ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Middle East and North AfricaIsn't it Thursday?
It's sunny and warm here today. I have total spring fever! This is the first weekend in a while where Amed and I have no real plans. Yay! I just want to veg out, maybe go for a boat ride, and grill out. I miss the days when I had summers free!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-04-26 09:04:00
Middle East and North AfricaFINALLY VISA IN HAND !!
Congratulations! We all wish you a happy reunion! :D
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-04-26 09:49:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Reunion!!!!
That is such a sweet story! I know how exciting it must have been for the two of you to finally come together and be a family for your daughter. What a cute baby!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-04-26 08:03:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Birthday, Marissa!
Wow, you guys, I just saw this thread! Thank you so much! Amed and I had a great time last night, and I am really such a lucky girl!

Thanks to all of the ME/NA girls for the birthday wishes! Y'all are the best!!!!!!! :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Happy belated birthday to you, too, Akim Oda! Hope you had a great day!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-04 14:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaIt's finally Friday
Happy Friday everyone! Hope everyone has a fun weekend ahead.

Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, so I think I see some Mexican food in my future! I hope the weather will cooperate with any outdoor plans.

Has anyone seen any good movies lately? I saw "Perfect Stranger" with Halle Berry and Bruce Willis the other night. It was pretty interesting, and definitely keeps you guessing. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something intriguing. There's a bit of nudity and sexual content, though, so if that sort of thing bothers you, be forewarned.

Have a good day!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-04 14:32:00
Middle East and North AfricaIt's Thursday
I'm actually ok that it's not Friday. It's my birthday, and my first one as a married woman, so we'll see how well my husband does! I know they don't really celebrate birthdays in Algeria, so he doesn't really get why we celebrate them here. His birthday is next week, though, so he'll see how much fun I'm going to make it for him, and maybe he'll get into it.

Does anyone have any good travel plans for the summer? We're wanting to go to Algeria, but if we do, we won't get to go till winter, so I kind of have to save all of my vacation. I'm so used to going on some sort of summer vacation, so this year I need to live vicariously through others.

How is everyone's week going? It's kind of quiet on the boards lately. I hope everyone is doing well!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-03 08:06:00
Middle East and North AfricaThanks (saha ~ jazk Allah kheirn) everyone
Henia, I am so sorry to hear this! I really hope things begin to get better for you and your husband really soon. I'll keep you in my prayers. (F)
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-08 11:48:00
Middle East and North AfricaAny word on M+S's baby?
Congratulations! I'm so glad everything went well and that your baby is here! This will be a mother's day to remember! :)
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-10 07:48:00
Middle East and North AfricaMoody's Mohammed is coming to America!
Congratulations, and I hope you have a wonderful reunion! Let us know how his first week in the US goes!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-02 07:53:00
Middle East and North AfricaFriday!!!
TGIF! I am so glad the work week is almost over. It's been a rough one!

We are going up to Charlotte tomorrow for a family reunion. I get to see my baby neice again! I tried to upload a pic, but I can't get it to work. The picture takes up too much memory for VJ, and my flickr link won't work. :( I'll try to upload it in "my photos" in a minute, if anyone wants to see.

Oh well, hope everyone has a terrific weekend!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-18 09:27:00
Middle East and North AfricaThursday
I'm sorry to hear about your mom, Angie. Our prayers are with her and you and your family. (F)
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-10 11:25:00
Middle East and North AfricaFinally Married!!!
What sweet pictures! You make a beautiful family. And I LOVE your dress!!

Congratulations!!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-18 07:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Birthday Meriem!
Happy Birthday Meriem! I hope you had a great day with your family and Hachemi!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-27 19:35:00
Middle East and North AfricaA Broken Journey
Jean, I am so sorry you are going through this. I'm very shocked and saddened for you. I know you're going through a whirlwind right now, but please, don't feel guilty for calling the police. He did this to himself the second he hit you. You need to protect yourself and your children. Moh has made his bed. Let him face the consequences. There is never an excuse to resort to violence, especially not against someone you've pledged your life to support, honor, and protect.

Good luck, and we are all here rooting for you.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-05-27 18:52:00
Middle East and North AfricaRainy Days and Mondays always get me down
Hey everyone! Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Mine was good. We just kind of lazed around. We did a little shopping and hung out with my dad a bit.

I was really excited because last week I had a job interview for a GREAT company that went really well. The guy called me back the very next day, wanting to schedule a second interview with the hiring manager ASAP. The interview was supposed to be this afternoon. Then, this morning, I got an e-mail from the woman who works at the staffing agency that got me the original interview. She said she'd just received word from the HR rep from the company that the hiring manager had changed up the requirements for the position, and was requiring something I'd had no experience with. So, my interview has been cancelled. :( I'm kind of bummed, but I figure, it must not have been meant to be.

I'm just trying to get through the rest of the week, and am letting thoughts of my upcoming trip to NYC this weekend console me. I'm going to see the Lion King on Broadway. Anyone ever seen it? From what I can tell, it's gotten great reviews. I figured it would be something Amed would enjoy. He's not into really arty stuff, or depressing dramas. I've tried to explain to him that there's not really a whole lot of stuff in the way of violent shoot-ups on Broadway. Hopefully I've chosen something he'll enjoy.

Happy Monday!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-06-04 13:44:00
Middle East and North AfricaTuesday
Congratulations, Angie! That's great news!

Hope everyone's Tuesday is going well. I've already started counting down the days till the weekend, though....
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-06-05 11:20:00
Middle East and North Africahardest parts of adjusting for mena peeps
Well, I think at first, it was more culture than anything else. Spending hours hanging out with friends and family, going to mosque, listening to arabic news and music, having big family dinners... It was all a sudden change. Luckily, I'm very close with my parents, and we spent a lot of time with them, which kind of helped fill the familial void he was feeling.

Later on, the biggest adjustment became the working environment. I don't think he expected to have to come over here and work like a dog, day in and day out, have a large portion of his check be taken by taxes, and then not get at least 1 month's vacation every year. The working world is very strict over here compared to over there.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-06-05 11:24:00
Middle East and North Africathirsty thursday
Still pretty hot here, but that's nothing new.

Amed and I just signed a contract on a house, so we've been busily attending to that. There are so many things to be done! We have to get an elevation certificate for the house (it's in a flood zone), get the inspection done, etc. It's a little scary! We're going to be broke for the next few months. :( But, I'm excited that we're getting our own place.

This summer is going by so fast. I can't believe it's practically July already.

Hope everyone is having a good week!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-06-28 08:34:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Belated Birthday, Jenn!
I just saw in another topic that yesterday was Jenn's birthday! I didn't see any mention of it anywhere else, so it looks like we missed it. :(

Happy birthday! Hope you had a great day!!! :dance: :dance: :dance:

Edited by MHandMB, 28 June 2007 - 02:09 PM.

MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-06-28 14:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaNYC Arab American/North African Street Festival
That sounds like so much fun! Wish I could make it up to NYC next weekend.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-02 08:06:00
Middle East and North AfricaSuicide Bomb in Algeria
http://www.cnn.com/2...reut/index.html

LAKHDARIA, Algeria (Reuters) -- A suicide bomber detonated explosives at an Algerian military barracks, killing himself and about eight other people in the restive Kabylie region east of Algiers, residents say.

The blast Wednesday 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the capital was one of the worst rebel attacks in months and happened hours before the opening in Algiers of the All Africa Games, a prestigious sports event regarded as Africa's Olympics which Algeria is hosting.

The 0530 GMT bomb in Lakhdaria village near Bouira town went off a day after a visit by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, making his first visit outside Europe since his election in May.

"I heard a terrible explosion," said the owner of a coffee shop in Lakhdaria, a settlement surrounded by forested mountains that have long served as a hideouts for Islamist rebels.

"I first thought it was an earthquake but soon I found out it was an attack against the barracks."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which residents said killed eight people and wounded about 30.

An al-Qaeda-aligned rebel group previously known as the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) has claimed responsibility for such attacks in recent months, including a triple suicide bombing in Algiers on April 11 that killed 33 people.

Up to 200,000 people have been killed in political bloodshed in Algeria since 1992 when supporters of a now-outlawed Muslim fundamentalist party that was poised to win elections that year subsequently launched an armed rebellion against the state.

The violence has subsided in recent years amid successive government offers of amnesty to the rebels, but sputters on mainly in Kabylie and nearby areas.

In one recent incident, a bomb exploded on July 5 near a car carrying the governor of Kabylie's Tizi Ouzou region in the first apparent assassination attempt in years against a top local government official.

A policeman was wounded but the governor, or wali, Hocine Mazouz, was unharmed.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika asked the army last week to step up attacks on Islamist rebels, saying they were "enemies of the people".

Dozens of Islamist guerrillas remain at large in Kabylie, shielded by criminal and family links and the remoteness of the area. The region is also a bastion of Algeria's Berber speakers, who have long had tense ties with the authorities, protesting at what they see as discrimination by the Arab majority.

Security expert Anis Rahmani said the attack, which occurred three months to the day after the April 11 blasts, appeared to show that al Qaeda was now firmly set on using suicide bombers.

The April 11 blasts were the first intended suicide bomb attacks since Algeria's violence began in 1992, journalists say.

"The suicide attack was expected, particularly after the security services succeeded in preventing any (suicide attacks) in the intervening 90 days," said Rahmani, who also edits Echorouk newspaper.

"The attack shows also that al Qaeda has definitely decided to use suicide bombing as a tool in its fight in the Muslim country of Algeria."




This is sad. :( After the Algerian people worked hard to establish peace in their country, someone else comes along and tries to mess it up.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-11 08:46:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat are your SO's favorite American TV shows
I know. It would be all soccer, all the time at our house if we had the good cable with all of the soccer on it. As it is, my parents have a big hd flatscreen, and Fox Soccer Channel. Needless to say, we spend a looot of weekends over at my parents'. :wacko:
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-10 13:58:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat are your SO's favorite American TV shows
Well, Amed loves soccer, of course, but he has become rather fond of a few American shows:

Prison Break
24
Heroes
How I Met Your Mother

He complains and complains when I watch American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, but he always manages to be nearby the TV when they come on, and then has to give running commentary throughout the shows.

We both also became pretty interested in Jericho.

Oh, and he also likes to watch The Deadliest Catch and stuff on the Discovery Channel.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-10 12:41:00
Middle East and North Africahappy thursday
Happy Thursday, everyone!

Amed and I are doing ok. We're busy trying to get everything together to close on our house. It's exciting, but also frustrating. I sent our loan officer some documents via e-mail on Monday, and I've left her a couple of messages and a couple of follow up e-mails to verify she received the docs, and to check on the status of our appraisal, and she hasn't contacted me again. It's irritating, because we can't move forward until we find out the results of the appraisal. We're supposed to close in 2 weeks! GRRR.

Other than that, things are good. It's SOO hot here, though. Amed's not used to this humidity, so I think it's bothering him quite a bit. I'll be glad for a bit of a reprieve from all of this heat.

Hope everyone is having a good week! Congratulations to all of those reuniting this week!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-12 13:15:00
Middle East and North Africafunny expressions
Amed always asks my mom when she's going to go "fix the fingers for your feet" (aka, get a pedicure) again. That always cracks me up.

He also says "booth phone" instead of phone booth, "bally bully" instead of bellybutton, "some glasses" instead of sunglasses, and "moustiquos" instead of "mosquitos."

He also calls any part of the leg a "foot." He has knee problems, and he's always pointing to his and asking me to massage his foot.

Oh, and somehow, he gets "neigborhood" and "underwear" confused, so now everyone in my family calls it "neighborhood." When we went to the ballet, he told my sister he thought it was good except that the men didn't seem to be wearing any neighborhood.

I love these, guys! Keep them coming!

Edited by MHandMB, 12 July 2007 - 03:04 PM.

MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-12 15:00:00
Middle East and North AfricaMonday thread
For us, we really wanted for Amed to be able to work right away, so we fixed it so he could go through NYC. It cost a little extra money, but it turned out to be well worth it. We were able to get him a job before his EAD expired.

This part has been debated a bit, but we made an infopass appointment with USCIS right before his EAD expired, and they told us he could continue to work until he got his permanent EAD, since we had already filed for AOS at that time. We got lucky with AOS, and there was only a 3 week period of time between when his EAD expired and his greencard was approved, but he was able to work consistently throughout.

If you know someone who will give him a job right away, then I'd say it's worth it. 2-3 months of continous work would more than pay for the fare difference, and it would give him something to do instead of sitting around by himself while you're at work.

However, if you think it might take him a while to find a job, and the flight would be a lot more expensive for him to go through NYC, I'd maybe reconsider. Also, be sure to check with people who have recently come through JFK to see if they're still getting the EADs upon entry.

Good luck!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-16 10:58:00
Middle East and North AfricaMonday thread
Hi everyone. I'm tired this morning, and wish I could crawl back to bed! One of my bosses is on vacation this week, and another one might not be in today, so at least that's good news for a Monday. :)

My weekend was good, though. I've become obsessed with HGTV and all of those home decorating shows where they find antique wood furniture for like $3 at a yardsale and turn it into a masterpiece. This weekend, I went scouring flea markets and thrift stores, but surprisingly, did not find my diamond in the rough. :( Why do they make it look so easy??

Good luck to everyone on their upcoming interviews. I hope there will be a lot of congratulating on this board soon!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-16 09:12:00
Middle East and North AfricaIt's Friday!!!
What a pretty cat! Now y'all are making me want one.

I have a little white dog that I adopted from the SPCA several years ago, and she's like my little baby. I also had an orange tabby cat I adopted around the same time, and he died. :( I've been thinking of getting another cat, but we've been renting a condo and though our landlord has been accepting of our dog, I didn't want to add a cat into the mix.

We're moving into our house next week, though, so it would be great to get a kitty! Amed wants to wait and bring one back from Algeria, though. He thinks American cats are spoiled and lazy. I think he's basing this on my sister's 2 cats who are, I admit, spoiled and lazy. He wants a cat that will stalk mice and bugs and stuff. I, on the other hand, want a cat who will sit on my lap and rub up against my leg. And, of course, who will get along with my dog.

Have fun with the kitties, Jenn! And Jackie, if you want a cat, I think you should definitely go out and get one. There are sooo many cats who need good homes, and I'm sure right now you would dote on it a lot.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-20 10:56:00
Middle East and North AfricaExpressions...
"by the way" is one I've gotten from Amed. It's also kind of tricky to explain, too! But, now he says it all the time, and I still don't think he knows what it means.

The other is "frickin." My mom was joking around and said it the other day, and he latched onto it like a little kid. "What this mean? Frickin?" Now everything's "frickin" this and "frickin" that.

Now I tell my mom it's her fault, because she started it!

**** Edited to add: lol Aymerlu, we think alike!

Edited by MHandMB, 17 July 2007 - 04:20 PM.

MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-17 16:19:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Friday!

We're moving tonight and tomorrow! :dance: We decided to have our new condo painted before we move in and the painters are supposed to be done sometime this morning. Normally I would paint myself, but I decided I'm too lazy to do it this time and I've seen my hubby paint and no way will he do it. ;) The computer is the last thing I need to pack up and all my friends will be here at 6:00 tonight so we can begin the move. I have to go the condo around noon so our new dinette and bedroom set can be delivered We're so excited!


Congratulations on your move! Isn't it so much fun planning the decorations for your new place? Good luck!



AGH!!!!! Today is a ####### AZZ day at work. Everybody is in a BAD mood. I'm so glad it's Friday and I can get away from these people for a few day!!!!!!! :angry:

MH - I've gone through a couple of house closings and I the only thing worse than going through that is the whole immigration process! I wish you the best of luck and just hang in there. I promise that the moment you walk through the door with the key in your hand after the ink is dry....it makes it all go away!!!!

Inshallah, everything will close today and that new home will be yours!!!!

If you don't mind me asking, I grew up in Charleston, what part are you in?



The whole closing process has just been miserable so far. However, we're in the home stretch! I think we should be set to go forward today.

We live West Ashley, but I grew up on James Island. Where are you originally from?
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-27 13:05:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Friday!
[quote name='jenn3539' post='1076778' date='Jul 27 2007, 09:47 AM']Congrats on the new house, Marissa! That's so exciting! :dance:[/quote]


[quote name='wife_of_mahmoud' date='Jul 27 2007, 10:04 AM' post='1076823']
Posted Image




Thanks, you guys! I'm super excited, but I'd be even more so if I could be assured that the closing is going forward today.

That's cool about John Kerry! Amed likes him, too, so he'd be psyched if he ran into him. He's VERY interested in politics. I couldn't tear him away from the tv during the debate the other night....
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-27 09:58:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Friday!
Good morning everyone! I'm so glad today is Friday. This week has really sucked!

We were supposed to close escrow on our house yesterday, but thanks to the incompetency that is Bank of America, we weren't able to do so (don't even get me started on how awful yesterday was). We're supposed to try again this afternoon, but BOA still has not sent all of the info to the closing attorney, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed. We've already ordered the moving van, Lowe's is scheduled to deliver the fridge, we've turned on the water and electricity in the new place and scheduled it to be cut off at the old place, etc. If we have to wait until Monday, I think I'll keel over from stress.

Whew. In any event, other than that chaos, things are ok. Amed's going to get his ticket this weekend to go to Algeria in October. He's so excited about it, and especially tickled that he gets to be there during Eid. I wish I could go with him, but we both can't afford to go right now. :(

I hope everyone has a lovely Friday. Anyone got any good weekend plans?
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-27 08:43:00
Middle East and North AfricaBaby you can drive my car...
Amed drives a Taurus now. It's paid for, so I think we'll keep it for awhile, as long as it works well. He REALLY wants a VW Passat, though. He's not too into Hummers. He likes Lincoln Towncars for some reason. I told him that those are for getting someone else to drive you around in, not driving it yourself.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-30 14:24:00
Middle East and North AfricaRome updated list, husband NOT on it!
I'm so sorry to hear this! I really can't imagine how hard it is being stuck in such a long wait with a young child, and not being able to share parental responsibilities, birthdays, etc. You seem, from the outside, to have been coping really well up to this point, and I really hope you're able to get some resolution soon. (F)
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-03 07:46:00
Middle East and North AfricaCongratulations Henia!!!
Wow, Henia, that's terrific! Congratulations to you and your family!!! :D
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-08 13:40:00
Middle East and North AfricaIT'S FRIDAY!!!!! TGIF!!!!

Gvl/Spartanburg area....bounced around all of the towns and cities in between.

Cowpens, Mayo, Chesnee, Boiling Springs, Moore, Duncan, Greer.....you name it, I inhabited it. ;) Just thought those names sound weird, huh? I lived in Cowpens for 11 years. They have an annual MIGHTY MOO FESTIVAL!! teehee

Is that too much information? Paying attention there, stalkers?????

Congratulations on your big bonus Jackie!! Enjoy your hard earned payoff.


Wow, another SC'er! For the longest time, I thought I was the only one, but it seems like a few of us have popped up lately.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-10 10:06:00
Middle East and North AfricaIT'S FRIDAY!!!!! TGIF!!!!
Happy Friday everyone!

Allousa, have fun at carowinds! I was just thinking about how long it's been since I've been there. I would love to take Amed, so maybe we'll try to go one weekend sometime soon. Let us know if there are any cool new rides.

Aymerlu, congrats on the job interview! I hope you're able to talk them up on the salary.

I just put in my notice yesterday. I'm leaving the office I've worked for ever since I got out of college. I was offered a job at another firm making a good bit more money, and I know I'd never get that here. It was very sad to tell my boss, because she's become a good friend. I've had butterflies in my stomach all week, and just felt sick. I feel like a load has been lifted now that I've told her. I'm looking forward to a new beginning, but it seems like a lot of things are changing for me lately....

Oh well, anyone got any good plans for the weekend? I want to go swimming, and go see The Bourne Ultimatum. Other than that, I'll just be trying to stay cool. It's been miserably hot here all week, with no real end in sight.

Have a good day, everyone!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-10 07:57:00
Middle East and North AfricaTHANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for my sweet husband, awesome family, our new house, and my new job which I start in a little over a week. I have lots to be thankful for!!!

This is a really nice, different, daily thread. :thumbs:
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-16 07:41:00
Middle East and North AfricaTuuTuesdayy
Doodle, that's happened to me before, but it always turns out to be that my computer did an automatic update and rebooted itself afterward. It's probably no big deal.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far! It's my last week at my current job, an I am so overwhelmed with all of the stuff I have to do. I don't know how I'm going to get it all done! So, I guess I need to get back to it....

Happy Tuesday!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-21 08:23:00
Middle East and North AfricaI gotta say Thanks to you all
I'm sorry to hear that. I'll keep her in my thoughts and prayers. (F)
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-16 13:12:00