Questions d'enfants

Je vous presente une compilation de questions que mes enfants m'ont pose ces dernieres annees pendant nos vacances en Tunisie. je ne fais pas ca pour critiquer, au fait c'est des choses qui ne me derangent pas mais c'est interessant d'ecouter ces questions venant d'enfants qui n'ont jamais vecu a Tunis.Il faut avouer que ces 2 dernieres annnees ils ne posent plus ce genre de questions, preuve qu'ils se sont integres ;-)

-Pourquoi ils tracent des lignes sur la route si personne ne les respectent,i.e sur une route a 2 voies tu peux trouver 4 files de voitures et personne ne se plaint?
-Pourquoi le feu vert clignote? et pourquoi les flics t'arretent si tu passes a l'oranger? Et si l'oranger est equivalent au rouge, pourquoi le feu rouge alors?
-Pourquoi tout le monde utilise le klaxon 1/1000eme de seconde apres que le feu passe au vert?
-Pourquoi les voitures s'arretent au feu sur la voie qui doit tourner a gauche et vont tout droit qd le feu passe au vert?
-Pourquoi les gens te font des queues de poisson et ne se rendent meme pas compte?
-Pourquoi les gens qui ont des voitures neuves ou haut de gammes meprisent tout les autre automobilistes et font comme si ils n'existent pas?
-Pourquoi les gens garent leurs voitures sur le trottoir?
-Pourquoi les automobilistes semblent vouloir ecraser les pietons a tout prix?

-Pourquoi quand tu passes devant un cafe ou un groupe, ils te suivent des yeux comme si tu etais un extra-terrestre?
-Pourquoi tout le monde parle a haute voix?
-Pourquoi des garcons marchent avec la main de l'un sur l'epaule de l'autre?
-Pourqoui les discussions ressemblent a des bagarres?
-Pourqoui les flics ils sont tous tres maigres, et pourquoi ils sont toujours a pied?
-Pourquoi quand ils nous parlent, leurs visage est presque colle au notre?
-Pourqoui il n'y a pas de file d'attente a la banque, boulangerie, stade sauf si il y a des flics avec des batons?
-Pourquoi les vieilles femmes n'arretent pas de devisager tout le monde sans aucune gene?
-Papa pourqoui les gens laissent leur chiens errer tout seul la nuit?
-Pourquoi le metro n'est pas souterrain?
-Pourqoui ma grande mere n'arrete pas de nous poser des questions sur maman?
-Pourquoi tout le monde boit de l'alcool et toi tu bois de la biere quand tu es en Tunisie, alors que tu nous dis que c'est 7ram?
-Pourquoi la viande est si bonne ici?
-Pourqoui tu conduis comme ca ici?
-Pourquoi tu laisses les gens fumer a la maison ici et pas la bas?
-Pourqoui ils mettent le son aussi fort pendant les mariages ?(une fois mon fils s'est evanoui!)
-Pourquoi dans les postes de police ou a la municipalite on laisse les filles entrer aves des mini jupes et pas les garcons avec des shorts assez long?

oops, je seche,je n'en trouve plus mais je suis sur qu'il y en a encore!

Don't come back!

Every summer when I am Tunisia, I tell my family and friends that I really want to move back to Tunis, and that I wish I could find time to think and plan for it.
Except my mother who generally is happy when I say that, all the others start warning me not to do that and that it does not make sense, that it is tough to leave in Tunisia and that people are dreaming to be in my position...etc.
I could not understand why they say that. Specially that sometimes the people who are complaining are living in nice houses, own multiple cars, have their kids in private school, wear the latest fashion brands , go out every weekend , travel regularly abroad and seem to have a nice life. So I got curious and every time I am with someone I know who owns a business or work for a private company, I ask the same questions. How is business? Are you growing? What are your future plans?..etc. I also talked with one of my brothers who own an accounting firm and he briefed me about the investment code, the tax code and the labor laws. Here is my $.002 and it is just my opinion, not a lecture.

-Big companies are all part of a few holdings or groups owned by a small elite of very well connected people. few of them are public.
-Successful small business owners are reticent to grow because of stupid and incoherent reasons like we don't want attract the attention of the big sharks!!! We don't want take risk, we are satisfied with what we make..
-The banking system is hurt by new wave of business man who gets loans secured by their business to build or buy equipment and use that to build a house, buy the latest car and then go bankrupt.
-Management by fear with the patriarchal boss giving orders and all the employees following blindly.
-Corruption is preventing a lot of entrepreneurs to achieve what they want. The government is trying to ease procedures for creating businesses and for investing but the white collar corruption is hindering that effort significantly.
-Even though the education quality is not what it was in the 80s and early 90s but it is still very competitive and comparable to Western Europe or North America. What is amazing is the mentality and the effect of the environment on our freshly graduated students, once they get a job, a majority are bored, don't want to work, don't give it 100%. But if they have a chance to work for a foreign company whether in Tunis or abroad, they will perform perfectly beating even their foreigner’s counterpart. How do we explain this?

I think the government need to clean the environment from all the corruption and these rumors of big sharks waiting to prey on any successful business. The banking system is already being reformed and we saw multiple French banks buying into Tunisian banks like BNP, Societe generale. People need to start have confidence in the government and the legal system, they need also to accept the concept of paying taxes (specially small business), they need to stop spending money on buying the latest Nike shoes or Diesel jeans if they cannot afford them and learn to save money in saving accounts.

I think that Tunisians are no different than Americans or Europeans; the proof is when they emigrate they integrate very well. What is different is the environment and we are all responsible for that, not only the government. If we stop criticizing and complaining and everyone starts by cleaning in front of his house, we will be better. We need to, given the challenge awaiting us in 2008.

I'm back

We came back 2 days ago after a full month in Tunisia. As usual, the last minutes at the airport were very sad for all us, tears were on everyone's face and it was tough for the kids to leave their loving and friendly cousins, neighbors and friends for a country where they have only few friends. But what amazed me is that as soon as we cleared the police and found ourselves together, everybody was happy and excited to go back and we cheered ourseleves up. I guess that is one skill set that only long time immigrant have :-)
This summer, was not the best summer we have for my wife and me. The kids had a great time though and we bareley saw them during this month, they were all the day with my brother's kids or a cousin or an uncle or one of our neighbors kids. This is the only period of the year when they can come home at 2:00 AM in the morning.
My wife had some health issues in the last 2 weeks that prevented us from leaving home but we managed to have some parties that kept us busy.
For me it was a bummer, since there was an issue with one of our biggest customers that occured during the second week of my vacation. This issue got mentionned in the weekly executive meeting and my EVP panicked and called asking me to come back for a few days. I tried to work on it remotely from our distributor in Tunis but they did not have enough infrastructre for me to do that, and since this guy did not seem to give up, I told him the best I can do is to go to our european HQ in Paris for a few days but going back to the US is not an option.
Anyway, I had to travel to Paris for a full 4 days of work, managing a few hours of sleep as I have to deal with my team in the US and another in India, it was a nightmare !!!
Apart of these few mishaps in was great, I managed to spend 2 nights fishing near klibia and I went with one of my friend for half a day of tuna fishing on small motorboat he has in Marina. I even did some diving the first week.
I did not check this blog since I left. I ordered ADSL in our house in Hammamet and they told me it will take 2 days, so I paid a quarter of subscriptions due and took the router and installed it and waited. After 3 days still no sync, I call Topnet, they tell me that theydid their part and that I have to call Tunisie Telecom, I did and they kept telling me the famous "Tomorrow inshallah". Actually, to the day I left we did not have ADSL!!! In the meantime I called a friend of mine at TT and he confirmed that they have a problem in South Hammamet that won't be fixed before a month!! Anyway,even when I was in Paris I did not have time to check the Blogosphere, so I have a lot of catching to do.

So in summary not a so great vacation but a day spent in Tunisia with friends and family is worth a month here in California :-).

Gone fishing...

That's is , I will be in Tunis on Saturday inchallah. I miss Tunisia, the people, the mood, the family.
In the program, fishing, swimming , diving and long nights spent with the family. Be back in a month.

Will be in

Take care everybody :-)

ONU: "Ce machin", il sert a quoi?

Le général De Gaulle qualifiait l'ONU de "ce machin", il n'avait pas tort.
Au fait ce post est inspiré d'une discussion que j'ai eu avec mon fils ainé (15 ans),qui au passage m'a fait beucaoup plaisir.
Mon fils est né a Paris mais il est venu aux US a l'age de 4 ans et donc son education est principalement americaine. Le reste de la famille étant parti a Tunis a la fin du mois de Juin, j'ai pu passer avec lui pas mal de temps ces derniéres semaines. Comme tout les ados de son age il passe la plupart du temps sur le net et ces derniers jours il commence a s'interesser au conflit du moyen orient, surtout qu'il a une copine dont les parents sont des palesteniens refugiés aux US.

Il a googlé tout les mots clés pertinents et sa conclusion est que l'ONU est une organisation bidon qui est un instrument aux mains de 5 pays non représentatifs du monde et qu'elle n'obéit meme pas a sa propre charte qui est la suivante:

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED
To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and

To establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,



AND FOR THESE ENDS
To practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, and

To unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and

to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and

To employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,


HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS

Bon tout ca c'est joli,mais comme mon fils le dit tres bien "ils devaient fumer de la mauvaise herbe a l'epoque". Une remarque qui m'a fait peur au debut, mais comme je le connais tres bien, je me suis convaincu que ce n'est qu'une remarque innocente tres utilisée parmi ces copains ;-)
Beh non, ils ne fumaient meme pas, c'est tout juste des politiciens donc c'est des nuls hypocrites adepte de la formule "deux poids, deux mesures". et puis que qqun m'explique pourquoi le conseil de securite est composé 5 pays permanents qui ont le droit de veto et de dix autres non permanents qui ne l'ont pas? Et puis pourqoui meme le peu de résolutions qui ont passé le veto contre Israel ne sont jamais appliqués et totalement ignorés,n'est ce pas illegal ca?

Bref, L'ONU n'est pas le conseil de sécurite seulement, il ya plein d'autres structures et organisations mais elles ont tous un role consultatif ou benevole. La seule structure qui peut emettre des resoultions et les appliquer est le conseil de sécurite.

C'est pour cette raison qu'on trouve a l'ONU d'autres institutions qui voient les choses differement comme UNHCR (commission des refugies), qui s'occupe de nettoyer les ravages de la guerre que l'ONU est supposé prévenir. l'UNICEF qui s'occupe des enfants et l'application des conventions des droits de l'enfant, ou UNHRC (commission des droits de l'homme) basé sur la convention universelle des droits de l'homme.

Ces organisations en generale plus objectives que le conseil de sécurite, car simplement on n'y trouve pas de politiciens! D'ailleurs que ce soit l'unicef,unhcr ou le unhrc tous ont condamné et ont documenté les atrocites,tortures, assasinats commises par Israel. Mais bon, les medias, ils ne vont pas nous casser la tete avec de tel details, et donc ils passent inapercus par le grand public. Je vous invite a lire qq unes malgre que qq unes montrent franchement la propagande israelienne en action. J'ai lu les trois premiers de la liste et elles sont objectives quoi que!

Documents

Et récement je quote Louise Arbour, commissaire ONU de HRC dans un communiqué reuters: "United Nations human rights chief Louise Arbour said the scale and predictability of the killing in Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories could involve war crimes.
Indiscriminate shelling of cities and the bombing of sites where civilians would inevitably suffer were unacceptable, and those in command could bear criminal responsibility, Arbour said without pointing a specific finger of blame.
Many villagers in southern Lebanon said food, water and medical supplies were
dwindling after roads and bridges were cut in the south, restricting movement of
aid. "

Donc moi je suis d'accord avec mon fiston, l'ONU c'est bidon!!! Et la subjectivité des politiciens, on la paie avec la vie de pauvres innocents, enfants ou adultes qui n'ont pas choisi d'etre palestinien, libanais ou autres mais qui paient de leur vie a cause de cela.

PS:Une conf de presse interéssane de De Gaulle en 1967 (tout juste apres la guerre des 6 jours), qui montre qu'a l'epoque les pays de l'ouest osaient dire des choses qu'ils n'osent plus aujourd'hui. Mais bon a l'epoque la machine de propagande israelienne n'etait pas encore aussi sophistiquée que maintenant.

Voila, je vais faire mes valises, car dans moins de 48h je serais on my way to Tunis inchallah.

Children caught in war!

I can't stop thinking about children caught in these wars. Kids don't choose their country or parents but they assume that choice and sometimes they pay the price in blood, trauma or even their life. Can you imagine what a kid goes thru when he wakes up at night on sound of detonations? instinctively, he'll run to his parents who are always there to protect him and comfort him but for the first time he will see that they are scared to death, terrorized, unable to explain to him what is happening and why is it happening. Such scene will haunt these kids forever, and then they start discovering about war, death, wounds. They will see destruction that they thought happen only in cartoons. And unfortunately some of them will die, some will get wounded, and all will stay traumatized for life.

Check these sad facts:

In the decade from 1986 to 1996, armed conflicts

Killed over 2 million children
Seriously injured or permanently disabled over 6 million
Orphaned over 1million
Psychologically traumatized and scarred over 10 million
Countless numbers of children, especially girls, have been raped or subjected to other forms of sexual violence as a deliberate instrument of war
Currently, over 20 million children are displaced from their homes by wars; about 300,000 are exploited as child soldiers; and an estimated 800 are killed or maimed by landmines every month.

I am a parent for 3 kids, and parents like me know how precious a kid is for us. Do you know how much love a kid need, how much emotion, joy and pride he brings to us, how much memories from his conception, to his first cry, to his first step, to his first word. We live for them and by them, and then some megalomanics come and take them form us, erase our reason for life, brake our will. I don't care if they're right or wrong, their actions kill kids. Aren't kids protected under some UN resoultions, Don't they have the right to live, to be educated, not to be exploited..etc. Why can't we enforce these laws??

I know, I am not being realistic, but when it comes to children who is? How can we justify the suffering of these small cute things, the joy of our lives? Poor cowards, we are!




One of the "war child international network" campaign messages is: "You can take child out of war, but how do you take the war out of a child?"