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Banks In Tunisia

The banking sector in Tunisia has been slowly opening up over the past few years, with a number of international banks acquiring local ones, new foreign banks opening up, privatization of govenrment-owned banks and more.

I think this is great, and I hope it will move the whole banking industry forward, revitalize it and make it more client friendly.

I truly think the most important thing the banks in Tunisia need is a change of mentality. They currently treat the client as if he needs them more than they need him, which is not true. Without the client, the bank has no reason to exist and will shut down, so they have to do their best to satisfy the client.

Every added service a bank provides for its customers is an added value that will make them more satisfied and less likely to take their money some place else.
And these services shouldn’t be created to use the client even more and suck more money out of him, but to make his life easier and win his loyalty.
And most of these services should be free.

Continue reading Banks In Tunisia

Circumcision Helps Halt HIV/AIDS

New research suggests circumcision could be effective in preventing the spread of HIV among men.

The study of more than 3,000 men in South Africa was done by the French agency for Aids and Viral Hepatitis.
The data, outlined at a conference in Brazil, shows male circumcision prevented about seven of 10 infections.

Previous studies have suggested that men who are circumcised have a lower rate of HIV infection.

It is thought that the cells of the foreskin are much more susceptible to HIV than cells on other parts of the penis, so by removing the foreskin, the likelihood of infection drops.

I wonder what Dr. Zizou has to say about this…

As for me, I think that’s good news, but I just can’t but wonder why the foreskin was created in the first place if it’s better to get circumsized and obligatory for Muslims and Jews to get circumsized?!
I’m not questioning God’s wisdom here, I’m sure he has his reasons. I guess my little human brain can’t see them though.

They say that if the results are confirmed, then circumcision could be used alongside condoms to prevent the spread of HIV. But implementing this measure on a large scale will be complicated.
I guess we could send them a group of our professional Tunisian circumsizers 😉

[Source: BBC News]

The Fat Man Walking

Steve Vaught, a 350-pound man, who is a 39 year old, happily married father of two kids, is walking across the US to shed weight.

Vaught left his hometown outside San Diego on April 10 in an attempt to walk to New York City to lose weight and regain his life. While he embarked on the journey for personal reasons, he hoped his story might serve to encourage others to take their lives back–to get up and do something about it today.

As of Friday, Vaught was only near Flagstaff, Ariz., where it’s monsoon season. He’s fallen way behind his goal of traveling about 20 miles a day, which would have put him in Missouri by now.

But he’s already accomplishing his goals. He’s lost about 50 pounds (he was 400 pounds) and has been the source of great inspiration to many people.

Check out his official website: The Fat Man Walking, and check out his journal.

[More: CNet News]

Suggestions for Tunisian Blogger Meetup 4

Ok, it seems some people have a problem with the date of 29/07/05 for the blogger meetup.

So, here are the suggestions and please leave a comment on which suits you best asap.

– Friday 29/07/05 at 7PM in Biwa (Les Berges du Lac). (Some expat Tunisian bloggers will be in the country on this date.)

– Saturday 06/08/05 at 7PM in Biwa (Les Berges du Lac).

Please leave a comment asap so a decision can be made on the meetup’s date. Thank you.

A Meme on Love, Marriage & More

Roba tagged me with this, so here goes…

1- What does Love mean to you?
Love is a state of being where you feel that you simply need another person with you all the time to be happy and complete.

2- What does Marriage mean to you?
Marriage is a holy bond between two people who are in love, and who want to start a beautiful family of their own.

3- Do you believe in love at first sight?
Yes. I believe I experienced it when I first saw my now-wife Eman. Logically speaking, it might not be 100% true love, more like a spark of love that either grows or dies after you actually know the person. I was lucky 🙂

4- How many children would you like?
2 or 3.

5- If given the opportunity, what song would you sing for me on my wedding day?
Hmmm, Roba, I think I’d probably sing you a Pink Floyd medley 😉

6- What is your favorite holiday destination?
An Island somewhere.

7- What are three qualities you would look for in a man?
I’m not interested in men at all 😛
As for women, the three qualities I look for are: easy-going, affectionate and beautiful (inside out).

8- What are the three qualities and three bad habits that you have?
Qualities: Kindness, honesty, sense of humour.
Bad Habits: Laziness, over-thinking things out, my addictions (movies, internet, music, …Etc.).

9- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Place-wise: Somewhere I’m very comfortable.
Family-wise: Living happily with my wife and kids.
Career-wise: Doing something I really love and enjoy every second of.

I tag the following people: Eman, Tom, Dasdous, Thysdrus, Yamen.

Palestinian-Israeli Unity Project

Ten teenagers, five Jewish and five Arab, chosen from schools in Haifa, will embark on a 15 day wildlife expedition together in August through the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina.

Afterwards they will share insights on what they discovered about life, compassion and each other while traveling, working and playing together during their wilderness expedition.

This is the new Palestinian-Israeli Unity Project, which is a partnership between Outward Bound and Breaking the Ice, that strives to create positive relationships between the two conflicting peoples through a common, rigorous outdoor experience.

The Palestinian-Israeli Unity Project is designed to build understanding and unity among cultures in conflict.
In last year’s Breaking The Ice program, four Palestinians and four Israelis embarked on a 30-day expedition from Chile to Antarctica. The Unity Project aims to set up a similar experience for the Israeli teenagers, including a visit to Atlanta on Aug 25.

Organizers hope the participants will return home with a new crosscultural acceptance and emphasis on peace that they can spread to Haifa and the Middle East overall.

They will continue to meet twice a month to work on service projects, outdoor activities with other students, and discuss peaceful resolutions to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

I think this is a great idea, and I hope we see more and more like it that promote peace, understanding and love.
Bravo…

[Related: Outward Bound, Breaking the Ice]

4th Tunisian Blogger Meetup

Nearly a month has passed since the last Tunisian blogger meetup, and it’s about time we organize another one.

I was planning on posting about this last week, but as my blog was down, I couldn’t. Anyway, Zizou went on and took the intiative to collect suggestions from the bloggers. Thank you man 🙂

According to the feedback I saw there and the feedback I’ve been getting from some other bloggers, plus because it’s the summer, the day should most probably be in the middle of the week.
The time of 7PM still seems good for most.
So, I’m suggesting we have the meetup on Wednesday August 3rd at 7PM.

As for the place, I think it’s cool that we’ve been having each meetup in a new place, so does anyone have any suggestions for this meetup?
It should be somewhere nice, air conditioned and close to most people.

I can’t wait to see you all. It’s always a great pleasure.

Lance Armstrong Wins 7th Tour de France

Lance Armstrong ended his storybook career in Paris on Sunday by winning a record seventh consecutive Tour de France title.

It seemed impossible in 1999, when he collected the first of his 82 yellow jerseys and the third of 23 stage wins, for anyone to win seven Tours — in particular a rider like Armstrong who almost lost his life to testicular cancer diagnosed in 1996.

In the seven years that ended on Sunday, Armstrong helped cycling shift from a sport of traditions and folklore into a modern, professional, global one.

In a speech he gave from the podium, he said: “To all the cynics, I’m sorry for you. I’m sorry you can’t believe in miracles. This is a great sporting event and hard work wins it; Vive le Tour forever.”

I really admire Lance Armstrong for his strong will, his love for the sport, his power, that let him overcome his illness, and his great optimism.

Congratulations for this record seventh win, you truly and totally deserve it.

[More: CNN]

Nine Year Old Microsoft Certified Professional

A Pakistani girl has qualified as a Microsoft Certified Professional at the age of 9.

Arfa Karim of Multan has officially become the youngest MCP in Pakistan, and one of the youngest in the world. Karim, now 10, met with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates last week–an experience she later described as second only to visiting Disneyland.

To attain the credential–at any age–a person has to display technical proficiency in areas such as .Net, Visual Studio 6.0 and Windows Server 2003.

What she wants to do as she grows up–she would love to study at Harvard, work in a company like Microsoft and go back to Pakistan to do technology innovations in the field of satellite engineering.

WOW…
She must have Microsoft Barbie hidden somewhere in her room 😉

[Source: CNet News]

Rotana’s Islamic Channel

It seems that Rotana, the largest production company in the Arab World, is putting the final touches on an Islamic channel it will be launching soon.

The channel was created upon orders from Prince Waleed Ibn Talal, and will be based in Egypt and headed by Dr. Tareq El Soweidan.

Rotana currently has a network of 6 entertainment channels for music and movies and a new radio station that will be opening soon in Jordan.
Where this new Islamic channel fits in the Rotana empire is a mystery.

As Ahmed says “From a business perspective, music sells and religion sells”, but do they really fit together?
Would it be suitable to have an Islamic channel as part of a 7 channel network, 5 of which bring us a bunch of half-naked singers and dancers?

Of course, the idea of creating a new Islamic channel is very good and truly commendable. But if it’s done it has to be done right. Religion is a respectful and sensitive issue, and throwing an Islamic channel into a bouquet of music and cinema channels just doesn’t feel right.

Maybe it shouldn’t be part of the network but more of an independent channel, also meaning that the Rotana named be dropped from it, so that it’s not associated with the other channels.

[Source: Elaph (Arabic)]
[Via: Saudi Jeans]