian office can shutdown anytime and relocate somewhere else, at the sole discretion of the board. All employees will be fired with 2 weeks notice

13) The office will feature an open concept cubicle setting, with a game room equiped with a state of the art sound and video system, and a WII console.

14) Internet connection will be handled by a satellite link. No TunisieTelecom crap

15) Work hours will be flexible, minimum 6 hours per day, maximum at the discretion of the employee

16) There will be no maternity benefits, but 1 over 4 employee must be female

17) Working from home will be allowed

18) There will be 3 weeks vacation per year, and 1 week sick leave

19) There will be whistleblower policy in place. I.e. it is the responsibility of every employee to report unacceptable behavior of another employee or manager. Abuse of this rule will lead to immediate termination

20) There will be no business travel overseas

21) The office will not be located in the Capital

22) There will be 3 special days. One family day where employees bring their spouses and kids, one Civic day where employees debate and discuss their community issues and one cleanup job day, where they pick a location and clean it up!

23) There will be 360degree review of immediate managers per year

24) Security will be handed to a strong private security company

25) Dress code will be 'dress down', that is shorts in the summer, and jeans in the winter, except when there are visitors, dress code will move up to be formal neck and tie for managers, skirts and heels for the ladies, and business casual for the rest.

26) Last but not the least, i will not look after this company :)

Home Sweet Home

2007-01-22T07:17:00.000-05:00

I had to fight hard to snatch few days from my work schedule to make a trip to Tunis. After a trip to Seattle, LA and London, my VP decided that I deserve a break and allowed me few days in Tunis as long as I check my emails and be online to attend meetings over VOIP…it was not that fair but a good deal by North American Standard.

So here I am enjoying a unseasonably warm weather. Actually, I can confirm that global warming is at 100% full throttle, with winter in Canada starting 2 months behind schedules, no rain, yet Spring weather in Tunis, Warm weather in London, UK and Extra rainy in Seattle and LA. Tom hanks would throw “Houston, we have a serious, lasting problem….” from his Apollo capsule.

Tunis is busy as hell, but at least I can get some business done with people working 2 shifts a day, compared to the few hours of summer time. However traffic is chaotic as usual (no surprise) and internet is crap at best. I’ve got a 256k line that sometimes acts as 300k line but most of the time throws the infamous ‘cannot display page’, I don’t know if the Folks at TT know that our infrastructure does not help convince foreign IT investors to setup shop here, our customer SLA is at best 50%.

In Tunis, one’s schedule gets filled up fairly quickly….there is no shortage of meetings, cafes, gossips and inquiries. A friend I met yesterday, told me that he can get Canadian Citizenship without even setting foot in Canada in 6 months time, he turned out to be misinformed, he mixed, VISA with Immigrant Status and Citizenship, but he insisted that he got such info from the Canadian Ambassador himself who apparently is a distant family relative…so go figure.

Worth mentioning, is the increase in number of girls’ only group. Few days ago, I visited some up-scale neighborhood and there were large groups of girls, sitting and having fun, with no single guy around. I don’t know if Guys are becoming a scarcity or these girls have discovered a way around guys….whatever is the reason, I found it weird. During my times, guys were much more numerous and were the hunters, not the hunted.

It didn’t took long for friends to flag my cell phone as outdated and obsolete, since many of them have the most sophisticated technology out there. I was also lambasted for not renting a luxury car, since by their standards, someone who works overseas, must get a 307 or above…Lessons Learned. Thankfully, only a minority of my friends think like this...

Nonetheless, it’s always fun to be around family, and friends…especially when I hear the crazy and outrageous gossip…aka ‘Le Shoot’. I missed the Derby…I was so close to getting tickets at the black market, but these were way overpriced.

Seattle, L.A, London, Tunis??, Toronto...

2007-01-06T21:17:00.000-05:00

To Start, a 3 day visit to the University of Washington Computer Science & Engineering department, for joint Research & Industry workshop. We (the industry) want to explore the new optimization tools they recently developed and they (Phds, and Masters) want funding (like any thirsty research facility).

Then, onto Los Angeles for a 4 day training. I like this part, coz I miss Los Angeles allot, even though there is no such thing as Los Angeles downtown.

Then come back, spend barely one day at home, then on to an overseas flight to London, UK for a 3 day Conference (I hate conferences, papers, and all the research crap, it’s dull, but that’s my corrupt opinion). It’s my first time to the UK so I need to order some maps and especially the map of ZE UNDERGROUND, switch to the English accent, because over there, there is no such thing as Elevator, it’s called lift, and there is no truck, it’s a LOOOOOOORY Bloody hell. And Ohh everything is charming, Sir :-)

I’m trying to squeeze in, a few days to go to Tunis, but there is neither a conference, nor a training there, so I need to find a good excuse…suggestions are welcome

I’m grateful to the 'calendar and the gods' since this is occuring while Wifie and Kiddo are still out…otherwise that will cost me dearly. Wifie charges 50$ (in value or kind) for a missed diaper change.

Ok, i think i need to go do some laundry....

The time machine exists after all...

2007-01-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

I wish i can use it to explore the future :)))))

L’immoblilier fi Tounis…

2007-01-03T21:37:00.000-05:00

Brabbi ya jme3a, someone explain to me why the hell l’immoblier fi Tunis is skyrocketing every year.

Behi, let me start. I was looking for something back in 2003, not really interested in buying but just assessing the market.

Let’s consider a semi-detached unit (duplex) in an average-to-good neighborhourd. At that time (2003) it was sitting at 150MD. In 2004, it went up to 200MD, in 2005, to 250MD, last year to 300MD and projected to hit 350MD by 2007,

Ok, I can understand the price of copper went up 25% the past year, concrete/cement 25% due to privatization (a huge mistake) add to that the dramatic increase of fuel costs, all compounded with inflation, yet that can’t justify a sustained 25% increase on a yearly basis.

I heard that Europeans can now own property in Tunisia (yet another mistake), but could that be the major trigger for such an increase ?

Someone, please provide a scientific/financial explanation to this, granted there is one eventually. This is driving me nuts coz even Real estate in Bel-Air, California, or Monaco are not experiencing such jumps. Mind you this may turn to be an opportunity as well, longer term.

Tunisia goes Nuclear full speed !

2007-01-01T22:26:00.000-05:00

(L'Express 15/12/2006)

La Tunisie et la France ont signé jeudi un accord sur la coopération dans l'utilisation pacifique de l'énergie nucléaire, qui couvre les domaines de la protection environnementale, du traitement des déchets nucléaires et la production énergétique.

Avec la signature de cet accord, la Tunisie est entrée dans une nouvelle étape de la recherche et du développement de l'énergie nucléaire, a indiqué Taieb Hadhri, ministre tunisien de la Recherche scientique, de la Technologie et du Développement des compétences.

Souffrant d'une insuffisance en ressources pétrolières, la Tunisie attache de l'importance à l'exploitation de l'énergie nucléaire ainsi que de ressources alternative et recyclables.

En mars et novembre derniers, le président tunisien Zine el Abidine Ben Ali avait convoqué deux sessions du Conseil des ministres pour étudier les questions énergétiques qui se sont résultées en une srtratégie en faveur de la recherche et du développement de l'énergie nucléaire.

Je pense que c'est un tres bon choix strategique d'opter pour le nucleaire, vu que d'ici 50ans il n'y aura plus de petrole (chez nous, bien avant cette echance) et que les technologies pour produire de l'energie renouvlable ne seront pas 100% efficaces et suffisantes, alors le nucleaire est le meilleur choix pour le moment.

Happy New Year to all

2006-12-31T18:07:00.000-05:00

It's 00:06 Tunsian Time Jan 1st 2007, still 18:06, Dec 31 2006 in Canada, but since my heart is in Tunisia (as always) I would like to take this opportunity to wish a Happy new year to my fellow bloggers. May the upcoming year bring you health, happiness and prosperity, and may the new year take the TN blogging community to the next level.

Yours, truly.

Global warming is here …I feel it

2006-12-28T18:25:00.000-05:00

Snow was not at the rendez vous this year during Christmas
Temperature are hovering around the zero degree (15 degrees higher than normal)
People are jogging and golfing on New Year’s Eve
Summer was the hottest on record
Smog advisories were the longest
It was the rainiest and the windiest season in the West Coast
Storms are more and more violent, with wind gusts topping 100km for the average storm, prolonged heavy rainfall that causes widespread damage and extended lightening flashes.
Inundations are more common, extended and dangerous
Many ski seasons cancelled in Europe due to closures, the only few left active are those sitting around 3000 meters and above
Ski runs in Canada lost 2 months of business, especially the snow-mobile industry, because there was no snow at all.
Million year old glaciers are melting, but at a faster pace, predicting their disappearance by 2030.
Ice shelves breaking away from the poles more frequently, drifting out to the open seas and melting at a rapid pace (today, a large 15km wide piece broke away from northern Canada)
Flooding in the low laying areas is now daily fact in Bangladesh and Indonesia.
And i can add 100s of other events....

How are you going to feel this ? (if you're not already)

First, shortage of water will drive the cost of water 10 folds, triggering massive rationing or probably wars
Second, agricultural lands will shrink due to shortage of water & an un-predictable weather pattern combined with the advance of the desert will put tremendous stress on the food supply chain, cause prices of basic produce to increase, hundred fold, putting a normal family at risk of famine, or bankruptcy.
And many more…

Honestly, I was thinking that I may miss this foresable and upcoming calamity…but I guess Global Warming is coming so fast that I may see the effects after all.

So my advice to you, think about yourself, your kid, your country, the world and the planet as a whole. Adjust your habit now…Turn off that light that you don’t use, walk instead of burning diesel fuel, exercise instead of watching TV like a couch potatoe, and turn off the tap while you shave. It starts with you.

Make it a 2007 resolution…Please !!!

Powerful Tunisians

2006-12-23T12:27:00.000-05:00

Recently I’ve started interfacing with more Tunisians living in North America, thanks to a government sponsored venture. I was amazed to notice how numerous and widespread are the experts, the decision makers and the reseachers in this continent.

To cite some examples..

We have two in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA.

We have some in Intel, Microsoft, IBM, BEA, and Motorola, Cisco, few of these hold management position.

We have gazillion Tunisians at Nortel Networks and Alcatel, with few at the manager level but many in key engineering positions.

In the Academia, literally every university in Quebec has 2 to 4 TN professors, with one serving either as a Dean, Vice Dean or Head of a department. Elsewhere in North America, we have high ranking professors in lots of universities, to name few, New York, Carnegie Mellon, Urbana, Georgia Tech, UBC, Waterloo, UCSD, and many others.

In the banking sector, we have a high ranking official at American Express, and few others at Chase, First Boston Credit Suisse, HSBC, BMO Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank.

In the Government sector, we have virtually 3 to 4 Tunisians in every ministry of the government of Canada, however none that I know of, hold a senior management position, as Government policy does not - actively - promote diversity. In the US government, I don’t think we have any, but I may be wrong.

I’m sure there are many more, like doctors, lawyers, etc, as I will probably never know all of them. There is also the diaspora in Europe which is probably as powerful as that of North America.

Let’s imagine for a second these fellow Tunisians - or at least a nucleus of them - get together in a room (real or virtual does not matter) and agree as a group (not as individuals) on a roadmap to promote investment, improve cooperation with the West and expand exports with/from the Republic. After all, that’s how Jews got organized: Lawyers, Doctors, Real Estate managers, Traders, got together, formed a lobby and started influencing American Policy and contributing massively to their homeland, though they’ve been around way before us.

I know it’s tough, but it’s doable, ...it's really time to wake-up, think as a community and put the country first.

God Bless The Republic.

La française...

2006-12-17T23:05:00.000-05:00

Avant hier j’étais allongé sur le divan, regardant un de mes derniers downloads, quant le téléphone sonna….il était 10pm.

Napo : Hello
X : Allo, Nabil *voie grave, accent français tunisien*
Napo: Oui, ena houwa? Qui est a l’appareil
X : C moi, Foulen el Foulani, ca fait longtemps qu’on s’est pas parlé
Napo : Oui, en effet, 5 ans presque ?
X : Oui, et on s’est pas quitté sur une très bonne note malheureusement.
Napo : Hélas !!! Mais bon, oublions ca, labess mahou ?
X : Hakkeka w’barra, la vie ne tourne pas, ou plutôt ne tourne plus comme je le veux
Napo : D’où tu m’appelles ?
X : Paris
Napo : Wow, il est 4h du matin chez toi la, tu ne dors pas ?
X : Je ne dors plus depuis quelques mois maintenant
Napo: Ohh lala, inshallah labess, echfamma?
X : Il madame darit 3leya.

La je dois injecter de l’historique a cette affaire, Mr X a le même âge que moi, on était des copains d’université, lorsque je suis partie au Canada, lui il rallie Paris Dauphine, il était extrêmement brillant, a fini son DEA en un temps record et a vite accédé a un poste de Cadre dans une grande banque française. Il avait bcp de succès dans sa carrière et il ne lui manquait que fonder une famille. On était très on contact, et on s’échangeait des nouvelles presque quotidiennement …jusqu'à un jour il commençait a me parler d’une française, une amie française, une future epouse française alors on s’est rencontré a Hammamet un de ces étés chauds de 2000. A première vu je l’ai pas trop gobé son amie, je l’ai trouvé introverti, silencieuse, peu bavarde et hésitante a accepter la mentalité et les habitudes tunisienne, enfin je me suis faite ma propre idée sur elle. Lui il était complètement au nuages, elle été son amour, sa passion, sa future épouse, etc., etc. …Bref, on eu quelques occasions d’en discuter, je lui ai expliqué que marier une étrangère est généralement problématique apres un bon bout de temps, et que je pense que son amie doit faire plus d’effort pour accepter notre culture et nos traditions. ….et DEPUIS CETTE DISCUSSION, il m’en parlait plus, lé 3id, lé félicitation, lé. condoleance, le rien du tout. Il est même passé une fois en ville ici sans me faire un appel. Hassilou c’était la rupture totale et a ce jour la j’arrive pas a comprendre le comment et le pkoi de sa réaction, sauf que lorsque je me révise, je réalise que je n’étais pas assez sensible a ses sentiments et a ses choix, j’étais assez direct, franc dans mes propos et j’ai balancé mon avis et mon jugement sèchement.

Reprenons la conversation...

Napo : Kifech darit alik? T’as fait quoi avec elle, la dernière nouvelle que j’ai de toi indirectement indique que tu te sens bien avec, heureux et content, j’ai même entendu parler que vous avez acheté un appart dans un arrondissement bien réputé de Paris (entre tunisiens, rien ne se cache)
X : Oui, oui et oui, mais voila qu’on désire avoir des enfants
Napo : Aya behi. Très bonne nouvelle, rabbi ysahhel
X : Oui, inshallah, enfin ca va dépendre
Napo : de quoi ? et de qui ?
X : D’elle
Napo : Hummm, problème de fertilité ? Conjuguer travail et maison ?
X : Non et non, au fait on n’est pas d’accord sur la façon d’élever les enfants
Napo : Ya rajel, who cares, brabbi, law ken inti ma tnejemch tjib, echkoun yenejm , oumourk mnadhma, poste tahfoun, appart milk, wa fi Bariz !!! Aya twakkil 3ala rabbi...
X : Inshallah, mais mon problème est elle
Napo : Kifech, rak hyartni
X : Elle veut leur donner des prénoms français, une religion non musulmane, pas de circoncision, et de préférence son nom de famille à elle.
Napo : What the F***???? huuuuu..Quoi, pardon ??? (il n’est pas anglophone le mec, fiouuu, et moi je suis maladroit, car je mix tout, français, 3arbi, angliz)
X : Je ne comprends pas pkoi elle me sort ca maintenant, a vrai dire on en a jamais parlé avant, mais moi je commence a prendre de l'age, et je commencer a sentir le besoin de fonder une famille comme tout le monde
Napo : T’as parlé avec elle, t’a essayé de lui convaincre que ca se fait pas de cette façon ?
X : oui j’ai essayé, sauf qu’elle me sort des histoires que je n’arrive pas à gober. Comme par exemple le fait d’avoir un nom français aide a l’intégration dans la societé française, et le fait de ne pas être musulman que ce soit par choix ou par obligation, aide au développent sain de la personnalité, elle dit que maintenant l’islam est devenu une religion de violence..et t’as qu’a regarder les banlieue de paris pour le constater
Napo : WOW !!!! This is ugly !!!! Huuuuu…c pas gentile ca et c une distortion de la realité en plus !
Napo : Wallahi chepas quoi te dire, c’est ta femme et essaye de lui parler, essaye de l’éduquer, lui expliquer la différence entre l’islam et la violence, la culture tunisienne quand il s’agit de paternité des enfants, etc.
X : Je ne sais pas si je vais réussir
Napo : T’as pas le choix
X : A ma place tu ferais quoi ?
Napo : Je ne serais jamais a ta place, parce que moi-même je n’étais pas intéressé par des filles étrangères, malgré les tentations, la facilité, et tout le reste. Certes que c’est difficile de marier une tunisienne ces temps ci, mais c'est toujours l’unique et le meilleur choix a long termes. En tout cas, tu te rappelles de notre discussion right ?
X : Napo, stp, je sais tout ca…tawa je suis dans ce pétrin, que je dois-je faire ?
Napo : Bin, ca dépend aussi de toi, est-ce que tu peux accepter de telles conditions ?
X : Jamais, bin je peux accepter le nom français, mais la religion c’est très difficile ca !!!
Napo : Well, dans une telle impasse, il y a généralement, séparation ou divorce a moins que vous décidiez de ne pas avoir d’enfants. Ecoute, je sais que tu n’aimes pas entendre ca, mais moi je suis cartésien !!!
X : Mais je l’aime, et on a des projets ensemble…
Napo : Projets ?
X : Oui, son père m’aide avec des crédits, et d'autre affaires.
Napo : Ahhhh, ok…écoute il se fait tard et si on reprend cette discussion un autre jour ?
X : Oui, certainement, désole pour le dérangement
Napo : Ecoute, décide ce qui est TA priorité dans TA vie …et assume, c mon premier et dernier conseil et ne te casses pas trop la tete la dessus.
X : Oui je sais, désole de t’avoir déranger encore..

Je ne pense pas que la conversation s’est bien terminé….je ne sais pas quoi faire.

Demoiselle? 28ans+? Temps de se caser..

2006-12-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

A Newsweek cover story titled "Too Late for Prince Charming?" showcased a study by Yale and Harvard researchers suggesting that 30-year-old white, college-educated single women had only a 20% chance of finding husbands. At age 40, the probability fell to 2.6%. Using hyperbole and humor that became infamous then, and sound far more awful today, Newsweek said those 40-year-olds were "more likely to be killed by a terrorist" than land a mate.

Another study by the American Medical Association suggests that women generally have some decrease in fertility starting in their early 30s. It is not unusual for a woman in her mid-30s or older to take longer to conceive than a younger woman. Furthermore, the risk of bearing a child with certain chromosomal disorders increases as a woman ages. The most common of these disorders is Down syndrome, a combination of mental retardation and physical abnormalities caused by the presence of an extra chromosome 21 (humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes). At age 25, a woman has about a 1-in-1,250 chance of having a baby with Down syndrome; at age 30, a 1-in-1,000 chance; at age 35, a 1-in-400 chance; at age 40, a 1-in-100 chance; and at 45, a 1-in-30 chance.

Once inside a marriage, the benefits for the Man are:

Live longer
Physically healthier
Wealthier
Increase in the stability of employment
Higher wages
Emotionally healthier
Have better relationships with their children
More satisfying sexual relationship
And more…

For the Women:

More satisfying relationship
Emotionally healthier, lower risk of depression, mental problems.
Wealthier
Less likely to be victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or other violent crimes
Less likely to remain or end up in poverty
Have better relationships with their children
Decrease risk of drug and alcohol abuse
Less likely to attempt or commit suicide
Physically healthier. Less likely to contract ovarian cancer and other deseases.

For the kids:

More likely to attend college
More likely to succeed academically
Physically healthier
Emotionally healthier
Less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol
Less likely to commit delinquent behaviors
Have a better relationship with their mothers and fathers
Decreases their chances of divorcing when they get married
Less likely to be sexually active as teenagers
Less likely to be raised in poverty

So for those Tunisian ladies approaching 28+, hurry up and think about your well being and the well being of the community, rather than accumulating academic degrees or spending endless hours at work looking for the ultimate satisfaction, the incarnation of the feminist movement or the gender independence.

There is soul mate for everyone….it’s nature, that's how it is...but only if you take a leap of faith and don’t over-engineer it... otherwise and as we say in our language... ‘Yzaffir 3lik il babour”

Our new Sexy Secretary

2006-12-13T21:27:00.001-05:00

After so many years working with a boring receptionist, we saw the light at the end of tunnel. Today, the VP of technology, the Manager of the IT and the Manager of Engineering (myself), welcomed our new receptionist…Holly !!!

A smart, dynamic and nice person, and incidentally (but not accidentally very HOT!!!
Of venezuelan descent with firm body, great curves, nice legs in heels, blond hair, cute smile, and petite.

The entire office was boiling, not because we don’t have female around, but these are rather boring (geek females are not attractive and have no concept of feminity). Everyone had to find an excuse to visit Holly and say hi; especially those IT people trying to hook all sorts of wires around her, from network drops to setting up her computer and cabinets, you could hear questions like…”can I check under your desk please to hook this and that?”

At the end of day I told my VP….”Well, I guess this will motivate our techies to come earlier now *jokingly of course* (coz techies tend to always show up late with their coffees half-full "
He replied: “As long as they and her (the secretary) are more productive, I have no problem with that”

Just for the records, the folks I work with are extremely professional, many of them are married, but love to tease, spoil and be spoiled. I guess it’s a cultural thing here…;-)

So a new era will begin and may god bless the new secretary :-)))

Ne laisse jamais un homme seul..

2006-12-12T20:10:00.000-05:00

Parce qu’il risque de commencer a dépenser a tord et travers.

Voila, je suis seul ces temps ci, ma femme est partie pour quelques semaines de vacances avec la petite. Hier j'étais chez le dealer VW pour 'winteriser' mon auto (poses de pneus d'hiver, changement de huile synthétique, poses de wiper blades d'hiver, traitement antirouille, battery check, anti-freeze check, et j'en passe).
En récupérant les clés de l’auto, je tombe sur la nouvelle Golf V (appelé Rabbit ici) , version Amérique du Nord !!! En voici, quelques photos:

Les specs:

* 5 cyl. en ligne de 2,5 L DACT 170ch (10 cv) avec IMS,
* Transmission manuelle 6 vitesses avec surmultiplication
* Système de freinage antiblocage aux 4 roues
* Assistance au freinage d'urgence
* Pneus P205/65HR15,0
* Dispositif anti patinage (ASR)
* Verrouillage électronique du différentiel (EDL)
* Contrôle du frein moteur (EBA) - Empêche le dérapage attribuable à la compression sur des chaussées glissante
* Climatisation Climatic
* Radio: 2 IAN AM/FM lecteur CD simple au tabl. 10 h-parleurs avec XM sattelite Radio
* Suspension avant indépendante
* Suspension arrière entièrement indépendante à quatre bras, avec ressorts hélicoïdaux, amortisseurs télescopiques et barre stabilisatrice
* Consommation: city 10/100, hwy: 7/100
* 4 ans de garantie bumper a bumper / 80,000km

le prix??? Pas très cher, seulement 21k+tax...et si je fais un échange contre ma vielle volks, ca pourra baisser de 40%.

Je suis vraiment tenté mais, lorsque je pense au charges familiales...nouveau bébé, mortgage maison, voyages d’été qui se chiffre en milliers, etc., je me dis 'laisse faire, ta voiture peut te tenir encore des années, so relaxe et chill out'.

Good bye J2EE, welcome SOA

2006-12-11T21:54:00.000-05:00

This article: http://go.techtarget.com/r/820339/5877469 describes how J2EE is dying in an SOA World

"...In five years, Java EE will be the CORBA of the 21st Century. People will look at it and say, 'It had its time but nobody uses it any more because it was too complicated.' Richard Monson-HaefelSenior Analyst, Burton Group.

This past week, Burton set off a bombshell with the release of a report by Monson-Haefel titled JEE5: The Beginning of the End of Java EE." Like one of those prehistoric animals that went extinct because it got too big to live off the available foliage, the Burton analyst said that with the release this spring of JEE5, the Java EE platform has grown too complex to be workable for enterprise developers, who are increasingly looking at alternatives such as Ruby-on-Rails.

The Java programming language is not threatened here," the Burton analyst said. "I think the Java programming language is going to continue to thrive and be the mainstay for most enterprise development for years to come. Monson-Haefel is not the lone analyst predicting the demise of the Java EE platform or in viewing SOA as part of the reason.

Java EE's days have been numbered for a while now," said Jason Bloomberg, senior analyst with ZapThink LLC, who also sees the main culprit being the increased complexity that comes with each new version. Clearly, every time a new version comes out or module gets added, it only adds to the complexity. Eventually, it'll simply collapse under its own weight. It's not like there will be a future version of Java EE that's more lightweight than its predecessor.

Complexity aside, Bloomberg, who specializes with SOA and Web services, sees the Java platform as fatally flawed when it comes to moving into the service-oriented enterprise era.
The Java EE world is fundamentally not built for SOA," the ZapThink analyst said. "Now, you can build perfectly good SOA implementations on Java and many of the SOA implementations in production today depend on their J2EE-based runtime infrastructure. In fact, Java is many things – an object-oriented programming language, a virtual machine infrastructure and the Java EE flavor of Java is specifically a framework for implementing n-tier architectures...."

I'm having a problem believing such a prophecy...J2EE is complex for the newbies, it's meant for large entreprise, rock solid scalable n-tier arch, for the serious programmers and architects and certainly not for .NET junkies. It is absolultely by far the most adequate and advanced platform to support SOA, and the fundamentals of SOA, i.e. interoperability, abstraction and platform independence.

Both go along...and neither one should eclipse the other !!!

Dur dur de travailler avec les Tunisiens....

2006-12-10T15:03:00.000-05:00

Récemment, la représentation Tunisienne an Amérique du nord a sollicité quelques Tunisiens qui bossent dans l’industrie de la technologie a participer activement dans l’encadrement des étudiants tunisiens (de Tunisie) en vu de les préparer au monde des affaires et la vie professionnelle.

Une idée que je trouve exceptionnelle car ca crée un lien entre des générations et des continents, ca expose les étudiants aux toutes nouvelles méthodes de recherches, de travail et de technologies, mais ca sensibilise aussi les Tunisiens de l’étranger et les mets a contribution pour aider au développement de leur pays d’origine.

Comment ca fonctionne? Un encadreur local et un co-advisor se réunissent, définissent des sujets d’étude, généralement un thème de troisième cycle ou doctorat et entament des entrevus avec des étudiants qui sont intéressé. Ca se fait par télé-conference, ou des meetings face a face.

Au début, ca marche bien, tout est mis sur papier, ‘agreed upon’ et chacun fait son travail…mais a moitié chemin on commence à constater des problèmes du tout genre…

1/ D’abord avec les étudiants :

Avec 40 milles vacances par an, rares ceux qui avancent adéquatement. Il y a aussi le manque de concentration, et les moyens techniques limité, notamment, l’accès a internet qui est constamment interrompu, et les biblio dépourvu de références a date. D’autres problèmes moins graves étant le manque de maitrise de la langue mais aussi de la démarche. En effet, j’ai remarqué dans le très peu d’étudiants que j’ai co-encadré une envie de changer de sujet comme si ils changent de portables ou de chaussures pour suivre la mode. Au fait, ils manquent de force et de persévérance pour exploiter un sujet à fond, des que le thème s’avère plus complexe qu’en apparence, ils s’ennuient !!!!

2/ Puis avec l’autre Encadreur et la c’est plus sérieux :

Monsieur l’encadreur principal veut tout accaparer, ses idées doivent passer en premier, sans entendre, ni échanger, ni argumenter. Il est intéressé seulement par remplir son quota annuel, recueillir les ‘applauses’ lorsque l’essaie fonctionne mais aussi jeter le blâme sur ‘autrui, i.e. le co-advisor’ lorsque l'experience deroute. Wallahi, ca me dérange pas qu’il accapare tout le processus, du moment que le thème est solide, le travail avance et le résultat final est jugé acceptable.

J’ai aussi remarqué un sentiment d’insécurité envers les Co-advisor Tunisiens, comme ci ces derniers sont en compétition pour évincer Mr l’encadreur de son poste ou cherchent a intégrer le corps professoral de la dite université…pourtant avec un Co-advisor étranger (non tunisien) ils ont une attitude totalement différente, ils sont réceptifs, coopératifs et chaleureux.

Récemment, j’ai eu à faire avec un encadreur de l’IHEC, un diplômé des « grandes écoles françaises » qui passait la moitie des séances de travail à me raconter l’histoire et la différence entre le système français vs. le system anglo-saxon, comment en France la recherche était un exercice noble et éthique…et qu’ailleurs c’était « différent ». Au début c’était subtile mais au fil du temps ca devenait plutôt personnel et agaçant et je n’avais ni la patience de continuer a travailler avec lui ni de l’affronter…alors je me suis retiré.

Bref, avec bcp de patience, et de persévérance ca aboutit a de bon resultats, mais sincèrement je ne comprends pas pkoi c’est toujours difficile de travailler ou traiter avec les Tunisiens…si ce n’est pas un problème de compétence, c’est un problème de communication, si ce n’est pas de la communication, c’est l’attitude…., sinon c’est autre chose, mais toujours un problème ARTIFICIEL… en arabe, c'est du "taksir krayem"

Heureusement, que c'est du volontariat, ce n'est ni mon fort, ni mon day job :)

Ontario, yours to Discover

2006-12-01T21:09:00.000-05:00

Ontario, is the second largest province in Canada and the most populous province sitting at 13 million people (40% of Canada, 2005 estimates). Ontario’s surface area is 1 million square kilometers, (twice the size of France or California). Ontario’s GDP is 538 billions dollars, representing also 40% of Canada’s GDP.

The largest city in Ontario (and in Canada too), is Toronto with 5,5 million people, 51% of which are pure immigrants…..the others are of Italian, German, Chinese, Portuguese, Indian, Polish, Caribbean or Arab origin.

Ontario’s population is mostly made of loyalist, British colonialists who fled the US independence war in 1781. But before that, Ontario’s original inhabitants (the true Canadian) were the Ojibwa, the Nipissing and the Algonquin and many others.

As far as education is concerned, Ontario has the best universities in Canada, namely University of Toronto (U.Of.T) and Queen’s University in Kingston (old capital of Canada)

Ontario’s economy is based solely on manufacturing and export; its main trading partner is the United States of America much less than neighboring Quebec or Europe and Asia. Ontario due to its culture, language and people are high integrated in the US, however it is still represents the founding nation of Canada (along with Quebec).

As far as nature is concerned, Ontario is full of natural parks, among them Algonquin park which is roughly the size of the republic of Tunisia in square kms. This is my favorite destination during the summer as it is only 4 hours drive north. Ontario has also 250,000 lakes; representing roughly 10% of the world water reserves (Canada has 25% of all world water reserves).

The most striking fact about Ontario is the cost of doing business. Ontario ranks first among the G7 countries (France second, UK fourth) in competitiveness in terms of setting up a business or conducting Scientific or Industrial R&D.

Overall cost of living varies from City to city, with Toronto – the capital of Ontario - being the most expensive to live in, as the cost of living there is comparable to that of the big apple city or Los Angeles, with housing prices starting from 600k. In other cities, like Ottawa, Kingston or Sudbury, it is more manageable.

Ontario is famous for its wineries, it's nickel mines and famously for Niagara Falls. One of the north american must go places for tourists.

Ontario has a population of 300 to 500 Tunisians (compared to 8000 in quebec), most of who, are high income earners with university degrees, bi-lingual, working in the high tech sector / government jobs or teaching at universities. These Tunisians are unfortunately scattered all over the province, clustered in groups with no sense of community or belonging. However, during the past few years, a new trend of immigration of English Speaking Tunisians have emerged, these are mostly coming from Europe or from the US fearing backlash against muslim and Arab after sept 11. Ontario is by far the least islamphobic place in North amerca...but that's changing...

Ontario has been my home since 1994 (at the exception of few years spent in the states for school or work) . You you come by, drop me a line...

What is free speech ?

2006-11-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

From Wiki:

“Freedom of speech is enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is granted formal recognition by the laws of most nations. Nonetheless the degree to which the right is upheld in practice varies greatly from one nation to another. In many nations in the developing world strict censorship is enforced, while even among liberal democracies there are different approaches to issues such as hate speech, obscenity and defamation laws.”

“In law, defamation is a right of action for communicating statements that may harm an individual's reputation or character. The common law origins of defamation lie in the torts of slander (harmful statement in a transitory form, especially speech) and libel (harmful statement in a fixed medium, especially writing but also a picture, sign, or electronic broadcast), each of which gives a common law right of action”

“UK laws on defamation are also considered among the strictest in the Western world, imposing a high burden of proof on the defendant”

A TN blogger recently posted in French, in his public space the following:

"Comparer les transferts des expatriés aux IDE équivaut a comparer un chiffre quelconque a "zéro" :)"

« Il est extrêmement rare pour un tunisien installé a l'étranger (après avoir usé et abusé de tous les systèmes sociaux gratuits qu'offre la Tunisie) de faire un transfert vers le pays. Les gens font de leur mieux pour garder leurs devises. On a ruiné cette nation et son contribuable. On les a RUINES. »

This is NOT free speech; this is a defamatory and demeaning statement against half a million hard working Tunisians expatriates and second generation dual citizens. Besides such statement has not been accompanied by any proof whatsoever; instead the author chose to brush off repeated counter arguments.

I cherish free speech, but not at my expense and the expense of a greater community at large. So please Mr. TN Blogger, be mindful and considerate of the others, when you write such statements in your public space.

Canadian Taxation System Sucks !!!!

2006-10-31T12:47:00.000-05:00

I was happy to receive a bonus, before i find out that 55% percent is gone to Taxes !!!! We're talking thounsands of much needed dollars to fund an ever increasing cost of living.

Damn it, this is insane....brutal, unfair and sickening !!! I'm sick and tired of subsidising the system, which mind you, is not a good shape either.

The reason i was given? your salary is in the 6 digit range...so we all take a bite out of it.

F*** off...

World of Passwords

2006-10-29T12:24:00.000-05:00

The life we live is getting more complex, and our will & memory is being constantly challenged with tasks to do, things to plan, goals to accomplish, etc. Among the requirements that I find really annoying is the need to memorize an ever growing number of keys a.k.a passwords to access various protected areas of own personal and professional life, to name a few:

Key to access your computer, at home, at work, anywhere else
Key to access your bank account
Key to access other financial accounts, i.e. retirement, investment, savings, etc
Key to your online profile with every vendor, such as eBay, Amazon, or you’re hosting service
If you work in the high-tech, add to that many other keys to various systems and applications

If you think that’s not much, take this:

A key to access your car
A key to re-set your car radio
A key to access your airport express-check’in profile
And last but not the least, a key to remember any forgotten keys.

For the smarter and the well organized, who store all of these keys into a secure file for the sake of better management of memory resources, they do need another key to access such file :-)

I'm growing tired of keys...and i hope one day we either drop keys and live in an open society based on trust, or build one single key for all, such as finger print or retina scan.

Deal or no Deal ?

2006-10-19T20:25:00.000-05:00

After breaking the fast, i tune up to Dlilek Mlak, the equivalent of NBC's deal or no deal.

Both shows (the original and the clone) feature the same game, same spirit and same outcome, although the banker on the real show is more generous and there is no freaking Kefi to watch over the audience and take notes as if he's recording a death sentence.

The other big difference - if i may venture- are the quality of the babes.... On the real one they're HOT !!!! Tooo Hot to miss ..and probably handle :-)

Sa77a chribitkom !

Me, Myself and The Environment

2006-10-08T11:33:00.000-05:00

I could not resist the buzz, the excessive education and the documentary about how the environment is suffering irreparably from us: humans, selfish, greedy and irresponsible.
So I decided to take some small steps:

Changed all light bulbs in the house to CFL (gotta say, the Government of Ontario has recently mailed out rebate coupons)

Bought a bus pass to commute to work now, instead of taking my car. When I used to work in downtown, it was very convenient to take public transportation. Not anymore, when I started working at the suburbs, so we’ll see how it goes, especially when winter shows up !

Bought new energy friendly thermostats to better control heating and cooling. Planning to buy an enegy star efficient heater and reduce my dependency on costly central home heating !!!

Engaged in better control of garbage disposals, that is more round trips to the recycle bin.

Total ban on aerosols in the car and at home. Too bad if my home would smell cook during Ramadhan :-)

Cut down on magazine subscriptions, no more newspapers either, and phoned few companies to stop sending me marketing junk, especially those annoying Primus Canada home phone plans (they literally come in every month, with the same message, the same offer)

In the future, I plan to make use of ethanol fuel. Though this would depend on the number of gas stations offering this in Ontario, Canada and New England, US, and depends on how my engine will react to it as I’m not fond of Prius and hybrids…

Something you want to add? BTW, I believe these measures are applicable everywhere…and I’m sure millions of people do them already.

Concours de Conception Web au Profit des ONGs Tunisiennes

2006-10-05T08:40:00.000-05:00

L’équipe KEN lance un concours de conception de sites web s’adressant aux jeunes tunisiens ayant une expérience -professionnelle ou amateure- dans ce domaine et a pour objectif de les mettre en contact avec des ONGs tunisiennes afin de les aider à se munir d’un site web officiel et ainsi promouvoir leurs activités.

Les participants au concours, étudiants ou jeunes professionnels avec une expérience de moins de deux ans, devront créer un site en suivant un nombre de critères défini dans le présent cahier des charges et en se basant sur des données fournies par l’ONG avec laquelle ils font équipe.

Les candidatures seront évaluées par un comité d’évaluation (50%) et par un vote public (50%). Par souci de neutraliste, cette évaluation ne tiendra compte que de l’aspect technique de la conception web et sera indépendante du contenu qui sera fourni pas les ONGs bénéficiaires. Les deux meilleures réalisations seront récompensées respectivement par un premier prix d’une valeur de 500 dinars tunisiens et un deuxième prix d’une valeur de 250 dinars tunisiens.

Si vous êtes tunisien, étudiant ou jeune professionnel et avez déjà conçu ou participé à la conception d’un site web, nous vous invitons à soumettre votre candidature avant le 16 Octobre en remplissant le formulaire de participation et le renvoyer à info@el-khadra.net.Saisissez cette chance de mettre vos connaissances au service du développement durable de la Tunisie!

M.I.T, I miss you...

2006-10-03T21:22:00.000-05:00

Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Boston, MA

I wish i could have spent many more years there...

Ground rules for the blogsphere…

2006-10-02T19:45:00.000-05:00

I’ve been scouring the recent posts in the infamous TN blog community and I can’t believe how intolerant people have become vis a vis each other. One of the patterns I keep increasingly noticing is, debate turning into personal attacks, intimidation or even vendetta.

The following are excerpts from my observations.

« Tu te prends pour Dieu…pour la pseudo élite, l’élite vide »
« Tu es arrogant(e), ignorant(e) et tu nous prend pour des imbéciles… »
« Tu es con(ne).. »
« Tu es extrémiste, arriviste, intolérant »
« Tu ne comprends rien, tu es dépassé(e) par les événements.. »

Et j’en passe….

Décidément cette blogosphère ne finit pas de m’épater.

Enfin voici cher bloggeurs et bloggeuses ce que je vous suggère

Attaquez les idées mais non pas la personne. Vous avez le droit, le cas échant, de qualifier une idée de stupide, insensé, non applicable, hors contexte ou la débattre, la faire evoluer, ou tout simplement l’ignorer, mais sans toucher a la personne qui l’énonce.

Sachez qu’il y a un mur entre un BLOG qui est censé véhiculer une pensé ou une réflexion, une initiative ou une suggestion, et la personne physique derrière ce blog. En fait, vous n’avez aucun droit de porter atteinte a cette personne de quiconque manière et si vous vous permettez de le faire parceque vous etes sur le net, c’est que vous n’êtes pas digne d’un débat, d’un échange ou de la moindre attention, et de cette facon on est tous perdant.

A quoi bon, debattre, parler, ecrire si au bout de trois ou quatres commentaires ca vire au vinaigre ?

So please, keep it cool, calm and constructive. The world is watching!

p.s. this was my personal opinion, and I can certainly be wrong, partially or fully. If I am, please correct me instead of ^%#%$#%#, as I’m still a learner !

Rythme Infernal...

2006-09-28T20:14:00.000-05:00

Since the start of Ramadan, my workload increased all of a sudden as if it was timed.

I wake up around 5 to have my shour, and then I try to go to bed,for an hour or two, but hardly close my eyes. Around 8:30, I head for work with busy schedules, projects, builds, deployments, meetings, conflicts, politics galore, then head home around 6pm (non stop), just in time for shaqan il fatr, exhauted, then do my job as father up until 9pm, when baby goes to sleep, so I can spend some time cleaning up bills and checking up personal matters…then spend some time with wife, then simply fall asleep on the couch or get dragged to bed.

Ramadhan and I are friends so far, I guess when I’m busy I don’t feel it…

For my readers, ssorry if I don’t blog too much lately, my jar of topics will eventually get full and I’ll write up journals!!! providing time is freed.

Ah an update about my TN venture,:my CEO was receptive to the idea of doing business with TN, but apparently I need to do lots of education about the country, the people and the work habits (certainly not during ramadan :)

The job market in North-America is very hot these days….i can hardly find a qualified Software Senior Engineer to staff my team, and I have to go through blood sucking staffing agencies.

That's it,

A message to the Prime Minister.

2006-09-17T06:36:00.000-05:00

Prime minister, you are sending our troops to Kandahar to fight the Taliban. First, you do not have a strong popular mandate to do so and second, from a strategic standpoint, there will not be clear and viable outcome out of this deployment. The Taliban is not a fighting force, it’s an ideology, it’s a group based on strong extremist values that neither NATO, nor ISAF can change.

Remember the Mujahedeen? Well, these Taliban are Mujahedeen, who thus far, no super-power on earth was able to defeat. Do you think NATO will do? Granted, that your generals cornered and killed hundreds of them, sooner or later the coalition forces will have to leave, return home and let the afghan deal with the mess. Do you think puppet Karzai and his body guards will keep the calm?

The solution to Afghanistan is an economical one, not a military one. Fix roads, build schools, invest in hospitals and jobs, secure the supply lines, etc. Leave the Taliban alone, they’re already isolated and outnumbered; they’ll come out of hiding one by one and join a prosperous Afghanistan and embrace moderate Islam.

Recently, you bombed an entire village near Kandahar to flush out Taliban positions, do you think those villagers that have their homes and lives destroyed will welcome you with open arms or sympathize with your campaign and message?

I’m not going into the argument of calling you a Bush junior, I believe you are a highly experienced politician and you know what’s good for Canada. I voted for you because I believe you can make Canada better at home and abroad, so don't fail me please.

Afghanistan is a war ravaged nation - not of its making - but mostly through decades of proxy wars carried by the super powers. It is high time for these super powers to pour money and bring essentials to the population, a population that is so desperate, it’s blowing itself up on a daily basis.

Remembering 9/11

2006-09-11T05:46:00.000-05:00

To my fellow Americans who died tragically
To my fellow Canadians who were caught in the attacks
To all the passengers who died a horrific death
To all the brave FDNY who ventured and lost their life saving others
To all the brave NYPD who answered every 911 call and got trapped under the rubbles
To everyone else who died, lost a relative or witnessed the horror of the attacks.

Rest in peace and never be forgotten.

60 girls arrersted, hoax or news?

2006-09-09T10:22:00.000-05:00

I heard recently that 60 females (married and umarried) have been caught performing acts of indecency....and arrested in an up-scale neighborhoud in Tunis. 12 among them were then tested positively for HIV. I'm not sure if this is truth or hoax, and i doubt it will make it to the newswire ever.

It seems that nowadays boys and girls sleeping together after the first date is "chose normale", all cultural and moral restraints are completely down.

Disgraceful & Disgusting...

Bloody Forgotten Iraq…

2006-08-30T13:45:00.000-05:00

I wonder what’s going on in the minds of the world leaders right now when they see the news coming out of Iraq. I personally can not stand anymore watching, reading and seeing everyday news from Iraq where an average of 50 people dies in violence daily.

America has opened the door of hell in Iraq granted! but it seems like its much more complex than a mere invasion or regime change.

No question what’s going on right now is nothing short of a CIVIL WAR, that everybody keeps denying. I personally could not understand how this civil war is being carried on; attempting to do so will either lead me to error or confusion. There are 100s of stakeholders and parties involved in this chaos, ranging from foreign troops to local militias & intelligence agencies as well as politicians.

Should we bring back Saddam? Or better yet Al-Hajjaj Ibn Youssef...

Business > Tough Selling Ahead...

2006-08-16T13:24:00.000-05:00

During my vacation I had the opportunity to meet with folks from the Foreign Investment Agency, the Techno-Pole El-Ghazala as well as few CEOs from major IT Corporation (they call themselves S2II or TIC). This was within the context of the project I’m working on which consists of transferring part of IT activities from the US to Tunisia.

The outcome was as follows:

Tunisia is still competitive in terms of human resources and setup costs, but not as competitive as the Asian market. Cost of living in Tunisia has increased dramatically recently and that will prove difficult to sell.

The impression that we have about séance-unique in the summer and a lax working hours or low productivity is partly wrong. As a matter of fact, during the summer, many High Tech companies work up to 5pm daily and sometimes adjust their work habits to the pace of their deliverables. The technical folks seem also very keen to learning and polishing the quality of their work.

Surprisingly, there were a lot of North American educated CEO and technical managers in Tunisia. It was very easy connecting with them as we spoke the same language, and shared the same concepts…that was quite comforting and re-assuring for future prospects.

On the downside, the Tunisian export market is still clustered & small and there is no interest expressed by corporate execs to move beyond the local or the French/German market. I got the impression that the majority of CEOs are content with the size of their organization and their revenue streams and have no interest in expanding…they do not realize that stalemate and inaction are synonyms of going backward and loosing ground…to the risk of shutting down. There is also a high turn-over among IT staff, since Tunisian engineers have limited understanding of loyalty & commitment and their career plans do not exceed 12months. The compensation question tends also to surface very often during their employment even if some are paid in excess of 3000 gross / month or declared as 'key players' in their positions.

Had it not been for a strong written recommendation by a high ranking official in the government, I would never have set foot in some of offices of those CEO or motivate them to work with me. Here also, seems to me that there is a disconnect between, on one hand the political decision makers, which are working very hard to promote quality investment and on the other hand, the operational staff which ...well.., are living day by day.

Anyhow, now that I have compiled all the data I need, secured the backing of the public, and some private/technology sector, I shall move to the next phase and convince my superiors of the viability of transferring some business to Tunisia….hummm, Tunisia you said? Where is that??? That’s I guess the first question I’ll be asked! to which I have no answer yet.

At stake, close to a million dollar/year of off-shore business and hiring of 20+ local technical and support staff..mostly senior S/W engineers.

It will be extrememly tough...but i'll make the case for it.

Business > Dress Code

2006-08-09T19:26:00.000-05:00

I can’t be more thankful to the work habits here in north America. Since I’ve joined the small company some 5 plus years ago, I never had to wear a neck tie, dress pants or a suit.

In the summer, I wake up; have breakfast, put any shorts I see in front of me, any descent shirt and head to work in sandals. When I got promoted to manager few years ago, I thought dressing down has come to an end, yet realized that my superior was no better than me, so I kept wearing the same old style, to the joy of wifie who never had to iron a shirt or a pant for the purpose of work since we were married.

Needless to say, that when it comes to interviewing a new candidate or meeting senior management, I head to the cleaners and prep the suit, the super white shirt and the Armani pants…..stuff that’s been sitting in the closet for ages, but still in style mind you.

I think also the fact that I work in the S/W and High Tech field helps a lot, different culture than banking or retail sector for instance.

One fun thing worth mentioning, is that when I dress up during a regular day, say to attend a function at the embassy or wife’s graduation, my colleagues thinks that I’m going to an interview, seeking a career change…

These days, I’m wearing a combination of clothes that does not exceed 100$

Summer 2006 > Epis 1: Executive Summary

2006-08-07T16:47:00.000-05:00

So that’s it, vacation is over, back to Canada with wifie and baby….the trip was long…12hours including a connection at Charles de Gaulle. Service at Air France was as usual impeccable but baby could not stand the long haul and ended up being too fussy at the end…at the expense of mommy (I didn’t help her and i feel bad about it, need to catch up soon)

I’ll talk about vacation later in detail (time permitting), but in a nutshell I did accomplish many things on the US/Canada-TN cooperation venture. I met some officials from the public and private sectior who were very keen and enthusiast about the proposal I’m putting forward to bring some high-tech business to TN.

On a personal note, I did have lots of fun with wifie, baby, family and the in-laws in Hammamet. The weather was extremely cooperative, the sea was calm and the breeze abundant...especially at night.

I managed - out of curiosity - to meet 2 bloggers individually and get some feedback about the local blogsphere. As I figured it out, the blogsphere is a mere social & gossip group, at best, a meet (& meat) market or a web version of the defunct IRC channels (for the tech savvy). This is not necessarily bad, but i was hoping that something may come out of this group, which - worth mentioning - features quite few talented folks.

Tunis overall remains a great location, but its people are very special…they’re not bad, they’re not wonderful either…just special and I like it.

to be continued...

I'm off

2006-07-18T20:19:00.000-05:00

to Tunisia...my ground zero !

War > Strategic and Tactical Analysis

2006-07-16T09:12:00.000-05:00

Israel is at war, again.

I had a hard time believing that Israel didn’t participate in triggering the war. In fact, since the withdrawal from Lebanon by then PM Ehud Barak, Israel was faced with a big dilemma. How to keep the northern border safe while at the same time silencing Hezbollah?

Hence came planning for the ‘Lebanon campaign’. Israel was just looking for the right time and motive to initiate it.

By attacking Hamas, Israel predicted that Hezbollah (the only other hostile force in the region) will retaliate to show solidarity with the Palestinians. Israel hoped that the extent of Hezbollah’s move was to fire few rockets in some isolated towns, which in military term is called a ‘skirmish’, that will draw a classic response of shelling the south.

But, Hezbollah, this time went further by kidnapping soldiers from within Israel itself and setting traps to IDF SAR teams (busted a tank with 4 crew in it). By military standards, this operation could be classified as total success because it showed a high level of coordination, planning, sealth & execution, only reserved to the big guys.

Israel, could not let unnoticed such success, and had to react, it had two options, perform a prisoners swap or engage in a long punishing campaign, the ‘Lebanon campaign’.

The US administration, dominated by the neo-con, the Christian-Jew coalition & a desire to put more pressure on Syria and Iran and get rid of Hezbollah once and for all gave the much needed green light to Israel to start the campaign.

The campaign has many facts to it:

1) Military.

a. Phase 1: Israel should cut off Hezbollah from its suppliers and cripple its ability to wage a long war. Hence the shelling of bridges, the sea/air/land blockade, the airports etc. Hezbollah itself, as a war machine was little harmed; instead the IDF went after the infrastructure that supports Hezbollah, unfortunately such infrastructure is Lebanese too. This will guarantee that Hezbollah’s reserves and munitions will deplete quickly with no supplies.

b. Phase 2: Once Hezbollah is completely cut-off, its C&C destroyed, its ability to move fighters and coordinate rocket lunches is degraded, then Israel will move into southern Lebanon and establish a buffer zone and reduce the risk of northern shelling, this of course, if no cease-fire was agreed upon by both parties. But given the current conditions of Israel for a cease-fire, it is unlikely a comprise will be agreed upon in the very short term and Israel knows that !!!

c. Phase 3: Expose Hezbollah’s hidden arsenal, technologies acquired from allies, level of sophistication and potentially mercenary links and so far they have succeeded to gather critical information about Hezbollah’s weaponry. The Iranian land to sea missile used to knock-off an IDF naval vessel is an example, with more surprises to come. This is a tremendous opportunity for Israel to adjust its defensive and offensive plans and get on par with Hezbollah’s threat.

2) Political:

a. Israel is using this context to prove & enforce the designation by the world that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization and that the latter needs to be uprooted ASAP while ironically referring to UN resolutions. So far it is somewhat working since 3 Arab states already feel into the trap and re-aligned their position to Israel by denouncing Hezbollah indirectly.

b. Olmert, a novice PM is using Israel’s emotional reaction to the abduction of soldiers - a soldier is a son in view of the Jews population – to implement the military sponsored Lebanon campaign and to settle once and for all the question of whether he can govern or not.

c. Israel was always singled out as an agressive nation, an opressive nation. The kidnapping as well as the shelling of the north is an opportunity to turn the tide in the eyes of the public opinion and put israel as a victim state defending itself. This is so far working, but it will eventually wear out.

3) The hidden agenda:

a. Lebanon is growing as strong democracy in the Middle East, a prosperous nation, a competitor in the tourism sector, foreign direct investments and agricultural output. From an economical standpoint, that is a threat to Israel that needs to be eliminated or crippled for the next 20years. What a better excuse, than using Hezbollah?

b. Israel is to send a reminder message to Syria and Iran, that it can go after many fronts, although the Gaza front is a piece of cake, Israel is proving to its neighbors, and to the world that it has the might to handle more than one front – a US doctrine – and that it can go after the enemy wherever they are. Although, one can debate it’s feasibility from a tactical standpoint. This is extremely important to the public opinion and the morale of the Jews who constantly feel under threat.

c. Israel, a country built on military might and wars has not been in open warfare since 1982. This is for them a golden opportunity to practice new tactical plans learned over the past 10years, especially the latest mods to their F-16s, their new integrated yet mobile C&C, their ability to mobilize man and hardware in a very short time and their civilian emergency preparedness In military terms, this is called an integrated tactical engagement.

d. Ironically, the ultimate goal of Israel is to seek Peace very quickly as Ciceco, says “Let war yield to peace, laurels to paeans”. But a Peace on their own terms. Israel has the might granted, but as a sustainable economy, it is very fragile and they can not withstand a long campaign because the American tax-payer can not afford it…and there is a risk that the Arab population may take things in their own hand. Prolonging the campaign without keeping a backdoor open is extremely risk business for Israel too, as motives for the intervention will fade way and be replaced by day to day pictures of suffering and despair. A good general always think about options to retreat & negotiate prior to firing the first salvo.

4) The Risk:

Either party can make the following mistakes:

1) Hezbollah fires at tel-aviv or use non conventional weapons.
2) IDF makes a blunder and triggers an un-acceptable number of collateral damage (i.e. a 400 death at once)

In either case, the campaign will become un-planned, un-predictable, un-calculated and extremely dangerous.

Scenarios could include
1) Air strikes against military installation against Syria, with latter declaring war against Israel and flying missiles in.
2) Air strikes against Iranian nuclear installation backed by the US intelligence, which in return will trigger long range missile barrage against Israeli targets.
3) Increase in world-wide terrorism.
4) Iraq meltdown
5) Oil embargo

But the world has also learned to intervene the right time, and i believe this will get resolved within the next few days...and this war will go into the history books ....as any other war...

Why ??

2006-07-14T18:43:00.000-05:00

These are bad times for the lebanese, , the arabs, the muslims, the christians, the jews and the entire humanity.

Suffering leads to despair.

Violence breads violence.

Death leads to repraisal.

This war is uncessary, uncalled for, unacceptable, unhuman, barbaric and insane.

Nothing will come out if this, nothing.

The most decorated general, the highest skilled politician, and the supreme religious authority all know that.

God bless lebanon and the lebanese.

Divorce Revolution / Explosion de Divorce

2006-07-08T18:35:00.000-05:00

What the hell is going on, in here and in Tunisia…I keep hearing an increasing number of divorce cases, many of them for next no valid reason.

In the State where I live, two Tunisian buddies having the same age as mine, are getting a divorce, and what a divorce!!! A very expensive one, with lawyers & fees & settlements on the financial side, and kid’s custody & humiliation & stress on the emotional side.

The first case is adultery. The guy working hard found his Tunisian wife dating a black (no stereotyping intended) guy in a bar; she claimed she had to work over time then later, changed her version to looking for more 'diverse' friends.

The second case, the lady failed to integrate into the Canadian society and the guy was not accomodating and patient enough to help her out. So she went home, filed a suit against him in Tunis for improper treatment, and another one in Canada for damages and failure to attend at her needs. Luckily, no kids are involved here. Case to be continued…

The third one: The husband was middle-eastern and decided all of a sudden to close down and go home. The Tunisian wife didn’t comply, but then for the sake of her family's well-being, she moved out with him. Things were fine at first, but the Husband's family had a different agenda, re-marry their son to a local and kick out the Tunisian back to her home country. Since middle-eastern law (except modern Lebanon) favors male in marriage litigation, the wife could not challenge the husband’s decision and the matter was refered to the foreign office.

In Tunis, one close family member is also filing for divorce. Initially, the procedure was peaceful with a settlement favorable to both parties, but later the ex-wife became greedy and she disputed the settlement and took the initial decision to appeal. In the mean time, both are locked in a pseudo-seperation-divorced-limbo state. Each party is waiting for the other to make mistakes (adultry that is) to score points with the court.

Last but not the least, a pilot aged 50+, realized that his wife - going through menopause - is not longer attractive (he meant no longer fulfilling her duties) and he needed a change, therefore he dumped his entire family (kids aged 18 & 20) and moved out of the country with a married 25yr flight attendant, whowanted to experience an extra marital relationship.

What the hell with these peoples? I can imagine this happening in kids aged 20+ but not with individuals aged 40s or 50s. I’m sure there is a good reason for every divorce, after all it’s allowed by the religion when the atmosphere and the relationship within the couple becomes unbearable. But so far, the arguments are quite shaky, most of them are around:

# 1: Money: your money, my money, I take yours butI keep mine. No sharing whatsover

# 2: Family: Bad influence from the elderly, too much interference from relatives & friends.

# 3: Attractiveness and chemistry, also referred to as ‘Sex’: You can hear arguments like he’s not capable of performing his male duties or the opposite, she’s frigid and ‘unresponsive’.

# 4: Kids: She cannot conceive (or he sometimes, but shuut, never admitted) so she’s dumped.

# 5: Mixed marriages. They work at first but two thirds of them fail at the very end (usually 15+years) and they fail miserably.

Com’on people (especially you the youngsters) think twice between you step into a relationship. Think 100 times before you step into a marriage. Think 1 million times before you conceive kids and don’t think about divorce at all, think how you can make it work instead.

Stop being selfish and learn to give to your party and last but not the least, there is no perfect relationship, no perfect marriage.

Society > Tunisian Friendship 101 / Amities Tunisiennes

2006-07-02T19:17:00.000-05:00

Friendship, TN way, has changed dramatically the past 15years or more. Before I used to have friends that I can really talk to and spend quality time with, without the need to worry about the after talk. It was simple and straightforward concept of friendship, there were no strings attached, trust and respect was high and mentalities were not twisted.

Nowadays…..it’s a totally different business, actually it is a business.

Story 1: (Hot from the oven)

Yesterday, a friend of mine called from Tunis over Skype. I was surprised he knew my nickname, but it turned out he’s a friend of an old friend that I’m constantly in touch with

Mr X started talking about his life, the good old days & the fun compared to the misery of today’s Tunisia. He went on detailing his struggle to make ends meet, talked about his brand new car, the ‘Portable’, the babes, the long nights and the debts.

I felt good that some old timer remembered and bothered to call me (well, it’s free, but c’est le geste qui compte).

The conversation was quite flat; mostly talking about the past, and the present in the abstract, touching on the weather from time to time.

Mr X was about to hang up when he suddenly brings the subject of electronics and mentions how expensive they are in Tunisia, and even in Europe due to the currency exchange. He then jumped talking about E-bay (pronounced E-BYE in Tunisia), then went ballistic against the prestigious organization because his account does not work anymore (I understood it was suspended).

I could not figure what this talk was about exactly, but I kept listening.

He then jumps to discuss his work, how demanding it is, how hectic the travel was and how he’s constantly on the road, managing deliveries and time (btw, I don’t know what he does exactly, but who cares).

Then he starts asking me about this gadget called XDA sort of Palm Pilot sort of PDA, sort of Mini computer, sort of GPS, sort of Mobile phone, sort of Radar Detector, sort of everything.

I replied ‘No’, I’m not really aware of such device, i’m quite basic person.

He then tries to convince me to buy it for myself, he kept venting the benefits it would have on my life, both personal and professional and how better off I would be, especially in-front of my colleagues.

I kindly told him that I don’t need these things and that they’re quite expensive anyway and over my modest budget (Napo does not buy anything above 200$ when it comes to gadgets)

Finally, he gets real and moves to the point, and asks me if I can buy one for him (1500 US) and bring it with me when I go home on my next vacation.

I replied: Sure, well, I mean, you’re going to pay for it or you want it as a gift?

He replied: Of course I’ll pay you my brother, you’ll have your money waiting for you in cash

I asked: Ok, granted I buy it and bring it with me, what if customs (Diwana) put a hold on it, after all Radar detector & GPS are prohibited in Tunisia.

He replied: I don’t think so, you’re “bouha”, you can bring even a car and no body will notice it. I remember you buddy, you were the smartest ass around

I asked: Ok, thank you for the compliment, but still, what if customs put a hold on it?

He replied: Well, you pay and then we’ll talk, I have many friends at customs, I’ll get your money back

I asked: We talk what and when?

He replied: When time comes.

I kept silent for a minute then I told him that I have a better idea: Why don’t you order it yourself? If you have an E-bay account then you must have a credit card, and if you have a credit card, you can buy it anywhere in the world and get the item shipped to TN.

He replied: It’s too complicated and I don’t know how to do it, besides Customs will definitely charge me 150% and I don’t have the money to pay for it

I then replied: I will help complete the transaction, don’t worry.

He said: it’s ok, don’t worry about it, Aya good night, it’s really late here and tomorrow I have long day at work.

And the line goes silent…before I even say “Nighty Nite”

Story 2 (A year or so ago)

This is a Tunisian in Montreal that I knew when I was a student, last seen or heard of was 7years ago.

Phone rings ***

Napo: Hello

Mr. Y: Bouha Napo, how you doing my brother?

Napo: Hamdullah and you, who’s speaking?

Mr. Y: It’s me, chnouwa you don’t remember people anymore? I’m Mr Y, oh man, I’m disappointed in you!!!

Napo: Yes, Yes, How are you doing my friend? Long time no hear. How have you been? did you find a job after graduation?

Mr. Y: Yes, I’m a director a local tech firm now, lots of money and lots of fun, life is good.

Napo: Wow, impressive. Aya Hamdullah, inshallah it stays like that all the time.

Mr. Y: So, how come you don’t visit me? I missed you a lot; you should come over from Toronto, and enjoy some fun here. We have lots of babes.

Napo: Oh, I’m no longer into drinking & flirting, I’m settled now.

Mr. Y: Ah, aya mabrouk..

Napo: Thank you dear, inshallah likewise.

Mr. Y: I was married, then divorced and I have one kid in France.

Napo: Really? Oh, and a kid too? Why France? Oh well, Sure?! (I didn’t know what to say)

Mr. Y: Look Napo, You’re my man tonight. I have a small thing to ask you, and I could not find a reliable true man among the many friends I have here. They’re all Junk but you’re the best pick because you were and still are my best friend.

Napo: Glad to help. Inshallah Khyr.

Mr. Y: Actually, I need your mailing address.

Napo: Sure, you’re coming for a visit, when? Aya marhbé.

Mr. Y: Not really, I need it for some paper work.

Napo: Paper work? You mean to send me postage?

Mr. Y: No (idiot) I need your address so I can use it to file my income tax in Ontario so I pay less tax. I also need it because I have a female friend in Tunisia who I may marry but I want her to visit first so I can check her out, and she needs a ‘Certificat d’hebergement’ for a visitor’s visa.

Napo: Oh, that’s risky business man. First, for the income tax, you don’t want to do that, because that’s fraud and you don’t want to hurt me right?

Mr. Y: Don’t worry, it’s all good, I’ll take care of it

Napo: No you won’t, please forget about it.

Mr. Y: Ok, no problem. I think you’re quite paranoid. I just thought you would be brave with me, but looks like friendship these days is no longer like before. Ok, what about the certificate?

Napo: Sure, I can help write one for you. But wait, why do u need my mailing address? Can’t you use yours?

Mr. Y: I can’t, because I don’t have a job now.

Napo: How can you bring a girl and have no money? What about her family?

Mr. Y: Oh, things have changed now. Tunisian girls are very easy, and they look forward to any opportunity to leave the country or even married man, as long as there is money. Tthere are hundreds of them, you just have to go to the right places to find them.

Napo: humm, ok, that’s news to me but not surprising after all what i read, hear and see. However, didn’t you say you’re a director at a local tech firm?

Mr. Y: Well, I was, but I decided to leave and look for a better job (he means, he was fired, this is if he truly was a director)

Napo: Ok, granted you have my address, you still need my signature right?

Mr. Y: Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it, that’s none of your business.

Napo: Wow, how so? You’re going to send it without signature?

Mr. Y: Yes and No, but don’t worry now.

Napo goes silent, humm, ok, this guy is nuts, but I need to keep him cool and play by his rules.

Napo: Here it is, 12345 Rue St-Y, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Mr. Y: But that’s not your address? You’re not in Montreal. Com’on now.

Napo: Right, I’m moving there in a month.

Mr. Y: But that’s right where I live now. How come, you’re moving here? I thought you’re staying in Ontario, I need you in Ontario.

Napo: Sorry man, I have found a better position in Montreal and now I’m looking forward to meeting you more often.

Mr. Y: Sure, ok, Aya marhbé and call me when you’re here, good night. Actually do you have a friend - does not matter if Tunisian or not - that lives in Ontario?.

Napo: Yes I do, but he’s on a visitor visa.

Mr. Y: No, that does not help, Good night.

Napo: Bye

Professional > Pick your battles

2006-06-28T19:06:00.000-05:00

Since I’ve been confirmed a month ago in a fairly senior management position at my US based company, things turned different, my time is now more devoted to resolving conflicts, meetings, conference calls, trade-shows, strategic planning and the like.

Gone are the days when I used to sit, relax, brainstorm about complex solutions, perform designs, manage a small team of 5-6 engineers, explore technologies, spend money on software and hardware and be happy at the end of day when an issue is resolved or a product is released.

My former VP of tech once told me during a review… “Pick your battles”

At first, I didn’t get it, what battles was he talking about? I’m not at war with anyone am I?

Years after, I realized that professional life may indeed seem from time to time like a battleground…people playing on each other’s turf, black-mailing, back-stabbing and even setting traps to each other as grounds for dismissal.

By adopting a neutral, yet diplomatic attitude and approach, I learned when and where to fight ‘the tattle' that my boss was referring too, how to engage my peers and when to perform tactical retreats….Truly is an Art that can only be acquired through listening and experience.

I learned to keep cool when my stress level goes up. In fact, It’s amazing the amount of mistakes or misjudgment an individual can make when he’s in a furry or out of his mind, it gets worse when these mistakes are used against that individual perpetually.

Among the skills that I learned and keep improving on are... how:

To back every word I say with solid proof.
To fight for my opinions as long as there is a case for them.
To believe in the goals and the objective
To be genuine and frank in my dealings with people
To accept criticism, constructive and destructive alike.
To back down, retreat and accept blame.
To transform my frustration into a positive energy for improvement and excellence

And last but not the least…How To Listen!

Feel free to add to the list, coz i might as well learn from you... :-)

Society > Montreal fun...

2006-06-26T18:55:00.000-05:00

Last week-end, was the Saint-Jean Baptiste, A.K.A, la Fete Nationale du Quebec, with a sovereign connotation. The atmosphere was great on Parc Maisoneuve where 250,000 people gathered for a mega, super party of all Quebec singers. I’ve never seen such crowd gathering before in my life, even with a helicopter overhead, newscast had a hard time covering the event.

The next day I ended up watching Alonso, Michael Schumacher, Villeneuve in the Grand Prix of Canada Live on the race track …it was really something!!! Hearing and feeling those jet powered cars roaring by is way different than watching it in on your TV. Too bad, Canadian champ Villeneuve locked his wheels in a turn & hit a wall right before the end.

But the best part of the week-end was on Saturday evening, night & dusk...as I was wandering (and the partying) with some American friends the streets of St-Laurent, St-Denis and the almighty Crescent. There was too much wealth was exposed, and the amount and quality of babes was hilarious, I figured around 300 to 500 babes Top notch lurking and looking for ‘fun’, all dressed to kill. Eventually, being married, the best I could do was watch, enjoy, then watch and from time to time smile ;-) It would've been much more fun if my own babe was with me enjoying the party...

The drive back home was a different story however; I almost lost my license as I was doing few peeks of 170 on some stretches of the King’s highway. Luckily, a Boxter passed by me doing probably 190 which later got caught by Air crew and flagged by the next OPP platoon (Ontario Provincial Police) which alerted everyone behind him (including me) so we had to slow down and show respect for the law.

In fact, a speed in excess of 60km warrants automatic license suspension, sending to court and criminal charge(s) filed against the driver.not to mention insurance doubling, bad record, etc.

Today is back to work day…but I’m eagerly looking forward to the next long week-end since, it’s Canada Day, and who knows, I may head back to Montreal and enjoy…some ‘sight seeing’ :-)

Business > Shopping fun…or Nightmare???

2006-06-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

Shopping is technically the 5^th most popular activity after sleeping, eating, having sex and working. Some people see shopping as a religious duty on week-ends, some consider it as rather an entertainment and/or socializing.

Shopping can be fun when you find the best quality item with the best price tag in a very short time and within your budget,….humm, I think that’s too much asking, isn’t?

Most of the time however, it’s considered a nightmare because of word ‘shopping’ itself inherently implies looking out for the best deal!! The word ‘Best’ makes it highly complex process because it turns shopping it into an endless struggle for maximization, perfection and even personal accomplishment.

It all starts with “I want/need something…” and it ends by ‘buying that thing” a month after enduring head-aches, feeling disgust, sometimes loosing interest.

I wish buying was like the old days in Tunisia when it was so simple. I.e. If I wanted to buy a pair of shoes then I head down to Jancel on rue de Rome, or somewhere in 50 boutiques, get something I like in a few hours and head back home smiling.

Here, I’m constantly confronted with events called ‘Sale’ - and the like - that are supposedly to favor the customer ?!?. I’m going to try to demystify this concept of sale, by outlining the variety of sales we get in north america

*** For the beginners, there is:

Christmas Sale : Starts Nov 1^st and ends sometimes around January of the year after , with peek on Boxing day, Dec 26, but the best period is usually the year next, that’s when shoppers return their merchandise which goes again on sale for a discount price.

Mother’s day: Around May. Average sale, mostly on Jewelry and Makeup.

Father’s day: Was last sunday but since I’m alone, no one will buy me anything. Actually it seems like wifie left me a gift so I’ll go and check it later. This sale is also average; it targets men’s wear and electronics.

Canada

Day (Independence day for the US) : July 1^st Pretty good sale on almost everything.

Back to School Sale: Around Aug, everything for kids is on sale, but also some furniture and appliances.

Thanksgiving Sale: Around Oct/Nov, not significant.

Seasonal sales: like winter, spring, summer, etc….no material impact on prices per say, it’s just to post something on the window and attract customers. Keep in mind that in normal times, everything is virtually on sale, but not the real sale.

*** For the average connoisseur, it gets interesting and complicated with techniques like:

Mail-In-Rebate: This can happen anytime, it’s a rear discount and here’s how it works: You buy the item full price, and then you fill a lengthy form, attach receipts, UPC codes, and send everything to an office very far way expect a rebate cheque after 2+ months. This is a genius idea, because 80% of the buyers do not bother to fill the form, and 5% of the rest get their mail lost or forget to attach receipts.

Door crashers: Whoever comes first, gets a discount, the trick is that sometimes you have to camp in front of the store from 5 am, or even overnight if it’s big ticket item, like a TV or an XBOX 360

Open box items: Someone has returned an item, coz he was not happy with it or didn’t meet his needs. The items gets refurbished, checked and re-certified and put on sale for 50-75% of the original price.

Clearance event: Old fashion, old technology, old stuff that needs to get out of sight of the store manger. Items in this category drop as much as 80%

Closing down event: This is a bankruptcy. Prices go down so low and items get sold so fast, generally in 48hours, nothing is left, except the cash registry J

No Tax event: The sellers decide to absorb the 15% sales tax which means you get the item discounted of 15%, not significant.

Nightly online sales: One of My favorites. You sit tight around midnight and keep refreshing that web page until the prices drops from 500 to 350 J, hit add to cart, pay online, close down the browser and go to bed.

Bundles: Annoying strategy but works well. The seller suggests that if you buy item X, item Y then you get a bundle discount and if you add a third item, then you get a free something, with a fifth item, you get an extra warranty, etc. Basically, you end up buying stuff that you don’t need.

*** For the expert buyers, it gets even more challenging with methods like:

Price Match (when applicable): This is the mother of all marketing and sales technique. Normally, only big guys implement it in their policy. They guarantee their price against any competition. So if you find an item elsewhere cheaper, then they will price-match (sell it for the cheaper price) and give you a gift card with it, so you will NEVER ever go elsewhere for your next purchase J

Price Match - forever: Same as above, but for lifetime. Meaning if you bought the item say today, then they guarantee it for 3 months to 1 year so you have piece of mind. If during that time, you find it cheaper somewhere else, then drop by the store where you bought your original item and get the difference as a form of refund

Price Match - with a vengeance: Same as above, but not only they guarantee the price, they slash it for you only by up to 50%. I used this technique once to buy a 19” monitor 3 years ago for 200$ (when it was 450$)

Posting errors: These are cool mistakes by the sellers. Example, instead of posting 99$, they forget the first 9, so the price would then be 9$. This happened to me when I bought a wireless keyboard and mouse for 9%, instead of 98. These days’ sellers are getting smart and they’re changing their policy around price posting, especially for online merchandise.

Guaranteed sale items: Hard to find, but these are items that are guaranteed to remain on sale and even endure subsequent sale for long time, it’s very good coz it eases the stress of shopping

Early bird shopper’s discounts: A New item hits the market, first come, gets a discount. Not my type of sale, but some geeks and wannabes love to be on top of everything, including fashion wear and electronics

The power of coupons: if you know the name of the item you want to buy, just Google it and you’ll most likely find a coupon of 2$ for diapers or 150$ for a Dell laptop. Print the coupon take to the store or enter it in the coupon field for online purchases.

Not to mention that all of the above is also applicable to online shoppers…and again that’s a snapshot of all sale methods.

*** For the maniacs, everything that I mentioned is a JOKE compared to the power of EBAY, which I’m going to talk about sometime in the future…

Societé (encore) > Elle et Lui..au paradis.

2006-06-16T17:40:00.000-05:00

Elle:

Age : 31 ans,

Origine : 08

Niveau d’instructions : Maîtrise en Marketing
Occupation : Professeur dans une école de gestion de la capitale
Traits : Mince, Yeux verts, Cheveux châtains clair, 36D, chic.
Situation : Célibataire
Accessoires : Voiture, compte en banque, Papi et Mami
Hobby : Voyage, Soirée et Musique douce.

Lui

Age : 32 ans,
Origine : 04
Niveau d’instructions : Doctorant en Economie
Occupation : Professeur a temps partiel
Traits : Fin, charmant, sportif, tombeur quoi.
Situation : Fiancé mais en instance de rupture
Accessoires : Aucun tangible, vie chez ses parents, un portable peut-être
Hobby : Football, Astronomie

Elle : cherche l’âme sœur
Lui : cherche de l’expérience
Elle : s’entend très bien avec lui
Lui : n’aime pas s’attacher
Elle : essaye de le raisonner doucement faisant usage de patience et persévérance
Lui : sait ce qu’elle veut, joue le jeu et s’amuse
Elle : lui fait le charme, l’attire, lui porte du sexy, le câline et l’embrasse
Lui : Flirte, touche, embrasse, et enfin couche
Elle : Epatée, aux anges, commence a proposer pour officialiser
Lui : Confus, perdu, ne sait plus quoi...
Elle : Propose, suggère et s’inquiète
Lui : Annonce…une nouvelle…
Elle : Quelle nouvelle ? Intriguée ?
Lui : il est GAY, il veut pas s’engager mais qu’il veut explorer, l’autre coté...
Elle : Choqué, consterné, se replie et se retire…

….2 jours après…

Lui : Appelle chez elle
Elle …ou plutôt « Lui, voix d'homme » : Répond, qui est a l’appareil?

Moralité…les surprises, ca vient.... des deux cotés.

Societé > Prénoms Tunisiens ?...ou de l'importation ?

2006-06-11T16:24:00.000-05:00

Famma quelque chose qui me dérange ces temps ci, c’est les noms des nouveaux bébés tunisiens, surtout féminins. Je trouve qu’ils sont devenus assez exotiques, complètement hors du contexte arabo-musulman-tunisien, voire même importé d’autres civilisations et d’autres cultures.

Exemples:

Linda, Sandra, Mira, Aline, Alma, Laura, Nancy et Nadine…puis,

Sheihla : Prononcé Shahla, mais en réalité Sheila !

Mina : Sauf un ‘port’ en arabe, je ne vois pas une autre explication !!!

Mona : On a enlevé le ‘ou’ comme dans Mouna pour que ça semble plus a Mona Lisa.

Soufia : Plutôt écrit et prononcé Sophie/Sophia, pour paraître étranger.

Janet : Totalement occidental mais proche de Janette le prénom traditionnel au cas ou.

Saly : Apparemment un nouveau prénom Arabe qui me depasse :-)

Pis la gang des ‘hène’ comme Norhène, Cherihène Nourchène (just released celui la), Narimène, et whatever-hène !!!

Suit la gang des 'naz' importé de la Turquie comme Chahnaz, Safinaz, Almaz, etc

N'oublions pas Les égyptiens aussi comme:
Tamer : Parceque Thamer est très ancien, alors on enlève le h. il y a meme des tunisiens qui affirment haut et fort que le dialecte egyptien est plus proche de l’arabe littéraire que n’importe quel autre dialecte, mouch oltellek ya albi ?…du n’importe quoi !!!
et Amrou : 3mor ne fait plus l'affaire :-(

et la dernière:
Clara : Le père prétendant que la mère est étrangère mais qu’elle n’est pas disponible pour attester a l’enregistrement de sa petite aux registres de l’état civil.

Malla 7ala !!! Wake-up people, soyons logique et retournons à nos racines !!! Même si vous donnez un nom exotique (par rapport au commun tunisien), il y aura toujours le nom de famille qui primera, et en plus le teint, la peau et le look seront toujours nord-africains, arabes et tunisiens. NO ESCAPE :-)
Soyons plutot fier de ce qui nous sommes meme si on n'est pas 'grand' materiellement.

Off topic > Alone in da house...

2006-06-06T19:38:00.000-05:00

Wife and baby took off recently, they’re now enjoying their time in the Republic, somewhere on the coastline. I shall join them in a few weeks.

In the mean time, i find It quite different; Few good things about it include being technically single again, which means some freedom and piece of mind as well. The past year’s been hectic with Wife’s pregnancy and baby…, it’s tough but I’ve managed it the best I could and my wife gave me an A- (well no one is perfect, isn’t?)

The bad thing about being alone is of course missinng my little family; it’s too dull at home, too silent, no waawaa, no guuuguuu, no daaadaaa, no feeding, kissing, playing....and the perks of being married :)

Notwithstanding, got to take advantage of it, so here’s what i have in my mind:

Rest, get some sleep and recharge the reactors. Play some tennis, get in shape.

Take the opportunity to travel around North America, visit some friends here and there, burn some diesel fuel with my Volks, eventually end up with a speeding ticket from a State Trooper or a Mountie, fight it in court, my other favorite hobby…Your Honor!!!!

Review next year’s plan and re-assess my existence in this land (I’ve been doing that every year and constantly failing to find a consensus, stay or leave, the eternal question)

Help some bloggers get married (yes I’m talking about you Mrs. Smith). Piss off some other bloggers, they know who they are. Hint: the ”lek chou ya habibi” gang :-)

Give raises to the 6 Software Engineers working in my team before it’s too late (market too competitive these days). Convince my boss to fire the staff in mainland Europe (slackers, 6 weeks vac and 14 breaks per day) and relocate them to labor law friendly UK or Ireland.

Put some peronal budget guidelines, i.e. no excess spending for next FY. There too I’ve been constantly failing. I always predict a number at the beginning of the year which turns different at the end….way too different.

Probably paint a room, an inch every week! The Lazy way, love it. Knowing in advance that I won’t do it right, I’ll call up a painter the day before my departure.

Sell my desktop. Too bulky. I’ve been dreaming of getting the Dell Precision M90, providing I get a performance bonus at work. Well, they better give me.

Start shopping for a day-case for my little daughter. Need to find a bilingual one with Arabic if possible, I know, it’s Mission Impossible!

Mass-download music, then sort out what I need. My ISP just offered unlimited bandwidth, well, sort of, it’s like 2G/month or so, so i shall spawn some bots to suck the torrents, the limewire, and all those p2p networks. My fabourite music is Arabic re-mastered, remixed and re-invented original stuff, like Said Mrad’s 1001 nights.

That’s it for now, so let’s get down to business :)

Business > The American Way...Napo's way !

2006-05-24T21:18:00.000-05:00

I’ve been working with Americans for almost ten years now, and it’s been a very rich, challenging as well as rewarding experience.

How did I end up working with the Yankees?... It all started 12+yrs ago (aged 22) when I left the mother land mainly to study abroad.

I was an ISG grad who had the option to continue school in France, Germany or English Canada. My family & friends recommended that I stay away from Europe although some schools are pretty good there, but Europe was getting crowded, and opportunities were scarce compared to North America, especially in the technology field.

I first landed in Toronto, the economic capital of Canada & the largest city, a city where Canadians are now a minority. It didn’t take me too long to obtain a master’s degree from U of T in Computer Science, to start another one in Algorithmics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, commonly known as M.I.T, and that’s where I first started interacting with Americans, learn about their culture, speak their language (the American language) and then head to work for Corporate America.

My first assignment as an Engineer was at the Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA) in Maryland, it was short but extremely rewarding, got to work with double Ph.D engineers and scientists, and ultimatly peek at the engines that once propolled the lunar module into space (I always dream of going to space one day…with a Tunisian flag on my sholder) .

Around the 97s, the economy started to boom and the dot-com phenomena started cooking, that’s when I joined Andersen Consulting (renamed Accenture), one of the largest consulting firm in the world. As a Consultant I got to learn and practice -never read before- innovative methodologies, best practices & concepts that could in theory be valid for another 100 years. I was truly amazed how progressive and creative the people working for such a partnership could be. They were landing million dollar contracts with ease and confidence to follow up with delivery of state of the art solutions..., even to date, I still leverage those skills on a daily basis, sometimes crossing onto my personal life.

Around the 2000s, I had no option but to jump into the dot-com boiling market before i miss the train, i had to work the crazy hours, the weekends, build something from the scratch, live the ups and downs of VC shortages, the positive and negative press releases, the down-sizing, the NYSE listing, the good and the ugly. We were a bunch of multi-national team of engineers and techies that worked around the clock to envision an idea, build a market niche/need for it, sell a product and make profit out of it….THAT WAS REALLY TOUGH…but we prevailed at last…

Working with Americans, has no boundaries for creativity, initiative, challenges and innovation. These folks are focused, task oriented, delivery aware and business conscious, no wonder they’re number one the world stage and will probably remain as such for quite some time.

Nowadays, with family onboard, I’m more or less settled as part of the Management Team of a yet another American startup which future looks ‘so far’ promising (crossing my fingers). Needless to mention that concepts such as Job Security, steady stream of income and employment for life are things of the past in this continent. Very few do care about security, since opportunities of cashing out half a million dollar were at some point more likely to occur then loosing own job.

Finance > Budget 101

2006-05-19T05:59:00.000-05:00

Among many things that I’m still struggling to understand is the concept of budget In Tunisian families. I keep hearing that people always have money and regardless of the inflation, anyone can live the lavish life.

Normally, a budget is set by an individual or a group to keep expenditures and receivables balanced. A good budget is when spending is controlled and income is assured. Accpetable exceptions include going over-board to finance an extra-ordinary need or a long term investment…pretty simple concepts.

In order to depict a Tunisian 'budget', I’ve tried to gather as much data as possible about living standards in

Tunisia;

such as rent, level of incomes, collateral and incidentals.

My Assumptions were:

Couple with 2 kids
No heritage, Parents not rich either (No Zitoun, no land, no villa ready for them)
Working hard in relatively high paying jobs.
One car for the whole family.
Outgoing family, always looking for fun enjoying good life overall.
No loan payment
Living in the Capital

I tried my best to be as realistic and as accurate as possible, however i may probably have missed few things here and there, therefore you are absolutely WELCOME to participate in the correction, addition, or omission of any item in the table below.

All figures are monthly in Tunisian Dinars.

Fixed Expenditure		Net Income / Capital
Rent: 450/m (a good 3 bedroom apartment or a level of a villa)		Salary for Dad: 1100 (gross: 1300)
Utilities (water, electricity, gas, etc): 80/m		Salary for Mom: 600 (gross: 800)
Car maintenance (1200/yr due to guaranteed accidents or scratches and road conditions): 120/m
Gas for the car: 50/m
Car insurance & highways toll: (800/yr, I may be wrong here): 70/m
Clothing for family: 150/m
Lady’s need & maintenance costs (makeup, weekly coiffeur, spa, etc) 100/m
Food: 150/m
Kids education needs (600/yr): 50/m
Restaurants (once in a month): 50/m
Doctors and Medicine (Medicare is extremely expensive in Tunis): 100/m
Home improvements, furniture, electronics & maintenance (1200/yr): 100/m
Cigarettes (I’m going to assume both smokers, each needs a pack for 3 days at 2DT/pack): 40/m
Communication fees (Tuntel, Tunisiana, land line): 80/m
Entertainment (Tunisians are ‘jawiste’ always on the look for concerts, shows, soccer games, etc): 80/m
Collateral or Luxury
ADSL: 50
Emergency or non emergency assistance (i.e. family member sick/dying, brother/sister marrying soon, loans, etc for 1200/yr): 100/m
Gifts for loved ones: 100/m
Trip planning (3000/yr per family: 250/m
Total Fixed: 1670		1700
Total Collateral: 450		0
Grant Total: 2120		1700
Budget Status: under-budget by 30 (excluding collaterals)

Well, overall, it’s not that bad, however such a tight budget is very hard to stick to and chances are the slim margin will be wiped out by unpredictable fixed expendituers or collaterals. So the outcome would be naturally debt since income level do not rise that fast in tunisia to match up inflation or the need to expand lifestyles. Such debts would be mostly informal debts through friends and killer debts through the banks…and that’s the outcome we see today.

No savings, interminable cycle of debts, stress and materialistic society..where human relationships become based on financial opportunities...

Again, if you feel you can add, alter or remove any item from the table, please feel free to comment about it, this exercise is really a collaborative effort among all bloggeurs.

Immigration > Why Romania?

2006-05-12T05:32:00.000-05:00

Recently I’ve noticed a new migration trend where Tunisian students are more inclined to go study in Romania, a former communist state where education quality & standards are below average compared to European states or north America.

I’ve done some research and here are some answers:

Schools there are qui offordable compared to Western Europe and universities in Romania do accept students without the baccalaureate, sometimes with no background at all, as long as they receive payments from foreign students.

Many Tunisian male students are sent there to avoid military service at home and have not real interest in studies.

Few Tunisian female students who go there, change their behavior drastically, they become heavy party goers, drinkers, and very liberal.

Romanian degrees are not recognized in Tunisia. “La commission d’équivalence ne reconnaît pas les diplômes Roumains sauf si l’étudiant a été envoyé par l’état tunisien et possède son bac »

Most students take courses in dentistry, an over saturated field in Tunis and everywhere else in the world.

I’m not marginalizing anyone here or offending anyone, just stating facts. I just can’t understand why they pick former Transylvania over so many other places, waste money and time for a useless degree, when they can stay in their home town get better & free education. After all if we refer to dentistry, I believe Monastir has an excellent track record of delivering solid degrees.

Am i missing something?

Off topic > I've got the power....(histoire vraie)

2006-05-08T06:01:00.000-05:00

Conversation réelle captée sur le canal 106 Fréquences des secours maritimes de la cote du Finistère (Galice) entre des caliciens et des nord-américains.

Caliciens (bruit de fond) : Ici le A-853, merci de bien vouloir dévier votre trajectoire de 15 degrés au sud pour éviter d’entrer en collision avec nous. Vous arrivez directement sur nous a une distance de 25 milles nautiques.

Américains (bruit de fond) : Nous vous recommandons de dévier vous-même votre trajectoire de 15 degrés nord pour éviter la collision.

Galiciens : Négatif ! Nous répétons : dévier votre trajectoire de 15 degrés sud pour éviter la collision.

Américains (une vois différente de la précédente) : Ici le capitaine ! Le capitaine d’un navire des Etats-unis d’Amérique. Nous insistons, dévier de votre trajectoire de 15 degrés nord pour éviter la collision.

Galiciens : Négatif ! Nous ne pensons pas que cette alternative puisse convenir, nous vous suggérons donc de dévier votre trajectoire de 15 degrés sud pour éviter la collision.

Américains (vois très irritée) : Ici le capitaine Richard James Howard, au commandement du porte-avions USS Lincoln, de la marine nationale des Etats-Unis d’Amérique. Le second plus gros navire de guerre de la flotte américaine ! Nous sommes escortées par deux cuirassiers, 6 destroyers, 5 croiseurs, 4 sous-marins et de nombreuses embarcations d’appui. Nous nous dirigeons vers les eaux du Golf Persique pour préparer les manœuvres militaires en prévisions d’une éventuelle offensive Irakienne. Nous ne vous suggérons pas, nous vous ordonnons, de dévier votre route de 15 degrés nord! Dans le cas contraire nous nous verrions obliges de prendre les mesures qui s’imposent pour garantir la sécurité de cette flotte et de la force de cette coalition. Vous appartenez un pays allié, membre de l’OTAN et de cette coalition, s’il vous plait, obéissez immédiatement et sortez de notre trajectoire.

Galiciens : C’est Juan Manuel Salas Alcantara qui vous parle. Nous sommes deux personnes, nous sommes escortées par notre chien, par notre bouffe, deux bières et un canari qui est actuellement entrain de dormir. Nous avons l’appui de la radio de la Corogne et du canal 105 « urgences maritimes ».

Nous ne nous dirigeons nulle part, dans la mesure ou nous vous parlons depuis la terre ferme. Nous sommes dans le phare A-853, au Finistère de la cote de Galice. Nous n’avons pas la moindre putain d’idée de la position que nous occupons au classement des phares espagnols. Vous pouvez prendre toutes les mesures que vous considérez opportunes car nous vous laissons le putain de soin de garantir la sécurité de votre flotte de merde qui va se ramasser la gueule contre les rochers !

C’est pour cela que nous insistons à nouveau et vous rappelons que le mieux à faire , le plus logique et le plus raisonnable serait de dévier votre trajectoire de 15 degrés sud pour éviter de nous rentrez dedans !

Américains : bien reçu, merci ……… !

Climate > The year is 2105, North Africa under occupation, ... again !!!

2006-05-03T21:02:00.000-05:00

The earth temperature has risen by 12 degrees from the current 2006 levels.

Greenland has melted…
The ozone hole has widened to reach the southern tip of Argentina…
Hong Kong became a legend taught only in history books
Half of

Bangladesh

is under sea…
The Netherlands has relocated, its population now spread over Belgium & Denmark…

The year is 2110, the North Atlantic Current carrying fresh water from the equator to the northern hemisphere has finally shut down, signaling the initial phase of a climate shift.

Europe is not longer protected by warm waters carried by the conveyor belt. Temperatures has dropped by 20 degrees and Siberian winter became reality in England, Scandinavia, France and most of the western European states.

Crops have frozen and agricultural supplies have been critically affected...
Starvation has become widespread..
Financial institutions have shut down and governments are on the verge of collapsing..
Martial law in effect.

In the Mairie de Marseille, a makeshift government operations center, acting French President General DuPont calls North African counterparts with a message to tell:

“Dear Governors, we would like you to pay us back all of your long term and short term obligations, otherwise under national emergency measures; you will be considered French assets”

North Africans reply:“We will pay our debts to you as agreed on due time. We are sovereign nations, and we have friendly treaties between us, and you can not impose your will on us even in a time of emergency. We will however offer any kind of assistance during this crisis”

French president General Dupont - having in mind a different agenda - decides to dispatch 3 nuclear powered air craft carriers from Toulon with an ultimatum to Tunisian Gov to pay down the debt immediately, open ports for French refugees or surrender.

Tunisian gov refuses to capitulate and mobilizes the national army; sends the fleet to defend the north, the latter is wiped out by the French might.

French ground troops march on the capital and secures it after fierce resistance. Other special French units secure major airports and seaports. Regular troops began emptying Tunisian houses under a special law of land confiscation and other French emergency laws which calls for the use of force overseas to relocate affected French nationals.

Tunisian government -in exile in Libya- calls on the Security Council and the UNHCR to intervene and stop the occupation. The UN refuses to hear the case citing bigger conflicts between North Korea and the southern pacific islands that went nuclear.

Tunisian resistance regroups and starts a guerilla warfare against the French occupation forces, the latter pretends to install a Tunisian government friendly to their agenda.

The Security Council finally agrees to hear the Tunisian cause, and bluntly rejects Tunisia’s request for intervention, instead it accuses the resistance of insurgency and acts of terrorism, and throws its support behind the French, asking the latter to restore public order in the newly created French Republic of North Africa.

The year is 2120, North Africa has been reclaimed by the 5 million strong Chinese People's Army...

Business > Le marketing a 19.99

2006-04-28T04:50:00.000-05:00

Ou encore "nineteen ninety nine"….c’est une pratique diabolique des chaînes de distributions en Amérique du nord, en Europe? Et peut-être bientôt en Tunisie ci ce n’est pas déjà le cas. <>

Les maudits marqueteurs ont inventé cette technique après de longues études sur l’aspect visuel et cognitific de la composante prix d'un produit durant le shopping. En effet, le cerveau humain a travers ses facultés visuelles, ne recense que les 2 premiers chiffre d’un prix et arrondi au plus bas, c'est-à-dire pour un prix de 19.xx, l’impression est ‘dans les des dizaines’…

Ajouter a un tel montant la TVA qui est généralement de 15%, le prix passe au delà de 21$. Vous dites qu’entre 19,99 et 21, il n’y a pas une grande différence, alors qu’on est-il de 399.97 comparé a 400.10 ? Surtout si on te propose les deux produit dans des endroits différent, naturellement tu vas choisir celui a 399.97 même si en réalité, il y a aucune différence de prix entre les deux, et que celui de 400.10 est peut-être de meilleur qualité.

<>Pire encore, pour les voiture, exemple, un prix de 19,959,97 est toujours dans la plage des 10,000, le cas échant plus que 15,000 mais jamais au delà de 20,000. Avec les taxes, ce chiffre monte a 23,000.

J’ai eu pas mal de visiteurs de Tunis qui se sont fait avoir avec cette pratique, ils pensent que 19.99 est un solde alors que le vendeur ne fait qu’enlever un cent pour brouiller les cartes dans ton cerveau !!!

Employment/Jobs > Episode 1: Academia or Industria?

2006-04-22T05:42:00.000-05:00

En écoutent la seconde partie de l’émission RFI sur la jeunesse tunisienne les conclusions suivantes me viennent a l'esprit : En Tunisie, on est trop orienté -voir bloqué même- sur les études, ca commence par le Bac, et ca fini par les diplômes universitaires, tel que le Master, le Doctorat, le post-Doctorat.

D'après un intervenant dans la dite émission, il exite 20,000 Bac+4 chômeurs dont plusieurs milliers au niveau du master et doctorat, et 2000 médecins.

Vous trouvez ça normal? Moi non…

Je trouve inacceptable qu’un individu âgé de 30ans+ ne connaissant pas encore les concepts de : Travail en équipe, la productivité, les dates limites et le stress qui vient avec, les livrables, les déplacements et la production. Par contre, on trouve généralement cette catégorie de gens champions dans l’écriture des articles, les mémoires et les thèses abstraites.

Je connais tant de Tunisiens qui font leur études en France a perpétuité. Une fait un Doc, l’autre fait un DESS, lui fait un DEA, …il passent des années et des années a travailler avec Mr Rousseau et Mr Young écrire des pages pleines de plagiat ou de concept abstrait et parfois imaginaire. Et après décident de chercher un emploi dans l’industrie et exigent que l’emploi soit très proche de leurs connaissances avect un salaire élevé en sus qui va avec leur bagage académique.

Sur leur résumé/CV on remarque les mentions suivantes :

Cursus Académique :
1997 : Bac Lycée X, Mention Mouch normal, Tayara Barcha !!!
1999 : Diplôme de technicien très supérieur, Tunis
2000 : Ingénieur principal, principalement dans les études principales, Tunis
2000 : DESS, extrêmement spécialisé dans la conceptualisation, Franza
2001 : Diplôme DEA, approfondissement du DESS déjà acquis, Franza
2002 : Diplôme Master, approfondissement du DEA déjà acquis, Franza
2003 : Doc en concepts et idées innovatrices appliqué a la théorie canonique, Franza
2004 : Post-Doc en concepts et idées innovatrices appliqué a la théorie paranormale
2005 : Partenaire de recherche dans un Post-Doc quelque pas dans le monde…

Expérience Professionnelle
2000 : Vacataire a temps partiel
2001 : Assistant toujours a temps partiel
2002 : Assistant, ingénieur, encadreur et chercheur
2003 : Maître Assistant, professeur, professeur invité, chef de département.

A part se caser dans une université (avec bcp d’interventions bien sur), enseigner le même programme chaque année, pourrir et moisir et écrire des articles et assister a des colloques pour soit disant être toujours a la page et garder le lien avec le monde de la recherche, un tel résumé ne sert absolument a rien !!!

Certes, etre diplomé et eduqué est essentiel pour son propree epanouissement professionel et social, mais faut se mettre a l'évidence, que nos universités ne sont pas des pôles de recherches et développement de renommé mondiale, mais plutôt ces centres d'éducation pour préparer des ressources humaine qualifiés en vue de subvenir aux besoins des PME et des grandes entreprises, qui eux constituent le poumon de l'économie nationale, surtout émergente comme la notre.

Immigration > 3rd Episode: New Government Policy

2006-04-20T06:09:00.000-05:00

Canadians approve of immigration

A Gallup poll was commissioned recently by The Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) regarding Canada 's attitude towards immigration. The census reveals Canadians as “more open” to the idea of immigration than many other immigrant-receiving nations.

The census data also shed light on international perspectives regarding immigration. Where Canadians feel that immigration is a positive “nation-building” exercise, their American and British Counterparts feel less so. In fact, 58% of Americans, and 60% of Britons polled by Gallup have said that they would want to see their immigration levels decrease. Canada on the other hand sees immigration as the only way to quell its declining population and labour shortages.

Another question asked in the survey was if immigration was “good for the economy”. Once again, Canadian responded positively with over 60% polled saying that they thought it was a good thing for the country's economic forecast. Canada isn't alone in believing this either . Both Australia and New Zealand feel that their economies, respectively, will benefit from newly-landed immigrants.

*** En deux mots: Les Canadiens sont tolérants, ouvert et ont besoin d’immigrants pour vivre et survivre…

New government online services for the immigrants

Ontario has officially launched two new immigration-centric websites. The online resources facilitate both settlement and career services, respectively.

Ontarioimmigration.ca welcomes Canadian Newcomers to Ontario and provides them with comprehensive settlement information. The new online service is intended to help ease the transition for over 120,000 newly-landed immigrants that settle in Canada 's most populous province each and every year.

*** En deux mots: L’Ontario, le poumon du Canada va aider davantage ceux qui sont acceptes pour immigrer au Canada, dont le tiers s’établie en Ontario, personellement je pense que cette mesure ne changeras pas grand-chose…

New government agency will recognize foreign credentials

In his first public address as Immigration Minister, Monte Solberg announced that a federal agency will be developed to respond to the needs of Canada 's skilled immigrants. He also re-iterated his government's plan to reduce the immigrant landing fee by half.

Speaking at the Public Policy Forum Convention held In Toronto recently, Solberg did not mention specifically when the new "credentials recognition" agency will be instituted, however has noted that it would require co-operation from various levels of government and business, as well as the academic establishment and various community groups.

He has also repeated his government's promise to cut the Right of Permanent Residence landing fee by half. He believes that the reduced fee will make it "easier and more attractive for Newcomers to come to Canada".

*** En deux mots: C’est la nouvelle la plus importante de tous, couper dans les frais c'est-à-dire maintenant, au lieu de payer 1500, le montant est de 750 et aussi reconnaître les professionnels qui viennent de partout dans le monde, y compris les médecins dentiste.. mais attention, ce processus prendra des années…

Pour plus d’informations, visitez ce site bilingue : http://www.canadavisa.com/

Climat > Ce foutu climat Canadien

2006-04-15T06:22:00.000-05:00

L’expression ‘Il joue le froid et le chaud comme bon lui semble’ s’applique vraiment au Climat Canadien. La semaine dernière on a eu la dernière tempête de neige de l’hiver et la température a baissé a -6 (c rien moins six en passant)….mais deux jours après voila qu’elle grimpe a 22 avec sunshine et UV index très élevé

Le matin, c’est -1, l’après midi c’est 22! Presque tous les jours, Ahki m3ah !!!

Je ne sais plus quoi faire, je reste dans mes vêtements d’hiver et je chauffe comme une patate, walla ndawarha short et polo et je freeze!

De plus la voiture doit aussi s’adapter, si je laisse les pneus d’hiver et l’huile d’hiver alors il s’usent beaucoup durant le temps chaud, si j’enlève les pneus et je pose les pneus d'ete alors je risque de patiner de s’enfoncer dans un mur!

Aya hassilou inshallah la transition ne dure pas beaucoup, en tout cas le printemps ici est un des meilleur dans le monde…tout est vert et l’air a respirer est très pur surtout dans les parcs qui sont abondant ki ch3ar erras

Hamdullah en tout cas 3ala kol hal

Business > Télémarketing nightmare…

2006-04-14T08:39:00.000-05:00

C’est le phénomène par excellence pour te gachir une soirée ou une journée entière...

Il est 8h du soir, t’es chez toi, regardant un bon film, ou faisant tes exercices, ou jouant avec ton enfant pour le faire dormir, quand soudain un coup de fil sonne.

[Traduction Anglais -> Français]
Napo : Bonsoir
Opérateur : (son d'un click)
Napo : Bonsoir ?!
Opérateur : (son de deux clicks)
Opérateur: Bonsoir, mon nom c’est Narandra vispaghannan, j’appelle pour vous annoncer une très belle nouvelle, vous êtes qualifié pour faire une demande..
Napo : Allo ? Qui est a l’appareil ?
Opérateur : ..pour la très prestigieuse carte American Express Reward Miles
Napo : Mr, je ne vous entends pas très bien (il est en Inde apparemment, ça sent le Voice over IP)
Opérateur : American Express Monsieur, la prestigieuse carte vous connaissez ?
Napo : Pouvez vous répétez SVP, j’ai rien compris
Opérateur: Bonsoir, mon nom c’est Narandra vispaghannan
Napo : D’accord, vous appelez d’où ?
Opérateur: D’American Express
Napo : Vous voulez dire d’un partenaire d’American express ?
Opérateur: Oui
Napo : je n’ai pas besoin d’une carte, merci, j’en ai déjà.
Opérateur: Très bien Monsieur, mais cette carte vous offre bcp d’avantage pour un frais annuel de 100$, seulement, soit 33cents par jour (100$ c considéré cher ici)
Napo : Non merci, au revoir.
Opérateur : Monsieur, cette carte vous offre tel et tel avantages. Mais si vous ne voulez pas alors je vous offre une assurance ACCIDENT ET DEMEMBREMENT
Napo (ma femme, n’a jamais compris ce concept, elle me dis, ça porte malheur leur affaire)
Napo : Je ne suis pas intéressé par votre assurance Accident, j’ai déjà une assurance vie avec mon employeur.
Opérateur : C’est qui votre employeur ?
Napo : Je ne pense pas que je peux vous donner une telle information
Opérateur : Alors c’est qui l’assureur de votre employeur ?
Napo : même pas, et pkoi vous voulez savoir ?
Opérateur : Pour comparer ce que vous avez avec mon offre et vous convaincre
Napo : Non merci. Écoute j’ai un bébé qui crie, qui a besoin d’attention et je dois partir…
Opérateur : D’accord, peut-être si je vous appelle demain a la même heure ?
Napo : Hummm, pkoi ?
Opérateur : Pour continuer de parler de notre offre pour assurance accident et démembrement
Napo (ya sattar ya jabbar)
Napo : Non merci et je dois vraiment quitter la !!!
Opérateur : C’est pas grave monsieur, puis-je vous introduire a mon offre STAR qui est un mortgage (hypothèque) a un taux préférentiel? je vois que vous avec une AMEX donc vous etes automatiquement qualifié, est-ce qu’on peut procèder ensemble a remplire une demande par téléphone, ça prend 15min seulement.
Napo : Ah bon, ben la je dois quitter. Au revoir.
Opérateur : L’offre vient avec une assurance accident et démembrement aussi.
Napo : raccroche !

Récemment je réponds de la façon suivante…

Opérateur : Bonjour, puis-je parler à Mr Napo De Napo
Napo : A l’appareil
Opérateur : Felicitations Mr, vous aviez été sélectionné pour remplire une demande pour carte de crédit VISA Platinium.
Napo : Donnez moi votre numéro de tel je vous rappelle
Opérateur : Huuu, d’accord, mais notre numéro ne reçoit pas les appels 1-800.
Napo : Ok, votre numéro a la maison alors et votre nom au complet ?
Opérateur : A la maison pkoi ?
Napo : Pour que je vous rappelle a 10h du soir et on rempli la demande ensemble
Opérateur : Humm, je ne suis pas sur si c’est correcte de faire ça.
Napo : Alors vous trouvez correcte de votre part de m’appeler a 9h, me gêner et en plus vous m’offrez des trucs que je ne désire pas ?
Opérateur: Hummm
Napo : Good bye et raccroche

Si je suis vraiment pressé alors je reponds de la facon suivante...

Opérateur : Bonjour, puis-je parler à Mr Napo De Napo
Napo : Vous etes sur une ligne cellulaire, acceptez vous les charges ?
Opérateur : Ohhh grand pardon monsieur, je raccroche
Napo : Assurez vous de ne plus appelez ce numéro
Opérateur : Bye

Je comprends que ce monde font leur job, mais au moins qu'il le fassent sans deranger ma quietude !!!!

Off topic > Quotes Not of the day...

2006-03-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Below are some quotes that i truly believe in and when applicable try to achieve...

On vision: "If a man does not know to what port he is steering, no wind is favourable to him." Seneca, Roman Philosopher

On friendship: "He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare,And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere." Ali ibn-Abi-Talib

On History: "History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon. "
Napoleon Bonaparte

On education: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle

On experience: "Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don't" Pete Seeger

On giving: "Charity begins at home. " Terence

On mathematician: "I have hardly ever known a mathematician who was capable of reasoning". Plato

On the French: "The French complain of everything, and always" Napoleon Bonaparte

On performance: "Never promise more than you can perform" Publilius Syrus

On attitude: "Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer" Muhammad Ali

On kindness: "Do not consider any act of kindness insignificant, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face" The prophet Muhammad , peace be upon him.

On strength: "The strong man is not the good wrestler; the strong man is only the one who controls himself when he is angry". The prophet Muhammad , peace be upon him.

Off topic > Viva Republica Tunisiana

2006-03-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

Today is Tunisia's day, the independence Day. Today I’m exceptionally proud to witness all the growth and development Tunisia has sustained during the last 50 yrs.

However, being as jealous and as perfectionist as I am, I hope that we can bank on those achievements and accelerate the pace of development, for the benefit of our people...

Colleagues from the blogsphere have marked this day by depicting the history behind this event. I'll try to take this further by writing up on the future and how we can better foster a path to sustained growth in a very tough and challenging world.

I shall start by:

* Calling on Tunisians from the inside to effectively contribute to the economy (see my post Tunisia vs. Taiwan), that is: consume Tunisian goods, reduce dependency on foreign goods, stop or at least reduce the 'show off / frime' mentality and buy only what you need. Promote and work in the community, think more about others instead of being focused on the 'me' and 'me only'

* Invest in intangible goods, in ventures, in innovation, in ideas; think 100 yrs ahead like others nations do, think about the future generation and what you can offer them.

* Build your savings, manage your budget carefully, and don’t go overboard. Savings are a measure for healthy economy and are used to promote large scale projects that help everybody at the end.

* Care about the environment, commute whenever possible even if your comfort takes a hit from time to time, recycle and keep it green and last but not the least WALK a lot! It keeps you healthy and the environment clean from emissions.

* Stop talking too much and start listening instead, listen to advice, to other people's experience, to the elderly, learn and keep learning...that's how Islamic pioneers prospered by understanding the Greek concepts and putting them into practice.

* For the Tunisians aboard, your efforts should be double those from within because you have better access to knowledge, to money and to people. The key word here is INVEST IN TUNISIA by all means possible, such as real-estate, innovation, partnership, lectures at your native university or school, vacationing if you can. Being a Star Tunisian abroad and promoting Tunisia's picture does not help anymore (that was the old days when Tunisia was unknown), now reality has changed, Tunisia needs your money, your brain and your contacts.

* For the families, teach your kids and your surroundings the core values of the Tunisian culture and traditions, tell them about the blood and sacrifices made by Tunisia's founders, teach them the vertues of giving, caring and sharing.

And last but not the least, WORK HARD all the time, this is your duty to you civil society.

Tahya Tounis!!!

Technology > The year is 2014, the age of Googlezon has begun

2006-03-10T07:26:00.000-05:00

In the year 2014 the New York times has gone offline

The Fourth Estate's fortunes have waned

What happened to the news?

and what is EPIC

Click here

Climate > 1st episode: Winter driving...eh?

2006-03-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

Slush, snow, snow squalls, freezing rain, drizzles, ice pellets, wind-chill, extreme wind-chill, ice, black ice, blizzards, flash freeze, and whiteout.

You probably never heard these words before, except for snow and ice. Well these buzz words represent true weather patterns that makes up the Great Canadian Winder. If you treat them with respect you can live through winter without headaches, otherwise you will die.

For an explanation of each word, check out this glossary at The Weather Network

Driving on Canadian roads in Canadian winter is one hell of an experience, not only it’s dangerous but it’s rewarding especially if you manage to get around it pretty well.

First, your Car

The car needs to be ‘winterized’ around November, meaning you have to upgrade your engine oil (no matter what oil you had before) it needs to withstand temperature below zero, well far below zero, like -30 or below.
You need winter tires, 4 winter tires that is, not traction tires, and preferably good winter tires coz your life would pretty much depend on them.
Then you need to put a winter anti-freeze, that is the liquid that keeps your heater and radiator working, it need to withstand -30 at least.
Then comes the all-mighty battery, it needs to be charged to 100% to first allow ignition then later move the engine parts that are in quasi frozen state.
Optionally, you may want to take off those 500$ dollar a piece alloy rims before they rust or get damaged by salt.
Last but not the least; you need to put an anti-freeze windshield washer, coz the regular one will freeze right from the nozzle when you ask for it from inside of your car. Wipers need to be replaced by heavy teflon wipers that can handle snow, coz during winter, it’s snow or ice that falls from the sky not rain

Second, your driving habits

Speeding is no go, I mean REALLY NO GO !!! Normally, on a 100km highway, you would do 120? 140 if you push it (I’m not crazy driver and I’d leave the 500$ tickets and license suspension for those doing 160 and 180). In winter conditions however, if the limit is 100, then it means 80km or less. And if you’re hit with a sudden whiteout, your changes of dying near the 90% mark.
Stopping distance become SO LOOOONG and you CAN NOT DO A DAMN THING ABOUT IT. Even if you have ESP, ABS, AWD, and all those gizmos, it will take as twice as much to stop.
Normal braking won’t work either, especially on black ice (ice that you can not see). The only way to stop is using soft gear downgrade. if you drive an automatic, then you may pray :-)
Visiblity is hampered most of the times. First your external visors are either frozen, or extrememly dirty that you wont see anything from near or far. Your vision is constantly interrupted with wipers working hard to clean the windshield. if it's a sunny outside (means cold day usually), then chances are the sun beams reflected against perfect white sheets of snow will turn you blind when you need yours eyes the most.

Third, the toad conditions

No matter how the city treats the roads, be it salting or sanding, you will be driving on a sheet of ice and snow most of the time, especially in and off highway ramps, and no matter how much control or how skilled you are, you’ll ultimately end up in minor or major accident one way or the other. Needless to say, that an accident in north america will cost your insurance premium to go up 2 to 10 folds (thousands of dollars we’re taking per year) besides the cost of repairing your car. (85-100$ / hour of labor including diagnostics)

So for those who complain about driving when Tunis is flooded once in a blue moon, please chill out, your chances of survival are much higher there...

Behavior > 1st episode: Stop Smoking

2006-03-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

Every time I go to Tunisia in the summer, I get hit with a thick cloud of smoke right from the exit door of the airplane. You would think that with jet-fuel still burning in reservoirs, people would be smart and turn off their lighters or burry their cigarette, hell no!!!

By the time you clear customs and exit the passenger area, your lungs are filled with poison, combined with heat and smog from the outside; your chances to an asthma attack grow like never before.

In North-America, entire cities are going smoke-free, and sooner, selected cities in Canada will ban open-air smoking all together unless smokers sit within a certain distance from non smokers. This is truly CIVILIZATION!!!

I don’t mind living, working and dealing with smokers, as long as they go KABOUM themselves ONLY without taking down with them second hand smokers or a generation of kids.

Smokers, why don’t you get it? Studies after studies have shown that lung cancer is a direct consequence of heavy, light and second hand smoking. Why do you keep polluting the air around? Give me one damn benefit of smoking, and I’ll turn smoker next day.

Why do people have to die, and bankrupt their public health system and their families because of some stupid trend? I can understand old generation smokers, they didn’t have a clue about death rates / side effects related to smoking, besides, during the 40-50s smoking was considered trendy, hot and cool. But nowadays? What’s hot about it? Why youngsters and young adults still do it despite all the awareness, the knowledge and all the talk around it?

Going back to Tunisia, I think it’s time to start banning (and enforcing) smoking in public and covered areas, yet I’m not sure if that will ever happen since most of the future generation, for instance future lawmakers, are smokers themselves :-(

Last year, I went to this ‘soit-disant’ hot café somewhere in El Manar neighborhood. I can not even remember the name of the café, coz they were like 100s of them, one next to the other, serving the same thing, and featuring the same clientele. Aside from the stereotypes that I was quick to develop by looking at the crowds, I was appalled by the number of smokers, ALL of them were smokers, i swear ALL of them.

I’ve been labeled few times as intolerant because of my stance on cigarettes. To those, I say please understand (so tempted to say 'go to hell') that my health and the health of my family comes before your high-society branded and gestured cigarette.

Smokers, please think about it again!!! If not for yourself, think out of respect of those surrounding you, if you don’t have respect for the others, then you’re probably a liability to society and should not be dealt with.

Worth mentioning however that some smokers did catch up with some good manners lately and now they do ask for permission prior to igniting that piece of crap, so there is hope !!!

Famille/Relations > 1er episode: Le Bateau en vingt points.

2006-02-27T23:42:00.000-05:00

Je compare souvent l’institution du mariage a celle d’un bateau navigant des eaux parfois calmes, parfois agités et parfois profondes. Le bateau peut subir les tempêtes de la mer, mais aussi subir les erreurs du personnel naviguant. Le bateau peut vieillir s’il n’est pas maintenu régulièrement, tout comme se briser si le voilier tire une dans une direction et le timonier pousse le gouvernail dans l’autre.

Généralement un bateau est gouverné par le capitaine et son XO (Executive Officer, Premier Officier). Dans ma description, celui qui joue le rôle du XO ou le capitaine, importe peu…du moment que les deux s’engagent a le gouverner.

Pour réussir une sortie en mer, le capitaine doit :

Etre responsable devant Dieu, son XO et son équipage, s’il décide bien évidemment d’assumer sa mission.

Avoir confiance en son XO, et lui déléguer les responsabilités que ce dernier peut assumer.

Préparer son plan de navigation avec l’avis, et l’aval de son XO.

Maintenir son cap, et ne le changer que lorsque son XO est d’avis favorable.

En cas d’avaries, impliquer son XO et son équipage davantage pour trouver la meilleure approche à la résolution de cet imprévu.

Si le bateau se perd en océan, jeter l’encre & revisiter le plan de navigation et la cartographie, et demander a son XO de travailler de concert sur une nouvelle direction.

Si le bateau passe par une période de beau temps et d’accalmie, jeter l’encre et demander a son XO et/ou son équipage de célébrer, et de relaxer jusqu'au crépuscule.

Si le bateau est attaqué, alors commander l’artillerie et déléguer les autres fonctions a son XO. Si le bateau est touché, battre en retraite car l’équipage et le bateau sont bcp plus important que la victoire sur un ennemi.

Si le bateau passe par des eaux peu profondes, laisser l’XO naviguer le bateau, et prendre la direction de la cabine pour un bon sommeil (il en aura besoin)

Si le capitaine et son XO ne sont plus capables de se mettre d’accord sur le menu du jour, alors ils doivent rallier le port le plus proche, et prendre des vacances. La valeur du bateau et de son équipage est trop chère pour risquer de la compromettre à cause d’un mauvais jugement.

Relever temporairement son XO des ses fonctions, si ce dernier affiche de la fatigue, ou lorsque son jugement devient brouillé.

Réaliser le moment où son XO est mieux apte à diriger les affaires du bateau, sans pour autant s’effacer du commandement.

Prendre des décisions irrévocables lorsque son XO est inculpé de sabotage ou trahison avec préméditation.

Ne pas trop rester en mer. rallier de temps a autre un port d’attache, et vérifier la condition du bateau lorsque l'XO observe un pépin à la coque, la mécanique, la voile ou les commandes.

Garder le bateau propre et les voiles en très bon état.

Venir en assistance aux autres bateaux en détresses.

Etre au courant de son cap, de sa position, en haute mer et au sein de la flotte.

Chercher le trésor perdu des pirates, rallier l’au-delà.

Garder à l’esprit que sa mission ainsi que celle de son XO prendra fin un jour, idéalement, sur les mêmes termes que celles du début.

Business/Economy > 2nd episode: Tunisia vs. Taiwan

2006-02-21T22:43:00.000-05:00

Sounds like a game of soccer eh? Football that is! If it was the case, we’ll certainly beat them, but not in this post unfortunately.

Tunisia, my dear republic, and Taiwan have got a lot in common; form the ‘T’ in the country name to the size of their population, the date of their independence, the reserves of their natural resources – though Tunisia has a slight edge here - and the human capital.

Taiwan and Tunisia are most of the time cited in comparative studies by the UN on development and emerging countries. Yet, Taiwan seems ahead of us by more than 50yrs in terms of development and entrepreneurship.

Oh yeah, that’s the word I was looking for, Entrepreneurship which leads to enterprise, venture, innovation, capital, profit, investment, human resources, all what drives an economy.

In Taiwan, the ratio of companies per capita is 100 times more than of Tunisia,
In Taiwan, the rate of internal & external investment is 100 times more than of Tunisia,
In Taiwan, the productivity index is 500 times more than of Tunisia,
In Taiwan, the ratio of virtually anything is X times more than of Tunisia,

And keep in mind, Taiwan, is not even recognized as a country yet, and has no diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. Taiwan can disappear anytime if not for the 7^th fleet stationed around the island, with AWACS in the air and SSNs under water watching the PRC’s mighty army that is standing by to invade by order from beijing.

So why Taiwan is so prosperous compared to Tunisia?

First: Our investment habit, REAL ESTATE ALL THE WAY
A typical Tunisian family normally thinks about investing in real estate for their first house which is pretty standard in any society, but when disposable income grows, the family goes for a second house, a third house, sometimes an apartment building or even a hotel, well anything that is build with mortar and brick. Monopoly (the game) style investment :-)

Such investment is considered dormant money with steady income & low risk, but when that type of investment becomes too excessive, the economy takes a hit because:

Investment 101 for emerging countries: is about puting your money in busineses, that is large caps as well as small caps, however the best investment is into VC, ah that’s another magic word i was looking for: Venture Capital (Capital Risque, SICAR, etc) .
FYI: Taiwan’s VC rate is 1000 times (one thousand) more than of Tunisia, therefore we clearly lack local VC, people's VC., especially that we have lots of rich people in Tunisia that can lift our VC rate 10 folds, but...

Second: Ok, I got the money, now I want to invest, but where?
Nowhere!!! Because there no big pool of companies to invest in.
In fact, looking at the Tunisia’s NYSE equivalent (we wish we had one), L’indice BVM, you will notice that only a handful of companies are listed (which means publicly traded), yet Taiwan, has 100 times our rate.

So in Tunisia, you can either invest in banks (classical boring type of investment) or Hotels, now it seems like few Airlines are publicly traded too, aside a handful of utilities companies and the beer company SFBT.

What about the others? The big players in the industry? Well, they’re private and private companies are no good for investment, because the average investor needs to know the P/E, X/Y, the EPS and all those financial indicators that help assess the value of a corporation in order to predict where it is heading.

Well private companies have no obligation to release financial statements and be accountable to the financial regulators; therefore you will never know if they’re in the black, the red or going bankrupt tomorrow.

So what’s left? Real estate and government bonds, so now we’re back to square one and the looser is? The economy again!!! Needless to say, that the economy means average Joe! That is, you and me.

Third: Ownership
God, how much I dislike how companies in Tunisia are owned or started, from the small grocer to the big conglomerate.

You got the father, the grand father, the son, the step-son, the son-in-law, the daughter-of-the-son-in-law, down the entire genealogy!!!
In addition to the company being private, you end up with a system that is opaque, and lacks strategy and direction, except probably for the desire to be BIG and crash the other competitors.

And god forbids, if the grand father dies, the company is split among 24+, and becomes so weak that it’s quickly put into bankruptcy, why? Because the son and the grand-son, care less about the business, they didn’t go to a business school, and everyone wants to restart his OWN thing, everyone wants to be a BOSS, a BOSS at any COST!

As a side note, I know few people in the US who were sent by their fathers to study aeronautics so they can display their diploma later while being a COO of a shoe manufacturing company. Actually, allow me to be rude here and say that these were sent abroad to escape MILITARY SERVICE in Tunisia!

Fourth: I’m a buinessman with a business card wearing an Yves Saint Laurent tie
FACT: The success rate of startups in

Tunisia

hovers around 20-30%, mostly towards the 20%, such a number is so low that the state is loosing millions of dollars in initial funding; millions that are not even raised from taxes but through loans, foreign loans (ouch!!!)

Why is such rate so low you would ask? You would think that with IHEC, ISG around and, a huge talent of resources, especially with an armada of elite educated and experienced abroad, things should look brighter right?

Well, here’s the deal, some entrepreneurs have no concept of real entrepreneurships whatsoever, and they got their priorities screwed up from the beginning.

In fact, the first thing a typical ‘would be chef d’entreprise’ would do is buy the FURNITURE. Oh yeah, the EXECUTIVE LEATHER CHAIR, then the black, fully loaded BMW, next, the 2 direct phone lines + the fax line and the fancy flat screen PC and last but not the least the HOT, BIG-breasted, round-ass Sexy Secretary! (Women no offence)

With 60% of the money spent, Mr. Executive realizes that it’s time to get to work and complete that bashed business plan, the marketing plan and the production plan, yet, By the time most of the plans are in half decent shape, accounts run dry.
So instead of cutting spending and speeding up revenue, Mr. Executive prefers to go into default, then to debt and finally, inevitably, bankruptcy.

Conclusion:
Changes need to happen and happen NOW; change should not stem from the GOV either, coz the GOV - to its credit - has gone above and beyond their mandate in helping jumpstart the entrepreneurs. It’s the people that need to evolve and get their priorities straight….probably a simple Google on ‘Taiwan’ would help.

Business > 1st episode: Doing Business in Tunisia

2006-02-16T22:22:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine, spent 25yrs in the US as a consultant for a major corporation, initially he moved there on an F1 visa, he was one of the early brilliant guru’s of the republic, done his bachelor, master, PhD, professor, invited guest at Yale, etc.

He had this 'brilliant' idea of starting a company that sells intangible goods for the offshore market. He had the backing of the Tunisian Gov with loans, patents, contacts, CEPEX, you name it. Left was, the human resources aspect, so he started advertising a spectrum of positions in the local newspapers, from marketing & sales people to techies, receptionist and even cleaners.
Few days after, he started getting hundreds of resumes, with all having the same thing in common:

Highly motivated
Willing to learn, to adapt & grow
Bac + 4 and sometimes Bac + 6
All graduated with memoirs and theses on top-notch & sophisticated topics
Many with French degrees, from dauphine, grenoble and even centrale
Little to no experience, or some with several extremely short term assignments.

The guy thought it can’t get any better than this: a strong business model, backing from the gov and the banks, a rich pool of human resources and a good infrastructure.

After a hectic interview schedule, few candidates were selected and appointed to their respective positions and generously compensated.

Few months down the road of the venture, our friend started to experience strange behavior among the team, for instance:

lack of productivity, some employees didn’t take their job seriously due to lack of attendance, poor focus and too much distraction
Unusual number of requests for salary increases
No sales lead whatsoever
No execution & follow-up of agreed upon plans
No regard to timelines and quality

In business terms, this is called a downturn or rough times for morale. Our friend decided to get to the bottom of the problem; he picked up one employee and starts the following discussion

Boss X: what’s the problem?
Employee Y: I need a raise
Boss X: why do you need one, you’re already paid above average, please convince me
Employee Y: I work extra hours and I’ve been here more than 3 months
Boss X: is working 8hours considered extra hours?
Employee Y: Look I need a raise; I’ve got extra bills to pay and I have personal projects.
Boss X: I will think about it, but I’m not convinced.
Boss X terminaed employee Y few days after

To my knowledge he ended up firing half of the staff and paying them severance, coz the Tunisian law requires that, ironically most of the staff fired were educated in FRANCE.

You would expect high standards from these guys, but in reality these folks care less about productivity, in fact they still live in the social age of 5 weeks vacation, 8 breaks per day and crazy benefits package, on top their imperial EGO. it seems also, that their number is growing in Tunisia because they’re having hard time finding jobs in high-unemployment France and tougher and tougher immigration policies (SARKO, you rule man !!!)

Bottom line:

Attitude need to change, Tunisians should stop asking for more and start producing instead. The world has changed, protectionism is over, and markets are now wide open for cut-throat competition. It is now matter of survival, if you miss your chance for a job, you probably will never get it again. Textile has already taken a hit and 2008 is approaching!

WAKE UP People, look around you, big business is moving from one continent to the other and Tunisia is left unnoticed and begging for investment in order to reduce unemployment. The west is no longer in charge of the world economy, it’s no longer the west where jobs are the best, it’s now the time for India, China and the like, where you can get for 500$/month, a highly qualified, HANDS-ON, READY-FOR-ACTION & HARD-WORWKING systems engineer worth 150k in the US.

For the teachers of the republic, stop being neutral to the system and your students, stop thinking about the 900DT you get at the end of the month and where you’re going to spend the 3 months summer vacation, stop bitching about raises and DO WHAT IT TAKES TO GO THE EXTRA MILE even if you have to do it on your own time.

I happen to know a teacher in a highly reputed university who refused to do a website for his course (we’re taking one page of HTML here) unless he’s given extra money!!!!

Teachers, start promoting practical skills, help your student resolve their attitude problem, and better prepare them for the job market, not the local saturated market, but the GLOBAL one. Train yourself to stay on top of the cutting edge concepts instead of reciting textbooks from the old age.

So many universities have been ‘commissioned’ recently in Tunisia, but hardly any of one of them produces a quality degree or should I say a quality candidate for the job market.

And one last thing for you GRADS of Bac+14 going to an interview, NEVER ASK FOR the magic number you’ll get at the end of the month, focus instead of how to convince that guy in front of you to hire you and keep you employed.

And be patient, “A” players always get noticed and rewarded, no matter how long they’re employed!!!!

Immigration > 3eme episode : Napo rentre a Tunis pour les Vacances

2006-02-09T17:44:00.000-05:00

Ceci une autre histoire vraie. Je suis un des protagonistes cette fois-ci.

Je suis détenteur d’un compte dans une banque à Tunis, ou je vire de l’argent d’ici pour subvenir à mes besoins là-bas durant l’été. Il y a quelques années, j’ai viré un montant un plus que la normale me disant tiens, it’s time bech nchayekh il madame, et les in-laws.

Je débarque à Tunis un juillet chaud mouch normal. Le décalage horaire de 6heurses me tue, bon c pas grave je dois attendre jusqu'à 8h du soir pour m’ajuster. Le lendemain je reçois les « aya hamdilla 3ala slemit Napo, etc ». Entre nous, wallahi j’adore ces rituels, c’est propre à nous, et ça fait chaud au cœur.

Le lendemain je me présente à ma banque tunisienne pour récupérer une tite somme pour le week-end. Cette fois ci, j’ai voulu passer par le créneau habituel: Mouaten 3adi quoi, sans allez directement au chef d’agence que je connais assez bien, de plus c’est une transaction insignifiante et je veux garder mes chances chez le chef pour autre chose plus important.

Warning : l’histoire est longue mais je suis sur que vous allez vous vous accrocher jusqu'à la fin surtout mes lectrices et lecteurs fidèles.

Et ça commence, il est 9h30 du matin…

Napo : Asslema khouya, nharik zin
Agent au guichet : Ne me regarde même pas, tafadhil.
Napo : khouya je veux retirer chwaya dinarat mil compte devise, j’ai fait un virement il y a 2 semaines
Agent au guichet : Jib rokhsa, ma na3tiouich devise houni
Napo : khouya je suis résident fil Canada, haw il passport et rahou je veux retirer en Dinars Tunisien mouch devise comme je t’ai dis avant.
Agent au guichet : Mo kotlik 3ada jib rokhsa. Chouf khouya skhena b’rrabi, va au 3eme et jib rokhsa. Attend Attend khalini nchouf il compte mte3ik se3a, inti tu es avec nous mahou?
Napo lui donne le livret et répond oui, je suis avec vous sinon qu’est ce que je fais ici?
Agent au guichet tape sur le clavier comme si il va reprogrammer la navette spatiale
Agent au guichet : Ahhh 9oul 3ada inti résident, en tout cas, t’as pas besoin de rokhsa rahou ok?
Napo : Ok, merci
Agent au guichet : Behi 3ammir cette feuille, et revient après 15min
Napo : Hadhir Sidi. Babbi khouya pkoi 15min? La feuille ne va même pas me prendre plus que 30sec.
Agent au guichet : Ma fhemtnich, lazimni je contacte le service de transfert.
Napo : Pardon, quel transfert khouya ? ti mahou l’argent est rentré dans le compte non ?
Agent au guichet : Behi Behi, 3ammir la feuille et revient après 15

Apres 15min…

Napo : Sidi, hay la feuille.
Agent au guichet : Behi yasser, amma 3andna mochkla.
Napo : Labess mahou ?
Agent au guichet : Je ne peux pas te donner le montant que tu veux, lazem autorisation spéciale, le montant que tu veux est très important, va au service de change.
Napo : Important walla mouch Important, j’ai le droit de le retirer non? brabbi donne moi un relevé de compte en passant.
Agent au guichet : Je ne peux pas, lazem le compte soit validé d’abord.
Napo : Validé ? haw mes 2 passeports, carte d’identité nationale, et même mon permis de conduire tunisien, et ontarien, tu veux autre chose ?
Agent au guichet : Lé ma fhemtnich, ti chbikoum intouma jme3it il Canada vous ne comprenez pas 3arrmach, yasser te3bin berjoulia.
Napo bdé ytkarriz –lecteurs désolé le langage--
Napo: Mela kifech le valider alors?
Agent au guichet : Le problème khouya est que le montant est dans ton compte sauf qu’il n’est pas vraiment dans ton compte.
Napo connaît le concept de ‘hold’ mais ça ne s’applique pas dans ce cas la.
Napo : bloqué tu veux dire ?
Agent au guichet : Yarham bouuuuk, bloqué fil bureau de change, on attend le bon taux de change pour libérer l’argent (entre autre, il veut dire, il attend jusqu'à ce que le taux de change baisse en sa faveur, car on parle de différence de 200 a 300DT ici)
Napo : Ok, qu’est ce que je dois faire alors?
Agent au guichet : Passe au 5eme, service de change, dis leur Mohamed t’as envoyé et donne leur ton numéro de compte et passeport.
Napo : Behi ya sidi (tabe3 esseriq hatta beb eddar), je monte au 5eme à pieds (ascenseur en panne) et entre dans le bureau du change (après avoir passé une demi-heure à trouver le bon bureau bien sur).
Oops, c’est une madame de change, bureau énorme, presque intimidant, climatiseur a fond, plus froid que le Canada en plein hiver.
Madame est d'un certain age, 45+ je dirais, en tailleur, talons mouch normal, maquillage a fond (a la tunisienne), 5 couches fond de teint (regarde toujours le cou pour savoir), teinture tellement SAFFFFFFFFFRA que ça fait mal aux yeux et en plus coiffé pour mariage (c’est quoi vous l’appeler déjà, chinion?) Hassilou tiré par 46 épingles et…au téléphone bien sur.
Napo : Asslema Madame. Je m’appelle ‘Napo de Napo’
Madame au Change : Asssssssssssssssslaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, tfaaaaaaaaadhil mar7bé !!!
Napo : Brabbi si Mohamed d’en bas m’a envoyé pour vérifier mon compte.
Madame au Change : Si Mohamed? chkoun?
Napo : l’agent au guichet
Madame au Change : Je ne connais pas, inti 3andik CDC houni?
Napo : Samahni Madame, c quoi CDC ?
Madame au Change : behi, CDT alors ?
Napo a l’air d’un idiot, éducation et expérience, et ne connais même pas CDC et CDT… i’m doomed :-(
Napo : hummm, 3andi compte en devise madame.
Madame au Change : ahh, d’accord, ti mo 9oul CDC. Behi het il passport
Napo ne comprend pas, la pièce importante ici est le livret et pas le passeport, mais bon c pas grave, yalla débloque il compte barka !
Madame au Change : regarde le passeport feuille par feuille, comme si elle travaille à la douane, après elle m’annonce : Intouma jem3it MERIKIA, 3andkom barcha flous 3ada, chnowa win bech toskin cet été, fil Hôtel 14 étoiles du coin et tu vas louer une Mercedes M Class hakka walla lé?
Napo : Madame, mouch Merikia, CANADA
Madame au Change : ti mahou kifkif
Napo : Wallahi ken kif kif alors..hummm Kif Kif (yalla ti mahsoub kollou fard continent)
Madame au Change : Attend, je connais le Canada très bien rahou, mouch t9oul 3ala khatyr 3aycha fi tounis ma n3rafch.
Napo : Hachek madame illotf !!! (tich3elchi feya? Wallit nsil feha jouinia)
Madame au Change : On est très cultivé tu sais Monsieur, pffff (avec un accent parisien). Je suis même parti faire du shopping l’année dernière la bas. Inti fin déjà ? MOURIAL ?
(Oui a Tunis on ne prononce pas Montréal, on dit plutôt MOURIAL)
Madame au Change : Lé madame, fi bled fil Ontario.
Madame au Change : Chenya hedhi OUTARIOU? Win jet?
Napo: La province de l’Ontario Madame, Une province du Canada, 6 fois la taille de la France, qui est elle 4 fois la superficie de la République Tunisienne.
Madame au Change : Ti mahou kollou kifkif, il Canada mahi jet fi MOURIAL! (avec un air de certitude elle parle. Bcp de tunisiens pensent que le Canada est une ville dans le pays ‘Montréal’ je vous assure)
Madame au Change : Behi Madame, mchet m3ak, Je viens de MOURIAL
Madame au Change : Attend, téléphone…madame parle de son programme de week-end avec un ami (un ami tu dis?), raccroche et reprend la conversation avec moi.
Madame au Change : Ma kotlich 3ada !!! tu vas passer les vacances ou?
Napo : Wallahi je ne sais pas encore, ena wil Madame.
Madame au Change : MADAME?
Napo : Oui il haram al masoun MARTI
Madame au Change : Behi het il numéro de compte fisa3, ma 3andich barcha wa9t.
Napo lui donne le numéro de compte
Madame au Change : Ya Si Napo, l’argent est la et tu peux la retirer à tout moment, pourquoi t’es la ? brabbi va la retirer en bas, 3andi khydma.
Napo : ti haw si Mohamed m’a dit je ne peux pas retirer l’argent?
Madame au Change : je pense que tu l’as mal compris (tawa ena illi wallit mafhemtouch)
Napo descend et retourne à si Mohamed au guichet.
Agent au guichet : Ah ça va ? Problème résolu ?
Napo : Wallahi ‘Madame change’ m’a dis tout est bon, et y a pas de problème.
Agent au guichet : Kifech ? ti haw famma encore la mention ‘bloqué’ !
Napo bdé eddam yatla3 il mokhou
Napo : wallahi khouya je ne comprends plus rien
Agent au guichet : T’as parlé a qui ?
Napo : A ‘madame change’, au 5eme
Agent au guichet : Ah, elle est enfin rentrée du congé ?
Napo : Wallahi je ne sais pas, inti ta3rif khyr
Agent au guichet : Behi, remonte encore et dis lui de t’écrire une note sur papier libre walla elle met une mention dans l’ « URDINATEUR » et après elle doit appuyer sur ENTER
Napo : ‘Enter’ tu dis ?
Agent au guichet : oui khoya, en FORMATIQUE il faut toujours appuyer sur entrer après chaque commande, mak ta3raf 3ada, tawa kol chay walla FORMATISé
Napo : Ah bon, ya3tikom essa7a.
Napo en sarcastic mood, mahou kothr il ham…
Napo remonte les étages, trouve la madame a déjà quittée…redescend donc.
Agent au guichet : Wallahi houwa entre nous tirja3 ghodwa khyr, comme ça tout le monde est la.
Napo : Hakka tawa? Ghodwa c’est week-end !
Agent au guichet : Khouya Sif tawa, 3andi louage je dois prendre dans une minute pour partir à hammamet. Aya bon week-end.
Napo : Sa77a khouya barra !
Napo rentre chez lui et emprunte de chez ses parents comme au bon vieux temps pour passer le week-end.

Le lundi après, le w-e je passe chez le chef d’agence, lui raconte mon histoire, Le Mr choqué, me présente ses excuses avec un café crème et me donne l’argent que j’ai demandé. Il prend soin aussi de rectifier les erreurs multiples sur mon compte avec un simple coup de fil.

Je veux ajouter que ce que je viens de raconter est l’exception à la règle, la majorité des banques tunisiennes possèdent un service acceptable et ils ont fait beaucoup de chemin pour s’améliorer.

LA je vais vous raconter la même expérience mais avec une banque canadienne
-----
Bank Teller: Next in line please
Napo: Hi there, my name is Napo, i’d like to withdraw x amount of dollars
Bank Teller: Sure, may have your bank card please
Napo: Absolutely, here it is
Bank Teller: Great, thanks, you are Mr ‘Napo de Napo’, address XYZ, Tel 123, etc
Napo: That is correct
Bank Teller: For security reasons, may have an Id please?
Napo: Absolutely, here is my driver’s license.
Bank Teller: Thank you very much Sir, it will be one moment
90 sec after
Bank Teller: Please sign here
Napo: Sure, here’s my autograph :-)
Bank Teller: Great, thank you very much Sir; do you want them in an envelope?
Napo: Yes please, that’s much appreciated
Bank Teller: Sure. Thank you for your business and have a nice day

Immigration > 2eme épisode: Maman, je veux me marier

2006-02-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

Ceci est une histoire vraie, vécu par un couple dans une ville Canadienne (que je ne desire pas nommer), il y a deux ans.

Mr K: Jeune tunisien, finissant son Masters's a une université réputé du Canada, obtenait un job dans une boite locale, travaille, content, voyage, s’amuse, fume, boit, etc. Un jour Mr K décide qu'il est temps d'arrêter de sauter d'une fille à une autre et d’entamer une relation sérieuse en vue de bâtir un foyer.

Mr K cherche dans son coin, mais ne trouve pas un grand choix, de plus apparemment les tunisiennes à l’étranger sont devenu trop libérales (pour dire qu’elle ne sont pas vierges). Il appelle donc sa maman et lui demande s’il y a une 'bint 7lel' dans les parages (qui peut faire mieux qu’une mère lorsqu’il s’agit de chercher la candidate)

Maman K: Mon fils, 3andik bint flen el fouleni (une grande famille a Tunis) Mlle S qui vient juste de finir ses études et enseigne comme prof dans un lycée du coin (a Tunis, on mesure le succès par les diplômes et le travail, toujours, toujours, toujours, depuis l’independence).

Mr K: Oui oui, je la connais Mlle S, elle est jolie et très gentille, on a même eu des tîtes aventures innocente durant notre adolescence.

Mr K prend contact avec Mlle S et remonte le passé avec elle. Il ne peut guère se tromper ! C’est une bint 3ayla et recommandé par le politburo.

Mr K: Part a Tunis durant les vacances de noël, tombe en amour, et propose à la charmante demoiselle, qui évidemment attiré par l’étranger, l’aventure, le nom (lui aussi, wild 3ayla kbira), le fric et la personne aussi (pkoi pas) ?

Mr K entame la ‘machine’ des fiançailles et du mariage (accessoires de fiançailles: 8000$). Il prépare les papiers pour sa femme, tout est on ordre : bonne situation, Immigration Canada approuve le dossier (frais de dossier: 1500$) et commence l'attente pour les papiers.

Mr K parti chez lui pour continuer sa vie et gérer sa relation a distance. Une relation caractérisée par le respect, la compréhension, la maturité, et le désir de réussir, etc. Une relation modèle quoi.

Imichi ya zman, ija ya zma. L’été arrive !

Mr K: débarque à Tunis pour assister aux festivités de son mariage (20,000$, dont 50% des dettes). Heureux, content d'avoir enfin trouvé sa douce moitié. Voyage de noces programmé (3000$) en Espagne bien sur (car à Tunis, il faut que tu pars en voyage AILLEURS surtout si tu vie a l’étranger). Enfin, Mr K s’est bien amusé avec sa douce, mariage réussi et royalement consommé.

Mme K attend a Tunis ses papiers qui arrivent 2mois après, part au Canada (billet d'avion + frais divers: 1500$). S’installe chez elle, fait son propre ménage a elle, demande de tout réinventer: les meubles, la décoration, la cuisine, etc. (frais: ~4000$).

Mme K : Quelque temps après, commence un peu de s'ennuyer. C'est le Canada, c'est froid, Tunis très loin, y a pas la parabole, y a pas bcp d’amis, pas de ta9ti3, et en plus elle ne travaille pas encore.

Mme K essaye tout de même d’être positive, mais c’est dur, lorsqu’on veut tout avoir en même temps. Alors elle commence à visiter les centres d’achats, et la carte de crédit commence à s’user. Pas grave dit Mr K, après tout, les fringues c’est pour ma femme.

Mr K rentre chez lui, content et heureux, mais aussi fatigué et désire se nourrir, hélas il trouve rien, c pas grave, on commande une pizza , Mme K étant occupé au téléphone avec Tunis (facture depuis qu’elle a débarqué, 800$)

Mr K passe une autre journée longue et difficile au travail, rentre tard, ne trouve rien a manger, Mme K déprimé, bouleversé et écœuré par le fait qu’elle ne peut pas facilement enseigner. Mr K comprend, console, remonte le moral, et enfin passe au lit pour dormir.

Mr K rentre une autre journée du travail, avec des roses et un petit cadeau pour sa femme (c’est la st valentin). Mme K apprécie avec un ti-sourire, et l’invite au Mac DO du coin. Mac DO tu dis ? répond Mr K. Oui, j’adore le Mac DO répond Mme K.

Mr K : Irrité un peu, il se joint comme même a sa femme et lui demande s’il aura droit un jour a un de ses plats délicieux. Mme K répond ‘CA VA PAS, T’ES MALADE, TU M’AS AMENE ICI POUR TE FAIRE UN MANGER? JE SUIS UNE PROF MR, PAS UNE FEMME DE MENAGE’

Mr K choqué, n’en revient pas, mais qu’est ce qu’il a fait de mal ? Reprend son souffle et s’excuse auprès de sa femme, ‘c’était juste une simple remarque ma chère’. Mr K commence a se poser des questions, il commence a déprimer mais se dis tiens, il est temps de changer d’air alors il réserve dans une station de ski un week-end romantique pour 2 (500$) et passe un super week-end avec sa douce.

Mr K rentre le lundi du travail, et ne trouve encore rien à manger, mais en plus il remarque la présence d’un Mr plus ou moins reconnaissable.

Mme K saute vite embrasser son mari et lui raconte…Tu connais c’est Mr Z qu’on a rencontré au centre de ski, tounsi comme nous. Mr K assez choqué, coupe la conversation, demande au Mr de quitter les lieux et a sa femme des explications, entame un argument assez violent verbalement et accidentellement (et les paroles sont a lui) pousse sa femme parterre, cette dernière appelle le 911.

Mr K se trouve au poste de police, procès verbal, et passe une nuit au prison pour violence conjugale. Mme K reste chez elle, récupère ses affaires et se prépare à déménager (mais avec l’aide de qui ??)

Les parents de Mr K débarquent au Canada pour aider leur fils, qui depuis qu’il est sorti de la prison, est dans un hôpital pour troubles psychiatrique (le choc était assez fort). Entre temps Mme K est parti chez un autre ami Tunisien (en l’occurrence Mr Z).

Mr K, demissione pour cause d’absence indéfini, passe au chômage et vit sur le bien-être social, avec des dettes assez lourdes mais gérables (sur 20+ans). Seul chez lui, séparé de sa femme par ordre du tribunal. Commence petit a petit a reprendre son souffle lorsqu’il reçoit un jour une note de réquisition de divorce avec intention de poursuite judiciaire. Commence alors le vas et viens de/chez les avocats (une heure d’avocat au Canada c’est 200$+tax).

Mr K arrive a une entente avec sa femme (ouf enfin !) qui lui demande de payer des indemnités et une mensualité pour 10ans (c’est la loi ici si tu parraine ta femme de l’étranger). Mr K n’en revient plus, prend ses affaires et part en France chez de la famille.

Les parents de Mr K interviennent chez leurs homologues de Mme Ex K, se plient sur 8 pour que la dernière cesse de détruire leur enfant petit à petit. Mme Ex K décida alors de suspendre sa poursuite en contre partie d’un arrangement mystérieux.

Jusqu'à date, plus de nouvelles de Mr K ni de son ex.

Immigration > 1er Episode : Je veux quitter le pays…

2006-01-27T16:23:00.000-05:00

tu entends souvent cette phrase ces temps ci, au café, a l'université, au foyer, au lycée, mais aussi au hammam, au 3attar du coin, au marché du gros et au coiffeur.

Tout le monde du 1er au 3eme age veulent quitter le pays...

Une histoire vraie...

Mr X, un dentiste travaillant dans son propre cabinet dans un quartier assez réputé de Tunis, marié, 2 filles scolarisés, femme travaille, maison presque payé, petite voiture, 5/5. Un jour Mr X et Femme Y décident de tout laisser tomber et partir pour une vie meilleure (je ne comprends pas comment ça peut être meilleur que ça, enfin, peut-être je me trompe et je connais pas les motifs réels). Mr X contacte alors cette agence que je ne veux pas nommer mais qui s'occupe de ton immigration de A-Z au Canada. Pour 1000 dinars par personne, tout est pret en quelques mois.

Papier en main, tout vendu, plein d’argent dans les poches, Mr X débarque au Canada en plein hiver, trouve un logement, ouvre un compte bancaire, achète une voiture, bien installé, un peu frigide mais bon...

Mr X commence a chercher un poste de dentiste…dentiste? T'as bien dis dentiste réponde le responsable de L'ORDRE DES MEDECINS DENTISTE.

Mr X: Oui Mr, j'ai 7 ans d'expérience à Tunis et je suis diplômé d’une grande école tunisienne spécialisé en médecine dentaire et j'ai assisté a des conférence en Europe et je suis actif comme conferencier academique.

L'ORDRE: Mr X, on est très content de votre candidature, malheureusement les diplômes de dentiste obtenu en dehors du Canada ne sont pas reconnus ici. C’est déjà ou la Tunisie?

Mr X: un peu choqué, n'en revient pas, mais pose tout de même la question: « mais comment vous m'avez accepté alors au Canada? »

L'ORDRE: Mr, ne doutez certes que vous etes le bienvenu, sauf que c'est le Canada qui vous a accepté (frais d’acceptation : ~4000$, 4 personnes), pas l'ordre des dentistes. Faudra faire une demande d'équivalence de diplomes d'abord.

Mr X: Pas de problème, Mr dépose son dossier (diplôme, etc.) au bureau des équivalences (frais d'equivalence: 500$)

Le bureau d'équivalence: Mr X, après analyse profonde de votre dossier, on a conclut que vos diplômes sont admissible, mais ils ne sont guère suffisant pour exercer le métier de dentiste au Canada.

Mr X: Encouragé par le fait que ses diplômes sont reconnu, mais perplexe quant a la suite. il demande: "mais que dois-je faire alors, je veux travailler moi, en fait j’ai besoin de travailler".

Le bureau d'équivalence: Adressez vous a l'ordre, nous sommes confiant qu'ils vont vous diriger dans la bonne direction, quant a nous, voici votre certificat.

Mr X: Commence à sentir la pression, sa femme demissionaire de son poste et ses filles encore à Tunis, pensent déjà à le rejoindre bientôt. L’argent commence à manquer, il lui reste a peine 5000$.

Mr X: s'adresse alors à l'ordre, leur donne le certificat d'équivalence, sauf qu'en bas du certificat et en lettre minuscule c'est écrit « complément de connaissances requis »

L'ordre: Mr X, on est ravi que votre diplôme a ete certifié et reconnu, mais pour vérifier vos connaissances, il faudra passer un examen théorique et pratique.

Mr X: Ah oui? Même avec mon expérience je dois passer un examen? Bon c pas grave, bcp de Tunisiens m'ont dit que les examen au canada, c trois fois rien (biensur, nous les tunisiens on est des connaisseurs numero un, même la date exacte de la disparition des dinosaures on la connait par coeur)

L'ordre: Mr X, veuillez svp réglez les frais de l'examen, 7000$ et d'avance. Notez aussi que les frais sont non remboursable en cas d'échec.

Mr X: QUOI????? 7000$, c'est fou, non seulement c'est inacceptable et injuste, mais je n’ai pas l'argent pour ça.

L'ordre: Mr X, c’est a vous de choisir, mais pour votre information l'examen c'est seulement une fois par an, et la date limite est la semaine prochaine.

Mr X: Prend quelque jour pour réfléchir, fait virer de Tunis un montant supplémentaire, paye la somme et passe l'examen, entre temps Mr X travaille comme agent de surface dans un laboratoire médical.

L'ordre: Un mois après, annonce a Mr X qu'il a reussit le théorique avec succès et qu’il dois attendre les résultats du pratique.

L’ordre: Une semaine après, annonce a Mr X qu’il a malheureusement échoué dans l’examen pratique. L’ordre suggère a Mr X de prendre des cours supplémentaire et repasser l’examen l’année prochaine ou faire un master en refaire les études carrément..

Mr X: Déjà 3 mois passé, les dettes commencent a peser lourd, mais encouragé par des amis et de la famille, décide de prendre ces fameux cours supplémentaires.

Mr X: Dépose son dossier chez 3 universités Canadiennes. Refusé par deux a défaut de ne pas respecter les délais d’inscription, mais accepté par une autre université dans l’ouest du Canada (ouest du Canada, c’est 6heures de vols de l’est, plus que que Paris-NY)

Mr X: Galvanisé, déterminé d’aller jusqu’au bout, dépose son dossier d’inscription.

L’université: Répond favorablement et demande un payement initial de 10,000$ (etudes en medecine, 4ans, 60,000$ en moyenne)

Mr X: Epuisé, démoralisé, douloureusement endetté décide de plier bagages et rentrez chez lui. Chez lui, l’attend sa femme qui a bâti tout un rêve pour partir au Canada, avec toute la fanfare et la publicité, se tourne contre lui…et commence sa descente en enfer.

2006 : Mr X rebondit et commence a travailler comme auxillaire dans un autre cabinet...

Bottom line:
Si vous etes comptable/financer de profession, ingénieur de profession, dentiste/médecin de profession ou avocat ne pensez même pas a venir au canada pour exercer ton métier. Si tu veux comme-meme venir, ne coche pas la case 'professionel' .

Si vous étes assez content chez vous, RESTEZ chez vous. La vie n’est pas aussi rose que vous le penser ailleurs et même avec bcp d’argent, rien n’est acquis ou évident.

3-2-1, we're in business

2006-01-22T18:08:00.000-05:00

Like my predecessors, i've decided to try this thing, and see if i'm good at it. Some have asked me if i do have one, others invited me to try it out. Wife and Baby cleared me for take-off (since this is going to eat up some of my familty time) so here i am blogging. I'll try to indulge you to the best of my abilities, but bear with me, i'm neither a sophisticated individual nor a dedicated blogger too. if you wish to participate or even start a new topic of your own, please be my guest and send me an email. if you wish to just participate, which i hope you do, then post your comments at will, but please check out the house rules on the left pane. Supported languages are English, French and Tunisian/Arabic. While this is mostly dedicated to my fellow nationals (tunisians and canadians). I do welcome all views from anywhere in the world. So Let the fun begin...:-)