Back in Tunis

Hello all!

I have been back in Tunis for 2 days and it is getting interesting here. There is a large gap between what we're experiencing on the ground and what is making it into the news, so I'll try to put your minds at ease!

I hadn't heard about the global travel advisory until about 20 minutes ago when Christina and Mom almost simultaneously asked me about it. I don't know much more than you do, though clearly I will be careful and avoid crowds. Jess, a friend from DC, just arrived today, so we'll be taking in the beach most of the weekend anyway!

The situation in Tunisia is much the same as it was a few days ago. People are protesting in Bardo square every night, on both sides. One side supports the current party in power, Ennahda, and the other side would like to see them gone. So far the Ennahda party has declared that they will not relinquish power.

There is also increasing violence on the border with Algeria. Tunisian forces began shelling the area where they suspect the militants are hiding.

I don't say any of this to worry everyone. It's far away from us and the outer parts of Tunis are relatively calm. It is very hot, so we're laying low during the day. We are very close to moving into the office, which is very exciting and we're planning our September advisory meeting.

I'll try to keep you updated on the situation here. It is ever changing and it's hard to predict what will happen in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we're going to enjoy the weekend. Jess is a much better cook than I am, so we're having something fancy (or something with more than 4 ingredients...) for dinner! It even involves chicken:)

Miss you all! I didn't get to see as many people as I wanted to while I was in the US, but I had less time than I anticipated (emergency root canals are very inconvenient!) to get to everyone.
Keep the emails and messages coming!

Ariel
Ariel SB