Tytart'

Not far from Rihanna Gaga's daycare, there is one of the most fancy parts of La Marsa, with little bijoux stores and restaurant that look like they could be in any trendy neighbourhood in a large European city. This is where Bistro Breizh is located, and several other small specialised eateries. One of those is Tytart', a little coffee shop that has all things pie - both sweet and salty.

The three of us head here on a pleasant day. We're approaching June and the weather is getting hot, but not the kind of oppressive heat that characterises Tunisian summers. We sit inside, in the small, air-conditioned coffeeshop, because outside there is no shade. The room is sparsely decorated but pleasant, dominate by the large vitrines in which the pies are exhibited.

 My girlfriend and I order a vegetable quiche, with smoothies and an orange juice for Rihanna Gaga. She runs around on the floor, but when she sees that the woman behind the counter is very interested in her, she quickly runs and hides behind our backs where we sit. I ask her what we're going to do in three weeks time and she shouts enthusiastically: 'Grandmother will make a party!' Indeed - in less than three weeks we'll fly to the Netherlands to attend the birthday party that my mother and her partner are organising for family and friends. We've been warming Rihanna Gaga up for the big event and she's hugely looking forward to it, planning all sorts of things such as which animals she will take with her and drawings she will make for my mother.

We are looking forward to our trip as well. We spent last summer in Tunisia and found it difficult to deal with the heat. Apart from that, Ramadan will start in two weeks and if one is not fasting, there is little to enjoy: the country comes to a grinding halt during the day. During the nights, there are festivities everywhere, but with Rihanna Gaga sleeping, we can't really attend those. This is a problem Tunisians often don't understand: why don't you just take your daughter, they'll ask. We, however, keep to Northern European sleeping standards: regular sleeping hours, putting the little one to bed around seven or eight. Obviously, one should adapt a little to the country one lives in, but this is a concession I'm not willing to make. Originally, the long and regular sleeping hours may be a cultural oddity from Northern Europeans (understandable, because the weather forces us to live an indoors life, so it's actually quite nice for parents to have the kids in bed early), but most research shows this particular habit is quite good for children's health as well.

It will also be nice to spend a longer time in the Netherlands for Rihanna Gaga. I've noticed that her language skills greatly improve every time she spends a longer period among Dutch speakers other than ourselves and our country is quite child friendly, with playgrounds and petting farms everywhere. At least Rihanna Gaga and her mother will stay for about two months, though I might have to fly back to Tunisia a few times because of job obligations. Tunisian holidays tend to be long, though. At the university where I work, most activity has shut down by now, except for a few summer courses. With Dutch students having to go at least six weeks still, most Tunisian students have already finished their academic year for about a week.

We're planning the next year already. Rihanna Gaga will go to another daycare. Not that there is anything wrong with her current one, but its activities are a bit repepitive. As far as we can see, a day spend there offers little more than dancing, singing, playing with lego and a bit of drawing. We found a new daycare that offers more activities, such as yoga, gardening and other more challenging things. At Rihanna Gaga's age, that looks more appealing. And I'm looking forward to a quiter year. Last year I suddenly became the head of a department, planning new courses and an entire curriculum, hitting the ground running (I had exactly three weeks before the academic year started after I was told to design a new curriculum) and still flying between Tunisia and the Netherlands at the time. I am actually looking forward to this more quiet period: spend more time with Rihanna Gaga, probably finish some research and publications that I started a long time ago, and do more reading.

The quiches taste delicious, as do the smoothies. Rihanna Gaga, however, has set her eyes on something different. She's spotted a strawberry cheesecake and wants a bit of it. We give in and she digs in enthusiastically. My girlfriend has to work, so she leaves, witht he two of us enjoying the cheesecake together. Rihanna Gaga waves her goodbye, pressing up against the glass window. Once we're finished here, she tells me, she wants to go to the playground.