Tunisia and : Politics and Religious Integration in the Mediterranean Spring 2020

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

SIT Study Abroad - 2 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019 COUNTRY OVERVIEW English, are spoken mainly by the educated

younger generations. GENERAL INFORMATION is situated in the eastern part of North Palermo, Italy will be very similar to Tunisia due to . 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 , 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, , , 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 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 , 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 . There is, geographically so close to each other. however, a sizable historic Jewish community on the island of 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. is the official language, but French is of the country, including the capital (75-85 widely spoken, and other languages, including

SIT Study Abroad - 3 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019 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 , 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 . 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 , 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

SIT Study Abroad - 4 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019 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 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

SIT Study Abroad - 5 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019 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 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 , 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,

SIT Study Abroad - 6 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019 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

SIT Study Abroad - 7 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019 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

SIT Study Abroad - 8 Country Overview and Packing Guidelines9/30/2019 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 Spring Break. Personal spending: $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 $150 on a case by case basis by the academic director. 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

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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 Band-Aids o 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 1 pair of comfortable, everyday walking shoes o o Contact lens solution Fairly dressy pair of shoes o o Daypack or shoulder/book bag Pair of flip-flops for the home o o Dark sunglasses 1 pair of sneakers o o Good quality small lock for luggage All-purpose jacket o 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