You know your husband's Egyptian when...

[KHPerfectMatch 1]

And my sister-in-laws claim that NO AMERICAN WOMAN is a "match" for an Egyptian man... that it takes an Egyptian woman to keep an Egyptian man in line... They kind of laugh when they say it, but I'm not convinced they are joking... (I also heard that from an Iraqi colleague (male) who is married to an Egyptian woman, he just shakes his head and tells me FORGET IT..... you will NEVER be able to keep him in line...)

I have to say I disagree with your SIL. She may think that someone from his culture may "match" him better, but sometimes the differences are what attact to begin with. I think if love, trust and communication are there...then culture, ethnicity and nationality don't matter.

I put the word "match" in quotes because I wasn't referring to match as in "love or marriage match"... Of course the differences (or what each party may PERCEIVE or EXPECT as differences) can be what attracts both parties...

MY SIL's and I were talking about "match" from a stand point of being able to "handle" an Egyptian husband, as in keep him in line, in check, or whatever you want to call it.... They believe we are weak (American women) push overs, coddling our husbands and not standing up to them... and because of this, the Egyptian husband will take liberties with the American wife they would never DARE take with an Egyptian wife. That Egyptian women know how to hold their husband's feet to the "fire" and make them accountable/responsible... while American women are spoiling them rotten...

They got really ticked off at me because my husband wouldn't stay at their house as long as he had promised and told me "time to go" when we weren't finished doing whatever it was I was doing with them... I got up and put on my abaya to leave and they grabbed me and pulled me into a bedroom and told me that there was NO WAY I should leave... I should stand my ground and tell him if he wanted to leave he could, but that I WASN'T ready to leave, and he could just come back later and get me! I just couldn't do that... and they will never let me forget what a WIMP I was... When we were only a few blocks from their house they were calling me on the mobile to tell me I better NOT let him "have his way with me" for at least a couple of days... to show him what the consequence were of him ruining my fun...

You know you're married to an Egyptian woman when everything you do has a reward or a penalty directly related to: when or how often you will have sex...

[amysaid 9]

Ah, halawa... I have been shown how to make it numerous times, but still can't get it right. I think it's because of my teflon coated pans at home, I can't see the color of the mixture to see how it's going. I bought a bunch of the premade stuff when I was there last time, and then left it in the fridge. whoops. even more unfortunate is that i promised my husband that i would stop shaving my legs, and as a nursing student and in-effect single mom, i just HAVE NOT had time to try another ill-fated batch of halawa, or had time to sit around with depilatory on my legs for twenty minutes. (not that depilatory ever works, i have hair of STEEL)

Okay, sorry, totally off the subject.

[Ihavequestions 419]

MY SIL's and I were talking about "match" from a stand point of being able to "handle" an Egyptian husband, as in keep him in line, in check, or whatever you want to call it.... They believe we are weak (American women) push overs, coddling our husbands and not standing up to them... and because of this, the Egyptian husband will take liberties with the American wife they would never DARE take with an Egyptian wife. That Egyptian women know how to hold their husband's feet to the "fire" and make them accountable/responsible... while American women are spoiling them rotten...

That's what they may say, but they know the reality is much different.

And, believe me, Egyptian women know Egyptian men are much different with American (or foreign for that matter) wives. That makes for a lot of jealousy. My sister-in-laws shut their mouths and do what my husband, their husbands, heck, any man tells them to do. Sure, they may argue and scream and whatever but in the end they do what they're told to do. They also overlook a lot of things (if you know what I mean), don't ask questions (if you know what I mean), and if they do ask questions (if you know what I mean), they accept whatever the answer is - no matter how rediculous or far-fetched it is. The only benefit Egyptian wives have over American wives, here, in Egypt, is their families.

My sister-in-laws know my husband washes dishes and they loathe it. Would he do that if he were married to an Egyptian woman? I seriously doubt it.

You know you're married to an Egyptian woman when everything you do has a reward or a penalty directly related to: when or how often you will have sex...

True story.

[Laveau 67]

I'm not married to an Egyptian or any MENA man but it seems that your husbands are VERY lucky men to have wives like you. Seriously.

[Aymsgirl 0]

I'm not married to an Egyptian or any MENA man but it seems that your husbands are VERY lucky men to have wives like you. Seriously.

I agree, even if they don't realize it!

[100% Al Ahly Fan 53]

You know you're married to an Egyptian woman when everything you do has a reward or a penalty directly related to: when or how often you will have sex...

very true

I'm not married to an Egyptian or any MENA man but it seems that your husbands are VERY lucky men to have wives like you. Seriously.

I agree, even if they don't realize it!

Ditto!!!

[~ameriptian~ 54]

Well I really really wanted to participate in this topic, but haven't found time the last few days

I am not engaged/married to an Egyptian but I am Egyptian my family is Egyptian and I can tell you a great deal about Egyptian men lol...

Well what I remember now in points is:

- He'd rather watch an Ahly/Zamalek football match than watching an international summit or your favorite tv show.

- You will look the perfectest housewife in his eyes when you can make good Mahshi, Molokhiya, and his other favorite Egyptian dish if he has any other

- He calls any Egyptian kid Hamada until he knows his name cause most Egyptian boys/men are named Ahmed or Mohammed or Mahmoud lol..

- He'd criticize Egypt all day long, but doesn't permit any person other than himself or his family or fellow Egyptians to mention anything bad about it..

- He might at times not show his love to you in words but deep inside he loves you deeply and he literally freaks out if you get sick.

- He hates it when you yell... If someone must yell, it would be only him!

- When he is concerned about something or tired after work you see that frown on his face that you have to make effort to erase.

- When he says 'koll sana wenta tayeb' in every occasion to every Egyptian he meets lol

- When he tells you about his memories about every Ramadan of every year no matter how many times you heard that.

- When he usually says 'Zat, Zere, Za' instead of 'That, There, and The'.

- When he prefers to eat with a spoon and Arabic bread rather than using a fork and knife while eating.

- When is always very concerned about the education of your kids... He NEVER accepts anything less than college for them, unless he has a different opinion about education.

- When seems dominant to you, but in fact he is very kind and has a VERY big heart... (A secret to all the women married/engaged to Egyptian men out there from an Egyptian woman If he seems dominant to you, make it seem to him that he controls things, don't argue with him just tell him what you like to do quietly and he'll do what you like in the end... They are very kind... If you argue, you will touch his manhood and traditional heritage nerve and it might make things worse) Just have control over things with your calm sweet attitude and win his heart no matter what happens with that

If I remember more, I'll update the list

[Sandrila 1]

When you find yourself begging him to put things in the dishwasher instead of wiping them with a cold sponge dipped in soapy water... rinsing it in cold water and putting it back in the cupboard wet....

When he spends more time ironing in a week than you have in a month...

When the countertop and floor around any sink is perpetually wet...

When you realize that you are the only one who ever eats with a fork... and all the spoons are dirty...

When everything that is one day past the "use by date" is thrown out, but the left over meat from a week ago is JUST FINE!!!! Even if it has been left out on the counter for 3 hours...

When he hands you antibiotics after each sneeze...

When he spends 3 hours trimming his beard and moustache but won't floss his teeth...

When he sleeps on TOP of the sheets, not under them...

When he boils a quart of water on the stove for a small cup of tea and won't use the microwave because it's not healthy...

When he has 4 pairs of shoes: 1) Outside the house 2) Inside the house 3) in the bathroom 4) on the balcony..

When it's 120 degrees in the bedroom and he doesn't want the fan on because it will give him a cold...

When you have to boil his cotton underwear... and hang it outside... because dryers ruin the fabric

When he won't give out the house phone number to his friends because the phone number his wife answers is PRIVATE.

When you think it's normal for people to do U-turns in the middle of ANY ROAD, ANY TIME... (OK not in the USA...)

And this is JUST the beginning...

Thank God the one I have highlighted has finally been addressed and remedied.

I take it back, it happened again

[~ameriptian~ 54]

Oh I remembered a few things else! lol

- When he drinks tea with lemon when he has cold and asks you if you have panadol or paracitamol...

- When squeezes lemon over soup cause it gives it a better taste.

- When he enjoys pasta with tomato sauce.. That's real pasta to him lol..

- When says inshallah in almost every sentence he says in Arabic or even in English..

Edited June 10, 2009 by Aya&John

[HLM 1]

LOL you are so right Aya.....you hit it on the nail as they say with a most of them....

Edited June 10, 2009 by HLM

[100% Al Ahly Fan 53]

Aya....LOL Funny stuff. I laughed out loud, literally!! I can so relate, I'm sure a lot of us can!

[KHPerfectMatch 1]

Yes Aya, you had me shaking my head up and down so fast I thought my neck would break... But you forgot this one:

If you stand between him and the TV 100% NAKED or in your sexiest lingerie during a soccer match he'll shout at you to MOVE so he can see the game.. .

[Ahmed N Tina 2]

Yes Aya, you had me shaking my head up and down so fast I thought my neck would break... But you forgot this one:

If you stand between him and the TV 100% NAKED or in your sexiest lingerie during a soccer match he'll shout at you to MOVE so he can see the game.. .

Or any other show he's super in to.........

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Oh soccer. Thankfully he's less obsessed now, but before...

...when I met his mom and sister for the first time, we went to a really fancy outdoor restaurant. His sister only knows a few words of english and his mom knows none. He excused himself to go to the bathroom and I was left there smiling with nothing to say. 5 minutes...10 minutes...15 minutes... I finally got up and walked in the direction I had seen him go. What was he doing? Watching a soccer match with some of the waiters

For those who's egyptians have not arrived yet, have him bring antibiotics with him if he's reliant on them. I'd rather AbuS not take them, but he insists, so he has a stock here that we've gotten from friends who've gone overseas. The first time he got sick and realized he couldn't purchase them from the local drug store was not a happy event.

[Staashi 371]

Oh soccer. Thankfully he's less obsessed now, but before...

...when I met his mom and sister for the first time, we went to a really fancy outdoor restaurant. His sister only knows a few words of english and his mom knows none. He excused himself to go to the bathroom and I was left there smiling with nothing to say. 5 minutes...10 minutes...15 minutes... I finally got up and walked in the direction I had seen him go. What was he doing? Watching a soccer match with some of the waiters

For those who's egyptians have not arrived yet, have him bring antibiotics with him if he's reliant on them. I'd rather AbuS not take them, but he insists, so he has a stock here that we've gotten from friends who've gone overseas. The first time he got sick and realized he couldn't purchase them from the local drug store was not a happy event.

Rahma, so true - I always have my hubby bring a nice supply of all meds we use in our home before he comes back from Argentina.