ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Middle East and North AfricaThink Really Hard Before Marrying Someone from MENA

In regards to half mena kids growing up here - I have two teenage sons who are half arab/muslim. I don't feel they are any less well mannered, well behaved, religion minded as any full arab/muslim kids. They speak arabic because their father took the time to teach them and expose them to arab speakers. He's a busy man who works 12hr days. Being busy isn't a good excuse imo. As far as behavior, they are more well behaved and well mannered than any of the full arab kids I know. Not saying full arab/gmuslim kids are bad. Just saying religiousness of the parent doesn't guarantee a good kid. Actually the worst behaved kid my sons know is the Imam's son who sneaks peeks at Playboys and chit chats and laughs during prayers.


As a half arab/muslim married to a muslim I would agree with this comment whole heartedly. Instead of treating being half and half as a bad thing, it allows the kids to get views of 2 religions/cultures that most people aren't fortunate enough to have. I am very thankful for having grown up being exposed to both the church and the mosque. My friends are from all walks of life and religions and it has indeed made me more tolerant and open minded.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-11 15:38:00
Middle East and North AfricaMENA ROC
Hi,

I filed at the beginning of the month and the hubby has his biometrics appt. at the beginning of next month.
We included:

-copy of his green card (front and back)
-letter from the bank attesting to how long we have had our joint checking acct
-Joint Federal taxes 2009, 2010, 2011
-Joint CA state taxes 2010, 2011
-A wedding invitation addressed to both of us showing our joint address
-copy of our IRAs showing that we are each others' beneficiaries
-copy of my 403b showing him as my beneficiary
-2 affidavits: 1. from a mutual friend of ours who has known us since we met 2. from my mother (who we live with)

I used the template that is available here under forms. Let me know if you have any questions :D
Good Luck!
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-15 16:53:00
Middle East and North AfricaTunisian Embassy in the US?
Hello friends,

It's that fun time when I need to renew the hubby's passport. Any of you other Tounsi's know where I can get some info on this? the internets have failed me.

Thanks in advance

(I hope I'm posting this in the right forum...)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-19 17:57:00
Middle East and North AfricaIs there anyone lived my story
I thought grading my class's midterms was painful! Thanks for providing me with some gratuitous entertainment.

The only way to get a visa is to work together. If the OP really wanted help, then his petitioner would be posting so that we could get her some help. I hope this all works out.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-22 15:08:00
Middle East and North AfricaIs there anyone lived my story
Farid,

She really needs to come online so that we can help her and explain the things that she needs to do. Because she is the petitioner, it is now her responsibility to educate herself and find the tools to fight for your both. Good Luck wa rabi ma3k.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-21 18:44:00
Middle East and North AfricaMarch 2012

Oh....North County San Diego and feels like summer!!! 75 and at the coast!!!
Just took a break from the pool and jumped on to say good night to my hubby :blush:

@PalmTreeGirl~ when you write his beans...is it foul mudammas??? Yummy for breakfast with olive oil :yes:

How wonderful to shop with your husband...smile



AMEN! Im in SD too! Marhababik :)

I am thankful for sending off our RoC packet last weekend. We are both doing school and working and harldy ever get to spend more than 1 hour together except on the weekend. Yesterday his class got out early and he got home and we just watched TV for 2 hours and hanging out. Anyway, I hope to get to know more of you guys :)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-08 21:57:00
Middle East and North AfricaO...M...G
Congratulations!!
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-26 14:21:00
Middle East and North AfricaCrazy MIL
I am so sorry that you have such a crappy relationship with your MIL. I suggest that you discuss your feelings with your husband and that the next time you to go Lebanon, you rent an apartment somewhere so that you can have some quality time without the family drama!
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-17 23:24:00
Middle East and North AfricaIt's over
congrats!!

So his interview was more like 20-25 minutes. I misunderstood him earlier...


SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-04-02 16:57:00
Middle East and North AfricaBringing family to the US
Hi,

The hubby has been hinting that he would like to help his older brother come to the US once he's a citizen (next year). I am on the fence about this because going through the adjustment process was tough enough (we've been here 2 years and it's just now feeling normal). I wanted to know how the rest of you had dealt with this issue and the outcomes?

Thanks!
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-28 01:20:00
Middle East and North AfricaApril 2012
Anis FINALLY got his license about 2 weeks ago! Woot! And it doesn't expire until 2016 :)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-04-23 22:49:00
Middle East and North AfricaApril 2012
Happy April! Hubby has biometrics in the morning!
Have a great month everyone :)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-04-01 22:39:00
Middle East and North Africaim looking for some bary frome morroco please

I just don't think the consulate in Casablanca will share your love for whimsy, that's all. They're mostly a stodgy bunch IIRC. They don't even appreciate that there are SO MANY different kinds of Yahoo! Smileys out there these days!!


I spit out my coffee. Awesome post. :)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-05-09 09:03:00
Middle East and North AfricaCautious with Questions
I lived in Paris from 2005 to 2008. The deal is that if you are on a student visa, you are allowed to work 20 hours a week, and you are entitled to some benefits, such as access to rent controlled apartments, cheaper metro passes, cheap mutual plans for awesome health insurance. What strikes me as odd is being on a student visa for 8 years. This would mean that the person has done college (3 years) Master 2 (2 years) and PhD (3 years). Anything else would not be possible to be in school that long.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-05-24 11:39:00
Middle East and North AfricaHas marriage & life been what you expected?
I read all of your wonderful stories and decided to share my own.

Anis and I met while I was doing my Master's in Paris, France. After two years, we moved to Tunisia so that I could meet his family, work, and do the DCF visa. My father is from Algeria, so I did not have so much culture shock. We lived with his family for a little less than two years and I worked at Amideast. We often look back fondly at that moment of our lives as being the honeymoon period before real life set in.

Anis and I have been married since 2008 and when we moved here in 2010, I honestly had more than a few moments of regret. Anis dealt with the culture shock very badly, even though this was someone who had spent 10 years in Italy and France. He didn't understand how hard people work here for so little (compared to Europe), the healthcare system (what system?) or many other factors. I got a job 3 days after getting off of the plane and basically spent the first year working and educating my husband on life here. However, thank God, since starting work last year, Anis has done a 180. He likes his job (he's a cook - yes, Arab cooking man!) and is planning on going to cooking school to be a chef. Even though we don't have kids yet, we're planning on waiting another year, I can say that I am thankful that I can look back on the 5 years we have been together and have seen such a progression in the depth of our trust, faith, and love for each other.

I love this thread! I am not married yet, but Insallah we will be soon. My fiance, I know will be in shock, when he gets here, but together we will work it all out. We are already planning on weekly calls with his family, and joining a community center near where we will be living.


If he ever needs to talk to another Tounsi, let us know :)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-03-08 22:29:00
Middle East and North AfricaMoney Transfer from Algeria...
While it is quite easy to send money TO Tunisia, it is very difficult to send money out. When I worked there, I was able to transfer a percentage of my money every month to my US bank account. However, this usually takes 2 weeks. I do know that when we were leaving (May 2010) they were changing the bank laws. Given that the money is a closed currency, the best way may be to send a moneygram/western union. However, the situation in Algeria is almost the same concerning their monetary policy. I would also try going to an international bank such as HSBC or Parisbas and seeing if there's a way he can do an international transfer from their institution. Good Luck wa rabi ma3k.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-04-23 22:42:00
Middle East and North AfricaI864 frustration!!
Asked my parents too, luckily enough they had met DH prior to sponsoring him. I was working for an NGO at the time in Tunis, so my salary was not even in USD. Talk about being WAAAAAAY under the cut off.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-02 14:21:00
Middle East and North AfricaMoroccan History in Spain
Out of the three countries, Tunisia's (Tunis, not Djerba) dialect is closest to FusHa. Algerian arabic is really a creole as it is heavily mixed with a French lexicon and Turkish borrowed words. My husband cannot understand Moroccans, so I have to translate for him. He says they speak quickly (which they do, but so do Tunisians) I don't know if its a realy quantifiable difference or a perceived difference linked to identity. Ok more coffee..

You may be interested in this article http://www.tunisia-l...well-in-tunisia
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-05-29 11:02:00
Middle East and North AfricaMoroccan History in Spain
This looks amazing! When I finish my grades for my students I will check it out :) I went in 2005, and I loved it!
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-05-28 21:17:00
Middle East and North AfricaCurly Haired Products
I had wavy hair til puberty and then BOOM! massive curly hair. My husband also has curly hair, so we're pretty much set on having a future curly haired brood.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-02 22:46:00
Middle East and North AfricaCurly Haired Products

Why?
Natural Curly hair is beautiful!!!


This company was created by a locel man here in North County San Diego and we love ENJOY products!!

My daughter has naturally curly hair so thanks for the heads up on products..always looking for something good.


I did not know that Enjoy is a local product, must be why it's so awesome ;)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-02 14:26:00
Middle East and North AfricaCurly Haired Products
yeah I like having curly hair. When I want it straight I flat iron it, but I just wondered if anyone had found anything better for curly hair :)

you can go to the salon and rebond your hair. your hair would stay super straight for a whole year.


SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-01 21:59:00
Middle East and North AfricaCurly Haired Products
Hi Ladies,

I am of the massively curly haired persuasion and, I am always looking for new products to tame my wild locks. I know this is a super - superficial topic, but if you have any products that work well on thick curly hair, please post.

So far, my favorites are:

DevaCurl - No Poo (Shampoo)
DevaCurl - One Condition (Conditioner)
Catwalk - Curls Rock (Shampoo and Conditioned)

In terms of styling, I have already sold my future firstborn to Enjoy Shaping Lotion.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-01 21:49:00
Middle East and North AfricaDUAL CITIZENSHIP
Hi! Congratulations on the birth of your child. Here is the link to the consular services that Egypt performs in the US
http://www.egyptemba.../consulate.html

Here is the list of offices by state http://www.egyptembassy.net/about.html

good luck!
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-09 22:16:00
Middle East and North AfricaEngagement parties? Input please!
we did not have an engagement party for two reasons:
1. we were in Paris, my family was in the US and his was in Tunisia. It was too complicated to deal with all of that.
2. we were poor and wanted to save money for moving to Tunisia and for the visa.

When we got married in Tunisia a few months later, I didn't allow his family to have a big party because I knew it would bankrupt them. They were not happy about it, but I knew that it was the right decision since I could not afford to have a party as well as do the visa paperwork. To this day, Anis's mom still wants us to have a party in Tunisia. Sigh.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-08 21:16:00
Middle East and North Africainterview 6/21 egypt
Good Luck!!
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-17 16:03:00
Middle East and North Africainterview 6/21 egypt

So finally we have the final interview on the 21st of this month... any suggestions, tips, prayers or anything helpful
would be greatly appreciated! we are in the DCF process in...and i returned to egypt to be with my habibi...


Good Luck! I did DCF and found it to be much less stressful than others' experiences here.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-17 02:13:00
Middle East and North AfricaSending I-130 but how the heck do I pay for it?
When I did DCF I was able to pay in Tunisian dinars
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-17 15:44:00
Middle East and North AfricaNaturalization Interview Date for Hubby
Good Luck! Will be filing n-400 in 9 months :D
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-15 19:50:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat is your spouses opinions on what is happening in Egypt now?

This is a good site for Tunisian news, post revolution. It's pretty honest and gives different view points. It's in English but I think French and Arabic as well.
http://www.tunisia-live.net/

I agree Tunisia has been mostly ignored although I was surprised a few weeks ago to see an Anderson Cooper round table discussion panel that did actually credit the revolutions to Tunisia. I think Tunisia is largely ignored due to the relative limited amount of violence and bloodshed in comparison to Egypt, Libya, and Syria.

About two days ago things seemed to get rough when an art show in Tunis showcased pieces that included the word Allah written in insects. The Salafists got worked up and insanity ruled again. Two young men lost their lives. Curfews have been lifted or pulled back though in most places.


Thanks so much for posting this. Anis watches that nightly and we skype often with his family. It's just disheartening when people think that the Arab Spring started in Egypt (not to say that Egypt did not play a significant role).
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-18 13:59:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat is your spouses opinions on what is happening in Egypt now?
My husband is pretty shocked about the disparity between how the US media is covering Egypt and the way it has pretty much ignored Tunisia. My husband has to spend a lot more time finding stories on with the French media and other sources to know ####### is going on in his country. He is happy that his country has helped spawn a change in Arab regimes but skeptical as to how these changes will play out. THere is a curfew called in Tunisia over fears of violence at the moment.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-14 14:10:00
Middle East and North AfricaHow tall are you & your MENA so?
Anis: 6'1" (I think)
Me: 5'5"

I am also in the petite trench as I am a torso woman. I can't wait to finish this semester so I can go to the gym and get back to curvy from my present lumpy state :)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-04-30 17:27:00
Middle East and North AfricaJune 2012

Previous trips to halal places were letdowns for me as well. Lots of frozen things, or pretty dirty looking places from which I wouldn't eat any meat! Then found the butcher, which I loved but am really happy to have the convenience of good halal meats so close.
Speaking of Dearborn, they cancelled the TLC series, "Every Day Muslims". (is that the correct title?) Good, bad, or indifferent, (and I felt differently about the show depending upon who was highlighted in a certain week), I was disappointed that they cancelled it. I heard a lot of positive comments about it from non-Muslims who felt it educated them to the every day lives of Muslims and de-mystified (I like to call it de-"othered") Muslims for them.


My husband and father were so excited to see a show about Muslims! Then Lowe's pulled their commercials, then it got cancelled not long after. I found it to have some good moments about how Muslims live and work in the US. It would have been nice to have one more season so that I could really make a decision, but I am disappointed that it was pulled when other "less quality" shows have been on for years :(
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-27 11:26:00
Middle East and North AfricaJune 2012
You guys have given me some new work out ideas for sure! I am still doing 30-32 min of cardio a day and am working up to 45 mins :D
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-26 15:39:00
Middle East and North AfricaJune 2012
There are three abandonded houses on our street. You should all come to San Diego and claim them. But, there are no jobs, which is the suck. Sigh.
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-21 13:32:00
Middle East and North AfricaJune 2012

Or better yet, they will decide to move and in their place will come awesome new neighbors who bake brownies and give you free garden produce.


I too hope for this Mithra! What a bunch of schmucks, seriously!
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-21 12:59:00
Middle East and North AfricaJune 2012
I love swimming but me in a bathing suit is not good for the moment :(
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-19 20:55:00
Middle East and North AfricaJune 2012
did 30 minutes on the treadmill today. slowly working up to 45 minutes :)
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-19 00:35:00
Middle East and North AfricaJune 2012
I teach English as a Second language to International Students at UCSD. What about you??
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-18 15:00:00
Middle East and North AfricaJune 2012

Walking 1st thing in the morning is one of my favorite activities. Not that I enjoy exercise. I don't. I rather sit on my a$$ channel surfing but that won't do anything positive for my health or my figure.

I didn't teach summer school last summer so I'd wake up w/o an alarm between 7:30am and 9am. I'd get dressed, brush teeth, wash my face and head out for at least an hour, depending on how early I got started. Walking after 10am was too hot. This year I put myself in a position in which I need some extra money to get myself out of the red, therefore, I'm teaching summer school. As a result, I can't do the morning walks on workdays because it's too dark that early in the morning :(

Anyway, I probably ate too much yesterday BUT I did go for an hour walk yesterday morning since it was Sunday. I also played about an hour of tennis yesterday evening right before nightfall. I will force myself to hit the treadmill for about an hour later this afternoon and I'll probably go play tennis again this evening, too.

What's everyone eating today?


I'm trying to get into a fitness routine so that I can keep it up when I start teaching again in 2 weeks. I am waiting for my hip to get better. Sigh....
SarahandAnisFemaleTunisia2012-06-18 13:48:00