my update

[cbd2cai 0]

.....and where i live they don t walk ,it s so frusturating that i have to wait for my husband to take me to a supermarket that is 15 mn walking .

Who cares that "they" don't walk there, what does that have to do with you? Walk if you want to walk, what's the problem.

well i asked my husband to take me for a walk and you know what,most of the cars passed us sound there horns !i asked my husband why?,he said because it s not normal to walk here!! that s the problem!

Yes, they do that in Texas a bit too . . . we are not a "walking" state either but you do see more ppl now walking to take bus to the train, etc in Dallas (now that we have light rail . . . and expanding to double the size in the next 10 years). lot of the bus stops are near high occupancy housing where it is more likely that ppl don't have cars. Other cities/states have more mass transit so it is not a problem . . . that's why i like to visit Washington DC or NYC or Chicago . . . metro/trains . . I love them.

On another note, while I was in Cairo (yeah, going in two weeks now) the cars honk all the time at everythng and if you walk . . . you really need to run across the streets because no one wants to stop. Now that is something scary to learn . . . crossing a street in Cairo!!! LOL.

Farah, just take your time and you will get comfortable with our kind of crazy here . . . hopefully you will learn to love us, LOL!!

[farah2005 0]

thank you all for your replyes!

honeyblonde,i love nature and my husband also ,we plan to visit other places but not soon,maybe when he gets his vacation,and we need to save money for that,my husband just started his new job and he has got so many bills to pay,i feel sorry that i can t help .

about my adjustment with my new life it s going good,i really don t feel homesick at all ,maybe because it s not the first time that i leave my family i already lived in russia for 6 years and there i was alone ! but here i have my husband ,plus i voice hat with my family everyday

good luck to you all

[honeyblonde 0]

Farah if your husband can teach you to drive you must have one very patient husband! I am dreading teaching Abdel since both of my sons said I made them crazy when I taught them. I will probably get my brother to teach him since I had him teach my sons at first. He has already started teaching him to drive the boat when they go fishing.

Twila, our public transportation is horrible too, since we live in a suburb so Abdel must take one bus to downtown then transfer to get where he wants to go. I drop him off at his English classes in the morning and he takes the bus home. He found the Starbucks near the bus stop pretty quickly, and also found my favorite park. He walks to the park almost every day and watches people play tennis or finds someone to kick a soccer ball around with. This week he met two guys from Nigeria that play tennis in the park and one of them told him he needs a tennis partner for Fridays so I hope Abdel can start playing with him and make a new friend.

Farah, I know it must be hard for you since you're a woman and men here can be total jerks. Going walking alone probably isn't safe for you from the sounds of things. Do you have any hobbies you can work on like needlework or crafts?

Another thing that has helped Abdel was finding favorite TV channels. His is the independent film channel since they play movies in many languages, frequently in French, so he feels a little less left out than on other channels. He's also found books in French at the university library where I go to school and I check them out for him. He sits in the library and reads while I am in class twice a week, and I've found that is one of his favorite things to go do.

[myfellah 0]

Farah, you've been given some good advice on what to do to keep you busy. I can't even imagine being in your shoes and living in a different country with a different culture. I have watched it through my husband's eyes and he is doing pretty good. He of course, used the internet to chat with family and friends most of the days and watch some tv and I keep him company after I work. He was able to go out and use the track at the school nearby and other things too. It is really hard and he misses all the people and friends. Our neighborhood is so different for him. He knows our neighbors but people aren't outside that much, maybe the kids here and there. Of course, it is winter too and in Ohio it is cold and snowing today. He passed his Ohio's written driver's exam and I'm trying to teach him but I think I make him very nervous, maybe we need to check into a driving school. He did just start work this week and he has been so excited and just loves the people he works with. Things will come for you too. I will say we applied for his Social Security card 3 days after he arrived and it took less than 3 weeks for him to receive it. He just had to show him his passport at that time. Good Luck, I know it must be hard at times and even harder that you are female but you will make it.

Doreen