RFQ

Ah well... too bad its not so cut and dry, lol. God willing it will all work out in due time. I pray not with too much troubles. Its near impossible not to panic though if I did enough, did it right *head twists up in knots...can I change or should i change anything...* Shut up head!!! leave me alone. yep...I am conversing with myself. >.<

I agree... and its not just me that is damaged !
Just being single ,I am meeting some hot mess men out here! I dont know if even having a "type" is the greatest idea LOL...
Is it ok to admit this #######? I think I feel bad about ADMITTING that I would like to have something resembling a satisfying relationship...Its like wanting to be96 pounds when you are 150 or wanting a new car when you can barely afford the car you have...
Is it ok to long for normality? For intimacy? To have faith that things will improve? Isnt there a fine line between being realistic and being a dreamer?

I have every single female relative on both sides of my husbands family from all over Cairo and Giza (that are actually are known to be on fb ofc), on my facebook, as well as two girls I consider my best friends, that I've known before I became engaged to my husband. I don't have an issue getting first hand information.
But regardless of that, I have no issue of anyone telling me to be careful in a volatile country or even when telling me to be careful when traveling to a destination within my own town. Its about what is said, why its said,how its said, and the attitude its said with. Take for instance the completely different approaches to "help" you find on this forum....

The only time I've had my carry on bags weighed was when I flew Philippine Airlines. It was from Nevada to Vancouver. I must say, however, it was a great flight. Best safety video I've ever seen and amazingly real silverware with knives. That was a shock, since the trip was in 2011.
I did say tonight to a friend that I thought maybe my carry on luggage weighed more than my actual suitcase. And, despite the fact that I'll miss that great safety video, I won't be flying Philippine Airlines. This time it is Egyptair, and I think my carry on will be safe from the scales. Hope so anyway!

Y'all need to think about luggage a little differently.
Sure, there's the suit cases/s and carry on luggage, with stuff to bring.
Then there's the lap top bag, with the lap top in it, along with more stuff to bring.
And the great big purse with a wallet and other pursey things in it, and more stuff to bring.
The last time I came I had two suitcases (one with a waffle iron in it), a carry on, my lap top bag (with a lap top I was bringing for someone else), and an oversize purse with my own lap top - and wallet n stuff - in it.
Do airlines even put weight limits on gadget bags and/or purses?

Yep I totally agree. Made in China products in Egypt are like dollar store ####### (or worse). In the U.S., made in China products can be relatively decent quality. I also agree about the toiletries. I had to buy shampoo in Cairo because I left mine at my inlaws (near Alex). Talk about garbage.

I leave Saturday. I arrive Sunday--the day after the second round of voting! Enjoy your time as well RFQ.
By the way, it is definitely interesting to note that the same products can be made to different standards. Roosha, my fiance will be pleased that you concur with his theories. Makes me a little sad, though, that all things aren't made equally well.

It's true! Products have to meet certain standards in the states that are non existent in the middle east!
Have fun on your trips ladies! And regarding luggage/weight, always take out your clothes, you'll be buying a lot there so you won't wear half of what you're packing. Never toiletries though, you won't find anything that is as good there! Trust me!

My fiance believes that things "Made in China" but sold in the USA are better quality than things "Made in China" but sold in Egypt, so I totally understand the need for Costco shampoo!!! Maybe I'll do a scientific experiment this trip to see if the same products really are different. ☺

Maybe you'll get a really nice person and they let your luggage go through overweight without charging you. That's what happened to me. The man at the Iberia counter weighed it and let me know it was overweight but he quietly said not to worry about it. That was so nice. So when I came back from Morocco I just left most of my stuff behind since I am returning next month. Have a wonderful trip!

I leave Saturday, and last night I had to unpack all of my items. I keep standing on a scale with my luggage, and it is over 50 lbs. I am trying to pare down my items, but I just can't decide what to leave out. Sure, I could pay the extra fee for overweight luggage, but I am stubborn. I do not like paying extra fees. I try to avoid it at all costs. So, we'll have to see what wins out--my vain desires for lots of material things or my stingy, money saving personality. Maybe the gravitational pull on my luggage will just lessen the moment it goes on the airline's scale. One can hope...

Just because this is making me a little nostalgic - I left for Egypt for my first trip on Dec. 26 (2005). I packed the night before and morning of lol. I am such a procrastinator. Hope you have a safe flight and a nice time in Egypt. I hope you're still able to do some site seeing and shopping, safely. Khan el Khalili was my favorite.

I might be coming late to the party but trust me, you do not want to move to the Middle East. I was born and raised in the states, got married in Qatar and have been living here for the last 7 years. I've hated every minute of it. I'm not saying to take my experience as law, not saying you're going to have the same experience, but I don't know of one person who made the move from the USA to the Middle East and liked it. They all pine for the day that they'll move back. And a lot of them are in different stages in their lives. Everyone from the married woman to the single party boy all want to move back after one year, most times less. And these are people who live in the Gulf, where there is no unrest, you're safe, and you have all the amenities and most of the technology of home. But you're still not home and there are HUGE differences that most simply can not adapt to. Human rights issues and etc.
I am SO glad that we're moving back, and you know the deal breaker? My son's schooling. He's 5 years old, will be starting first grade next year, and there is no way we'll be able to afford good schooling for him. So we're moving. Even if my husband (the non-US citizen) does not find the best job in the beginning it will still be better than living here. Not to mention I do NOT want to raise my child in this society, it's not Muslim no matter what anyone tries to tell you. You have a better chance of raising a well rounded and stable child in the USA.
This is all my opinion and I do apologize if I offended anyone, but this is my experience and what I've seen and learned during my expat years, and what I've seen and learned of others' expat experiences.

I think it's totally a personal decision and depends a lot on ur child's personality but I was born and raised in the States and lived in Egypt for a number of years and I think it was great. It's a fun country and I think your daughter would be fine in the schools there... But thats just my experience (and yes I did live there recently... even through the entire Jan 25 revolution, I only came to the States again last March)

Chicago has a murder rate that is out of control and the National Guard has been called in to protect residents. Hopefully you will not have to go through O'Hare airport on the way to Egypt. Maybe that is what he meant?

Abuse is a terrible thing that no person should experience. But Marriage fraud is a separate issue. Its unfortunate the OP doesn't want to respond further because I feel like the original post is actually NOT helpful at all. And I believe she genuinely wanted to be. The post makes sweeping and negative generalizations about Moroccan men, but offers no insight as to the "red flags" she encountered, or the "intuition" she wishes she'd listened to in regard to the "fraud" part of the relationship. Those things would be productive and possibly helpful, as opposed to insulting to the many American women here happily married to good, sincere Moroccan men.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but I just don't like when people blame or stereotype an entire group, instead of blaming the individual people actually involved. Its like people saying Muslims have very "high instances" of terrorism because of the stories they've seen in the news about Muslim terrorists. Its ridiculous!
I am sorry for the pain the OP must be going through. Heartbreak and betrayal are some of the most painful experiences there are - its like dying a slow painful death, but being forced to keep living. Its terrible. I empathize. But I just think most people in love are so swooned, that generic "fraud warnings" and negative generalizations, born of personal hurt, will always fall on deaf ears and are counter-productive. That include the generic warnings of the US State Department. Specific personal instances of suspicious "fraud" behavior being described, and/or specific foreboding intuative thoughts a person had, might resonate and prove helpful. Maybe.
People are not prone to fraud because of their country of origin, or level of poverty - people are prone to fraud because of their lack of a moral compass...and that's really what all men and women should be "aware of" in any relationship....not the country their loved one comes from.

I understand exactly what you're saying. We also have first hand knowledge of what's going on since we speak with my husband's mom, brothers, sisters and friends a couple of times a week. Granted, most of them live 10 minutes outside of Cairo in a village, but they all get out everyday to work and shopping in Cairo and they do not have an overwhelming fear of being afraid to go out. A few of his family members live in the wealthy areas of Cairo and they haven't had any problems either.
I don't doubt the violence that some VJ members have reported seen living there, but it certainly is not present everywhere, in every city and village.

Have a FUN trip.

This is not a little detail in Islam. Muslim women are forbidden to marry men who are not Muslim. The burden of proof will be on you to prove that her family approves of you and the relationship and pending marriage. Consulate officers are trained to know the customs of the countries they work in, and I can tell you for a fact that is will come up at the interview and it will be an issue. My husband is from a Muslim country and I attended the interview with him. Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian women(I am Catholic), and we were both asked at the interview about our difference in religion and how we will deal with it once he was living here, and if his family approved. Now with it being forbidden for women to marry outside Islam you will have to have strong evidence that her family, especially her father, approves.

Ok, lets get real IHQ. You're a sweet gal but I'm surprised you didn't confide in me when I asked you about the the truth of the matter a month ago. I was direct with you several times and we've know each other for years. After spending all day talking with fellow Egyptians and Expats in Egypt they are calling bullshit on the hype. The Egyptian government never sent out police officers to any crime scene even prior to the revolution. The only time they ever did was if a foreigner was involved and that is still the case to this day.
It's one of the points that is currently infuriating Egyptians living there because why don't they get the preferential treatment. So please stop scaring RFQ because the general consensus is that this whole situation will blow over like a bad storm if that in one to two weeks. They believe that the constitution will pass and things will begin to settle down from there. That the Egyptian people like it or not will accept it. Morsi is banking on it because he was elected by the majority so he believes he has the power to back him.
I also call bullshit on this CBS pkg ( Link ) that is being presented to the people in the US because Morsi never had control of the constitutional court. The constitutional court was established entirely by Mubarak 15 years ago and calling them all Islamist implying that they were somehow controlled by Morsi or the MB is a total crock and entirely misleading. Not everyone agrees on the same definition of Islam and that is a major point in the current protests. The constitutional court didn't exist before any of this upheaval. And they believe that all of this is blown way out of proportion and those locally that are in Egypt and educated know better and some are taking advantage of the situation.
They said that you can't believe that a country that is 90% Islamic and 10% Christian to not pass a constitution that represents 90% of the country. The liberal minded can't honestly believe that they can come out and say that the constitution doesn't represent them in Egypt and in the same week say they support gay right. That just won't pass in Egypt. I'm sorry. The vast majority does not and will not support the sentiment even if 200,000 - 300,000 supporters come out in Tahrir square in Egypt. It's still not a vast majority of the population. That's not to say their battle is entirely lost in the Egyptian Parliament. There can always be referendums and possibly one day their own bill of rights.
Personally for me it's a sad loss for women's rights and I hope that they keep fighting and get some amendments recognized for themselves.

No, I didn't say that at all. I was just sharing my experience of people's negatiave perceptions of MENA countries. I have been to Egypt several times with my husband, although not since the revolution. I was giving the OP encouragement that her trip should be just fine. Geesh!

The thing is, the control is not in control. No laws are not being enforced at all. Even the Military and Police fight each other. Your an American woman.. that can be a target. Some women can not even ride the micro buses without be fondled. It is really a big issue, and with the lawlessness now. I hate to say it but you could be kidnapped. This time around the ppl are at war with each other. They are not just throwing a president out, they are fighting everything. They are clashing in more cities then just Alexandria and Cairo, the small villages are effected and even the tourist cities. Any city that has government buildings is effected by this. What we get in the media here is not nothing compared to what is going on in Egypt at the moment. And if he fears for your safety you need to respect that he loves you enough to not have to risk something happening to you. Even my husband fears for his safety and his families. Because fights and clashes happen anywhere not just Tahrir Square. Just wait this out... when schools close and jobs close there doors it is very serious. Also many of the tourist places close to if it continues. What you going to do sit in the flat all day. I did that back in March of 2011. Even when the revolution was over the lawlessness was bad and would hear gun fire all over the city. There was many times we would be on bus into Cairo and just get off, because he got a call of fights and gun fire. And the new thing this time, people have bought guns since the last revolution as a way to protect them selves and from military and police. That makes it 100 x's more dangerous. Please value your safety. I have many friends that are American that live in Egypt and for the 1st time they are thinking of leaving.

I was told I would never make it out of the airport alive (Morocco) - that I would be knocked in the head, robbed and murdered. And so many people told me I would never make it back to the USA alive - yet here I am LOL. And like you - I am on my countdown to going back!

Again, I wasn't there and I'm sure s/he said many other things that might've been inappropriate. However saying that "x" region is a bad place is not an insult. There are areas in New York City that are "bad places." There are areas in every state in the US that are bad places. I also gave you the example of Juarez, Mexico being the most dangerous city in the entire world. That is not an insult, that's reality.
That said, you're right about the Un-American element of the debate. That's the insulting part. You're an American- dressed or undressed- in the US and abroad. I'm a tattooed Puertorican hippie and I certainly dressed like that while in Egypt. Outside of some curious stares, not one single f***k was given, as far as I'm concerned. I had ladies in bathrooms asking me about my body art and lifestyle and "whatnot." I noticed in America people care more, ironically.
Have a safe trip.

I think it's appropriate to take it back to the original point.
There is good and there is bad in Egypt. Raise your awareness while you're there. The country is in a period of unrest. I should also address Staashi's comment on the airlifting American's out. The recent rumors are incorrect about staff evacuations and the closure of the the Embassy yesterday. They US Embassy in Cairo posted a response to the rumors on their website. LINK
Don't believe the scary hype online or everything you read, especially if it isn't from a reputable news source. Check more than one source for information. There is a lot of confusion going around right now and the Egyptian people are still trying to figure it out. Many of them that are throwing stones are young and don't understand the complexities. They're under educated, un-employed and frustrated with democracy, especially when they don't understand it.
It's believed that once the constitution is passed and the power that was recently grabbed by Morsi is transferred by the new constitution to the upper house of Parliament the recent unrest will begin to subside. This is said to be done within the next week, before your trip to Egypt. I get that Morsi did the power grab in order to root out the old corrupt regime, though he maybe should have done it in a better way taking time and having a dialogue with the people so they understand him and the MB better.
It seems from the protests the corrupt people he's attempting to circumvent do understand what is going on and so they acted on it and joined the other group of liberal minded Egyptians that are more than likely acting out of fear of being over taken by an autocratic ruler. Time will tell if he follows through on what he's said and relinquishes power to the upper house of Parliament. The lower house of Parliament is what had been dissolved by the military council, which was formerly done by the Supreme Military Council because it was in their opinion over populated with MB members. This is also partly why the President did away with the Supreme Military Council. That and they were Mubarak's regime.
The Judges or Judiciary were done away for a similar reason but also because they were formerly above any review, even the President's. Now for the balance to be restored the constitution has to be voted on so the power is transferred to the Upper House of Parliament, and Judges have to vote on the new members of the lower house of parliament, but they don't like the bitter taste of having power taken away from them so they have the lawyers riled up, and the people riled up, and they said they're boycotting and also attempting to retake the power away from the President.
Anyways the US has expressed concern because the Egyptian people are riled and they're also fearing the worst case scenario in that the MB doesn't transfer the power back after the constitution is passed. When we look to the leaders of our country, and our top diplomats, and all they have is an expression of concern then you and others can relax. It means this is not the worst case scenario going on in Egypt and it's obvious because they are not outright condemning President Morsi's actions. Know that we have an ongoing working relationship with the Egyptians and we're helping to guide them in this democratic transformation. It's going to take some time. There will be hiccups. There will be times of peace and period of unrest. Hopefully by the time you get there thing will be better and they can get to the business of establishing further law and order again.
Thank goodness. I trust you know what you're doing and I wonder where were these scary posts when you were asking about going to visit your dh.