ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
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
Middle East and North AfricaI gotta say Thanks to you all
Dee, I hope you're doing well today, and that you're starting to see some direction unfold in where things are going for you. We're all rooting for you!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-13 10:26:00
Middle East and North AfricaI gotta say Thanks to you all
Dee, I'm so sorry for what you are going through. I know that things have been really tough for you for a while, but I think you'll eventually find peace and happiness once this is behind you.

I know everything is raw, but if you're absolutely sure that everything is over, I'd check into getting AOS canceled as quickly as possible. There may be a chance that you can withdraw your affidavit of support so that he doesn't have financial recourse against you if he does decide he wants to try to stay here.

I'm so sorry to hear how things have turned out, but I wish you all the best, and love and happiness in the future. (F)
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-10 13:54:00
Middle East and North AfricaI know it took so long
Wow, how beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing the pictures of your sweet little girl. Hope everything is going well for you.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-20 13:23:00
Middle East and North AfricaMENA distractions as therapy
Posted Image

I love my husband, but my favorite celebrity crush is David Beckham. :)
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-16 16:59:00
Middle East and North AfricaWe were involved in a wreck this morning.
I'm so sorry to hear this! I'm just glad the two of you are ok.

Do you have uninsured coverage with your automobile insurance company? I'm not a sue-happy person, but if I were you, I would be careful before signing any final disbursement papers with them. The effects of an accident can take a very long time to go away, and you don't want to sign away your right to have your future medical expenses paid for.

I hope you feel better soon!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-22 08:44:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Thursday!
Hi everyone! I'm just popping in to say hello. I started a new job last week at a big company, and they keep track of internet use, so I'm trying to be really good about not logging on during the workday. I still stop by from time to time in the evenings to see what's going on. I hope everyone is doing well!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-09-06 20:39:00
Middle East and North AfricaLooking for work... Driving me crazy!!!!!!!
I have to agree with those who have said that it helps to have your husband talk to others who are in the same boat. My husband found it hard to believe how expensive insurance, taxes, etc. would be, and thought we should have more money. The condo we were renting was "ok but sooo small" and not really conducive to having people over. That all changed when he met a good friend at the mosque. Once he went to his friend's condo and saw it was smaller than ours, he suddenly really liked where we lived and wanted to invite friends over.

He still has ideas about starting a business, etc., but he's a lot more realistic about it. Now that he's gotten involved at the mosque, he knows a lot of recent immigrants and sees that everyone's not rolling in money fresh off of the plane.

Also, a lot of the stress went away as Amed got used to living here. When he first got here, he made me look at all of the ads in the paper, and made me make the initial inquiries about jobs. He was self-conscious about his English, and didn't know how things worked here. I ended up getting him his first job through some acquaintances, and now that he's been there a year, he is a LOT more confident about his capabilities. He's keeping his eyes and ears open for better opportunities, and no longer asks me to do it .

I know it's very stressful at first, once he's been here a while and gets used to things, he should become a bit more realistic and a bit easier to deal with.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-25 14:01:00
Middle East and North Africahello everyone
I'm glad to hear you're ok. I hope you're taking care of yourself.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-21 10:04:00
Middle East and North AfricaSatire Cartoon and Discussion
nice. wacko.gif
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-08-21 16:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaQuestions?
So you're wanting to wait with her in a third country while the visa is processing? Maybe you could check into doing DCF (Direct Consular Filing). You'd get married in the third country, live together, and apply directly with the American consulate in that country for your wife's visa.

Some countries have a really quick DCF process. It would all depend on where you and she would legally be allowed to live and marry, and then whether DCF is allowed there. Some others on here have gone that route. Check out the DCF forum and maybe put some feelers out there.

Good luck!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-06-06 16:29:00
Middle East and North AfricaAaaaand it's Friday
Hey everyone! Happy Friday!

I am SO looking forward to this weekend. Amed just got back from a 3 week trip to Algeria on Wed. night, and we are leaving today to go to Asheville for the weekend because it's our one year anniversary! Yay! We are staying at a B&B and are going to tour the Biltmore house and ride around and look at the fall colors in the mountains. It's a much needed weekend away for me, and a nice getaway for the two of us to spend some time together.

I hope everyone is doing well. I love hearing about VJ reunions, so hopefully we will have some more good news soon!

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-11-02 07:28:00
Middle East and North AfricaSuuuunday
Hey you guys! Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. I just finished having a nice brunch with some out of town relatives, and now I am at the office waiting for a client so we can go over some paperwork. This weekend has been a sucky one full of work, work, work. Oh well. At least that means overtime pay, which I will put toward our trip in May.

Happy Sunday!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-11-11 14:07:00
Middle East and North AfricaPoll - how did you meet your fiance/husband
We met in Paris in 2001 when I was on vacation and he was living and working there. I walked into his store and we struck up a conversation, and arranged to meet at Versailles the next day. We hung out together, went to Nice, and I thought it was a nice holiday romance. When I got back, we talked all the time. I went back 4 more times, and finally moved there in 2004. In 2005, he proposed, I moved back to the U.S., and he followed shortly thereafter. smile.gif
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-11-15 12:30:00
Middle East and North AfricaFriday!
Good morning everyone. Not too much going on here. I'm working far too much, but I have lots of overtime hours!

I'm really looking forward to next week. Thanksgiving is so much fun, and the day after is almost as good! I see shopping in my future...

I hope everyone has a terrific weekend!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-11-16 09:32:00
Middle East and North AfricaVISA IN HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kicking.gif kicking.gif

I am so happy for you!! After all of this time, he's finally coming home to stay! I can't wait to hear details about his homecoming.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-02-13 20:01:00
Middle East and North AfricaWHO PAYS FOR ALL THE PLANE TICKETS
Money is definitely a tricky issue. I feel like it is one of the bigger causes of divorce out there. People have different feelings when it comes to sharing an account, or keeping everything separate.

As far as your question about plane tickets goes, when I first met Amed, I was in Paris on vacation, so I obviously paid for that ticket. When I decided to go back the next 2 times, it was for vacation again, so again I paid. He wanted to see me again and asked if I could come back 3 or 4 months later for a long weekend, and he would pay, so I did, and he did. The last time I went to Paris, it was to move there for a year to be with him, and he paid for that ticket as well, but only because I was quitting my job and wouldn't have any income for a while.

While I was there, I had a bit of savings, but once it ran out, he paid for everything. My rent, my groceries, dinners out, everything. When I moved back to the US in preparation for him to follow me over, we took turns paying for phone cards to call back and forth. We spoke on the phone at least once a day for 7 months, even if it was for 2 minutes just to say "goodnight" and "I love you." I couldn't imagine going an entire month without talking to him.

I paid for his visa fees here, and he paid for his visa fees over there. He bought his ticket to the US, and I bought his connecting flight from NYC to Charlotte. He paid for his AOS fees, and I paid for our joint bills until he got a job. Now, we pay for everything equally. We each put a certain amount in our joint account to cover joint expenses, but we each have separate accounts for incidentals. For instance, he wants to go to Algeria soon, so he's been setting aside his money for that trip.

I would never ask him to reimburse me for a trip abroad I made to see him, but then again, he ALWAYS took care of me whenever I went, so I didn't feel like it was one-sided at all. We do everything equally, and i know that if I was really worried about money, and I was drowning in debt, he would take a second job if he needed to. Even though we keep separate accounts, my debt is his debt, and vice versa.

If you're already feeling uncomfortable and used, and he's not even here yet, that doesn't bode well for the future. Even if he is really busy, a phone call from his wife should be a highlight of his day, not a nuisance.

Good luck getting everything straightened out. I hope you find happiness, whatever that may entail.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-06-27 14:06:00
Middle East and North AfricaCooking with Wine ??
I had some Mexican food in Germany. It was very...interesting.

My husband doesn't like me to cook with alcohol, so I try not to, but I love making chicken marsala, beef bourgignon, etc. I'd love to find a recipe that gives me some of the taste without the alcohol. Anyone have any tips?
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-02-27 20:41:00
Middle East and North AfricaWake up it's TUESDAY!
Congratulations, everyone!!!! This is such good news!

Cheryl, I don't know how big your dog is, but Delta and AirFrance, in my experience, have the best policies on allowing animals to travel in the cabin. Let me know if you want further info.

Have a wonderful day, you guys!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-03-25 12:39:00
Middle East and North AfricaTranslation Certification Programs
I work for a law firm that does mostly plaintiff's litigation. We have French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic translators on staff, and there are also several ppl. who are bilingual who help out with translations from time to time.

If you can get certified to handle legal translations, I think you'd have a lot of options, actually.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-04-06 16:35:00
Middle East and North AfricaHassan's Interview in Kuwait!!!!!
Congratulations! I know you must be so happy!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-04-29 18:35:00
Middle East and North AfricaMabrook Sofyan and Kelly
Yay!! Congratulations on your baby boy! I know he was worth the wait! kicking.gif kicking.gif
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-04-29 18:33:00
Middle East and North AfricaIt's Tuesday!!!!
Hey everyone! I haven't posted much lately, but I have been popping in from time to time to see what is going on. It's so great to see so many new babies around, and so many people finally getting their visas!

I have been super busy lately. We are leaving tomorrow to go to Paris for a week and then we're leaving Paris to go to Algeria for another week. It will be my first trip to Algeria, and I'm so excited! It's also my dad's first trip overseas. He travels quite a bit for work, but it will be his first time using his passport. I've been trying to get my dad to go to France for 7 years, so this is a really big deal.

We've just been trying to get everything ready these past few weeks. We've been buying presents for Amed's family for months now, and we were still out at the mall last night trying to get some last minute things. Plus, I've been trying to find weather-appropriate clothes that I can wear in Algeria and still be covered enough to be respectful. I'm pretty conservative as it is, but I am used to wearing short sleeved shirts when it's hot out. For those of you who have visited the family in ME/NA after you were married, did you wear your normal clothes, or did you have to modify your wardrobe a little bit? For those of you who don't normally cover your head, did you do this when you went to your husband's ME/NA country? I think that's an interesting topic.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-05-06 09:53:00
Middle East and North AfricaHappy Tuesday...
Hey everyone, just popping in to say hello from Algeria! We are hqving q greqt time so far. Amed,s family is so gracious. I will give details when I get back next week. Happy Tuesday!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-05-21 05:31:00
Middle East and North AfricaThe moan and groan thread
Ok, I have nothing to add on the whole "needs" thing, but I can complain with the best of them!

1. I HATE only having 2 weeks vacation a year. It seriously pains me to see my boss go on trip after trip, knowing that I can only miss 10 days, period.

2. Kinda goes along with #1. I miss Paris so much. I am aching to go visit and see my friends, but most of all, just to be there. With only 2 weeks' vacation, I am limited to a 1 or 2 day stop on the way to Algeria (which will mostly be filled with visiting my husband's brother who lives there).

3. I hate being broke. But, even if I had money, I would want to use it to travel, so (see numbers 1 and 2).

4. The screen on my 6 month old laptop warped one day. I didn't drop it, bump it, or anything else. I left it on my desk one everning after I used it, and got up the next morning to sign on, only to find the screen completely warped and cracked. It was still under factory warranty, plus I purchased an extended warranty from the store, but guess what? They are saying that both of the warranties don't cover screen damage, so it's going to be $400 to repair it. GRRRR!!!!!!!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-01-19 14:26:00
Middle East and North Africamonday thread?
Good morning everyone!

Jackie, I have to agree with what seems to be the consensus so far: don't quit until you have another job lined up. This market is really tough right now, and you don't know how long it will take to get another offer. You might get something right away, or it might take a few weeks, and you don't want to be out of a source of income for a while. If you're sending out applications and going on interviews, I bet your outlook will be a lot better because you know you're doing something to make your situation better.

I worked at the same job for 5 years and loved my boss and my co-workers, but a new supervisor was hired who was a nightmare to work for. I was miserable, making barely any money, and didn't know what to do. I had good job security, so I didn't want to quit until the right opportunity came along. I sent out my resume, had a few interviews, and 6 weeks later, I was offered a job with a huge firm with much better benefits and a pay increase. I then gave my 2 weeks' notice, which seems to be pretty standard around here, and told my new employer that I needed 2 weeks before I could start, and it wasn't a problem.

Good luck... I'm sure everything will be great!

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-06-30 10:00:00
Middle East and North AfricaHow Muslims Are Treated In USA
QUOTE (julianna @ Apr 9 2008, 05:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (desert_fox @ Apr 9 2008, 03:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
You MENA women would be lucky to have an American man like me. But of course you wouldn't be walking around in public wearing a black bag......it's called assimilate into the culture....no need calling me...I'm already taken.


Hmmmm. The only time I ever walked around in a black bag was at Girlscout camp at Lake Lemon. We made these temp raincoats out of black trashbags. So are you saying that as an American if I were married to you, our girls and possibly myself would be banned from Girlscout camp where you get to wear black bags and walk around? Or that Girlscouts aren't assimilated into the culture?

Is my Stewie bumper sticker not assimilated either? Dude, don't mess with the bumper sticker. It's totally awesome.

And what, exactly, would make us lucky to have you in particular? You seem kind of stuck on yourself. Please explain why you're awesome, and why I should want you. Right now you remind me of the guy with his giant dually who tried to merge into me while I was stopped, in traffic, in the right turn lane, and then flipped me off... for... existing? I'm not sure what his logic was either.


That was so great!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-04-09 16:45:00
Middle East and North Africa4TH OF JULY
We're having a few family and friends over for a cookout and to do a little swimming. I get to see my 1 yr old niece and my best friend who lives 8 hours away. I'm excited! We'll probably also go over to Patriot's Point to watch the fireworks later that night.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-07-02 09:30:00
Middle East and North AfricaMy Husband's Father was Deported Yesterday
I am flabbergasted. I have always loved my country, but this makes me sick and ashamed. I remember how well I was treated in Algeria, and how warm my husband's family, friends, and even neighbors were to us, and it breaks my heart to think of a single one of them being treated as your father in law was treated. God bless you and your family. rose.gif
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-07-10 13:24:00
Middle East and North AfricaAlhamdulillah Rabbil Alamin
Congratulations!!! I know that it's going to be a sweet moment when you are together after this long wait! Enjoy it! :thumbs:
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2006-04-17 08:54:00
Middle East and North AfricaME/NA pictures
That poor donkey looks so overloaded!

These are great pics! Maybe one of these days I'll have some from Algeria. :(

Keep them coming!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-07-09 11:00:00
Middle East and North AfricaME/NA pictures
Nevermind, that didn't work as well as I thought it would....

Edited by MHandMB, 16 January 2007 - 11:40 AM.

MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2007-01-16 11:38:00
Middle East and North AfricaWho will pop first?
Henia, congratulations on your precious little boy! I hope you start feeling better and the in-laws start behaving themselves soon.

Thanks for your very candid account of what happened during your labor and delivery. My husband always talks about moving back to Algeria someday, and although I'd love to visit more often, I don't think I'd like to live there. The different hygiene and medical standards are a couple of reasons why, although my husband insists that most of the medical care is perfectly fine. I'm going to tell him about your experience.

I'm glad everything turned out ok and that things are getting back to normal. I hope you'll share more pictures with us soon!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-09-26 22:20:00
Middle East and North AfricaMena house decorating in the U.S??
I'm redecorating out computer room/2nd guest room, and I'm so excited! I have all of the pieces; I just need to start sanding and painting. I'll definitely post before and after pictures.

I took the rug that was in there and put it in our bedroom (and it looks great, I was psyched about that), which meant I got to go buy a new rug. It has reds and creams and browns in it. I bought a euro style lounger (couch) that folds out to a bed, and it's a deep brown. I'm painting the walls a cream color with a tint of brown, and I'm painting the outdated wood trim a lighter cream color. I have a ton of MENA style pillows that I'm going to throw around, as well as a sand painting we got in Algeria that's going on the wall. I'm planning on taking an old end table and sanding it, painting it, and shortening the legs so we can put it in front of the couch.

Today begins the painting and sanding, which will take the longest. Once I get that done, the room should come together quite quickly, I think. I'll be back at some point with pictures!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2009-01-25 09:38:00
Middle East and North AfricaHow did your MENA SO propose marriage?
I think I've told my story before, but it's all so much fun to remember.

Amed and I met when I went on vacation to Europe after graduating from college. He was working at a shop in Paris. One evening, I came wandering into the shop to get out of the rain. We started chatting, made plans to meet up at Versailles the next day, and spent several days together. We kept in touch long-distance, and I made several trips to Paris over the years. Finally, I decided to bite the bullet and see how things would go if we lived in the same city for a while.

I moved to Paris for a year. About 6 weeks before my visa expired, Amed invited me to meet him for a picnic at this park I'd been bugging him to go to for months. He said he had an errand to run that morning, so he would just meet me at the park. I was running late, missed the train, and had to take 3 different modes of transportation to get there. He kept calling me every 2 minutes, wondering where i was. I finally arrived at the entrance of the park, laden down with picnic stuff in one hand, my dog's leash in the other. My hair was all over the place, I was hot and cranky because he kept calling me to hurry me along. I turned the corner, and I saw him standing there in a suit and tie with a huge bouquet of flowers. I barely registered the ring box in his other hand. I don't even remember what he said next because it was just a rush of emotions, and I saw my MOM sitting on a bench right behind him!

He had flown her in as a surprise so she could be there during the proposal. The "errand" he had to run was to go pick her up from the airport.

I still smile when I think of that day...nothing will ever be quite as romantic! wub.gif


MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2009-06-04 16:35:00
Middle East and North AfricaI lost my husband today
I can't even imagine what you must be feeling right now. For this all to have happened while you were apart...I'm just at a loss for words. Please lean on your friends and family right now. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2008-07-28 09:33:00
Middle East and North AfricaMy visajourney
QUOTE (Jenn! @ Sep 1 2009, 10:43 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Congratulations, Marissa! Wow, less than 4 years in total - not bad, USCIS.

When did you apply for citizenship? We've been dragging our feet on that - too sad to break our ties with USCIS. tongue.gif



Thanks, everyone!

We applied for citizenship in May of this year...I need to fill out my timeline for citizenship, which I'll try to do this week. All in all, it was much more speedy than I anticipated.

Jenn, it sounds like you have much more pressing matters to attend to right now than to worry about filling out more paperwork!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2009-09-01 10:59:00
Middle East and North AfricaMy visajourney
Is over! kicking.gif kicking.gif

Yesterday, Amed went to take the citizenship test. I went to USCIS with him. When he finished, he came out with a piece of paper which said that he passed the test, and to come back in 30 minutes (!!) for the oath ceremony. He is now an American citizen!

We were floored. We thought we would have to wait weeks, if not months, for the ceremony.

Overall, we were very, very lucky, and I am counting our blessings. He applied for the visa in November 2005, and in August of 2009, he is a citizen.

I want to thank everyone for all of the encouragement and advice over the years. Ir would have been a lot more difficult to go through this process without this website!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2009-09-01 09:22:00
Middle East and North Africapolice record from France?
QUOTE (hollykay @ Oct 26 2009, 05:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Hi all,

Ahmed had his interview on Oct 22. He said that the interview went well. The gentleman that was doing his interview asked him alot of questions about the time spent in France and ask him for a copy of his police reocrd from France. After the interview, Ahmed went to the French Embassy in Cairo and they told him they couldnt help him. How do we get a copy of his police record from the French government?

Hollykay



Hi Hollykay,

You can request the police record by sending a request to the following e-mail address: cjn@justice.gouv.fr, or by mail to: Casier Judiciaire National 44317 NANTES CEDEX 3 or by fax to 02 51 89 89 18. You can download the request form by going here: http://www.vos-droit...ix/cerfa_b3.pdf. Hope that helps!

MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2009-10-26 09:30:00
Middle East and North AfricaPolice record in France Help
As long as he was never arrested or had any run-ins with the police, his record should be clear, and his illegal status shouldn't affect the police report. Others here have had the same issue (illegal overstay in EU country), and things have worked out. Hope it works out for you!
MHandMBFemaleAlgeria2009-10-30 10:10:00