Tunisia and Italy: Politics and Religious Integration in the Mediterranean - Spring 2020 - SIT Study Abroad

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Tunisia and Italy: Politics and Religious Integration in the Mediterranean - Spring 2020 - SIT Study Abroad
Tunisia and Italy: Politics and Religious
Integration in the Mediterranean
Spring 2020
Tunisia and Italy: Politics and Religious Integration in the Mediterranean - Spring 2020 - SIT Study Abroad
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COUNTRY OVERVIEW.......................................... 3
   General Information ............................................ 3
  Climate and Geography ...................................... 3
  Local Customs .................................................... 4
  Diet ..................................................................... 4
  Safety, Security, and Health ................................ 5
  Homestays .......................................................... 6
  Other Accommodations....................................... 6
  Transportation ..................................................... 7
  Communication ................................................... 7
  Phones and E-mail.............................................. 7
  Mailings............................................................... 8
  Money ................................................................. 8
  Visitors and Free Time ........................................ 9
PACKING GUIDELINES ....................................... 10
  LUGGAGE ........................................................ 10
  Clothing Guidelines ........................................... 10
  Equipment......................................................... 10
  Computers and Other Electronics ..................... 11
  Gifts .................................................................. 11
  What You Can and Cannot Obtain in Country ... 11
  Alumni Contacts ................................................ 12
PACKING LIST ..................................................... 13
  Clothing............................................................. 13
  Women ............................................................. 13
  Men ................................................................... 13
  Travel Documents ............................................. 13
  Health/Toiletries ................................................ 13
  Other Important Items ....................................... 13
  Optional ............................................................ 13

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COUNTRY OVERVIEW                                           English, are spoken mainly by the educated
                                                           younger generations.
 GENERAL INFORMATION
 Tunisia is situated in the eastern part of North          Palermo, Italy will be very similar to Tunisia due to
 Africa. Its recorded history goes back at least three     their geographical proximity. Food, climate,
 millennia, with the foundation of Phoenician              transportation, and customs will all be comparable,
 colonies, the most famous of which was Carthage,          obviously there will be differences, but you will have
 established in 814 BC. Modern Tunisians are the           the opportunity to observe how each culture has
 descendants of indigenous Berber as well as of            influenced the other.
 numerous Mediterranean and European peoples:
 Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Arabs, Ottoman
 Turks, and French. Tunisia was a French
 Protectorate from 1881 until independence in 1956,
 and it has retained close political, economic, and
 cultural ties with France and its southern European
 neighbors. In 1957, Tunisia became a republic with
 a president elected for five years and a bicameral
 legislative apparatus.
 Tunisia is a leader in the Arab and Muslim world in
 promoting modern state institutions, universal
 education for both sexes, and the legal and social
 rights of women. It is perhaps due to these
 progressive policies that Tunisian people (and            CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY
 especially the younger generation) made the first
                                                           Tunisian climate is Mediterranean, which basically
 civil and liberal revolution in the Arab World, whose
                                                           means two long seasons: one extending from
 domino effect has successfully toppled the Mubarak
                                                           October to April and tends to be mild and wet; the
 dictatorship in Egypt and is at present shaking
                                                           other from May to September and is habitually warm
 Libya, Syria, and Yemen.
                                                           and dry. Fall and spring are brief transitional
 Post-revolutionary Tunisia is an exciting place to be,    seasons. Tunisians call a winter day “cold” when the
 observe, and study, for the challenges facing the         temperature is 10° C (50º F); this may be due to the
 nascent democracy willed by the 14 January                elevated air moisture, especially in coastal areas.
 Revolution are numerous, not least of which is the
                                                           It is not uncommon for the temperature in July and
 threat of radical Islamism. So, again, the way
                                                           August to rise above 40° C (above 100º F). When
 Tunisian people and state institutions steer the
                                                           the temperature reaches this level, direct sun
 democratic transition and the increased moderation
                                                           exposure is to be avoided at all costs between 10
 of the Islamic party, Ennahdha, are of paramount
                                                           am and 5 pm.
 importance, not merely for the country itself, but for
 the Arab World generally, as the “Tunisian model,” if     Mediterranean weather is sometimes described as
 successful, may serve for future democratic               the kind of weather that is too hot for apples and too
 experiences in the region.                                cold for bananas. The weather in Palermo will be
                                                           very similar to the climate in Tunisia, as they are
 Nearly all Tunisians (98%) are Muslims. There is,
                                                           geographically so close to each other.
 however, a sizable historic Jewish community on the
 island of Djerba and in the capital. There is also a      Rainfall, though unpredictable and variable from
 small Christian community dispersed throughout the        year to year, is more abundant in the northern parts
 country. Arabic is the official language, but French is   of the country, including the capital (75-85
 widely spoken, and other languages, including

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inches/year), than in the southern desert, where             all SIT programs, we cannot separate food and
many months may pass before a drop is seen. Fall             eating communally (including with your host family)
thunderstorms, occurring typically in September and          from the program experience. Please consider local
October, are spectacular.                                    diet seriously when selecting your program of
                                                             choice. Your admissions counselor is a great
             Tunis, Tunisia:                                 resource in better understanding the local diet.
  AVERAGE HIGH/LOW TEMPERATURES (°F)
                                                             Participating in the local food culture is a central
        JAN FEB MAR APR MAY                                  aspect of daily life in Tunisia. Special or restricted
        61/45 63/46 64/48 70/50 77/55                        diets may not always be fully understood by your
                                                             host family, although they may have previously
        AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
                                                             hosted a student with similar dietary restrictions. By
        91/70 86/66 79/61 68/52 63/46
                                                             trying to replicate your diet at home you may miss
                                                             out on an important part of your host culture.
             Palermo, Italy:                                 Tunisian food is by and large Mediterranean: pasta
  AVERAGE HIGH/LOW TEMPERATURES (°F)                         varieties with a preponderance of fish, vegetables,
            MAR APR SEP OCT                                  and olive oil. The food in Italy will be very similar.
            61/52 64/55 81/72 73/66                          Fruit, when in season, is plentiful and affordable.
                                                             The staple diet for the vast majority of Tunisians is
                                                             couscous, which may come with meat, fish, or
                                                             simply vegetables. Tunisians insist on three meals a
                                                             day, and traditionally, lunch has more importance
LOCAL CUSTOMS                                                than in the US. Vegetarians will encounter only
Tunisian mothers tend to over-feed their children            nominal problems adhering to their diet in Tunisia.
and guests. She will insist that you try at least a little   Our host families may be able to accommodate a
bit of everything that she places on the table, and it       vegetarian diet, but restaurants, especially during
is regarded as good manners to accept. If you finish         educational excursions, may be less willing to do so.
what is on your plate, you will be served again              Vegans, though, may encounter more difficulties.
because your gesture will be interpreted as if you           Both vegans and vegetarians should bear in mind
are still hungry. To signify that you have no more           that tofu and soy milk, for instance, are rare and
desire for food, leave a morsel or two on your plate.        expensive commodities when available. Also, in
                                                             Tunis, there are a few places that serve kosher food
                                                             products, and one or two Jewish restaurants not far
DIET                                                         from the SIT office location.
Special Diets:
                                                             Many Tunisians like their food spicy hot; this is
SIT Study Abroad provides experiential learning              achieved by adding a condiment composed of a
opportunities where students become embedded in              mixture of spices called harissa (crushed red hot
their host community. As such, we strive to                  chili pepper, garlic, and various spices, etc.). If you
accommodate serious food allergies where possible,           are averse to it, you may ask the waiter in
but simply cannot ensure that all dietary restrictions       restaurants or your host family to remove harissa
or non-medically mandated diets can be                       from your portion.
accommodated.
                                                             Note: if you have special dietary needs, including
Students are encouraged to participate in the local          allergies, please inform our office prior to the start of
food culture as a central aspect of daily life. By           your program. We will advise you on realistic
trying to replicate your diet at home you may miss           expectations about avoiding or incorporating certain
out on an important part of your host culture. Due to        foods within the program context.
the unique living and learning community central to

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SAFETY, SECURITY, AND                                  that are candid, designed to elicit a genuine
                                                       discussion, but they may be calculated to provoke
HEALTH                                                 and antagonize. Our general advice is to avoid
Maintaining good health is critical to having a        political debate—especially when it hinges on US
successful semester. To help you do that, we have      foreign policy in the Arab world—with someone you
provided Health Guidelines and Requirements for        don’t know, and of course, always be sensitive and
your program.                                          respectful in conversation.
It is very important that you read the Health
Guidelines and Requirements document as early as
possible and examine it with your medical provider.
The guidelines include recommended
immunizations; a suggested calendar for
immunizations and other prophylaxes; and valuable
information on how to avoid exposure to common
carriers of disease.
Students are thoroughly briefed on safety
considerations during in-country orientation and are
updated throughout the semester if and when
circumstances change. For information regarding
safety and security, emergency communications,
SIT policies, health and personal property             Religion can be another problematic issue. It is not
insurance, and general program tips, please read       uncommon to encounter Tunisians who believe that
the Safety, Security, and Health document and          Westerners purposely associate Islam with
Student Handbook.
                                                       terrorism. Again, we advise that you avoid
Though Tunisia offers a safe, secure, and pleasant     discussing religious issues with strangers.
environment, even in this post-revolutionary period,   The following are some other precautions that will
certain precautions regarding personal safety must     help you to stay safe in Tunisia. In general, we
be observed. These precautions have to do with the     expect that you will follow program rules and
fact that the country is presently going through a     instructions and speak with the AD and other staff
democracy-building phase in which social and           when you have any questions or concerns.
political protest is part of the process. The
precautions will be explained by the academic             •   Be very careful to avoid appearing to be a
director and the program staff in more detail during          “walking money bag” (especially in the
orientation. Some precautions are unique to SIT               medina)—do not flaunt jewelry, electronics,
students, while others apply to any traveler to the           or other expensive-looking items.
region.                                                   •   When you visit the medina, do so in a group
                                                              and/or with a Tunisian.
First, you may find that certain Tunisians tend to        •   Female students: definitely don’t respond to
associate US citizens with US foreign policy. This            male attempts to get your attention (catcalls,
sometimes puts the American visitor in a delicate             hisses, etc.); dark sunglasses may come in
position of having to “justify” or “explain” the              handy here. Responding will only encourage
American government’s policy in this or that part of          further negative attention.
the world. Of course, this may lead to opportunities      •   Always inform your AD, your program
to discuss the variety of opinions Americans hold.            assistant, and your host family about any
Be prepared for the fact that Tunisians are often             “new friends.” There may be cultural
                                                              intricacies to the relationship that you do not
more aware of what is going on in the world than
                                                              understand. The program does not police
many US citizens. Often Tunisians ask questions
                                                              your relationships, but we know from

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experience that this precaution is necessary      and your family may include a single mother of two
       in order to help you stay safe.                   small children or a large extended family with many
   •   Avoid staying downtown after 9 pm,                people coming and going all the time. Additionally,
       particularly if unaccompanied.                    please bear in mind that, in many countries, the idea
   •   Avoid street food, even though some of your       of what constitutes a “home” may be different from
       Tunisian friends seem to relish it.               what you expect. You will need to be prepared to
   •   Avoid drinking in cheap bars.                     adapt to a new life with a new diet, a new schedule,
                                                         new people, and new priorities and expectations.
                                                         Each program’s homestay coordinator will be
                                                         responsible for placing students in homestays.
                                                         These placements are made first based on health
                                                         concerns, including any allergies or dietary needs,
                                                         to the extent possible.
                                                         Please note: in order to ensure the best fit for
                                                         students and families, SIT may make final
                                                         adjustments to homestay placements after
                                                         student arrival in country. Therefore, SIT will not
                                                         provide information about your homestay family
                                                         before you depart for the program.
                                                         After the first week of orientation and for the
Tunisia’s health system is, on the whole, good and
                                                         following seven weeks, all of the students will be
reliable. In the capital and its environs, there are
                                                         living with host families that are typically within
several first-rate private clinics and hundreds of
                                                         walking distance from SIT facilities situated in the
doctor’s practices in addition to several state
                                                         northern suburbs of Tunis, or a reasonable
hospitals. The private clinics system is efficient and
                                                         commute by public transportation to them and to
comparatively affordable, so much so that more and
                                                         CEMAT, a very useful resource center for North
more European patients are coming to Tunisia for
                                                         African research. CEMAT is the French acronym for
medical treatment. Medical facilities are not as
                                                         Center for Maghreb Studies in Tunis:
common in our excursion destinations, but care is
                                                         (www.la.utexas.edu/research/mena/cemat).
available, and the program has identified reliable
resources. Please remember that you will have to         All our host families have been carefully selected
pay up front for medical care and that you are           according to a set of criteria that include safety,
responsible for all such expenses.                       decency, hygiene, sense of responsibility, and easy
                                                         commute to classroom.
HOMESTAYS
As many SIT Study Abroad alumni will tell you, the       OTHER ACCOMMODATIONS
homestay experience can be one of the most               During group excursions, including the three-week
rewarding and most challenging aspects of the            long excursion to Sicily, the students will stay in
program. We hope you will come prepared for the          hotels, and the only challenge will be sharing double
experience and committed to moving beyond                or triple rooms with friends. During ISP time,
cultural immersion as you begin to question,             however, you will be given a per diem to cover basic
distinguish, and analyze the host culture vis-à-vis      accommodation and board costs; you will be
your own culture and come to a deeper                    responsible for finding your own accommodations
understanding of both.                                   and food while undertaking your research.
Family structures vary in every culture. SIT Study
Abroad values the diversity of homestay families,

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TRANSPORTATION                                           COMMUNICATION
Public transportation in Tunisia is generally reliable   While you may want to be in regular communication
and affordable. In Tunis, the usual mixture of bus,      with friends and family from home during the term
train, and metro prevails. Yellow cabs are also          abroad, please bear in mind that different time
available for a maximum of three passengers and          zones, unreliable phone lines, and changing
run by the meter. Sometimes you will need to use         program activities can complicate communication.
more than one means of transportation to reach
                                                         It’s important to be clear with family and friends
your destination. One of the selection criteria of our
                                                         about your availability during the term. Many
host families has been accessibility to SIT and
CEMAT premises.                                          students recommend making an appointment to call
                                                         home or to receive a call. You should also consider
You must be careful about possible theft of your         the impact of constant communication with friends
belongings when using crowded public                     and family at home on your cultural immersion.
transportation during peak hours (7:30-8:30 am;
12:00-1:00 pm; and 6:00-7:30 pm). Whenever
possible, travel with other students to discourage       PHONES AND E-MAIL
low-level harassment. It is also preferable to use a     As part of SIT’s commitment to student safety and
yellow cab after 9:00 pm.                                security, all students are required to have a working
                                                         smart phone capable of making and receiving both
                                                         local and international calls throughout the duration
                                                         of the program. For that purpose students are
                                                         required to either (a) bring an open, unlocked smart
                                                         phone from the U.S. to the program that is able to
                                                         accept a local SIM card, and is compatible with and
                                                         usable at the program location, (b) work with the
                                                         academic director within the first week upon arrival
                                                         in country to purchase a smart phone locally, or (c)
                                                         bring a dual SIM smart phone. DO NOT purchase
                                                         an international plan unless you have a dual SIM
                                                         phone. We discourage this for regular smart phones
                                                         because your homestay family will not be able to
                                                         communicate with you as they would have to call
                                                         internationally.
                                                         During orientation, with assistance from SIT Study
                                                         Abroad staff, students will learn how to use their
                                                         smart phone, how to purchase and use an
                                                         appropriate local SIM card, and how to acquire
                                                         minutes for calls and texting. SIT Study Abroad
                                                         requires that each student have a local number for
                                                         communication with the homestay family and
                                                         program staff. While we recognize that alternative
                                                         communication methods can be free or cheaper
                                                         than cell service i.e. Facetime, Skype, WhatsApp,
                                                         etc. those programs alone do not satisfy our need
                                                         for regular communication with the local program
                                                         staff and partners, nor do they meet our emergency
                                                         communication needs. Therefore, local cellular
                                                         capacity on each student’s phone is required for the

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duration of the program. Students are required to        MONEY
maintain a minimum amount of phone credits at all
                                                         In addition to tuition, SIT Study Abroad program
times for emergency calls. Full compliance with this
                                                         fees cover room and board throughout the program.
policy is expected.
                                                         When room and/or board are not taken with the
You can buy a local SIM for TND 12 (USD $5), and         group, students will be given a stipend to cover
a cheap local smart phone for approximately TND          related expenses. SIT will cover daily commuting
345 (USD $150). Keeping your phone stocked with          costs, if any, and excursions that are part of the
credit is easy and can be done at local retailers, the   normal program itinerary. During the ISP period,
more you use your phone the more expensive it will       students will receive a stipend for basic room and
be and monthly costs will vary.                          board only, based on the cost of living at the
                                                         program base. Any domestic travel, interpretation
The SIT program center provides internet access          services, or supplies necessary for the ISP are
during posted hours. Skype is recommended for            the students’ responsibility. Please plan
long international communications. This can be           accordingly.
done from our location as it has Wi-Fi. Also, the
Tunisian postal service is reputed to be fairly
reliable.

MAILINGS
Unlike receiving a package here in the US, receiving
a package at your program site is usually
expensive and problematic. Customs agents must
inspect all packages and you, as the recipient, are
responsible for duty and storage fees. In addition,
there are cases of items being lost in the mail or
taking so long to reach the recipient that the
recipient is nearly back in the US by the time the
items are received. For these reasons, sending
packages should be done only for emergency               Because Tunisia’s economy depends so much on
situations. Additionally, sending valuables is highly    tourism, access and availability of foreign currency
discouraged.                                             (namely the US dollar) pose no problem; thus, there
For this program, DHL, FedEx, or UPS services            is no shortage of ATMs, even in remote villages.
are available in country. Despite cheaper prices,        Virtually all credit cards are accepted, but Visa and
reliance on the US Postal Service is not advised due     MasterCard are the most common and preferred.
to delays and unreliability. When given the option,      Make sure you have your PIN number in order to
it’s always a good idea to send packages certified       retrieve cash from an ATM. Traveler’s checks may
and with a tracking number that allows the sender to     be exchanged for local dinars, but again make sure
track the package.                                       whether bringing travelers’ checks is worthwhile in
                                                         terms of the additional fees.
Posted letters and packages should be sent to the
following address:                                       If using a debit and/or credit card, you should
                                                         contact your bank and/or credit card companies
Student Name                                             regarding your travel plans. If you don’t inform these
c/o SIT                                                  companies that you will be away, they will often
17 bis, Avenue du 14 Janvier                             assume the card has been lost or stolen and will put
SIDI BOUSAID 2026                                        an immediate hold on the card. You should also
TUNISIA                                                  check on costs of withdrawal, as these costs vary
                                                         and can sometimes be very expensive. Renewing

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and receiving reissued credit and debit cards while     VISITORS AND FREE TIME
on the program will be an expensive and highly
                                                        SIT strongly discourages and will not provide
inconvenient process. Before you leave for your
                                                        support for any visitors to students during the
program, please check the expiration dates on your
                                                        term, due to the rigorous nature of the program and
cards to ensure that they will not expire while you
                                                        the disruption that such visits cause in program flow
are abroad. It is also very important that you make
                                                        and group dynamics. Students should be sure that
photocopies of all your debit/credit card information
                                                        relatives and friends are aware of this policy and
and leave them with someone you trust in case your
                                                        that visits are scheduled for dates after the formal
card(s) is/are lost or stolen.
                                                        conclusion of the program. Students will not be
The Tunisian Dinar, denoted TND, is the official        excused from program components to attend to
currency of Tunisia. The currency of Italy is the       visitors. See the Attendance and Participation
Euro.                                                   section of the Student Handbook.

Following are suggestions for spending money            Please note that any visitors during the course of
during the program, including estimates for             the program must plan their own independent
textbooks, ISP-related expenses, medical expenses,      accommodations; SIT Study Abroad homestay
personal spending, and gifts. Figures are based on      families can accommodate only their assigned
recent student evaluations, though individual           student and, due to cultural and contractual
spending habits vary widely and these costs are         understandings with SIT, should not be asked to
averages.                                               host students’ guests.

A suggested total amount of money to budget             During the program, students follow an intense
ranges from US$1,400 to $1,550. To determine            schedule of classes and field-based learning
where you might fall in this range, please examine      assignments, even during the ISP. Free time for
your spending habits during a typical semester at       pursuing an independent interest or hobby during
your home school and consider any exceptional           the program will be limited. Your admissions
expenditures you may have on the program,               counselor can advise you about particular interests
including travel costs for your planned ISP or a        you may have. For example, if you must keep in
specific personal expense.                              shape for your next athletic season, or if you play a
                                                        musical instrument and want to know whether to
Check current exchange rates:                           bring it, we can help you to understand your
http://www.oanda.com/currency/converter/                schedule and any concerns or limitations that may
Please budget approximately:                            exist. Please note that you will not have a long
                                                        break during the program, such as Thanksgiving or
         Personal spending:                             Spring Break.
                                           $900
      (from past student suggestions)
                                                        Opportunity for independent travel during the
    Books, printing, supplies:             $200         program is limited and cannot be guaranteed due to
                                                        the rigorous schedule and disruption independent
       Up-front medical costs:             $150         travel may cause to semester responsibilities.
                                                        Requests to travel independently will be considered
            Potential ISP travel                        on a case by case basis by the academic director.
                                           $150
                     expenses:                          Further details regarding the independent travel
              Cell phone costs:           $5 - 150      policy can be found in the Student Handbook.

        Estimated total:                $1400-1550

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PACKING GUIDELINES                                          want to have a long-sleeved shirt to wear. Both men
                                                            and women may be asked to wear a headscarf or a
  LUGGAGE                                                   yarmulke to enter some religious buildings, such as
  Please pack lightly and include only necessary            the synagogue on the island of Djerba (yarmulke
  items. You should be able to carry all your luggage       and headscarves provided) and the Great Mosque
  significant distances on your own. Try to minimize        of Kairawan.
  both the number of bags and weight of your bag(s)
  since you will likely be acquiring more belongings        Generally speaking, any artificial look (non-discreet
  while abroad.                                             piercing, unnaturally colored hair, unusual haircuts,
                                                            and large, ostensible tattoos) will cause stares and
  Most students find that a large internal frame            unwanted reactions on the part of Tunisians and
  backpack and a smaller daypack/duffel are the most        should be avoided.
  convenient choice of luggage. However, you should
  also have a smaller bag to use for carrying your
  books and personal items. You will find that you can
  store your larger piece of luggage at your homestay
  during the semester.
  If carrying prescription medications, you should
  carry a letter from your doctor to prevent any
  concerns at customs or in transit. (Please see the
  “General Health Tips” section in the Safety,
  Security, and Health pre-departure document.)
   Please check the current requirements of the
  Transportation Security Administration
  (http://www.tsa.gov) as well as those of the airline
  on which you are flying for domestic and
  international baggage restrictions.

  CLOTHING GUIDELINES
  There is no particular dress code that is legally         EQUIPMENT
  enforced in Tunisia, as is the case in some other         You do not need to bring tents, mosquito nets, or a
  Arab or Muslim countries. In the streets, you will        sleeping bag. In the section of the packing list
  observe a mixture of traditional and western styles.      below, we have tried to list all possible important
  The appropriate dress for foreign men and women           items you may need for the months you will spend in
  in Tunisia generally implies long pants, T-shirts, polo   Tunisia. It will not be necessary to carry everything
  shirts, coats, jeans, jackets, dress shirts, or blouses   that you bring during excursions; however, we still
  with a normal neck-line. In warm weather, T-shirts        encourage you to pack lightly. When packing, do not
  and shorts below the knees for men or Capri-style         forget to include flexibility, patience, and a sense of
  slacks for women are acceptable.                          humor. This is the best preparation for the months
                                                            ahead.
  When visiting religious sites or more conservative
  areas of the country (Kairawan, the Ghriba
  synagogue in Djerba, and rural areas during
  excursions, for instance), both men and women may

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COMPUTERS AND OTHER                                       Nothing in Tunisia is grounded. A good number of
                                                          outlets have grounding points, but virtually none of
ELECTRONICS                                               them are actually attached to anything. If your
It is strongly recommended, that you bring a              device won’t work without grounding, then don’t
laptop computer. If you bring a laptop, the computer      bring it.
will be your personal property and responsibility. SIT
does not provide personal property insurance and it       iPods are OK if you are bringing your laptop; just
is recommended that you insure your computer or           remember your plug adaptors. If you bring your iPod
other valuables for full coverage. For details on         without your laptop, your wall charger will also work
SIT’s insurance, please see the full description of       fine with the appropriate plug adaptor. Most
coverage and scroll down to Student Health                electronic equipment today comes fitted with these,
Insurance: http://studyabroad.sit.edu/admitted-           but make sure your laptop and other devices
students/medical-review-process/. SIT is not              support a power supply of 200 volts, 50 hertz! Your
responsible for any duty tax you may have to pay          charger for your digital camera should work with a
when you enter the country, theft, or loss.               simple plug adaptor. It is an excellent idea to carry a
                                                          couple of digital camera rechargeable batteries with
Both SIT and CEMAT (Centre for Maghreb Studies            you, if that is what you use. Make sure you have a
in Tunis/American Research Center in Tunis) have          big memory card for your digital camera, or bring
internet and Wi-Fi connections. At SIT, you may use       multiple small cards.
the connection from 8:30 am to 7:00 pm, and longer
hours during ISP period.
                                                          GIFTS
You may also use cybercafés (called “publinets” in        As you might imagine, it is best to be prepared with
Tunisia) for word-processing, printing, and internet      a gift to offer your homestay family in gratitude for
surfing; the customary hourly rate is 1.25 to 2.5         their hospitality and as a means to share a part of
dinars. These “publinets” often have varied hours of      your culture with them. We suggest one or two gifts
operation. It is not possible to rent laptops in          that the whole family can enjoy. You may also wish
Tunisia.                                                  to consider gifts for people outside your homestay
Some students have found it useful and much               family. Try to choose gifts that represent you or the
easier to use their own laptops to write their seminar    part of the country and/or community you live in.
papers and ISP final project. It is also easier for you   Think about what your city, state, or local artisans
if you have your laptop to stay in contact with your      produce. Draw upon your personal interests or
academic director or with friends in Tunisia and in       hobbies for ideas. Pack a couple of small gifts for
the US. You will not be charged any customs fees          children, such as small games, bubbles, or a
for your laptop. It is advisable to insure your           Frisbee. Even if your homestay family does not have
computer against loss or theft.                           small children, chances are that you will engage
                                                          with children in your homestay community. Once
Please note: there are heavy customs duties on            you are on the program and learn more about the
electronic equipment (except computers), and they         local culture, you will discover other ways to thank
can be quite expensive in Tunisia, and as such are        your family. Remember to bring pictures of your
favored by pick-pockets and thieves. Please be            friends and family to share.
particularly mindful about your electronic and digital
belongings.
                                                          WHAT YOU CAN AND CANNOT
Please see the following website for information
about electricity, voltage and electrical adapters.       OBTAIN IN COUNTRY
http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/.                Most international brands of toiletry and cosmetics
                                                          are available in Tunisia, either in pharmacies (quite

SIT Study Abroad - 11
Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019
expensive) or in special stores. School supplies        ALUMNI CONTACTS
(notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.) are also available
                                                        If you have further questions, please contact your
and affordable (the majority of locally-made items
                                                        admissions counselor and/or ask an alumni contact:
are state-subsidized), though the quality may be
                                                        http://studyabroad.sit.edu/admitted-
less than desired.
                                                        students/contact-a-former-student/.
There are no US-type large drugstores, which mean
that over-the-counter medication is only obtainable
at pharmacies and tends therefore to be expensive.      Don’t miss the Packing List on the next page!
Make sure to bring the items that you are
accustomed to or use most regularly if you cannot       These packing guidelines are based on suggestions
do without them.                                        from past students and your academic director. The
                                                        clothing you bring may be adapted to your own
As for laundry services, your host family is expected   style, within cultural norms of acceptable dress.
to take care of your washables. Dry cleaning is
available, though cost varies; you should expect to
pay 2.5 dinars for a shirt or pair of pants.

SIT Study Abroad - 12
Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019
o   Small First Aid kit
                                                            o   Band-Aids
PACKING LIST                                                o   Good quality thermometer
                                                            o   Vitamin supplements
                                                            o   Over the counter medication, such as pain
  CLOTHING                                                      relievers, cold medicine, fever reducers,
  o   Warm coat                                                 laxatives, anti-diarrhea medicine, travel sickness
  o   Raincoat                                                  medicine.
  o   Underwear
  o   Socks and stockings
  o   Workout outfit/conservative shorts for                OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS
      jogging/sports                                        o   Contact lenses (bring extra ones) and glasses
  o   1 pair of comfortable, everyday walking shoes         o   Contact lens solution
  o   Fairly dressy pair of shoes                           o   Daypack or shoulder/book bag
  o   Pair of flip-flops for the home                       o   Dark sunglasses
  o   1 pair of sneakers                                    o   Good quality small lock for luggage
  o   All-purpose jacket                                    o   Large money belt
                                                            o   Homestay gifts
                                                            o   Photos of friends/family to share with homestay
                                                                family
  WOMEN
  o   1 or 2 dresses
  o   Nice outfit, fairly dressy (for formal or official    OPTIONAL
      occasions)                                            o   Insect repellent
  o   2 or 3 skirts                                         o Travel clock
  o   2 pairs of nice slacks
  o   4 or 5 casual outfits, including jeans and T-shirts
  o   3-5 blouses or shirts
  o   2-3 sweaters

  MEN
  o   1 tie
  o   1 nice outfit (for formal or official occasions)
  o   3-4 pairs of slacks
  o   4 shirts (one fairly dressy)
  o   3-4 sweaters
  o   3-4 casual outfits, including jeans and T-shirts

  TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
  o   Passport
  o   Yellow WHO Card (if you have one) or list of
      vaccinations on doctor letterhead (see the
      Health Guidelines and Requirements
      document for more information)
  o   2 photocopies of your passport stored
      separately from your actual passport
  o   2 passport photos

  HEALTH/TOILETRIES
  o   Prescription medication taken regularly
  o   Personal hygiene items
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