Yallah Middle East 2.0

[cbd2cai 0]

Angel, don't you have anything else to do???

But, seriously, Shokran for keeping up with the Yallah Middle East threads.

Yalla, Yalla, yalla

[AngelK96 0]

Hehe nope not until Feb 9th then i guess i'll be doing laundry as they say

I just don't want my thread to die

It had a lot of good information on it for people

going through Jordan.

Good Luck and Prayers for:

Amy

Dawn

Kelly

They are up next..lets all cheer them on.

And special prayers for you cbarrosmostafa!!

[Aymerlu 3]

LOL....(laundry) I can't wait to get some laundry done.

[MrsAmera 41]

Hahaha - you know right before my honey got here my mom asked me "So is your house clean, did you get all your laundry washed?" and I laughed so hard because I thought of all of you on here! Let's just say laundry is never dirty

Youssef got sick however. Just a disclaimer to those of you who have a SO coming soon - we live in Wisconsin, and it's cold and rainy. Youssef hasn't been dealing with it too well and got a cold. Now he's got an upset stomach (flu maybe?) - I think a lot of the stomach stuff has to do with the food changes so I'm trying to make him food that he is more use to and hoping that that makes a differences. Anybody with some good Moroccan recipes put them on here because I love to cook but the changing the recipes to accomodate what is available in the US (and using a different stove than the gas burning ones) I am seeing some differences in how it turns out.

So good luck to those of you with upcoming interviews and congrats to the recent approvals!! We're doing wedding homework this weekend! YAY!!

[dollface41601 0]

Angel, thanks for your continued support and thanks for reviving this thread! I dont know whats going on here, but everyone please dont leave me alone only because you have had your reunion....I use to feel alot of support here but now everyones sooooo busy and not posting....Angel, are you prepared for Anmar? Dawn, only 2.5 more weeks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow i cant believe how the time flew, seems like yesterday the embassy called Hattem!!!!!! Are you ready for an upcoming reunion? Andrea, you havent posted lately...I know you have a long wait ahead of you, but we are all here to support you and help u get thru this tough time! everyone else! WHERE ARE YOU?@?@?

Jordans still Jordan, im still bored out of my mind...went out today with my brother in law and stopped by Sofyans store where he works to surprise him....boy i wont forget the smile he had on his face when he saw me...I know he hates his job so much, and he is sooo ready to quit march 1st, so we can have some time with his family, before its time to go to Chicago! Monday we have to drive to the Ministry again to get my passport stamped! Ill be glad when thats over, it sure is expensive taking a taxi to and from Amman! the days are flying by! i think we have about 45 days left! Which will be over before we know it! My family is getting anxious and planning a huge wedding shower for myself and Sofyan,sure cant wait! I feel like i have forgotten how to live in America, i know its just a feeling, but simple things like using the washer or microwave, or driving my car, or my computer systems at work, its been almost 8 months since i have seen or done anything! I dont know how im gonna feel when i get back home! It sure will be nice though! Well ladies and gents.........COME BACK! I MISS YOU ALL!

KELLY

[frndly1 1]

Wow, Doll how in the world did you get to stay that long? I am glad that eveything is going good for you.

[dawnnhatem 0]

Kelly

I'm here. Lately, if I check in and no one is here or nothing seems new, i pretty much leave without leaving a mark. Maybe thats what others are doing too and it just seems like the room is emptier than it is. I was feeling a little lonely here too...

yep, 2 weeks and 4 days (3 when time diff is considered). I dont know where time is going. I didnt lose 100 pounds last month like I wanted and I probably have the hairiest legs in the world and I havent really grocery shopped in years so I don't cook yet and I meant to rehab my closet....no Im not ready.

Any baby news yet? Your sister in law uses a hospital in ajloun? Is that a short drive from you? Ajloun is so close to whre H lives. from his house you can look over the valley and clearly see ajloun castle and the forrest and village around it. Its a long drive, but itsvery close. I thought there was more distance between Zarca and Kufranja. Do you have access to a jordan map with all the cities and highways on it? for some reason it is impossible to get a map here with more than amman and just a couple other cities on it. zarca and irbid appears on many maps but little more than that and Ive never seen a map with streets, schools, attractions or even highways on it, yet I was on a highway, I know its there.

talk to you later

[Aymerlu 3]

Hey gals! Thought I'd update you on my "life." Khallid and I are going crazy....can't wait to see each other again. I swear we both giggle like little kids when we are talking on the phone. He is so sweet, he is so worried about me traveling with my foot/ankle problem. Really, everything is healing just fine, some pain off and on, but I know that is something I will have to deal with. I think Khallid plans on waiting on me hand and foot when I am there, thinking I will not want to go out or anything. I keep trying to explain to him that it does not matter where I am...here....there....China....I will have a bit of pain, but I am totally ok with it. In fact, I am betting that I will feel even better there because it won't be so darn cold there like it is here.

Now....for the good news I can't wait to share. Since I got back from Egypt last July my mom hasn't been that happy for me. My dad was accepting however after I told him exactly how I feel for Khallid. I think my mom was more less worried for me due to my past experience with my ex. Long story short, a couple of weeks ago she went out and bought him a nice leather coat for when he is here and today she dropped off about 15 new winter shirts and sweaters. She said she was afraid that when he gets here he will be sooooo cold. So I hope he gets here to experience this cold weather this year. I think FINALLY my mom knows how I feel and how much in love I am with Khallid. Plus, my kids are already loving him. In fact, the other day my son asked him if he can call him "dad" when he is here. That choked him up a bit. I know he is going to be such a good dad.

So.....I'm off on a jet plane in 4 days!!!! WHOOOOO HOOOOO!!!! If I happen to get by a net cafe I will post about the interview experience. Otherwise, I won't be back in the states till March 1.

Angel...I bet you are soooooo excited getting ready for Anmar!

Kelly....soon you will be back here nuking the food and washing the clothes the easy way again. Strange how I thought that was kinda cool when I was in Egypt....thought I would like doing it once or twice, but then thought about my washer and dryer at home! I'm sure it makes you appreciate the things we take for granted here.

[kerewin21 2]

Amy I am so excited for you!!!!!!!!!! I'm glad to hear your leg is doing better. Please keep us posted in between your loads of laundry

Sharon

[AngelK96 0]

I'm ready for anmar, but i feel my house isn't yet. I bought a new dinette set and then i noticed the table had this crack in it, so i took it back and it's taking forever for them to get me a new one, so i have four dark chairs with a tan table. Then i thought i need more light in my living room, so i go to walmart and buy one of those tall skinny lamps you put together yourself and took it out of it's book and try to assemble it, but no luck so i stuffed it back in the box and took it back. I'm not sure it was defected or it was just me not strong enough to twist the ends together..hehehe So then i'm going thru my dresser cleaning a few drawers out and find some granny panties and thought oh heck i better get rid of these.. you know those kind you wear when you are on the rag. Then i thought maybe i needed a new seat on toliet and so i try to take that off and was trying to unscrew it forever and finally gave up and i told one of my friends at work and she said didn't you know they are nuts on the bottom of the screws to hold them in place..ok handy man i am not. I keep finding things i need to replace or fix. I guess i just want it perfect for anmar. I need to totally throw out all the food in my fridge because i don't know how long it's been in there. I usually dont even cook and just grab something on the way home. omg i feel overwhelmed ..oh well i'm just going to leave it like it is and have anmar fix it.

Woo Hoo Amy, have a nice trip and good luck at the interview, i'm so glad your mother finally came around. Do keep us informed if you can when you are on ur trip, i would like to hear how egypt is because i never been there. Now once Khaled gets his interview does he have to go thru the name check process??

Oh Kelly you dont know how happy i was to see my washer and dryer and theromstat when i came home from jordan. I told myself i'm never taking what i have for granted anymore. Myself i just been busy and been trying to post when i can, i know anmar will be here soon, but i'll still come online to check on you girls. We all somehow found our way here and manage to get to know each other, so for me I have to see all of you through your journeys until you get ur visas. I guess the last one is Andrea. then i'm sure we'll all be back doing our lifting conditions..ugh don't even wanna think about that.

Alright girls hang in there ur journeys are about done..for jordan dawn is next..your H will do fine, remember not to worry too much.

Angel

[Aymerlu 3]

Now once Khaled gets his interview does he have to go thru the name check process??

Yes, from what I have heard, he will go through the name check after the interview which sucks. So I'm looking at him being here with me late April/early May The embassy can surprise me if they want and just give him his visa while I'm there if they like!

[honeyblonde 0]

Ok this just says Middle East & Egypt, but can Morocco come here too? We're sortof Middle East, like Egypt.

I have felt like the forum was a little dead lately too, but been way too busy to think too much about it. I hope to get our AOS, EAD & AP package out Teusday. I forgot to get my boss to sign the letter of employment last week and then found out he's out until Tuesday.

We got really lucky on the civil surgeon ordeal Friday. When I called and talked to the secretary I felt like she was being snitty with me because she said to drop the vacination supplement by between 12 and 12:30 and she would see if he would sign it. I told her I needed something more than "could" and "if he would" even if I had to pay a fee. She told me sorry that was the best she could do. We went by and she got him to sign it for us and then didn't even charge us anything. Since the chicken pox shot was $80 the day before at the health department, that was a relief.

I am so exhausted from renovation that I can barely type. Today we finally mortared down the tile in the bathroom and the plumber finally finished all his work that we had been waiting on him for. I basically got tired of waiting for him and had him wrap up all he had started then fired him. I'm going to do the drain pipes myself. We'll go to Home Depot in the morning for those materials then Abdel will do the concrete in the low hall and I will grout the bathroom tile.

Abdel is playing love songs again so I better sign off and go snuggle. I'm afraid there is so much dirty laundry here to be done right now I don't even want to use that phrase to refer to other things. I hope I can get the drains run tomorrow so I can finally put the washing machine in place and quit having to sit next to it at the kitchen sink and hold the end of the drain pipe down while it goes through it's spin cycle, and keep turning it off until the sink drains.

We have had hot water now since Thursday morning, but we can't shower this weekend because the mortar on the tile has to dry and then as soon as it can be walked on, we have to grout it. Maybe we'll go to my mom's or sister's for a shower again tomorrow night when we finish working.

Thanks to each of you for your stories. I really enjoyed them all, especially yours Angel about trying to be handy. I'm very handy and still have days like that. Today I was trying to put tile along the front edge of the sink counter but it kept sliding down before the mortar dried and one piece fell and broke two tiles. Abdel and the plumber walked in and first thing Abdel said was that I needed to clamp them on until the mortar dried. Well Duh! Why didn't I think of that!

[Meriem_DZ 37]

Honeyblonde, I was wondering the same. I wasn't sure if I should post here. It does say middle east and Egypt. I know no one minds where we post. I just didn't want to tread on anyones topic. I posted on the other Yallah middle east thread and Angel graciously invited us to post here so I guess it is ok. I'm just so excited that I am going to Algeria. Can't stop smiling. And Hachemi is so happy. He told me he is so excited and cant stop thinking about me being with him for one month. I talked to his mother and she asked me if I had lost any weight. And I said why. And she said she is going to cook for me everyday and fatten me up. The last visit I did go home about 5 pounds heavier. She cooked every day traditional Algerian food. She wanted me to try everything and she is a wonderful cook.

I read about you and your husband doing your renovations together. I love doing my own decorating and renovation. I sew all my curtains and comforters, bed ruffles and pillows. I did all my painting and wallpapering. Before I hurt my back I did the ceramic tile in the kitchen and dining room, and laundry room. I look forward to the day when Hachemi and I are doing things together like this. Insha'allah, it wont be to much longer.

[dollface41601 0]

See now this is how the thread should look....And as for everyone going thru North Africa! You are ALL welcome!

Angel, Liz, and Meriem, You all sound like you keep yourselves pretty busy....I am that type too! Although unfortunately I dont have time to "prepare" things for Sofyan....My bedroom at my fathers is still filled with JUNK....maybe even some ex bf junk floating around....maybe Ill pay off my little brother to throw everything out before we come home...I will need to take everything out of there to move, and i would hate for sofyan to see any of it!

Dawn.....I know you may feel like you havent achieved any of your goals, and i dont want to sound Dr Phil'ish but my thoughts to you....set your goals a little smaller, take it day by day...I know your a busy women, and working a lot, and you probably dont have the time your setting out for these goals....try to make them a little smaller, then once u reach it, you will really have something to cheer about, and to even feel good about...

everyone else! Your right, cant wait to get home to the "living style" of americans....1 month witout it, yes its new, cute and fun, 8 months, its just annoying...well gotta run, its laundry day! Real laundry!

Kelly

[AngelK96 0]

Welcome to the yallah middle east thread Meriem!

and welcome back Liz..you know you are always welcome here.

Amy, hope he doesn't have to stay on the name check too long.

Meriem, I don't think i know of anyone going through Algeria.. If you like you can share some information on Algeria, I think most of us talked about how life was in jordan when we where there. Of course we live vicariously through Dollface now because she is living in Jordan.

I forgot to say, Anmar knew we wouldn't be together on our anniversary, so he sent me some Versace Perfume and some gold earrings.. sigh 4 more days. I feel i will be shy around him the first day because i haven't seen him since May or maybe not. Anyone have experiences of how you felt that first day together.

Angel