MENA Daily Chat 1.0

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Cleocatra... $7.5?? isn't this below the minum wage!!!

Anway... I hope all is doing well. We just got notification that EAD card is approved for production. The wait is for the GC now.

Back to work..

$7.50 an hour out here is the minimum wage and it just got raised to that. I know, we live in a slave wage state.

Congrats on the EAD and best wishes on the GC!

Oh sorry minimum wage for Idaho is $7.25 an hour now. Still

US Dept of Labor

Hmm... Looking at the stats it is still better than some states. It used to be $5.50 an hour before it got raised within the last year.

Edited September 13, 2010 by Cleocatra

[Batta 6]

I guess when I used to have 4.25, was just happy with the pay. I don't know this was back in 1993 when I first came to this country.

Now with 9 times that pay I seems to forget where I started.

[JeanneVictoria 55]

Morning everyone!

Hope your weekend was good!

Mandy, enjoy your trip luv. Sure hope we can go next year!

Olivia, sorry to hear about the wages. Perhaps the Senate will give the states "their"

pay raises!! The minimum wage is absurd!

Hey MsW, Andrea and Batta!

Have a good day everyone! Speaking of coffee.....

[prince+angel 3]

OK so I like the running thread chat - just have to remember to jump in where I left off last. I've visited the sub-saharan cyber cafe chat area & its a good idea to bring that concept here to MENA too - hope it works. Also reminds me of those long K3 forum threads when I was still at the waiting for the NOA2 stage. Seems like forever ago ...

I was reading through some of the chats here and kept seeing a common theme - "Old VJ'ers and looking at some of the time lines of those folks, its acutally been a short period of time but soooooooo much has happened to so many of us in that time span - blows the mind looking back over the past just 2.5 years for us

Anywho, Happy Monday to all & have great afternoon/evening!

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Checking in again. It's been a productive Monday so far. The nerves in my stomach tell me I didn't need a latte after all so I'm glad I didn't have one. I wonder where all this energy is coming from?

I didn't know you were from another country Batta? In 1993 I was starting High School here. I did have a job at minimum wage in Texas which was around $5.15 an hour.

Sounds like a great idea Jeanne! Looking at the stats though many states are on the same level of minimum wage that we're on. Still people can barely make a living off of that and I don't know how the population can get by on that these days, especially ones with families to feed.

Glad you liked the idea of the long form thread as well prince + angel. I know what you mean about the short period of time in the bigger picture. Is VJ older than 10 years even? I think it's still in the single digits. But you know when you're separated from your loved one it seems like a much longer time. Then when you're together time seems to fly faster! I look back at the past 6 years since my relationship began with my now husband of nearly 4 years and I just am in awe at the idea of if we had known then what we know now about all of this process we'd have to go through. I'm am glad VJ is here for all of that. Hey btw I see from your siggy you got the 10 year green card! Congrats if I haven't said that already to you. You know under setting --> profile ---> scroll down to Immigration Status you can update your AOS is approved. Also under that box you can update the next box of the place you filed your benefits at. Most put Chicago Lockbox but for some it's the National Benefits Center. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why my K3 wouldn't update to AOS when I was updating my timeline but then I realized I had to change it myself under profile settings.

[sara535 15]

good afternoon all

quiet day here, the kids have some summer colds so taking it easy.

I have some old bananas so I think I will make a quick banana bread...

nothing else to report

[And_Sam 44]

good afternoon all

quiet day here, the kids have some summer colds so taking it easy.

I have some old bananas so I think I will make a quick banana bread...

nothing else to report

So did you make the banana bread yet????

Yummmm~~

Olivia, I was checking out that website..florida is only 7.25 too wow.

I was noticing the change in hubby since he got here to Florida in April of this year. He has really made progress in the 5 short months that he has been here. Starters, he is definitely loving the "americanized" food now. It's gotten to the point where he is wanting to eat out everynight at a "buffet" or he is changing american recipes into arabic so he can master them. It helps that he is working at a middle eastern restaurant too!

He has pretty much gotten driving mastered, even though there are a few moves he does that scares the living daylights out of me!

I know he is wanting to go take the driving portion of the test now, but I really do think he needs just a wee bit more experience. Considering all he ever drove in Luxor is a motorcycle dodging in and out of traffic there! Big difference in a car!!

I definitely love the fact that he is a big "disney" fan like I am~ So far we have gone 2 weekends in a row, even if it is just for dinner!!

[amal 4]

Hey guys-n-gals. Wanted to give u an update. Husbands mom and little brother went for their visitor visa interview yesterday and were APPROVED! We are hoping to see them in the next couple months!

amal

[mandyu1 5]

Happy Tuesday all!!!

Thanks Wonderful, Andrea, Jeanne and Olivia for all the wishes I'm leaving for the airport in a few hours, so what am I doing on here LOL. I will definately keep in touch and as long as we can get a fairly quick interview in Cairo it looks like we will be doing the visa through there. I was planning on going for only two weeks but now who knows, but thats ok, I'm not going to stress, I have a great friend helping with the kids and mom will be coming down soon if I need her to help out as well...whatever is meant to be will be

Olivia, good luck with the job.

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

I will be in Cairo at 4pm (Cairo time tomorrow)

Edited September 14, 2010 by mandyu1

[amal 4]

*wishing you luck*

[FaithfulandTrue 6]

Good morning MENA!!!! Happy Hump Day!!! I don't have any camel pictures anyway hello to everyone .. i hope you have a great day today

[And_Sam 44]

Happy Tuesday all!!!

Thanks Wonderful, Andrea, Jeanne and Olivia for all the wishes I'm leaving for the airport in a few hours, so what am I doing on here LOL. I will definately keep in touch and as long as we can get a fairly quick interview in Cairo it looks like we will be doing the visa through there. I was planning on going for only two weeks but now who knows, but thats ok, I'm not going to stress, I have a great friend helping with the kids and mom will be coming down soon if I need her to help out as well...whatever is meant to be will be

Olivia, good luck with the job.

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

I will be in Cairo at 4pm (Cairo time tomorrow)

Yay Mandy!! I hope all goes well with the interview!!! Yeah stay in touch and let us know how it's going!!! I know you are going to be having a blast there!!! Makes me wish I was going too!!!!

Happy Hump Day everyone!!!

I didn't come into work until 1030 this morning, had to go to a meeting at the school with my 13 yr old.....I think my hair turned a new shade of gray this morning!

[FaithfulandTrue 6]

Yay Mandy!! I hope all goes well with the interview!!! Yeah stay in touch and let us know how it's going!!! I know you are going to be having a blast there!!! Makes me wish I was going too!!!!

Happy Hump Day everyone!!!

I didn't come into work until 1030 this morning, had to go to a meeting at the school with my 13 yr old.....I think my hair turned a new shade of gray this morning!

Hey Andrea.. Mandy is gone ... wow, I didn't even get a chance to say have a good time to her .. i pray everything goes well with the interview.. yeah i wish i was going to Egypt too... and Andrea I know all about the gray hair thing.. my 7 year old, well i just don't know sometimes ... my nerves are bad.. i'm getting too old for this i guess

[mandyu1 5]

Hey Andrea.. Mandy is gone ... wow, I didn't even get a chance to say have a good time to her .. i pray everything goes well with the interview.. yeah i wish i was going to Egypt too... and Andrea I know all about the gray hair thing.. my 7 year old, well i just don't know sometimes ... my nerves are bad.. i'm getting too old for this i guess

Happy Hump Day MENA!!

Thanks Andrea and Wonderfule!!

I arrived in Cairo about 5 hours ago, and I already have packet 3 ready to be sent, so looks like that will go out tomorrow I will definately keep in touch. Im having a great time, I was so happy and excited to see Mohamed, I've missed him soo muchhhh.

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

[FaithfulandTrue 6]

Happy Hump Day MENA!!

Thanks Andrea and Wonderfule!!

I arrived in Cairo about 5 hours ago, and I already have packet 3 ready to be sent, so looks like that will go out tomorrow I will definately keep in touch. Im having a great time, I was so happy and excited to see Mohamed, I've missed him soo muchhhh.

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

Hey Mandy!!!! glad you arrived safely...take PLENTY of pictures together... have fun girl.. tell Mohamed hello from VJ

Edited September 15, 2010 by wonderful07 2010