AsiyahFC

What makes our marriage successful is that we are not only husband and wife...but we are Best Friends! We talk about everything whether it be our finances, our jobs, our families, or our lives in general. We have an understanding and a respect for each other as human beings and he always knows how to make me laugh, too. I have never known what true love was until Kamel came into my life.

Salam Rafik,

My husband Kamel has emailed you. He wants to try to talk to you this weekend online. Send him a reply. If you have Skype or some sort of MSN or Yahoo Messenger let him know and he will talk to you one on one.

Hi all!

First off in my home country, we never ate corn on the cob, as Aymsgirl said was considered animal feed. I ate it first time in the US. Damn good too!

In MENA, they burn the hell out of the corn since the corn isn't sweet corn, buuut the one used for making cornmeal ... it's hard and not sweet at all.

And the Algerian soup recipe isn't Algerian at all ... it's Lebanese/Syrian. And soup in Algeria similar to that would be Chourba Addes ... tomatoes are tomatich not banadoura FYI.

Cast iron tajine is the best ... I have tried them all. Here I have bought a SEB brand but LeCrueset is probably better.

Yes, I know chorba well. My husband just calls the recipe "Adas" and upon searching the net I found a very close recipe to the one we use on Recipezaar which named the dish as I listed...we just tweeked it to our taste. I didn't mean to offend or dishonor the cooks in our midst. I am just a novice cook who loves trying new and different recipes. I am still learning...lol...but thank you for the correction.

Going back a few posts to recipes using lentils...this is a wonderful filling and aromatic soup that we like to eat. Kamel helped me develop this recipe from one his mom would fix for him in Algeria.

Shawrbat Adas Maa Banadoura

Ingredients:

1 c. dry lentils

2 carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 med turnip, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 med onion, chopped

1 med potato, chopped

½ lb cubed beef or lamb, cut into small pieces

2 T. oil

2 T. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground black pepper

salt to taste

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

4 c. water

1 small can tomato paste

Instructions:

Brown meat and carmelize onions in oil in a large stockpot on med-high heat. Add your water and the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and cook on med-low to simmer for about an hour. If you see that you need more water, feel free to add some. You will be thickening the base with the tomato paste the last few minutes before serving, so don't be shy. After your meat is tender and the lentils are done, add your tomato paste and stir to incorporate it into the liquid. Your soup will thicken as it simmers. After a low simmer for about another 10 minutes your soup is ready to eat with some nice crusty French bread. Mmmmmm.

This is a pic I took from the last time I cooked it to send to Kamel's mom Fatma.

This is Cheryl (Asiya) and I am currently an unemployed Secretary/Administrative Assistant since October. I am rediscovering my love of cooking and have been trying new recipes from Sultan's Kitchen among others. Kamel is currently working in retail sales and screenprinting for sports teams at my brother-in-laws sporting goods store.

We were married just over a month and I lost my best friend today. I do not even have the words right now. Please do not listen to any inaccurate reports coming from other sources ~ I am getting the information as it comes directly from his family. I will share more details as I see fit, but please allow me to speak for my husband. I do not want him disrespected any further I am in shock right now and I can't accept or believe the news that I received today !! He was 26 years old. God be with us and my husband

We are so sorry for your loss. Meriem emailed me to tell me and my husband and I both cried. We are here for yu.

Our appointment was on Friday June 6th in Bhm. We arrived right on time and went inside the office. There was a guard sitting at the table and asked kamel to fill out the form. They told me I would have to wait outside the office, but Kamel needed help with the form so I quickly helped him and then they asked me to step outside to wait for him. I waited maybe 10 minutes and it was all finished. They took his fingerprints did his photo for his work authorization card and that was it. We had our I-485 forwarded to CSC this week without incident. We wish you both all the best as we too wait..drop us an email anytime.

Asiya & Kamel

My baby is here without incident and we were married Wednesday, April 23, 2008. We are in the process of doing the AOS and sending that off this weekend. We are so happy together and want to tell everyone who is still waiting on their visa to stay with it and be patient. It is all worth it in the end!!! To see your love's smiling face standing before you and God promising to love you forever and always care for you...it makes you feel you can do anything. Our happiness and the love we have now has been worth all the wait and more. Insha'allah

Asiya and Kamel

Hey everyone! We got married Wednesday, April 21st! The plane trip was long at 13 hours and he was tired when he arrived in Birmingham, but he was so happy when he saw me there waiting for him with my American and Algerian flags waving. We gave each other a big hug and kiss even though the woman was yelling at me when I ran up to him in the security line. He had no probs at the POE in Atlanta even though the officer tried to trick him. He asked him where his wife or fiance lived and Kamel smiled and said my fiance lives in Alabama. Hmmm Pretty sneaky! We have had such a wonderful first week being together again. I am sorry I havent been on here since before he came. He is adjusting well and loves it here with me. We went to our first ESL class last night so that Kamel could polish up his conversational english and they put him in the advanced class right off the bat. We are working on sending his AOS off this weekend and he is currently already studying his driver's handbook to get his driver's license. Insha'allah. My smart man! B) I can not explain the happiness I am feeling! It is so wonderful!!! Talk to everyone soon! Insha'allah

Love Asiya

I told yall a story... Wednesday was the 23rd not the 21st. Sorry

Hey everyone! We got married Wednesday, April 21st! The plane trip was long at 13 hours and he was tired when he arrived in Birmingham, but he was so happy when he saw me there waiting for him with my American and Algerian flags waving. We gave each other a big hug and kiss even though the woman was yelling at me when I ran up to him in the security line. He had no probs at the POE in Atlanta even though the officer tried to trick him. He asked him where his wife or fiance lived and Kamel smiled and said my fiance lives in Alabama. Hmmm Pretty sneaky! We have had such a wonderful first week being together again. I am sorry I havent been on here since before he came. He is adjusting well and loves it here with me. We went to our first ESL class last night so that Kamel could polish up his conversational english and they put him in the advanced class right off the bat. We are working on sending his AOS off this weekend and he is currently already studying his driver's handbook to get his driver's license. Insha'allah. My smart man! B) I can not explain the happiness I am feeling! It is so wonderful!!! Talk to everyone soon! Insha'allah

Love Asiya

He's flying in on Monday, the 21st! I'm counting down the days now.

Asiya

Hello everyone.

I know we left you all hanging with our last post over a month ago. Kamel had received his visa and we were waiting to see when he would finally have his ticket in hand. Our waiting is almost over. Money has been an issue, but with many prayers and a wonderful family unit behind him, Kamel was able to get his money to buy his tickets and hopefully most of his fee for his green card. His arrival date is April 21st. I am turning 40 on Tuesday (the 8th) and I told Kamel that all I wanted for my birthday was him here safely on the 21st with me (what a most perfect belated birthday present)! We are counting the days and will keep you posted a little more often. I have had some sleepless nights over the past few weeks wondering when everything would come together. But praise God it all is happening. Please keep us in your prayers and we will keep you up-to-date as we get closer and I will let you know how everything goes with his travels. I am praying he will have no problem with immigration at the point of entry. We have faith in our God and dont think He would get us this far to end it there. Insha'allah!

We love you all

Asiya and Kamel

Kamel picked up his visa today at the UPS office in Algiers! Woohoo!!

Congratulations to everyone with great news and good luck to everyone on our continuing journey. Hopefully next time I post it will be to tell you about our wedding and I will post a wedding pic. Insha'Allah

Love to all

Asiya

Kamel picked up his passport and visa today in Algiers!!! We are so happy! Soon we will be reunited after almost a year of being apart! He is going to the travel agency this week. I will keep you posted on his arrival date.

Love to you all.

Asiya

Thank you guys...Kamel called me at 9:30 his time and was going to bed right after we hung up. He had been up since 5 am Tuesday morning to catch the taxi to Algiers. It is a 2 1/2 to 3 hour ride one way. Then home again by 9:00 pm. We were almost crying on the phone we were so excited. I know that we will cry when we see each other again. We are sooooooooooo very happy and when I see him again at the airport in a few weeks to bring him home, all the waiting will fade away. We are praying for a short wait for the visa to be in hand. They told him that he should have it within two weeks. Insha'allah!

He said the entire interview lasted about 10 minutes and that he waited longer just to have the interview than the actual interview itself. But he said the woman was very nice and that she reminded him of me (same hair color etc), and reminded him of the woman he loves and the love that was waiting for him here. lol She gave him the interview in French, so everything was easy for him to understand. Very nice experience overall with the embassy he said.

I had a dream last night that I was introducing Kamel to all of my family here. I woke this morning wondering if that was just conincidence or insight as to what was to come? God works in mysterious ways, but I'm glad he answered my prayers last night.

big hugs everyone,

Asiya

Hey everyone,

I know it has been a while since I posted, I hope you all forgive me. I want to give you all an update. Kamel had his medical on Jan 12th and had his interview scheduled for today (Feb 12th) at 1 p.m. WE ARE APPROVEDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!! woohoo!!!! He said that it went smoothly and he should have his passport with the visa stamp within two weeks. Insha'allah!! We will keep everyone posted. Thank you all for your friendships, prayers, & kind words to us over the past year. We will continue to let you know our progress and now that my nerves have calmed down and the hurdle of the interview is over, I will try to be better about posting. We continue to pray for all of you and want you to be reunited with your loves soon. Insha'allah!!!!

Love Asiya

We got approved today!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so happy. Kamel said it went very smoothly and all they needed to see were some pics and some emails. We are so excited! He said they told him that he should get his passport with the visa stamp in approximately 2 weeks. We are hoping for sooner. My love will be here soon...Insha'allah!!! We have been apart for 9 months now. I can't believe that in less than a month I will be reunited with him. Woohoo!!!!!!!

Thank you all so much for your support and prayers and love. Please continue to pray for his safe and speedy travel that is ahead. We love you all so much and feel like you are all our new family in this Visa Journey that we are traveling together. No one but our friends here in VJ can understand the emotional rollercoaster that we have gone through or are going through unless they have gone through this process. I am so glad we all understand each other and can build the friendships that we have over the past year. We continue to pray for all of our friends here and wish everyone luck on their journeys as well. Insha'allah. We love you all!!!! We will keep you all posted.

Kamel and Asiya

"Ours is a love beyond borders."

Thank you all so much for the sweet words, prayers, and the love behind them. I am impatiently waiting tonight. lol He will be calling me as soon as he finishes tomorrow. He is the calm one believe it or not, I'm the wreck! All he worried about today was me not sleeping well tonight. My man is so sweet. I will update you all as soon as I hear something. Oh and JoAnn be close to your phone in the a.m. cause I'm calling you first! Thank you so much for being my bestest bud. You and Hachemi will meet him soon...Insha'Allah. We love you both and please know that we wouldn't be this far without you there guiding us along.

Big hugs,

Asiya

"The countdown has begun!! I will know in about 7 1/2 more hours!!!!!! woohoo!!!!"

We are on our way!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our petition went out today to Algeria via DHL! Pray for us please! It won't be long now.

HUGSSSSSSSS and Happy holidays and Eid Mubarak to all!!!! I'm dancing again!

Hi to all! I have gone from doing the happy dance to wondering, "#######!!!!" I received the letter in the mail from NVC on DEC 7th dated DEC 3rd saying our petition would be sent to the embassy within a week...today is DEC 25th (Happy HoHoHo btw to all!) and it is still sitting there as of last week before they closed for the holidays!!! Now I know I am no rocket scientist, but the difference between a week and 22 days is quite big!! Argggggggh I'm going to pull all my hair out and be bald at our wedding!!! I hope everyone else is having better luck. Ohhhhhhhh Samir and Erin should be together now...he was flying to the states yesterday or today. Woohoo. Congrats you two!!!

Finally....called NVC last night and they have our petition!!!! They said they recieved it on the 29th of Nov. Woohoo!! Won't be long now. Insha'allah!!!

I called both CSC and NVC today. CSC says no they haven't sent it to NVC...give it another month...Arghhhhh! NVC says no they have no record of it being received, call back again next week that it may take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks and up to 90 days. Aggggggggh! This is the 4th week...I feel like Charlie Brown going for the kick and having Lucy jerk the football out from under him. Geezzzzzz! Good news is that Kamel received all my paperwork and the I-134 I sent. He's just needing word from the embassy. I thought the biggest wait was over with and it would move a little quicker once the NOA2 came. We are still hoping for our January 28th wedding on the beach, Insha'allah! I'm waiting NVC...but I will be calling and bugging you again next week.

I'm going nuts!!! How long until the embassy receives my petition. NVC has still not received my petition and it was approved at CSC on October 29th. What's the deal...anyone have any clues as to what is happening? Please tell me!

Asiya

Ohhhhhhh thank you for the pics. Your daughter is a cutie patootie and that one with her daddy is just so sweet. You are so very lucky.

Love and hugs

Asiya