Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Middle East and North Africa	New MENA Arrival	Thanks, everyone! i'm exhausted!!!!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2009-12-15 14:09:00
Middle East and North Africa	New MENA Arrival	Dear Friends, Please welcome the newest MENA addition, Youssef Anthony, born last week. i'm not online much (because i'm still trying to figure out the darn breast pump), but i wanted to share the good cheer. As always, thanks for all your help and advice over the months! Talk soon, hz  rightafterarriving.jpg   155.17KB   82 downloads Edited by AlHayatZween, 15 December 2009 - 01:53 PM.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2009-12-15 13:53:00
Middle East and North Africa	moroccan consulate question	Sounds good ! Keep your fingers crossed...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-09 11:21:00
Middle East and North Africa	moroccan consulate question	i think most interviews are scheduled for early in the morning. and your SO will go inside to interview at a window, kinda like going to talk to a bank teller. Outside window is to pick up stuff.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-08 16:20:00
Middle East and North Africa	Staying or going...	Not to mention you get to be together throughout the process which has to make it easier! I will say one thing though...in order to return you will have to show that you have a place to live and income at 125% of the poverty level or assets to satisfy the I-864. That's true... i hadn't thought about that when i was thinking about romance...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-10 17:14:00
Middle East and North Africa	Staying or going...	i don't have any real advice regarding this circumstance. You can definitely start the process and cancel... that's been done before (you just might have to explain why later... and of course, changing jobs is an acceptable reason). i just wanted to say that living in Lebanon sounds very romantic ! Go for it if you are up for the adventure and have no hardcore ties here.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-10 14:59:00
Middle East and North Africa	Just wondering....	QUOTE (Vanessa1 @ Dec 29 2009, 06:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> We've been married 6 months and 2 days. I guess we're in last place for the longest married but first place for the most recent marriage.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2009-12-29 16:00:00
Middle East and North Africa	Just wondering....	3 years in May	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2009-12-28 17:05:00
Middle East and North Africa	Anyone going to Casablanca/Rabat Sale in the next few months that has time to hang out?	You know, I have never seen one of these hole in the ground toilets that everyone talks about in Morocco. I remember reading "Culture Shock, Morocco" before I went there the first time and it mentioned this. I was freaked out, I even asked my husband if he knew what toilet paper was and if I needed to bring some. He was offended that I would think like that about Morocco. He had a western toilet in his apartment, so does his family's home(they have 2) and everywhere else we visited had western toilets. I can't imagine using one of those! They are not so bad... you get used to them... And not only that sometimes the squat position helps facilitate the cleansing of your plumbing... Sorry.. TMI !	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-17 14:03:00
Middle East and North Africa	Anyone going to Casablanca/Rabat Sale in the next few months that has time to hang out?	ROFL about the tea! I MISS the tea!!! I also miss the harira. I've tried to make it a couple of times and it's never right. I can't wait to go back and have my mother-in-law show me how to do it right. Could be that I don't have a pressure cooker... Ok, but seriously, don't forget about the Moroccan coffee. Oh my gosh that stuff was better than Starbucks! (Which explains why there's no Starbucks...something I will introduce my husband to very quickly after he gets here!) The best coffee i ever had in my life was in the dirty, near empty bus depot in Rissani. There were flies and strange men buzzing about, and i swear it had to be made with goat milk or something, but damn it was the best i ever had.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-14 12:39:00
Middle East and North Africa	Anyone going to Casablanca/Rabat Sale in the next few months that has time to hang out?	Thank you! I'm gonna try it! I guess I'll be back to Topps and generic Orangina Ooo! Ooo! i think they have Orangina! You are going to be drinking tea all the time, who are we kidding?	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-12 21:40:00
Middle East and North Africa	Anyone going to Casablanca/Rabat Sale in the next few months that has time to hang out?	Try Schwepp's Citron for a good Mt. Dew substitute !	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-11 22:25:00
Middle East and North Africa	Foolish friend wants to come to US on visitor visa & marry b/c fiancee won't fly to Morocco	It's hard to get tourist visas to Canada also, no? Good idea, if possible.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2009-11-09 23:48:00
Middle East and North Africa	Foolish friend wants to come to US on visitor visa & marry b/c fiancee won't fly to Morocco	QUOTE (Gary and Alla @ Nov 7 2009, 05:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Also no matter how they do this, she is going to have to provide an affidavit of support for him to adjust status. I can tell you that even beneficiaries from Morroco that do it the legal way are heavily scrutinized. you ain't lyin'... QUOTE (squeaky580 @ Nov 7 2009, 05:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks to everyone who responded.. It's not only a frustrating situation for me because my fiance and I are choosing to do things the "right" way, but also because this guy is a friend of mine, and I would hate to see him mess up his chances to be with his loved one.. I guess all I can do is relay the things I have been informed of here, and hope that he makes the best decision.. Thanks again, Sarah well, good luck to them... hopefully they will figure out a way to manage!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2009-11-07 13:51:00
Middle East and North Africa	Foolish friend wants to come to US on visitor visa & marry b/c fiancee won't fly to Morocco	i don't know... whole scenario seems a bit dodgy to me. Even if his family is wealthy, how wealthy is he? Does he own land? Does he own a business? What are his ties to Morocco? While some young Moroccan men might succeed in getting an tourist visa, it's not easy. I understand she is afraid to fly and has kids, but still, she is considering marrying this guy and into is culture... Surely there is some way for her to get herself over there...? People who are afraid to fly still somehow manage to do so... Likewise, i thought to even attempt a K1 visa, you had to show prove of having met in the past x amount of years, yes? i think the best idea is to try what someone mentioned above: Hopefully he can get a tourist visa, come for a visit, see if they are really meant for each other, then he goes back to Maghreb and she attempts the K1. With any luck, he'll be back in less than a year.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2009-11-07 13:26:00
Middle East and North Africa	Need advice abt transportation from Mohammed V airport	That is crazy, what a tool! You could look into hiring one of those grand taxis (the big Mercedes). Shouldn't be too expensive if you are just going from the airport to someplace in Casa. If that is still too small, tell your hubby to go to the place in the souk where they make and sell furniture. There will be guys with small trucks who deliver the stuff to people's houses. i'm sure you could cut a deal with them to come to the airport and help you. It may be expensive, but cheaper than if you rented a truck to move your stuff here in the US. Bonne chance! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-02-17 11:41:00
Middle East and North Africa	Leaving in the morning! :D	woo-hooo!! safe travels!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-02-20 16:36:00
Middle East and North Africa	Magic Jack Not Working to call Morocco?	Thanks! i'll give it a try!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-02-17 11:33:00
Middle East and North Africa	Magic Jack Not Working to call Morocco?	I tried calling on and off all day - the phone would only ring. Bijad never showed up today. He is living around Chefchouen.. maybe something is up? Same with us... we called all over and nothing: Rissani, Ouarzazat, Rabat... we got through twice...	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-02-16 23:47:00
Middle East and North Africa	Magic Jack Not Working to call Morocco?	hmmmm... thanks... maybe... but we are using it here in the US to call cell phones there. we aren't using MJ to MJ (i wish)... seems like it should still work as we're calling regular phones. any thoughts?	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-02-16 16:38:00
Middle East and North Africa	Magic Jack Not Working to call Morocco?	Hey all, Anyone having a problem calling Morocco with Magic Jack? We've been calling all day, multiple people and no answers... just busy signals. I tried to contact Magic Jack, but they were useless... Any ideas? Thanks! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-02-16 16:10:00
Middle East and North Africa	Refused Moroccan Residency	You are so scandalous, Squeaky! jk... sorry, that is a bummer, but not surprising... You have a couple of months. You could either a) just exit and re-enter, and it should be fine, or b) you could try to get some part-time work at one of the language schools, and they might be able to facilitate a carte du sejour for you. It is temporary residency based on employment. But really, i think you are fine just exiting and re-entering... people do it all the time. Bonne chance	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-03-02 00:05:00
Middle East and North Africa	Would you still be with your SO if ...	In terms of medical care, i think it varies depending on the country, the region of the country, and the procedure being done. i had a surgery in Rabat and it went well. i was well taken care of, and it would have been a gazillion $$ in the US. i went to a private clinic though, in the capital city. Might have been different in another section of the country, i don't know. And of course, i think the more complex the procedure--someone mentioned heart surgery--i think i'd rather be in the US for something like that.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-03-02 21:58:00
Middle East and North Africa	Would you still be with your SO if ...	and a case of brownie mixes. omg... you are so right!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-03-02 21:53:00
Middle East and North Africa	Would you still be with your SO if ...	i'm afraid if we move back to Morocco, there will be no excuse... i'll HAVE to cook every day. here, i get away with "i'm really busy with school/work/insert-excuse-here"	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-03-02 11:49:00
Middle East and North Africa	Would you still be with your SO if ...	We might move back to Maroc. i lived/worked in Rabat for a little over a year b/f we got hitched. i would live in Morocco... it's something we talk about a lot.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-03-02 00:11:00
Middle East and North Africa	Sending mail from Morocco to the US	that's Amana yes, thank you! it was on the tip of my tongue... look at how cute your baby is!!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-03-17 23:33:00
Middle East and North Africa	Sending mail from Morocco to the US	Yes, there is a way! But shoot, i forget the name... (not much help, i know... ) i think it starts with an "M" , they have an orange & blue logo... and you can usually find there offices within the actual post office. It is like express mail, but for Morocco... takes like 7 to 10 days for stuff to arrive... sometimes sooner.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-03-14 00:49:00
Middle East and North Africa	Tips to help your SO adjust	QUOTE (sereia @ Feb 14 2008, 06:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I guess I should mention... although areas of Astoria (near Steinway) are highly Egyptian and Moroccan populated... I've heard from countless people that I should keep my husband away from those people (other than us going together to eat/smoke hookah) because apparently they're not the kind of Arabs that our husbands should be kept around. Even one of the Moroccan immigrants I met there who owns a travel agency told me to keep him far away! LOL Hahaha! Good to know, because i had no idea. i may have to scope it out before i send Habibi out into the wilds. Thanks! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-02-14 13:53:00
Middle East and North Africa	Tips to help your SO adjust	QUOTE (moody @ Feb 14 2008, 04:30 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How did I balance work and my SO's cultural adjustment? I worked the same amount of hours as always and pretty much did the same as always. Interesting... maybe that's all there is to it, right? i mean what can we do? We have to work... You are in Detroit, no? There are a lot of Arabs in Detroit, so hopefully that helped some. Thanks for the insight! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-02-14 11:37:00
Middle East and North Africa	Tips to help your SO adjust	QUOTE (sereia @ Feb 14 2008, 04:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I did take time off...and I think it was a mistake! I think they need to arrive here and see what real life is ..not a vacation! I think that you living in NYC will be a huge advantage (I also used to live there and stupidely moved to CA right before my SO arrived). You can teach your husband to easily use the subways, give him maps of the city, and take him to Astoria and go to Moroccan restaurants, cafes, bakeries, etc. when he gets homesick! I also signed my husband up for ESL at our local community college. I highly recommend that! Thanks, Sereia! Yes, i hope living in NYC is an advantage... At least there are a lot of Arabic-speaking people here and a lot of Middle Eastern cultural spots, so i'm hoping that if we get the visa, that will help. i just know how overwhelmed and frustrated i was when i moved to Rabat (and Rabat is soooo calm in comparison to NYC!). He's definitely going to need ESL classes, too... So much to think about... Happy Valentine's, hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-02-14 11:34:00
Middle East and North Africa	Tips to help your SO adjust	Hi Everybody, Very interesting info and tips to keep in mind! Thanks, and thanks for reviving the old thread. Here's my question: For those of you who are working (or were working at the time that your SO came over), did you take any time off to help him/her adjust? How did you balance work, which is obviously important as the soul breadwinner (at least in the beginning), and your SO's cultural adjustment--finding his way around, finding a job, going to English classes? Just curious for some ideas. Thanks, hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-02-14 11:14:00
Middle East and North Africa	If you had known then what you know now??	QUOTE (Rajaa_Reda @ Dec 28 2008, 05:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you ... got the tea pot and two boxes of tea but have already warned him i'll have a list of things i'll need him to bring ie coffee he likes, even found a coffee pot they use there in morocco at Ikea. Tea, Olive oil from the family's farm. There are more but those are for me clothing etc. And spices! Don't forget to tell him to load up on the spices... Sure you can find some of them here, but it's never the same	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-12-28 18:46:00
Middle East and North Africa	If you had known then what you know now??	Hi Rajaa, One of the things i had my husband do b/f he came was to buy a nice bared (Moroccan teapot...just a small one) and bring lots of his favorite tea. It is worth it if your husband is a tea drinker... can't really find the same tea here... Congratulations! And good luck! hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-12-28 11:52:00
Middle East and North Africa	MENA pregnancy/baby/parenting thread	Hey ya'll, I'm going to the pediatrician this week for the baby's 2 month, and telling her about our trip.. She has a pretty cool doctor, and I was thinking of asking the doctor if she could write me some prescriptions for any minor foreseeable ailments the baby might get in the next 6 months, to take as a precaution- ie. baby laxatives, reflux medicine, etc. Do you guys have any suggestions for particulars I should ask her? Thanks Sarah Wow... that is a lot to think about... Will you let us know what she suggests? We are thinking of going to Maroc in the summertime and Youssef will be 7 months. i agree w/ ZaidsMommy's list above with regards to all the over-the-counter stuff. Also, keep in mind you will be in Casa, so you should be able to find a good doctor and standard meds there if the need arises... Edited by AlHayatZween, 17 January 2010 - 01:59 PM.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-17 13:59:00
Middle East and North Africa	MENA pregnancy/baby/parenting thread	My husband calls the baby Daddy. I don't know why He doesn't refer to himself as anything, but I refer to him as Daddy, so we'll just wait and see what the baby decides to call him. My husband does this, too... In fact, he calls me daddy, too, sometimes... i don't know, we have issues chez nous.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-16 00:05:00
Middle East and North Africa	MENA pregnancy/baby/parenting thread	i like the sound of the bad mommy club.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-14 23:38:00
Middle East and North Africa	MENA pregnancy/baby/parenting thread	hi all, i am Al and we just had our baby 6 weeks ago. his name is Youssef and he is the light of my life (cliche, but true!). i am getting a crash course in being a mom, and i think i might be a very poor student! you guys are really shedding some light on the hair thing... my husband was trying to cut Youssef's hair last week and i didn't understand what the hurry was ! Edited by AlHayatZween, 14 January 2010 - 12:49 PM.	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2010-01-14 12:49:00
Middle East and North Africa	Ramadan 2008	QUOTE (Rajaa_Reda @ Aug 13 2008, 02:49 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> First year and only year i plan to do it alone! Inchallah... i hope you find a way to share it with your habeeb! i am so overwhelmed with immigration stuff, i hardly have had time to start planning... but hopefully i will be better organized next week. will probably start when Morocco starts just to make it easier on Hayati. something special: was thinking of inviting my family over to the new, very petite apartment for Eid al-Fitr for haraira, a big tagine, and goodies... don't know how well it will go over though...? hz	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2008-08-13 12:35:00
Middle East and North Africa	MENA men and style	Ha! That is funny that you brought this up, Humpkin... Yeah, i wouldn't say he is as fargone as Metro... but he does love cologne... and he has bought like 6 pairs of jeans since July!	AlHayatZween	Not Telling	Morocco	2009-01-27 11:11:00