I think the captain is waiting for the translation...

locked for what?

I don't know why the translation would cause it to be locked. It really isn't anything that wasn't said in English. I understood about 75% of it, and my husband filled in the blanks.

Has anyone found that pesky, elusive translation yet?

It was never directly translated in this thread, although there have been some indirect comments about the content of it. To be quite honest, its not worth translating.

I know that, you know that, but I've been accused of having a translation to use since I didn't respond last night because I supposedly didn't understand what was said. And that's supposed to prove that I'm not Palestinian and ignorant of the Quran, to boot! Just wondering where this proof is.

Because we know you are not a troll or have troll like postings

In addition for those out there that think you can't hold on to your roots if you were not born in the same country your family was, well you are wrong. Arabs hold on to their roots very tightly. My kids, even though they are will not be born in Jordan, will be Jordanian. If you want a more technically correct term, they will be Jordanian-Americans. Jordanian because that is their history, their roots, and their culture. American because they are citizens of the country they are born into. Being born in another country doesn't mean you have no identity.

I was born in Jordan and raised in Ameica, so what does that make me?

I agree as far as the children of immigrants. When D comes here, our kids will be part English. They will be able to qualify for a British passport if done so before a certain age. But we are not talking about first gen Americans here.

And no one's saying that you should deny your heritage...but it's heritage, and one must keep that in mind. As a 3rd gen American, I can categorically say that if USA and Italy went to war and each had a draft...the US would draft me, not Italy.

It's always special to keep to your roots and practice tradition and whatnot, but that doesn't mean one should deny their actual nationality by saying 'I AM AMERICAN'

But WOM made a perfect point....nationality has nothing to do with an opinion. It's not more valid cos your forefathers were born a certain place.

I agree as far as the children of immigrants. When D comes here, our kids will be part English. They will be able to qualify for a British passport if done so before a certain age. But we are not talking about first gen Americans here.

And no one's saying that you should deny your heritage...but it's heritage, and one must keep that in mind. As a 3rd gen American, I can categorically say that if USA and Italy went to war and each had a draft...the US would draft me, not Italy.

It's always special to keep to your roots and practice tradition and whatnot, but that doesn't mean one should deny their actual nationality by saying 'I AM AMERICAN'

But WOM made a perfect point....nationality has nothing to do with an opinion. It's not more valid cos your forefathers were born a certain place.

Lisa, the only person for whom you can decide that they leave their heritage at the door is you.

As far as WOM goes, she was trying to make the point that her HUSBAND'S nationality validated her opinion. That contradicts what you said was her point.

Now, perhaps you have your finger on the pulse of what the English or Italians wish to do when they immigrate here, but your family came voluntarily, mine did not. When we get the chance, and insha'allah, that day will come, I will appear with my great-grandfather's property deed to claim what is rightfully ours. If you have nothing you want in Italy, that is your situation. I am Palestinian, JP is Jordanian. That is as much of a part of our identity as WE choose for it to be, not you and those who feel as you do. That is fine for YOU.

Might I add, there are soooooooo many Palestinians that were not born in Palestine. Most of them consider themselves to be Palestinians. Most of the Palestinians I know were not born in Palestine, many many generations of them born in Jordan. They do not consider themselves Jordanians. Palestinian people are proud and hold on to their identity because that is all most of them have left. For someone to say otherwise is an insult.

So much bravado here spent on emotional defense of oneself - it's not pretty, its not productive and it's really kind of sad.

WOM will be back soon...

So, this is only in the beginning

Might I add, there are soooooooo many Palestinians that were not born in Palestine. Most of them consider themselves to be Palestinians. Most of the Palestinians I know were not born in Palestine, many many generations of them born in Jordan. They do not consider themselves Jordanians. Palestinian people are proud and hold on to their identity because that is all most of them have left. For someone to say otherwise is an insult.

For someone to say otherwise is an insult. You can say that again, and for a Palestinian to do that to another Palestinian, well, it's just not done. But it was done, and that's a first for me!

Am I being that much of a troll?

Am I in the most hated list with Charles?

It's just another one of those things that some don't get about Arab cultures. There is a lot of bravado in them, and a lot of pride in heritage. Our cultures have loooooong memories, and no matter where we live, we are raised to live in the long term. I can't honestly say that there's no shaming in this too.

I apologize if I've misinterpreted something, but your posts have made me curious. You said that your great-grandfather was forced out of Israel and came to the US with his children. Israel didn't exist until 1948. How is that you are in your fifties (born in the fifties) and your father was born here in the U.S. after 1948?

How can you pretend to know WHY my family came here? I mean we're playing semantics now, cos even if everyone came to this country for a better life/the opportunities etc...does that mean it's completely voluntary? There are tons of immigrants who came here cos they were starving in their own land, and the only chance at having the means to feed your family was to emigrate. Does that mean it was all 'hey let's give up our homeland! won't it be fun!'

So the distinction of WHY ppl come here is moot..the fact is we're here. You, your parents, grandparents are American. Whether you 'identify' with that or not is another story, but technically you're a born and bred American.

WOM's hubby is doing the 'more Palestinian than thou' olympics because of YOUR comments.



what's that gotta do with holding an opinion?



So you'd win the game you don't even wanna play even though you started the qualifications anyways, and you just have to let that be known. As far as your condescending 'Palestinian by injection' comment, well that's just so declasse & disgraceful that I almost am suprised you said it. Almost



Yet your opinion holds more cos your great-great-grandad was born there? Why not just discuss whatever issue you want without having to qualify yourself as the expert? You started this thread making comments that WOM showed you as being untrue - you even admitted it - and yet you still bash her for not having a valid opin cos she's not Palestinian. No one's slamming you for your opinion, even though that's a common cry in many of your threads. But to hold your opinion as more qualified/better/etc than everyone else's is really quite silly, WOM's whole post was 'wait a minute, this is where my husband is from, his experience is this..' yet she's criticized for relaying the info cos she's not Palestinian.

I'm gonna stop the quote wars now cos I'm bored with it, but at the end of the day, I have learned quite a bit about the UK in the past 7 years...some from living there, some from just talking to David about his experiences, etc. I have successfully argued British politics to the point where ppl in the pub were clapping. I think every one of us has a love and interest in the country where our SO came from. To diminish that experience and knowledge as 'not enough' is very short sighted imo.

At the same time, her husband's opinions are quite valid because he was relaying his own personal experience was telling a different story than what the 'I am Palestinian hear me roar!' poster was saying. There's an old saying 'you can't teach a granny to suck eggs'. Cos you're sat here trying to say you know Palestine better than him! hahahah However, I will speculate that had you not started this 'more Palestinain' game, it never would have been brought up. And now you don't like it, even though you started this whole thing.

The state os Israel was created in 1948, but the zionist movent existed since the late 1800s.

Some zionist organizations bought huge landmasses in the Palestine before the wars. At the time the war was over they owned roughly 50% of the Palestine.

And I read somewhere that the Arab Palestines living on zionist properties had to move... But this scrap of information I can't confirm. If that is true, maybe that is the case.

My dad was born in 1919. My great grandfather and his family traveled quite a bit. He bought land in several countries, including the US, but always returned home until it was gone. My dad was born here during a visit, making him a citizen. My great grandfather didn't settle here until a stint in Morocco. We tend to be rather nomadic. As a result, we have homes in many places, and have for decades.




No, you are right about that. Displacement started years earlier and that is why my family traveled, buying land. Jews were kicked out too, btw. To this day, we hold our land in trust as a family so it's harder to lose.

Lisa, again I say, I know from experience that you are a troll and I will not respond to your posts. Nothing you say is worth responding to.

You just did. Duh

Troll.

There you go again responding to me. I thought you weren't going to?


Meanwhile, I have very clearly laid out my POV. You wanna dismiss it as trollish, that's fine...but throwing around labels like this just proves you have no intelligent response. So thank you for agreeing, or at the very least not being able to contradict anything of what I've said

It's so funny how you always say you get maligned for putting forth your opinion, yet you malign others with ease!

Troll.

Lol, and you're how old?

You can say that again...

But anyways, last time I was on a pub and people clapped was when 2 straight Swedish chicks made out....

ETA: With each other...

we got hot and cold running woms around here?
maybe i should get the t-shirt

i went to the middle east and all i got was woms!

no daily olympics for more holy than thou in there

welcome to mena


that's my job now.........

Catching up, eh Charles?

yup, all caught up now

For someone who thinks my posts aren't worth responding to, you certainly are spending quite a bit of time showing yourself up like acting like a petulant child. If you truly thought I was a troll, you wouldn't respond at all...so what you're doing looks to me like an attempt to deflect from the real issue here.

Call me troll all you want...I have put forth my opinion here....you can either discuss it or ignore it. Instead you prove incapable of carrying yourself with the grace & dignity of theeducated & mature woman that you claim to be....and I find that quite sad. In a ha-ha sort of way though too

I see our little forum is attracting strays again WELCOME ALL!!!

AK-47's are in Aisle 4. Only 1 per customer, please.

And again, thank you for visiting the Middle East.

Or how to deal with health issues?

When I was sick with a fever last year, my husband kept trying to cover me with a lot of blankets. My mom came over to see me and was shocked that I had 4 blankets on top of me. He thought that I should sweat the bad germs out.

Or the subject of children spending time over in SO home country?

what aisle is the rpg's in? i wanna go squirrel hunting with one of those!


i think rey wants to be an honorary mean girl too

or the fact that i was in the ER for 2 hours (prior to getting insurance) last year and wound up with a $4500 bill ! Hubby believes in principle that it should not be paid. i vehemently disagree. i did not take steps to ensure insurance was secure, and wound up sick. regardless how rediculous the bill amount, i need to pay it.

point is, the outrageousness of some bills can shock your ME/NA SO.

Before Mohammed came to America, I suggested he see his eye doctor and dentist. He paid $50 there for a nice pair of glasses and exam. The same glasses here he saw at Sears and they would have been over $300 with exam. Same with dentists, it is much cheaper in the ME.

Jackie
Or was the topic of this thread 'I am more palestinian than you'. ? If that was the purpose, then I apoligize for hijacking it with trivial issues.

My husband's best friend in Egypt is a dentist, so he got his work done for cheap. He also got new glasses. Unfortunately, less than a month after he arrived, we were at Eid prayers and he set his glasses down in front of him during the salat. Now, in Egypt that's normal. But here, we have little devils, err, rambuncious children, who run up and down the aisles. Smaaaaaaaaaaaaaash! New glasses are expensive


Also on the health front, if your sweetie is used to getting antibiotics over the counter, inform him that here they're perscription only. He should try to bring enough with him to tied him over until he has a chance to go home and get more, if he can't live without them.

My husband had a lot of issues with dental work he got done in Morocco. He has had to get most of it corrected in the US and is shocked to see how much it costs with insurance.

I thought of another question - the issues of pets. I love all creatures great and small. My husband doesn't. We were able to agree on a cat, but I would love, love, love a dog. This is the first time in my life where I have not had a dog.

Or was the topic of this thread 'I am more palestinian than you'. ? If that was the purpose, then I apoligize for hijacking it with trivial issues.

That wasn't it, and neither was it what you all are discussing, but there's no doubt that substantive issues are not the forte of this board, nor is staying on topic, so be it.

Carry on.

Then what was it? I'm confused. What issues did the OP intend on discussing?

carry on. (is that like 'permission' to continue?) gee thanks.

Jackie

When Ahmed comes he will automatically go under my health and dental so i already know will be hitting the dentist. He also shows signs of not being to (friendly) with the pets. According to him i think when he was younger he and a dog didnt agree! anyway my cat died but still have two small dogs, he knows this, and i have tried to reassure him they are very friendly. Glad some issues are finally surfacing.

Oh, believe me, it's not just the ME/NA immigrants that are shocked by the medical bills here. This Canadian was pretty blown away by some of the costs. !!! ZOWIE!

I've been talking to Mohamed lately about getting to the dentist. I explained that dental work is extremely expensive here. He promised he will get to the dentist and get any dental work he may need done prior to coming here. I also told him to get another check up with the doctor. I can get him on my medical, dental and optical plan at work but not until open enrollment in October.

Another thing that MENA men (in general) are big on is "checking in". Even though Mohamed is in Egypt he still wants me to let him know when special occasions (things other than visiting family and friends or shopping..normal stuff) are coming up. Like my concert plans for next month. He expected me to talk to him about it prior to buying the tickets. My ex was like that and so are many MENA men that I know. I know many American women have a problem with this as it seems controlling but I believe it is an issue that needs to be discussed with your MENA men.