Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers blog

– Monastirian Beach, Tunisia by Tunisian Belle.

Last week we featured an amazing Answers user, Tunisian Belle, on our blog. The post also got syndicated onto the US Answers blog, to a really positive response. In the second half of this series, Tunisian Belle gives her recommendations for ten quick things to try in Tunisia and her top 3 “must see” experiences in the country. Over to her…

– Babosh, Jundubah, Tunisia by Tunisian Belle

– Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia by Tunisian Belle

Sidi Bou Said

“Located in Northern Tunisia (20km from the capital of Tunis), this is a traditional city known for its use of the traditional blue and white colours. It is essentially a town on a cliff overlooking the bay of Tunis.”

“Follow the cobblestone street upward into town and get great views of the blue sea and marina. In the centre square is the famous ‘Café des Nattes’, better known as the High Coffee. It is decorated in a traditional Tunisian atmosphere.”

“If you continue your climb up the hill, you can go to the Café Sidi Chaabane which overlooks the Bay of Tunis and offers beautiful views. There are many small streets to wander around, and great places to sit and have a mint tea.”

– Tozeur, Tunisia by Tunisian Belle

Tozeur

“Located close to the Sahara, it is home to movie locations of some of the biggest films of all time, including Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and The English Patient. One of the most beautiful and distinct architectural styles in all of Tunisia can be found in Tozeur, where buildings are made of rectangular yellow brinks arranged into patterns.”

“There is an oasis in Tozeur that measures about 11 or 12 square km and has small settlements scattered all throughout it. Close by is Belvedere Park, where an artist has begun to carve faces out of the mountain side. One attraction not to be missed is Dar Cherait. It offers such wonderful things as wonderful trip back through history: a museum, hotel, and oasis tour.”

– Sousse, Tunisia by Tunisian Belle

Sousse

“This is one of the most popular tourist destinations because it offers so much diversity. There is everything from beautiful beaches and historic sites, to modern shopping and wonderful restaurants. It is one of the older cities in Tunisia, and possesses an authentic medina, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988″.

“When people think of Sousse, many think of Port El Kantaoui, a tourist complex 10 kilometres north of Sousse centre ville (downtown Sousse).It is home to a modern marina equipped for over 300 boats and several golf courses, as well and a full array of other sporting activities from skiing to paragliding.”

“Because of its central location, Sousse is primed to offer many different day trips to various locations throughout the country. Some of the more popular attractions include the Traditional Tunisian House, the Catacombs, The Great Mosque, and the Mosaic Museum. For families, the main attractions are Aqua Palace, Hannibal Park, Oasis Parc Botanique, Hergla Karting Park, and Friguia Safari Park.”

– Subterranean home in Matmata,Tunisia. Photo by Tunisian Belle.

“People dig their houses deep into pits. It keeps the house warm during the winter and cool during the summer. There is an entrance hidden from the other side along a steep hill which the family uses to get in and out of their house.”

Tunisian Belle’s 10 Tunisian “must-tries”

• Ride a camel

• Get a desert rose

• Get a Harcouse (henna) tattoo

• Take a carriage ride

• Visit the Medina

• Go to the Souk

• Eat couscous

• Try harissa (North African hot red sauce made from chili peppers)

• Try a sheesha (a water pipe for smoking used for smoking herbal fruits)

• If you go to the Sahara, buy a long piece of cloth and have the seller make it into a hat for you (it helps to keep the dust out of your hair and face.)

• Eat traditional Tunisian sweets: you have to ask for them specifically at the patisseries – they keep them separate from the other sweets

Know someone who’s “wow-ed” you on Answers? Think somebody deserves to be celebrated as next Featured User on the Answers Blog? We want to hear from you!

Email the Answers team a link to the user’s profile or answers to y_answrs_team_uk@yahoo.co.uk

It’s in the newspapers, on the radio and talked about in worried tones across the dinner table: yes we are talking about the credit crunch. Loans are getting less generous and their availability on the market reduced. Maybe it’s time to get some financial advice so you don’t get bitten by the crunch.

Meet Unbiased.co.uk, an umbrella website of independent financial advisors from across the UK that are here to help you tackle money matters. They have been answering your questions in the Business & Finance category for several months, deciphering financial terminology and offering money saving advice.

Better managing your finance starts from understanding the basic financial terms, something Unbiased are more than happy to share with you all. Here’s just a taste of their great answers…

What are shares?

“Shares can be bought and traded by private individuals, businesses and companies and even charities. Gains made from shares and dividends received offer shareholders potential for income and capital gain.” Read more>

What does ISA mean?

“An ISA, or individual savings account is a tax efficient wrapper into which you can place many different types of investment.” Read more>

How do I plan a budget?

“I have a golden rule, never spend more than you can afford; it stops you making expensive impulse buys and taking on debt you can’t afford to repay. First of all you have to work out your financial position: your income should be greater than your expenditure.

You should also set an amount for savings. Everyone needs a cash reserve to cover the ‘what ifs’ that can come along. To make your savings go further, use an ISA where interest is tax free. Longer term savings are better off invested in other assets such as stocks and shares…” Find out more>

So next time you are on the look out for the best investments deals or need to make sensitive decisions about investment or pension scheme, don’t forget the value of good advice.

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– Yahoo! UK & Ireland Answers team

The wonder of Answers is never more apparent than when you encounter one of the community’s truly great participants. We’re going to be sharing some of this sense of wonder with you, as we highlight Answers’ own North African expert, Tunisian Belle.

Real name Jamie, she was raised in Colorado, is married to a commercial pilot and has been living in Tunisia for over 6 years. She is a stay-at-home mum with three children. She loves to travel and can speak four languages: English, Spanish, Arabic and French.

In a series of posts, we’re going to turn the blog over to her expert knowledge of Tunisian people, culture and geography. Through her photographs we hope to make you feel as if you’re right there with her, travelling this hot, dusty country. Welcome to Jamie’s world…

Geography

“Tunisia is in North Africa, towards the middle of the continent. Our neighbours are Algeria to the west, and Libya to the south-east. We are directly under Sardinia, Italy. Our closest neighbours to our North-East are Malta and Sicily.”

“Much of our boarder is on the Mediterranean Sea, and the city of Bizerte is not only the northern most city in Tunisia, but the northern most city for the whole continent of Africa.”

“The mountain region is breathtaking! There are fantastic views and the atmosphere is reminiscent of an old town in Switzerland. Absolutely gorgeous! The coast is marvellous. The sea is clear and picturesque. The midland and south are terrific because they offer you the chance to peek into a forgotten society – one that holds fast to tradition. I have been all over Tunisia and have visited most cities and have loved everyone because they each have their own special charm.”

History

“The country is so full of history – it has been under the rule of Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Berbers, Ottomans, Beys, and French. It played a significant part in WWII, was the centre of the ancient world with Carthage as the capital and it has so many beautiful places to visit! It is unlike any other Arab country in that is has a lot of greenery. There are also many historical ruins in just about every part of the country you go to.”

Culture

“Tunisia is also a very safe place. There are not many places in this world where a women can walk the streets alone in the middle of the night without fear. Yet I often take late night walks, around 11pm or so when I can’t sleep and have never had any problems and have never felt fearful. I have lived in Tunis and Monastir and have visited other parts of the country without any problems.”

“There is a joke here too that between a police officer and a police officer, you find a police officer. Believe me, it’s safe. We also let our children run around the marina or the cafés and don’t worry about someone kidnapping them because that just doesn’t happen here. It is a terrific place to raise a family – amongst safety, security, love and kindness.”

“Women’s rights were implemented as soon as Bourguiba became president. Tunisia was one of the first countries in the world to give women equality to men, and grant them the right to vote. It was one of the first Arab countries to allow women to seek a divorce from a man on her own accord, to work outside the home, and give them education on family planning.”

People

“The people are so warm and hospitable. They instantly welcome you as one of their own and treat you like family. They will offer you the clothes off their back without a second thought or want for being re-payed. If you are lucky enough to dine with a Tunisian family, be sure that they will prepare a feast that is the best they can within their means. They will offer you the biggest and best portions of all foods.

“Family is very important here – there are no homeless people, although there are poor people. Everyone helps everyone else -neighbours bring food to each other, the poor can always count on someone giving them food and clothes, children are not expected to leave home as soon as they turn 18.”

In the forthcoming part two of this blog post, see Tunisian Belle’s “must see” experiences and places in Tunisia!

Five Tunisian Belle Best Answers:

• What are some fun things to do in Tunisia?
• What are some Tunisian recipes?
• What are some shopping and bargaining tips when in Tunisia?
• Who are three important Tunisian historical figures?
• How much does alcohol cost in Tunisia?

Know someone who’s “wow-ed” you on Answers? Think somebody deserves to be celebrated as next Featured User on the Answers Blog? We want to hear from you!

Email the Answers team a link to the user’s profile or answers to y_answrs_team_uk@yahoo.co.uk

• Read part two of Tunisian Belle’s guide to Tunisia here.

Last week’s post by our US sister-blog about avatar games stirred up some strong reactions to the rules regarding chat in the Community Guidelines. So what do we have against chat? Absolutely nothing. Chat away on Yahoo! Messenger or Groups — just not on Answers. We’re not trying to be mean or limit free speech — we just want to maintain the mission of Yahoo! Answers:

Yahoo! Answers connects people to the information they’re seeking with those who know it. Everyone has life experience and knowledge about something, and Yahoo! Answers provides a way for people to share their experience and insight.

Like any other community, we have a core set of principles that must be followed by all members. Some of those core principles are: sharing what you know, being courteous, and asking clear questions. Examples of unacceptable behaviour include: ranting, hate speech, cheating, behaving maliciously, and chatting. If you want to participate in Answers, we ask that you abide by the Community Guidelines and Yahoo! Terms of Service.

While chatting seems innocuous in comparison to more-obvious offenses, we discourage it because it doesn’t add to the intent of the site: to share quality knowledge. Answers was never meant to function as a chat room or a forum . There are other outlets (like Yahoo! Groups) that are ideal for this type of social networking, and we hope you’ll channel your inner chat into these more-appropriate venues.

Still unsure about what’s considered chat? Here are a few examples to help clear up the confusion:

Chatty: “Do you like my poem?”

Better: “How can I improve my poem?”

Chatty: “Do you like my avatar?”

Better: “How do I make my avatar look more fun or attractive?”

The Guidelines weren’t created as a cloaked attempt to exercise ultimate universal power over Answers members — really. They’re meant to provide common sense ground rules so we all know what to expect inside the Yahoo! Answers community. That’s not such a bad thing, is it?

Instead of having to report abuse, wouldn’t you much rather see it prevented in the first place?

NB: Just to clarify, it’s fine to be conversational within your actual question or answer