Packing List for MENA Men coming to the USA

[KHPerfectMatch 1]

Does anyone have any suggestions for MUST BRING items that they or their husband/fiance would suggest when moving to the USA? My SO keeps asking me what he should bring and all I could think of was cotton underwear (ours just doesn't compare to what they sell in Egypt) gellabiyas and pharmacueticals that you can't buy over the counter here.... (with a supporting note from his doc since I"m sure he'll get his bags inspected like I NEVER have...)

Honestly couldn't think of another thing! I live in an area with a few good Middle Eastern grocery stores that also carry some other items like bahour, miswak, etc. so I didn't think any food products were important. And I already brought back a bunch of stuff like karkaday, sahlab mix, etc. in my 3 trips in 2007.

Since the weight limits on luggage are so restrictive these days I suggested he not bring a bunch of clothing and stick to sentimental things like photos, etc. and of course his Egyptian cotton undies! tehehehehehehehe

Just wondering if any of the guys on this list (or their all knowing wives) have any items they are so GLAD they brought, or WISHED they had brought.

Thanks!

P.S. Did your SO change his LE to $ before he came or after? Not sure if there's an exchange advantage one way or another....

[~~~water~~~ 0]

change the money in egypt

[~Jackie~ 30]

Important things to bring, photos or DVD of family and friends. Yes they will have the internet and phone, but there is a special quality of holding a photo that might help with any homesickness.

Important to do before leaving, see an eyedoctor and dentist. Sooooooooooo much cheaper there than here.

Get an international drivers license. Even if it is not valid for long, it will be one extra piece of indentification with his name, photo and signature. Might help in the banking, account opening process here.

[doodlebugg 10]

My husband brought tons of the following:

underwear and undershirts

leb

cartons of cigarettes

nick nacks to give as gifts to people he meets such as papyrus, pens, etc.

We ALL wish he brought more leb, even though he brought a lot. We can get it here at the arabic stores but we cannot get the best kind that we all liked which is a woody kind.

He brought 15 cartons of cigarettes and is about 1/2 way done with them so I'm sure pretty soon he'll be wishin' he brought more of those too!

[Alhamdulillah 0]

Gifts for you and your family!!!!

My hubby brought Arabic books, clothes, shoes he liked, his coat, a lot of underwear since the kind here is different, which all fit in half of one of the suitcases he brought. The other half and the entire other suitcase he brought was mine and my family's stuff (abayas, hijabs, henna decals, clothes for my kids, etc)

He brought 15 cartons of cigarettes and is about 1/2 way done with them so I'm sure pretty soon he'll be wishin' he brought more of those too!

I'm surprised they let him bring them in the country.... I could have sworn they used to have a two carton limit..... You can't even transport that many from state to state!!!

[doodlebugg 10]

Gifts for you and your family!!!!

My hubby brought Arabic books, clothes, shoes he liked, his coat, a lot of underwear since the kind here is different, which all fit in half of one of the suitcases he brought. The other half and the entire other suitcase he brought was mine and my family's stuff (abayas, hijabs, henna decals, clothes for my kids, etc)

He brought 15 cartons of cigarettes and is about 1/2 way done with them so I'm sure pretty soon he'll be wishin' he brought more of those too!

I'm surprised they let him bring them in the country.... I could have sworn they used to have a two carton limit..... You can't even transport that many from state to state!!!

it's still a 2 carton limit.

[Henia 11]

Esalaamu Aleikoum,

This is a good thread! I think it really depends on what area you are living ... if there are Arab shoppes around ... plus what your SO needs.

Gifts for you, of course!

I think any family related memoribilia is important.

Any and all of their documents (even ones not required by INS) school records, chahada certs, etc.

Books they would need.

Islamic clothing if they wear it. Too expensive in the US. And o ye, any other higher prices clothing like coats. You will spend enough in the first year!

Enough money to get throu their travel (at least)

Any PC related items like removable disks, laptops, and important software.

Interesting home decorations, that will bring little feel of their country to their new home

Cooking items, harder/expensive to find in the US like couscousier

Everything else can pretty much find here ... More items you wold bring to their country I think!

I would not advise bringing cigs, since thou they are cheaper in MENA! Many times, they get stolen by the local customs. Happened to me several times (and no, I donnot smoke). Also items like Qat or hookah ... not something you want the drug dogs to sniff out. I have seen too many times in the Detroit airport Yemenis trying to bring in Qat! DEE Dee dee!

[chaishai 1]

Gifts for you and your family!!!!

My hubby brought Arabic books, clothes, shoes he liked, his coat, a lot of underwear since the kind here is different, which all fit in half of one of the suitcases he brought. The other half and the entire other suitcase he brought was mine and my family's stuff (abayas, hijabs, henna decals, clothes for my kids, etc)

He brought 15 cartons of cigarettes and is about 1/2 way done with them so I'm sure pretty soon he'll be wishin' he brought more of those too!

I'm surprised they let him bring them in the country.... I could have sworn they used to have a two carton limit..... You can't even transport that many from state to state!!!

it's still a 2 carton limit.

my husband was a diehard long term smoker. he quit using nicorette. has to be the 4mg coated nicorette, preferably the fruit chill flavor. just an idea

[kerewin21 2]

I would say, bring clothes! My husband got here with a little suitcase. He apparently thought clothes grew on trees here...

[S and S 12]

My husband is flying from Jordan and I noticed that clothes were more expensive there than in the United States. We are telling him not to bring much clothes since you can get them here for such good prices with all the sales going on. I know in the Amman airport the duty free sells Marlboros for $15 a carton so I am going to tell him to leave room in his carry on to put a couple cartons in there. This way the cigs can't be stolen by customs either.

[Alhamdulillah 0]

Esalaamu Aleikoum,

This is a good thread! I think it really depends on what area you are living ... if there are Arab shoppes around ... plus what your SO needs.

Gifts for you, of course!

I think any family related memoribilia is important.

Any and all of their documents (even ones not required by INS) school records, chahada certs, etc.

Books they would need.

Islamic clothing if they wear it. Too expensive in the US. And o ye, any other higher prices clothing like coats. You will spend enough in the first year!

Enough money to get throu their travel (at least)

Any PC related items like removable disks, laptops, and important software.

Interesting home decorations, that will bring little feel of their country to their new home

Cooking items, harder/expensive to find in the US like couscousier

Everything else can pretty much find here ... More items you wold bring to their country I think!

I would not advise bringing cigs, since thou they are cheaper in MENA! Many times, they get stolen by the local customs. Happened to me several times (and no, I donnot smoke). Also items like Qat or hookah ... not something you want the drug dogs to sniff out. I have seen too many times in the Detroit airport Yemenis trying to bring in Qat! DEE Dee dee!

You're right Henia. My hubby also brought pictures, his traditional clothes, certificates from work/training, letters of recommendation, birth certificates, police report, high school transcripts (all with the certified english tranlsation) and other important documents he would need here. I don't know about other countries but it takes like a month at least to get anything in the mail from Libya so we really didn't want to be stuck when it came time to get the GC.

But the most important thing he brought, aside from himself! was my stuff (jk)

not really lol

[Aymsgirl 0]

I will add Turkish Coffee if he drinks it and one of those little coffee pots. A CD of any of his programs that he uses on his pc as well.

[♥JP♥ 5]

I agree with Bridget....cigarettes! My hubby brought about 10 cartons with him, and no one said anything.

Other things he brought...

10 lbs of arabic coffee

5 lbs of tea

Foods that he can only find there

Spices

and lots of presents for me!

I pretty much told him to leave most of his clothing behind because I knew he would want to buy new stuff. He NEVER wears his clothes from Jordan, and we went shopping the 2nd day he was here and he got tons of stuff. He really likes Old Navy!

[sarahaziz 0]

Basically what we did was "mock" all the things I usually bring when I visit my country. Things they have over there that aren't available here. He did bring alot of medication that is expensive here in USA. Rest of the stuff was just alot of gifts and sweets, spices, personal items clothing

[sarahaziz 0]

oh yeah and "couscous/bourbousha" the semolina you can't find that taste here in USA. Arabic stores have the simliar things but I promise it won't taste the same if it isn't directly from back home.