ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Middle East and North AfricaME/NA Christmas traditons
wow JP that picture looks pretty cool. Always like those jordanian blue skies they make the pictures look awesome I have a few.

Well today we went christmas shopping. As always spent a lot of money, but we had fun doing it. Both me and Anmar wanted to buy christmas gifts for each other but of course we couldn't because then we would know what we bought each other, so now i have to go look for something unexpected for him. I should just have him do a christmas list seemed like he wanted a lot of things for christmas. :lol: :lol:
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-12-07 22:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaME/NA Christmas traditons
I am ready to Christmas shop!!!!! Sucks that i have to work on Friday though!!

Anyone else ready??
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-11-22 11:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaME/NA Christmas traditons
Thanks MK for the nice pictures of Palestine and how they celebrate christmas. I am going to go there yet/someday.

Anmar said in his neighborhood in Jordan the christians decorate their houses with lights. You can see Santas on the street ringing a bell. He even sent me a christmas card last year and it was homemade :luv:
I remember the first times I went to Jordan. He would point out and say there is a church, that is a christian village. There is another church. Always pointing out christian things to me :) He even asked me if a wanted to go to church because he would ask his neighbors to take me. I was too shy, but now I wished I did go.

Angel
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-11-20 19:16:00
Middle East and North AfricaME/NA Christmas traditons
JP do they have christmas songs in arabic?
If so maybe a thread could be made for christmas music in arabic
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-11-19 21:20:00
Middle East and North Africahey it's sunday here!

What kind of enchiladas? I love them.
I just got my uncle's recipe that I remember from childhood and I can't wait to try making them. Well, with fake meat instead of "real" meat. :D


just the regular ones with hamburger and cheese and the enchilada sauce I make. As another filler I put peas in them. I don't make the tortillas myself I just go buy them fresh here I use the flour tortillas they just taste better than corn. I wish I could buy fresh pita bread that I have to order and shipped the next day to me. cost an arm and leg for shipping but those are the only ones my husband likes other than that he's not picky. Just about his pita bread he has to eat it with everything. Enchiladas with just cheese and onion taste good also if you don't eat meat.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-12-10 23:00:00
Middle East and North Africahey it's sunday here!

Don't look at me. I'm not sure why but it can't be my fault!! :P

I just finished making my weekly batch of soup and my son and I are about to make some bread. Candied fruit bread or something such.
Did 4 loads of laundry today and dishes as well.
Still I managed mucho time of sitting on patootie.

Weekends are great.
:)



I just finished making 20 enchiladas(small ones) for our potluck tomorrow and now starting on my second load of laundry. I am taking a break from packing today I am just too tired to do that.

Hope everyone had a good weekend!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-12-10 21:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaOh My GOD??!!!!
Congrats Jean. Hope he gets the visa soon!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-12-01 07:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaHe's Here
congrats Jean!!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-12-31 21:23:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat if you donnot like your SO's country...
ditto that dollface. I love my in laws and Jordan!!!!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-12-31 21:20:00
Middle East and North AfricaIs it okay to go from wearing hijab to not wearing hijab?

I'm tired of this... I quote a piece of quraan given by a respectable website and all of a sudden I'm satan yet again. Come on, anyone else want to tell me how wrong and stupid I am? Please, come on in and feel free. geez

ok.. I want to make something very clear here.... I DO NOT cover my head, I DO NOT wear gloves or wear long dresses or always wear high neck clothes. I do not say that I am a perfect muslim nor do I want anybody to think I am. I will never change my name to gain a new identity. I do not claim to know anything more about Islam than any of you. If you all still can't understand that.....then there's nothing I can do about it. I just wanted to be part of the conversation but I am afraid that any time i try to do this lately, I become the one to put down. I try to help and get crushed, I try to tell somebody my interpretation and get shot down but yet everybody else and their cousins can talk about Islam and be praised ...EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT MUSLIM... I am sorry I ever came into this thread or this forum for that matter. I have done my best to be a peace keeper and see both sides of the fence but I now see that it has only caused me to be seen as an idiot and someone who everyone chooses to pick her threads apart and let her know what a stupid horrible muslim she is ESPECIALLY for reading and interpreting a piece of the quraan in a different way than you.
Thanks for your time and thanks for continually reducing me to the stupid idiot you all think I am. I know now that I am not welcome to post here anymore...or at least I'm not free to have my own opinion. I give up. It is just not worth it anymore.


amal,
I hope you continue to post. You are a newly convert and are still learning..you are not expected to know everything because nobody knows everything we are not perfect human beings. You can read and read and listen to other people about the quran and it's teachings, but you in the end will know what is right to you and what to follow!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-12-31 23:40:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
I also want to add. I think it was Melly asking about what happens to the children of these so called honor killings. Most of the time they end up in orphanges. I remember seeing Queen Ranian and King Abdullah of Jordan visiting an orphanage. I asked my husband where do all these children come from. If arab families are so close why are do they have orphanages in Jordan? he told me most come from families that both mother and father have died and nobody can care for them and some come from divorced parents were neither can want or care for them..again culture..shame.. or some come from unwedded women. It made me sad and i said so if we wanted to adopt can we. He told me yes, but they would have to keep their family name they have. I said we can't change it to our name and he said no because if they ever wanted to marry it's to keep from marrying there brother or sister. I understood that, but I was like ok but they will be in the USA..He just looked at me thinking, so it maybe possible for some of you to adopted. The option is there!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 22:18:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
If your are really interested in this subject like I am. JP has left a link. IMO i think everyone should be informed, but that is just me. It's part of arab culture and anyone married to some from the ME/NA should have an awareness of it. I like i stated. I am more interested in what can be done about it and how to solve it.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 21:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
szsz posted maybe your husband says maybe he will not condone honor killings but you really you won't know until it happens something to that affect. I told my husband if you ever change your mind and you or your family try to harm my child because maybe they did something to harm your family name. I told him you'll have to go through me and my machete because nobody will touch my child. Welcome to my culture honey! He looked at me seriously and said you know what you sound just like my mother!!!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 21:31:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings

JP i am really glad you brought up this subject. For a long time I been reading and reading about this subject and been following these stories for years. I am glad you brought awareness to this issue.

Shokran!!!!!



You might like this website www.ranahusseini.com


JP i do read her articles!!! i was going to post about her. She is a strong lady. I am sure you read about the death threats she got??? but she still publishes her articles.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 21:13:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
JP i am really glad you brought up this subject. For a long time I been reading and reading about this subject and been following these stories for years. I am glad you brought awareness to this issue.

Shokran!!!!!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 21:02:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
baby steps JP. If it ever gets changed maybe stiffer penalites but I don't see it going away completely.
Myself I am more interested in what is being done in Jordan, and coming up with ways to solve it. Women shelters would be nice instead of being put in jail or even maybe immigrating to another country as an option. It should be consider amnesty so they can immigrate.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 20:49:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
i am wondering if there are any reports or stories regardings non arab women with arab men who had daughters or sons who were victims of honor killings???

Edited by angelk96, 05 January 2007 - 08:14 PM.

AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 20:14:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
I know Queen Rania has formed comissioned a human rights to look into honor killings.
Well maybe Jordan will follow with amending their penal code regarding honor killing but highly unlikely considering most of those who oppose changing the law are bedouin tribes. They are the main backers of the Hashemite Kingdom.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 19:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
MK did you know that Jordanian law regarding honor killing is law in Palestine?

I found this subject interesting years back. I still read up about it!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 19:14:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
wow 359 replies including this one.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 18:21:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings

Would you marry a white man who was comfortable with the concept of lynching a black man? Assume he wouldn't actually do it, but just thought it was ok.


Good Analogy!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 10:17:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings

when I think about embracing and accepting an SOs culture, this ain't one of the things I include. I am still out of my mind with the answers to the poll.


I don't embrace or accept this in my culture.

I read the Jordan Times and every now and then a story will pop up about honor killings. Most of the times when someone is killed. The person or persons who did it will go right down to the police station and confess.



The victim is usually buried in an unmarked grave with no coffin. There is no service, no period of morning. It is absoulutly disgraceful and sick. As much as I love my country, I hate the fact they condone such behavior.

They have put systems in place to help women who feel they are in danger of being killed but it is just as ridiculous as the crime itself. They allow the girl to check into prison to remain "safe" from her family, but she can't ever check herself out. There are however other organizations that truly do help women in need but they are rare.


I like jordan too, but i don't like the judicial system where they only get put in prison for so many years if even that. Also the revenge killing between families there. Some of the men from a family would be put in jail for there protection until a truce can be made.


Year?!??! Its actually months if even that! :angry:


ok ok..months!!!!! :blush:

and I don't accept or embrace this as a part of my husband's culture also.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-04 21:03:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings

I read the Jordan Times and every now and then a story will pop up about honor killings. Most of the times when someone is killed. The person or persons who did it will go right down to the police station and confess.



The victim is usually buried in an unmarked grave with no coffin. There is no service, no period of morning. It is absoulutly disgraceful and sick. As much as I love my country, I hate the fact they condone such behavior.

They have put systems in place to help women who feel they are in danger of being killed but it is just as ridiculous as the crime itself. They allow the girl to check into prison to remain "safe" from her family, but she can't ever check herself out. There are however other organizations that truly do help women in need but they are rare.


I like jordan too, but i don't like the judicial system where they only get put in prison for so many years if even that. Also the revenge killing between families there. Some of the men from a family would be put in jail for there protection until a truce can be made.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-04 20:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
I read the Jordan Times and every now and then a story will pop up about honor killings. Most of the times when someone is killed. The person or persons who did it will go right down to the police station and confess.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-04 20:32:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings

This thread has scared the ####### out of me. Some of you are married to people who are ok with killing their daughters or gay sons. :o :o :o

Honestly maybe I was naive but I didn't really believe there were still people like that living in the US. I'm totally and completely shocked.



I know, I was thinkign the same thing. Especially since I think that gay people don't choose to be gay and they just come out that way.

I am pretty amazed and dissapointed that some people are marrying men who think it is ok to kill their own sister/daughter.


I am shocked, I keep looking over this thread and I'm just shocked.


I am also shocked about the amount of people that are with MENA men and have little or no knowledge about this. (Not you peezey) :wacko:


I think it's a pretty interesting subject and have read about it over the years, and discussed it over and over with friends from the ME. Not everyone's spouse thinks honor killings are ok here, I know mine isn't!!!!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-04 20:27:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
Some of the stories and the reasons behind the killings.
for example. two people are married, the man divorces his wife. tells her family she is having an affair. So her brother and father kill her.
or a girl goes off to the university and doesn't know how the life will be there because nobody told her. So she starts talking to guys thinking it's normal because other girls are doing it. Her cousin sees her and reports to her family she was with a man, so they kill her. etc.....
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-04 18:31:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings
if you have a fiance/husband coming from Jordan you should discuss it and be aware of it because a lot of honor killings happen there. Not just to young unmarried women, but to married and divorce women also.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-04 18:16:00
Middle East and North AfricaHonor Killings

This is a good topic really. I guess this is something that women should discuss before marrying a man from MENA.


Not only this topic but many others also IMO :thumbs:
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-04 18:11:00
Middle East and North AfricaA lot can go down between Thursday and Saturday....

Good morning!

Last night I saw Pedro Almadovar's newest film "Volver". I loved it. I love him- e is oneof my favorite directors of all time. The women in his films (and this one was no exception) are vibrant, quirky, real- from the stars to the extras . Penelope Cruz stars in this one and she was wonderful.

Posted Image


can't wait to see it!!

Thank Goodness it's friday! long long week! :dance:
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-05 18:23:00
Middle East and North AfricaNoura and Said are getting married tomorrow!
Big Mabrook to you and Said !!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-12-31 21:21:00
Middle East and North AfricaSunday
Happy BD henia!

Well my morning started off good. We had guests this morning. My husband's cousin and his son from kansas came to visit. We had a wonderful arab breakfast of pita bread, labneh, makdous, olives, tomatoes, onions, hummus, ful, olive oil and zataar and scrambled eggs with arab tea. We finally got dish network, so now my husband is watching the arab channels. The rest are taking a nap!!

Happy Sunday to all!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-14 13:15:00
Middle East and North AfricaGoodbye

Also, I want to add something . . . not really joining in the "pizzing" contest . . . part of the reason that I stopped posting before was because someone told me the "karma was going to get me . . . what goes around comes around" C***, because I was posting about my experiences going thru Egypt and was happy that we got the visa last year . . . they accused me of rubbing it in because they were so unhappy and stressed out about their visa experience . . . all that waiting you know. Well, I had already been married for over a year by the time the visa was granted and had been on VJ for much longer . . . and WAITING much longer at the time.

So was my car wreck karma???? don't think so . . . S*** happens! won't be the first time, won't be the last time. Like I said in another thread . . .lost that baggage at the airport . . . more than once . . . it can be replaced. . . . and I get to upgrade when I do (I LUV upgrade to first class which is what I got coming and going from Columbus last week).

Am I unhappy and negative and stressed out?? Sure . . . freely admit it . . . have been all of these at various times most of my life due to other things that are NYB, but I have managed to survive and survive quite well. AND I have many moments of true genuine happiness. I do manage to make my husband laugh many times and he says that I am a very strong woman, which he likes (I hope that he really appreciates that once he gets here . . . but I dont always feel strong ).

There is no contest here or race to get the visa before anyone else . . . .and talking about ppl being unhappy and deserving it, karma getting them, etc. is NOT what I care to hear about . . . even if that is reality . .. and believe me, I am more realistic than many ppl I know while trying to hang onto some shreds of optimism.

Sorry to contribute to this thread, but I finally decided to give my opinion . . . which I try hard not to do as I try to avoid the train wrecks.

:blush:

CB2 B)


wow catherine I didn't know that's why you stop posting so long ago! That's just wrong for someone to say that to you!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-14 13:04:00
Middle East and North AfricaIssues you may need to discuss with your MENA SO

I wish I knew what sound 2, 3 and 7 make. :(

The 2 stands for hamza in the middle of a word. Holy Qur'an will be Qur2an
The 3 is the first letter of the name Abdullah.
The 7 is the first letter of the name Hamad, Habebe 7 is a H


Mohammed has been approached several times over the last 2 years. They said they would pay $130k a year, but he would have to go to Iraq. uh....no.

Jackie (F)


Yeah i was thinking heck no! If I was all about money I'll let him go work for the railroad as an engineer and be gone a lot, but at least I would know where he was. They are looking for people who speak arabic and farsi.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-10 18:10:00
Middle East and North AfricaIssues you may need to discuss with your MENA SO
Here's an issue that just came up within the last hour.

We were at the doctor's office and two army personnel were there also to get flu shots. Anyways my husband seen his Iraqi friend and his wife and went to talk to them and they spoke arabic. We left the doctor's office and one of the Army guys came out after us . He asked my husband if he spoke arabic and my husband said yes. Anyways he was trying to recruit him to be a translator. I was like I don't think so! I just got my husband here. Anyways he gave us his card. So your spouse may at one point try to get recruited as a translator.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-10 17:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaHow Long for Interview in Amman?





Believe me we all feel your guys' pain. It took almost a year from filiing to getting the visa for my husband.
I hated that embassy but really they are probably the best in that region.



Algeria seems to be the best to me in ME/NA. I guess if you were to look at ME only then yes Jordan would probebly be the best which doesn't say much for the other countries. :unsure:


Excuse Meeeeee JP....... Amman is probably the best in the MIDDLE EAST :lol:



No argument there. :star: You are starting to sound like a real Jordanian. :lol:

shhh my husband might agree with that statement :P

Amman is the best indeed....but I am so mad at the immigration process and the people who runs it...this whole system need to be scratched and replaced with more eduated, smart and motivated people...I have heard and gone thru issues that can only happen in a very backward system or a system that intentionally discrimate against a certain group...I guess both are true here...


Agree with the whole system needs to be replace! I am just glad I am done with the Embassy part. I got tired of their same ole replies they just really pissed me off sometimes.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-11-07 20:23:00
Middle East and North AfricaHow Long for Interview in Amman?


Believe me we all feel your guys' pain. It took almost a year from filiing to getting the visa for my husband.
I hated that embassy but really they are probably the best in that region.



Algeria seems to be the best to me in ME/NA. I guess if you were to look at ME only then yes Jordan would probebly be the best which doesn't say much for the other countries. :unsure:


Excuse Meeeeee JP....... Amman is probably the best in the MIDDLE EAST :lol:
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-11-07 19:41:00
Middle East and North AfricaHow Long for Interview in Amman?
Believe me we all feel your guys' pain. It took almost a year from filiing to getting the visa for my husband.
I hated that embassy but really they are probably the best in that region.
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-11-07 19:33:00
Middle East and North AfricaHow Long for Interview in Amman?
Welcome both of you(Icemountain and lion_lioness to VJ.

Hope your journeys are short and good luck!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2006-11-05 15:54:00
Middle East and North AfricaWho is your 80's hearthrob?
Posted Image

lol. I got John Stamos and I did think he was hot and still do!!
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-24 20:32:00
Middle East and North AfricaThings to tell your SO

It made me sad to see the other thread go so downhill so I thought I would try to start another one since I do think there are many things we can learn from each other on this subject. I don't venture much past the first page so if another thread for this was started already, I apologize.

You may not get a job the day you apply. You have to call every day until they get tired of hearing from you and either tell you to leave them alone or hire you.



Everything goes downhill in this forum.


I really hope this thread can maintain a light atmosphere to share our experiences. It makes me smile to see others that have had similar experiences as we have had :yes:

I take back my Levi statement. I just remember him saying he once got a pair of Levis for 5 dollars so I took him to the Levi store and he saw the price at 50 dollars. he just about passed out!

Another thing I couldn't stress enough to him was, You have to be patient in order to make any money here. You can't just start right off the bat at 30 bux an hour...you have to start small and work your way up (unless you are fortunate enough to have money to start off with or have jobs available nearby in your expected field).

I should have also told him that iced tea is not poison! He saw me put ice in it and said "no no that is bad ... not good" I said "taste it" and he has LOVED iced tea since that day ... he has told all his family and friends to try this new idea of ice tea...they all think he's nuts! hehehe :lol:



Amal you can get levis for 5 or 7 JOD in the second hand shops in downtown Irbid. They also have a Levis factory in Jordan. It's all about the trademark in Jordan.

Ok here's my tip. Your significant other will not be use to the food here at first and will probably get constipated and be embarassed to tell you. Another thing if your SO is on the thin side like mine is they might want to bring a lot of jeans and dress pants. If i can donate some of my adipose tissue/fat to my husband I would :lol:
AngelK96FemaleJordan2007-01-25 17:23:00