Thursday!

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Ok I'm heading home for the night. Looking forward to lots more head butting issues in the future with mah Hubby in person.

[amysaid 9]

Good Morning Ladies. Today is my uncles funeral in Georgia. I honestly do not believe he did it to himself on purpose. I really hope something will come to light bcz Im thinking of something else about the situation.

Tamara, I am sorry you and your family are having to go through this. My family went through a similar situation a year or so ago with a cousin. It is so difficult when you don't understand what happened, it makes it much harder to wrap your mind around it. I wish you and your family peace.

I'm still up at after 7am, and so is the kidlet. We've been staying up way too late and then sleeping way too late. Yesterday I had trouble falling asleep and didn't sleep until noon, then didn't wake up until Maghreb. Ahmed was on his own for preparing iftar, because i couldn't haul my rear end out of bed, but he did a good job of it, and took care of Abigail while I slept. She is so crazy from being cooped up all the time. He takes her for walks on occasion, but we don't really go out much. We live in a fifth-floor walk-up, and I told him he should just have her run up and down a few times to get some energy out We have about 21 days left here in Egypt before we head back to Oregon.

Ahmed has been putting off buying his plane ticket, which makes me a bit crazy. He has been trying to work out some kind of leave with his current employer (Cairo Airport) because he has worked there for 12 years and doesn't want to lose all of the money he's put into his pension, and he wants to have a fail-safe job that he can return to here in Egypt in case something goes wrong with our life in the US. I have told him that no way, no how, not even if the Pacific and Atlantic swallow up the entire continent of North America, am I ever moving to Egypt, but I understand his concerns. It's hard leaving a job you've worked at your entire adult life. He is prepared to quit if they don't give him the leave, so it's not a matter of him being indecisive to come back with me to the US, but more about the what-ifs. What if he can get the leave, but it takes more time than we have before we leave. We're waiting on several people in the aviation administration to call him back about various types of leave and his eligibility for them, but everything moves at a snail's pace in Egypt, and during Ramadan, it's more like a retarded snail's pace. So I am trying to be patient and supportive. But as the clock is ticking down and ticket prices are rising, I'm starting to worry.

Completely unrelated: Cairenes, any ideas on a good "American food" place in Cairo/Giza that we could take Abigail to for her birthday? It's in about a week, and I know she'd like to go out to eat somewhere. Especially somewhere with food that wasn't completely foreign to her. I've heard about Chili's, TGI Friday's, and Hard Rock cafe. She doesn't like Mexican food, so Chili's is out. Is HRC terribly expensive? Any other suggestions for places kid-friendly?

Ah, now the power is out, I guess I will wait until it's back on to post this...

Also, I wonder how many Egyptian marriages are saved by the toilets with the built-in bidet. Ours has a mighty strong stream.

[JeanneVictoria 55]

Tammy, I'm so sorry to hear about the death of your uncle.

[Ayman and Yasmina 0]

amysgirl...Im not to sure about Giza but maybe Mohendessen has a lot of places..Im more famililar with maadi...

[amysaid 9]

amysgirl...Im not to sure about Giza but maybe Mohendessen has a lot of places..Im more famililar with maadi...

well anywhere in the Cairo area would be fine... But I kind of gave up and thought I might just take her to the mall in Maadi where they have a carousel and stuff. Unless you have a better suggestion?

[Melly 2 0]

Amysaid, there's Fuddruckers. I haven't been there yet but I'm assuming it's mostly the same as in the States. Burger place in case you don't know of it.

There is one at City Stars mall (and the mall has a huge area for kids to play), and there's also one in Mohandiseen I believe.

Also, I'm a little confused about why your husband is trying to just get "leave" from his job if he's planning to live with you in the States. Leave implies that he'll be going back to work at some point doesn't it? And if he's living with you in the States then how is that possible?

Edited August 30, 2009 by Melly 2

[Ihavequestions 419]

Also, I'm a little confused about why your husband is trying to just get "leave" from his job if he's planning to live with you in the States. Leave implies that he'll be going back to work at some point doesn't it? And if he's living with you in the States then how is that possible?

There's nothing to be concerned about. It's simply a way of bowing out gracefully. Will his job still be there for him in a year and one day? Nope. Someone else will have it. Meanwhile, it's a bit of a safety net, and I think a smart one, to hang on to the sure thing, particularly when there's a pension involved, while walking into the great unknown. All it's going to do is make him feel better, so let him have it.

I know an Egyptian who won the diversity lottery. He took a five year leave, just in case. That five years has long past but he had comfort knowing if it didn't work out, he had something to go back to.

Nah. Even though it looks like "something" (and it does), it's not a big deal.

[Ihavequestions 419]

Do your Husbands listen to you when you tell them something that is very important and serious or do they think they still have negotiation room and will take it to the enth degree until you are exhausted from the battle and lay the ultimatum down? I'm exhausted and I just want to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head. Things don't have to be this hard! He's stressing me the hell out and worrying me sick and I have no capacity left for tolerance. I'm shutting down and not talking to him anymore about it. I can't deal.

OH YEAH...this is one of the things that starts the arguing process...and it SUCKS!!!

I've learned to let him end up being disappointed when he thinks something should be a certain way. He never listens to me when I try to explain things and it's soooooooooo stressful!!! I can tell him something till i'm blue in the face and it will do no good. But let one of his guy friends tell him the exact same thing and it is as if it were that way all along and shame on me for not telling him the truth.... yeah... I just bite my tongue and say "ok, if you say so honey" and leave it at that coz it's just not worth stressing out over.

I stopped answering when he asks. Instead, I'd tell him to ask one of his friends because that's who he'd end up listening to anyway. If he falls on his face, he falls on his face. Problem solved.

[amysaid 9]

Amysaid, there's Fuddruckers. I haven't been there yet but I'm assuming it's mostly the same as in the States. Burger place in case you don't know of it.

There is one at City Stars mall (and the mall has a huge area for kids to play), and there's also one in Mohandiseen I believe.

Also, I'm a little confused about why your husband is trying to just get "leave" from his job if he's planning to live with you in the States. Leave implies that he'll be going back to work at some point doesn't it? And if he's living with you in the States then how is that possible?

Thanks Melly, I've never been to a Fuddruckers in the US, but maybe we'll give it a try. The girl does love a cheeseburger. I was also thinking of maybe just taking her to the McD's in the mall in Maadi, since there is a carousel and some games and stuff in the area nearby. The only issue is going to be getting there in one piece when it's close to Iftar time, since we'll have to take a cab. I dunno, maybe we'll go early.

There's nothing to be concerned about. It's simply a way of bowing out gracefully. Will his job still be there for him in a year and one day? Nope. Someone else will have it. Meanwhile, it's a bit of a safety net, and I think a smart one, to hang on to the sure thing, particularly when there's a pension involved, while walking into the great unknown. All it's going to do is make him feel better, so let him have it.

I know an Egyptian who won the diversity lottery. He took a five year leave, just in case. That five years has long past but he had comfort knowing if it didn't work out, he had something to go back to.

Nah. Even though it looks like "something" (and it does), it's not a big deal.

Yeah, he is hesitant to give up on it completely because he has a permanent contract (meaning he can't be fired... ever) and they aren't giving those out anymore in Egypt. I think like IHQ says, it's just a safety net for him. If he continues making payments to his pension and some other things when he's outside the US, then even though he's not actively working at his job, he can keep his if/when he chooses to collect it. It is frustrating that he may choose not to accompany his family home at the same time in order to get the leave accomplished, but I understand why he's doing it. He doesn't have any transferable skills other than a strong work ethic, and all you hear about the US economy these days is recession, recession, recession and unemployment. He just wants to have a fail-safe, even though I've told him I WILL NOT live in egypt for any extended period of time, for numerous reasons.