7 little things about Slaim

Answering the call of my buddy Tarek, here are 7/11/1987 Euh 7 things about me

1. I always stir my pot CCW 'cos I'm a leftie.

2. I come originally from the town of Grombalia (Nabeul) which dates back to the Roman era in Tunisia. Grombalia finds its name root in Colombaria or "the Refuge of the Doves", which it was indeed after the flocks of migrating birds resting there on their way from Europe to Africa and back. This town has a very apparent Italian (and not French) influence since as everyone knows it was (and still is) famous for its grapes. This influence might explain why I consider myself the child of la Rai Uno and not Antenne 2 and why I always wanted to get married with Rafaella Carra. Seeing my prospective bride when I grew up a bit later made me dispose of the idea altogether.

3. One of the worst things you can do to me is asking me in a not-so-very-very-very-gentle-way to lower the volume when I'm in heaven with music. I'll just wish you Death.

4. I was missed twice when I was a kid and that was during the night. Luckily, each time a neighbor of ours found me wandering alone in the night as if it was a leisure tour 5 minutes from home (I was like 4 or 5). My parents never understood how I managed to unlock the doors and sneak out without making any noise. That might also explain my wanderlust now.

5. I spent most of my early childhood in the kitchen playing with my mom's pots and utensils. Many pictures depict my love with the wooden spoon. One other notable fact is that I ate stealthily a lot of garlic and onions. Mum was always missing the ones she peeled for lunch/dinner. She ultimately found out and let me carry on with my hobby.

6. I love bor3'ol, Klem Ellil, Bamabalouni, the music of Anour Brahem, Nasreddine Ben Mokhtar, La Marsa and Carthage (especially Dermech), reading the modern Tunisian history, women who still wear Essefsari, women knitting whenever they had a little opportunity to do it whether at home, in the bus or waiting rooms and quite recently I started really appreciating cooking.

7. One thing I wished I had done but hadn't was to learn a handicraft. I wanted to be an amateur carpenter but my uncle (a carpenter himself told me that I had no future 'cos I was a leftie and that all cutting machines were devised for right-handed people which gave me some sanctity at least :)). Still I regret not having mastered any of the many crafts our country boasts.

8. Since number 7 gives me the goose bumps for an obvious reason, let me go beyond the 7 LTAS: I hate all 7-11 gas stations, they're ubiquitous here just like back home (although back home they are no longer gas stations but something utterly different).

9. My nicknames sweep a quite wide spectrum: From Slaim and Salloum to Slouma via Silimane El Badry

10. It might be funny but a second thing I didn't manage to "taste" is that candy sold in weekly markets. We call it "Dabbouz El 3'ool". Buying me one of those was for my parents out of the question since they simply deemed it too dirty and dusty. I'm still curious how that thing would taste.