ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
Middle East and North AfricaIt's hump day!!!
What irritates me to no end...drumming on the desk. My students usually don't even realize when they do it! I usually ask them if they REALLY want to irritate their teacher like that. wink.gif That usually puts a stop to it. smile.gif
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-12-18 00:39:00
Middle East and North AfricaIt's hump day!!!
My OB told me today we would schedule the date of my c-section at my appointment next week. There is light at the end of the tunnel! (It has to be a c-section because Hana has been laying transverse and Zak has been breech for more than a month now.)

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-12-17 17:43:00
Middle East and North AfricaIt's hump day!!!
We went with the whole theory of let go and let God when it came to pregnancy. We knew we were at the right time (3 years into our marriage) and would just let it happen when it would happen. Well...we got pregnant that first month and with twins. Granted, both of us are in our early 30's, but we didn't expect it to be quite so quick and definitely didn't expect twins (we are the first case of twins in more than 5 generations in both our families). I have our countdown going to delivery day. Let it be coming soon! Four weeks of bedrest have driven me crazy and I cannot imagine 3+ more! Four weeks ago the babies were 4 pounds each (and I don't have gestational diabetes), so I can't imagine how big they are going to be!

Twila

Edited by tnh9479, 17 December 2008 - 11:20 AM.

tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-12-17 11:19:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat airline do you use to fly to Morocco?
QUOTE (MrsAmera @ Dec 17 2008, 11:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That would be fun - only problem is he'll need a visa for Spain if you go before his citizenship... we had thought about doing something similar last year.


Yup...he would need a visa. There is a Spanish Consulate in Miami and we have checked their requirements. It is not too bad.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-12-17 17:36:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat airline do you use to fly to Morocco?
We usually use the cheapest US airline to get to JFK (WPB-JFK or FLL-JFK) and then fly direct from JFK to Casa on RAM. My husband is from a small city that is the switching center for trains in between Casa and Meknes/Fez, so Casa makes the most sense. He likes flying direct from the US to Morocco to avoid anything in a foreign country. We live in South Florida and I am trying to convince him for our next trip to take Iberia from Miami to Spain and then to either fly or take the ferry to Tangier.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-12-17 11:04:00
Middle East and North AfricaAirline Flights
I would check the best flights online (try kayak.com or bookingbuddy.com). Give the info to your SO and have him go to a travel agent in Morocco and book the flight. Some people fly Royal Air Maroc, Air France, Lufthansa, Alitalia, or Iberia. RAM is the only airline with a direct flight from Casablanca to the States. I know my husband when he came wanted to not change planes in any foreign country besides the US. I researched the cheapest flights and sent him the information. He went to the travel agent and had him book the exact flights. Just make sure to leave a good chunk of time to come through the POE and catch his next flight. Sometimes it is busy and he might require more time.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-12-29 09:04:00
Middle East and North Africamonday morning thread
Happy Monday! I'm back at work in 3 more weeks - then Mondays won't be much more happy anymore. I thought I would post so everyone could see the additions to our family. They were born on 1/14. We are having fun trying to get on a schedule!

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2009-01-26 13:43:00
Middle East and North Africagreen card marriages, ladies beware
QUOTE (Ihavequestions @ Jan 3 2009, 01:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (Hanging in there @ Jan 3 2009, 10:06 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The 5 year plan refers to the 5 years that it takes to become a citizen rather than just have a greencard. When you remain married for 3 years, the foreign spouse can file for citizenship and get it faster than just with a greencard ( without marriage takes 5 years sometimes even longer) With a citizenship, they dont abandon their residency if they go overseas for 6 months or more and they are able to sponsor a spouse as well as family. The reason many are waiting for citizenship or AKA the 5 year plan is become many have learned that you just cant do a hell of alot with a greencard alone. You still have to have visas. You cant take advantage of many us programs...and the biggest thing is you cant help family back home by bringing them here..Bottom line.. Which apparently her husband took advantage of by bringing his child here..


Doesn't the immigrant have to live with their US spouse in the US for three years, not just be married to their US spouse for three years, in order to apply for citizenship?


It is 3 years from when they received their greencard by marriage that they are eligible to apply for naturalization.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2009-01-03 17:52:00
Middle East and North Africagreen card marriages, ladies beware
I am sorry to hear about the issues in your life Heartland. I wish you a better 2009!

As for what you write, I do think there is a truth to it. I am sure it will open up a can of worms, though.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2009-01-02 00:27:00
Middle East and North AfricaMENA Book Club
QUOTE (jpaula @ Sep 8 2007, 01:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (peezey @ Sep 8 2007, 04:19 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (peezey @ Sep 7 2007, 10:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (jpaula @ Sep 6 2007, 11:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (peezey @ Sep 6 2007, 11:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (OlivianWaleed @ Sep 6 2007, 05:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
ohmy.gif Wow. huh.gif Not sure what to think of the Thomas Friedman bashing.

But hey... I'm objective to both sides of the story. Instead of Thomas Friedman then what would you all suggest that is fair and balanced and having the thumb on the pulse of MENA politics? wink.gif



Robert Fisk.


Agreed completely.

It also never helps to look up sylllabi from upper level or grad Political Science clsses on the Middle East. History too. If you are looking for a more scholarly approach, you will get an endless list. Here is an intersting link (Middle East toward the bottom): http://www.polisci.u...ide/SelSyl.html


Not a single one of these listed is written by a muslim, and only one is Arab and the book is #######.



the **course** is ####### (not book)


Having sat through many similar courses, I would say that some are certainly #######. Some are not. And some of the lit, be it written by an Arab, a Muslim or an academically ambitious man trying to tackle the "hot" topic of the moment(which is often the case) is good. Some is not. The only point being, if you usually read fiction or memoirs, and are looking for political analysis, the academic literature is a place to look. And, one of the more useful things you get out of the academic literature is a back and forth of arguments. At its best it becomes dynamic. At its worst, no doubt, #######.

If anyone has taken a MENA history or poli sci class they liked, I would be very interested in seeing a syllabus.



You are asking me to find a syllabus from 1992? laughing.gif I did take a course, "Introduction to the History of the Middle East". I did poorly. The professor wanted us to memorize names and dates -- I got so confused with so many similar names (not to mention memorizing names and dates is not my thing -- I like patterns. Anyway, the professor shared many interesting stories with us...like how he was Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi's personal interpreter. He caught wind of an assassination attempt and was thought to be in on it. He fled to France (with hit men following). France would not grant him asylum. Luckily he knew people in the US State Dept and was granted asylum here. He said he was always looking behind his back until he became a naturalized US citizen. Anyway, since this was right after the first Gulf War, he told us a lot of the behind the scenes stories that you never heard in the US media. I do have the text we used for that class somewhere. I had Hicham read some of it to see if it was a pretty balanced perspective. He had told me it was. I'll have to find what I did with it.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-09-08 08:33:00
Middle East and North AfricaMENA Book Club
QUOTE (mybackpages @ Sep 6 2007, 06:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
QUOTE (OlivianWaleed @ Sep 6 2007, 05:08 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
ohmy.gif Wow. huh.gif Not sure what to think of the Thomas Friedman bashing.

But hey... I'm objective to both sides of the story. Instead of Thomas Friedman then what would you all suggest that is fair and balanced and having the thumb on the pulse of MENA politics? wink.gif


If you want a really good academic discussion os Islam and Middle Est Politics I would suggest John Esposito. For a non-muslim he writes farily and eloquently about Muslims and their politics


I watched some of John Esposito lectures (about 12 hours worth) on a DVD collection about Islam a friend of mine had. I would love to be his student. He puts things into an easy to understand perspective (without really interjecting his own opinion). blush.gif


QUOTE (moody @ Sep 5 2007, 10:09 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Not MENA really but having to do with similar culture...The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Egypt related...I'm Happier to Know You by Jeanne M. Eck and Fatwa:Living With a Death Threat by Jacky Trevane (I heard this is a good one but haven't read it yet...waiting for my copy to be shipped in 6 weeks)



The Kite Runner is one of my favorite books of all-time. I am even getting my mom to read it.

QUOTE (allousa @ Sep 5 2007, 11:15 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
A couple of recommendations:

The Caliph's House - Tahir Shah
The Lemon Tree - Sandy Tolan



The Caliph's House is really really amusing. It was a thoroughly enjoying read.

Another favorite book of mine is not written by a MENA author, but takes place in MENA...The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I love the spiritual aspect of this novel.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-09-06 18:28:00
Middle East and North AfricaWe just found out we will be having another boy !!!!!
Something we considered when naming our babies was finding names that worked for my husband's family in Morocco and for my family here. We ended up with Zakaria for the boy. Both sides of our family love the name. My family especially loves that we are not afraid to call him Zak or Zaki. The other top name for us was Brahim (after my husband's father). My husband felt strongly that his son should have a quranic name.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2009-04-06 20:00:00
Middle East and North Africadeclaring your marriage
I asked Hicham if he wanted to do that a few months ago so any future children could be Moroccan citizens. He so vehemently said no. He cannot see any advantages to registering our marriage or for our children to have Moroccan citizenship. Anyone else experienced this? (I was surprised at his reaction btw.)

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-04-27 19:50:00
Middle East and North AfricaAnyone get sick after coming back?
I think the close quarters on the long flights contribute to a lot of illnesses when you get back. Only 3 days back from my trip to Morocco in 2005 and I had to go to the doctor's with a strep throat infection.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2009-07-11 03:58:00
Middle East and North AfricaMENA diet/exercise thread
QUOTE (MrsAmera @ Jan 20 2008, 12:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So my brief analysis would be that the flavor of the apricots got too concentrated. When I make this I cook the chicken and all the spices together first either in a pressure cooker or dutch oven. In a small skillet I add the apricots, honey and sprinkle of cinnamon and cook just until the fruit rehydrates and gets soft. I then top the chicken with this mixture and almonds on the very top.


When my husband has made this, he does it just like you Amera. It is very good and sweet (why we haven't had it in quite some time). I like the fruits better with beef or lamb than with chicken.

Twila

I've been good at using the bike and my mom and I must have walked 10 miles yesterday while we were shopping at IKEA and an outlet mall in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-01-20 17:36:00
Middle East and North AfricaMENA diet/exercise thread
I have been doing well on using my recumbant bike 20 minutes every day. Go me!
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-01-14 20:02:00
Middle East and North AfricaMENA diet/exercise thread
After a couple weeks of very slight indulgences and maintaining, I woke up this morning and was down almost 2 pounds. Losing weight gives me the encouragement to just keep doing the good work.

breakfast: turkey bacon (organic with no preseratives...I swear the best stuff)
1 c. mixed berries

lunch: lemon chicken

snack: handful of cashews

dinner: some kind of chicken I have yet to decide what yet and broccoli (my fave)
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2008-01-06 17:14:00
Middle East and North AfricaThe Laws of Islam
No matter what your faith, judging others is looked upon as a something that is best left to someone besides yourself.

A man holding a basket of eggs does not dance on stones.
African
Buji Proverb (Nigeria)


"... Each of us is responsible for one life only, and that is our own. Each of us is immeasurably far from being 'perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect' and the task of perfecting our own life and
character is one that requires all our attention, our will-power and energy. If we allow our attention and energy to be taken up in efforts to keep others right and remedy their faults,we are wasting precious time. We are like ploughmen each of whom has his team to manage and his plough to direct, and in order to keep his furrow straight he must keep his eye on his goal and concentrate on his own task. If he looks to the side and that to see how Tom and Harry are getting on and to criticize their ploughing, then his own furrow will assuredly become crooked."
Baha'i
Shoghi Effendi
Living the Life, pp. 2-3


He who treads the Path in earnest
Sees not the mistakes of the world;
If we find fault with others
We ourselves are also in the wrong.
When other people are in the wrong, we should ignore it,
For it is wrong for us to find fault.
By getting rid of this habit of fault-finding
We cut off a source of defilement.
When neither hatred nor love disturb our mind
Serenely we sleep.
Buddhism
Sutra of Hui Neng 2



Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Christianity
Matthew 7:1-2
King James Version


Confucius said, "The gentleman calls attention to the good points in others; he does not call
attention to their defects. The small man does just the reverse of this."
Confucianism
Analects 12.16


Take oneself to task instead of putting faults on others.
The Gayan of Hazrat Inayat Khan



To God belongeth the Mystery of the heavens and the earth, and the decision of the hour of judgment, as the twinkling of an eye, or even quicker, for God hath power over all things.
Islam
The Holy Qur'an Sura XVI v 77



Judge not they neighbor until thou hast stood in his place.
Judaism
Talmud, Mishnah, Abot 2.5
a saying of Hillel



Great Spirit, Let me not criticize another until I have walked a mile in his moccasins.
Native American
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-09-18 08:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaThe Laws of Islam

After reading much of this thread I'm wondering...why do ppl make such explosive type threads? Everyone is complaining about the animosity that goes on on this particular part of the site (MENA).... I don't need others to judge me. If I make a mistake, it's mine and mine alone. No one will answer for me on el yawn ideen. If I want to learn more about religion I know where to find the information. We are all humans, none of us here are saints or angels. Let's leave the judgements to Allah.


I could not have said it better "Moody"!

Thanks!
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-09-18 05:19:00
Middle East and North AfricaRamadan Recipes
Yes...but to make them you really need 30 days!!!!

I am SO not that patient. In addition, we don't have the types of lemons they use to make it in Morocco.

Twila


Preserved lemons are easy to make too.


A must have...preserved lemons. If you can find a middle eastern market near you, they will sell them. That is my favorite part of the tajines (such an awesome flavor). It is also used in Charmoula too.

Twila


tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-07-28 10:53:00
Middle East and North AfricaRamadan Recipes
A must have...preserved lemons. If you can find a middle eastern market near you, they will sell them. That is my favorite part of the tajines (such an awesome flavor). It is also used in Charmoula too.

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-07-28 09:45:00
Middle East and North AfricaRamadan Recipes
Hey...you might want to try this site...

http://www.morocco.c...roccan-recipes/

There are some of the recipes you have all requested.

Also...if you want to cook Moroccan cuisine, I so HIGHLY reccommend Paula Wolfert's Book, Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco. She explains the history of everything and how to accomodate some things in a western kitchen. One of my students got it for me and it was the best gift ever (well used in our home).

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-07-27 20:02:00
Middle East and North AfricaRamadan Recipes
I've made Harira numerous times during last Ramadan (and then for my family at Christmas). It real is not that hard. Now Shebakkia...good luck!

Twila

I'll try to find the link were I got my recipe.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-07-27 12:20:00
Middle East and North Africacall....
I post so rarely now, but I thought I would let you know what we have found to work the best: IDT Global Call calling card.

http://www.idt.net/personal/cards/gc/

It is nice as you can set it up with pinless dialing from your home phone or cell phone. It is rechargeable either online or automatically (and you can print out a record if you so choose). It doesn't charge you if no one answers and is 18 cents/min to a landline and 29 cents/minute to a cell. We have tried just about everything else and this has proven to be the most reliable.

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-12-03 16:46:00
Middle East and North AfricaOh My GOD??!!!!
I've been hiding in my rabbit hole lately :D but I wanted to pop out to say a HUGE congrats to the both of you because it FINALLY appears that you might be able to leave that Egyptian embassy in the dust!

So...here is much early happy dancing for you!

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-12-03 16:53:00
Middle East and North AfricaIN FREAKING HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jean,

I am SO excited for you! I know all about the freaking part once he had the visa. I worried about where he would keep the passport, and just how fast he could get a plane ticket and hop on a plane to me. It is totally normal. All too soon you will be seeing him walking to you in the airport and all that other craziness will just fade into the past.

Congrats again! :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-12-27 21:51:00
Middle East and North AfricaThoughts of moving to your SOs country
I am not sure about relocating to my husband's homeland. However, we cannot wait for the day when we can buy a flat to have for us to vacation in (and for his family as well). I do think when we have children (and they are old enough) to send them to Morocco to spend summers with their aunts and uncle would be a great way for them to get to know their family and to experience the culture.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-01-04 17:56:00
Middle East and North Africaemotional baggage of the visa journey...
For me, there wasn't so much baggage from the visa journey, as it was my own expectations. I never knew I had these ideas that wives were supposed to be a certain way. I was miserable at first because I thought I was not doing everything the way I should. Once I realized it, I talked with my husband about it and he helped me (as always) find some peace.

Twila

P.S. Our real trial came not during the visa journey but the AOS journey. Everything got delayed because of a hurricane that hit our area and turned biometrics into the worst backlog ever! It was really hard for my husband to just sit home, not work, and to feel something less than human (I can understand...I probably would have been much worse).
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-01-12 22:17:00
Middle East and North AfricaThis will probably get moved but...
It took us more than three months to get a copy of our marriage certificate. The city we got the license in kept sending it to us in our married name. Problem is...we had just gotten a new postal carrier who was going by the letter of the code...she kept returning the item saying there was no one here by that name. I had to go speak to her supervisor 3 times before we got it resolved. Needless to say, my grandparents went and overnighted a copy to me in the end because we needed the original. (And wouldn't you know the next day the first one showed up.)

Moral of the story: Make sure your new last name is well known to the carrier.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-01-18 20:03:00
Middle East and North AfricaThings to remember to tell your SO when they arrive
Don't put metal in the microwave!
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-01-21 22:42:00
Middle East and North AfricaPoll - When you met your SO
I was on Yahoo IM one night chatting with some friends and I got this random IM come up saying he was a guy from Morocco who just wanted someone to chat with to help practice his English. I thought, why not? I always wanted an international pen pal. Little did I know that I would end up with an awesome husband! (L) (L) (L) (L)

Twila
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-04-14 19:04:00
Middle East and North Africayour husbands job in america?
My husband started out by just working at a local grocery store. It was very good as he got to practice his English and realize that there are people from ALL over the world here. He has been working for the past year as a customer service representative for a warranty company. They originally hired him to use his French skills to speak with their customers and clients from Quebec. Now he is working with dealers and is one of the "supervisors" that angry clients get to speak with. Studying Moroccan law doesn't apply too well to the US. So...he is in a local college now taking classes to eventually become a teacher (what he was doing in Morocco before he came to the States).
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-02-02 21:50:00
Middle East and North Africayour fiance/husband's first night in america...
I have to agree with Rahma (at least that's whom I think I wrote it). My husband was SO exhausted and relieved by the time I picked him up at the airport. All he wanted to do was to come home and just crash. There is a lot of stress that some of these guys experience. It could be the first time flying, going through immigration and not knowing what to expect, wondering if they can find the connecting flight, possible flight delays, etc. It truly is a lot. Just be supportive! I put up a welcome home banner and got him a few things to eat I knew he would like. However, adjusting to American food was hard for him.

As for all the other parts of the discussion, I just want people to know the IGNORE button is USELESS!!!! You still see the quotes other people post of the ignored person's rantings.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-02-06 21:37:00
Middle East and North AfricaPhone call from POE
I had given Hicham a calling card number and pin I used a lot (and recharged frequently) so he could call me during his layover. So...yes...it is possible.
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-02-12 06:10:00
Middle East and North Africamonday blah day
Yeah...this Monday bites. I had to call out from work because of an issue with a tire on my car. :angry:
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-02-12 07:04:00
Middle East and North AfricaWhat is the most reliable/trustworthy way to send important package to Egypt
Wow! Your letters actually get there in a week? Sending anything to where my husband lived in Morocco (letters, cards, packages, etc) took four to five weeks!!!!
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-02-13 19:44:00
Middle East and North AfricaSo What Do YOU Do????
I got my bachelor's degree in chemistry. I went into a Ph.D. program in chemistry and was doing well, but realized it wasn't what I wanted to do. So...I left the program and became a high school chemistry teacher. Eight years later, I am now a high school PHYSICS teacher and absolutely love it! (I never thought I would end up teaching physics. I LOVE chemistry, but sometimes get frustrated teaching something that it fairly intuitive to me. I was scared a little when my school first asked me to teach physics three years ago, but I love all the cool labs we get to do and how we get to talk about how everything works. -- BTW...we had fun making guitars this past week!)
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-02-03 11:26:00
Middle East and North AfricaHENIA--STOP HOLDING BACK
Well...my husband is going home for the first time since coming to the States. He is going for two weeks in March. He is getting SO excited! I am truly excited for him (even if I do have to stay here and administer state testing to our students).
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-02-14 19:30:00
Middle East and North AfricaYallah Middle East 3.0, For the Middle East and Egypt People
Thanks for the link! We had been going to the website to get prayer times every week or so but this will be SOOOO much better!
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2006-09-01 19:47:00
Middle East and North AfricaDo you have a song?
We have our English love song (played first at our wedding reception): Hero. Yes...a little cheesy, but it was one of the first songs that we ever talked about when we first started to chat online. I told him I was going out to get the Enrique CD because I wanted a song on it. And then that started a HUGE progression of songs.

The second song at our reception was our Arabic love song by Wael Kefoury, Arrab Layyi
tnh9479FemaleMorocco2007-02-24 18:14:00