aya*abouelnasr

My SO is from Maharam Bek also, just goes to show it's a small world after all!

Hey Jackie, if you go onto youtube, you can listen to the song with an english translation written over the video. Osad Einy is a good one too, a ballad for parted lovers. Good luck and congratulations on your hubby coming home to you!!!

Correction, they are still together, albeit not in the same country.

Congratulations Aya, you will do just fine, I am sure. Tomorrow you will be posting that you have your VISA!!! Super good LUCK!!

Yes, SNOW, and the bad thing is that it rained for hours first, so the roads were snow covered and icy. Great driving at 6am taking the boys to school. I will say it's a great incentive to start baking and decorating, which I haven't gotten around to yet. Sounds like a great family project for the weekend, right? Hope everyone has a great day!

I woke up this morning to snow. Guess it's time to put the flip flops away?

It really isn't that expensive if you look out for good priced tickets and cheap motels. I flew Turkish Airlines round trip for less than 800 USD. The only bad part is that they booked me with an 18 hour layover in Istanbul. I ended up getting a visa just to sit outside the airport to view the comings and goings of passengers, I like to watch people. On my return I only had a 5 hour layover, so not so bad. Of course, I was traveling alone, I wouldn't recommend it with children unless they are older. While in Egypt I saw motel rooms with breakfast included for only 28 USD per night. I don't know how good the room was, but as long as the sheets are clean, the water is hot, and no buggies or wildlife in the room, I am good. These room were directly across from the sea, so the area was well maintained, but the traffic horendus. Alexandria really is a beautiful city with all the fountains and statues on almost every block. Just stay away from the over priced malls. I really get into bargain shopping, so the markets were the perfect place for me to be LOL

Never give up HOPE, With GOD, all things are possible.

I really wish that there had been more time to see more of Egypt. However, I was sick 3 times while I was there, and I am almost never sick! After I returned to the USA, I had to follow up with my primary care doctor because of some meds the doctor in Egypt put me on. I was diagnosed with Lupus this past Friday. I guess that expains the fatigue I had been feeling while I was there. When I told my S/O about the diagnosis, his first response was to research the disease. Within an hour he had a diet plan, herbal suppliments and a daily routine worked out for me. Then he informed me that I needed to go take a nap, because rest is important for my health. Later that night, he sat down with my 3 sons online, and talked to them about it, and together they worked out a daily routine for housekeeping, homework, etc, that will not put so much stress on me. So far, so GOOD! Added to that is the fact that he is the sweetest, most caring man I have ever me (besides my Grandfather). I miss him and his family and Egypt too!

I started researching Islam when I met my ex- husband from Jordan. With all the bad press after 9-11, I was curious as to what the religion was really all about. However, I did not choose to revert until well after my marriage to him was clinically dead. I had been raised Christian also, but had so many questions, questions which were always answered differently by people of other Christian sects, Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist, Pentacostal. To me it was as if they were all reading verse from a different Bible, it seemed that no one read the same verse and interpretted the same. For me, Islam is one united religion, one God, one belief. So, on January 1, 2009 and with the help of a very dear friend, I said my shahada and reverted to Islam. That decision changed me, for the better and I don't regret it. Sure, sometimes it's hard, but what worth doing is ever easy?

I guess I should claify my words to say that the trash I am talking about was in the sea. Anyone could have done it, citizen, tourist, I have no idea. I really don't mean anything bad about Alexandria. Heck, the town I live in is but a spot compared to Alexandria, and you see trash on the streets here too.

As far as getting married..........Let's just say that I am completly crazy about Him, and the feelings were returned, so we were both happy in the end. We got along fabulously, and I adore his family and they seem to care greatly for me. I talk to them everyday and they are already asking me to come sooner than Feb/March because they miss me. One of my friends is going to Alexandria in a few weeks they have extended an invitation for her to visit with them when she is there. They truly are a great family and treated me soooooooo good. I can see now what it means when they say that they treat their women like queens, at least my man and his family did.

I have to admit that it was funny/sad to me that people actually steal the manhole covers to sell them for .......whatever, and then ut h trash cans, tree limbs, etc in the hole so people don't drive into them and destroy their cars. I am also still amazed that there are not more accidents considering almost no one drives with their lights on. I realized soon after getting there, that it's not neccesary to know how to drive, just as long as you can blow your horn, lol. Seriously tho, I loved it there. It is an amazing city, so alive, and the people soooooo friendly. Inshaa Allah, I am going back in Feb/March, and I can't wait!

Just got back two days ago from Alexandria, Egypt. What an amazing and beautiful city! The humitidy was a little hard to get used to, but after a few days I got used to it. The parks are amazing with all the floral and fauna, I have never seen an aloe plant get so big. It was a little hard to see all the pollution, trash, soda bottles, etc.......but I guess it's hard to keep up with in a city so large.

My S/O,,,,,,,,,what a sweet and wonderful man he is. All of his family have the best sense of humor, always laughing and joking, pulling pranks and doing crazy, silly things. His father, (baba) is the best cook in the world in my opinion. There wasn't anything that he cooked that I didn't like and eat with relish. Even eating octopus and squid for the first time was easy for me, lol. Most mornings I would wake up early to have coffee and biscuits with baba before he went to work. If I woke up late, I would find my cup and spoon and a saucer of biscuits waiting for me at my place at the table.

I had a few problems while I was there, a tonsil infection, a blister on my foot that got infected. I was taken immediatly to the doctor to be treated, at my s/o's insitance, I put up a fight since I hate any Dr. But, it was funny watching the doc go crazy trying to figure out which one of the guys I was with. They all felt they had to go with me, in case one missed something, the other would pick it up. So, here I am, an American woman with 3 Egyptian guys who are all worried to death about me! It was hilarious!

Coming back home was so hard, I hated to leave Egypt, hated to leave my new family. If not for my kids, I would not have left, no matter how hard life is there, sharing it with someone you love, and who you know loves you completly, it is worth it.

So, now I am looking for tickets for February or March to go back again. Inshaa Allah I will find something with a good price so I can take at least one of my sons with me.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32891829/ns/us_news-life/

I just read this and can't help thinking how awful it would be to be in this situation, tho i am sure it has happened here before, or worse.

I have a bag of jeans and boys shirts that should fit the boys. Just let me know where to send them.

Sorry, I said I wouldn't post here again, but, I can't help myself!

In less than 16 hours, my divorce will be final!!!

Hip hip hooray!!!

Children, I have 3 sons and my almost ex thought they were to be at his beck and call, or mini lawn boys. Any time I asked him to do lawn work, take out the garbage, etc......he would respond, "why can't the boys do it"?

Laws, they aren't the same here as they are in your country, and NO, you can't play stupid and get away without a ticket for violating the law by pretending not to speak english.

Jobs, you can't apply for a job and never follow up on it. Empoyers are not that eager to take on someone with no work history, you have to fight for that job if you really want it.

Education, if you don't have a good one, take advantage of any programs that will help you in getting a better education. ESL, GED, anything!

Some of the things I worried about were the least of things I should have worried about. The way americans dress, the laid back way we are here. Turns out he knew a whole lot more about those things than I had realized. Just because our SOs live in what is considered a 3rd world country doesn't mean they are stupid. They have the net too, remember?

facbook

It does what it says, massages back, neck and shoulder muscles. I could certainly use one of those babies to relieve my stress.

Olivia!!!! Super congratulations to YOU and to Waleed, I am so happy for both of you.

Best of Luck to everyone with interviews coming up, and congratulations to everyone who succeeded at their interviews

I just want to add that I won't make the mistake of posting on this or any other forum here on visa journey. I find it's not worth the misunderstandings and personal attacks. I should have known that from prior experience, but I guess I forgot. Thanks anyway for the advice and helpful hints.

Of course, I will ask the moderators to close this thread, If someone would please tell me who to contact?

OMG!!! Talk about a thread getting out of hand!!! According to all that I have read, my perfectly legal in the courts and legal Islamically marriage ended when my husband blatantly refused to honor our marriage and moved out of our bed and pursued other women six weeks after he arrived here. The only difference is the "paper" trail hadn't been taken care of, which is almost final now.

Quote it correctly if you are going to quote it at all. I have not lived with my soon to be ex in over a month. Even in the time we did live in the same house, we were as roommates, nothing more. The "paper" divorce was filed for before he moved out. If we had been living in Jordan, I would have been divorced in the same day.

3 months? MMMM yes, I agree on that, but, as my marriage was Islamically over for more than a year and 1/2, IMO it's been over long enough. Unless of course you can get pregnant by delayed reaction or divine intervention, I don't think I have anything to worry about.

I agree that there is no use to continue this thread because no one is ever going to understand my point. No, I don't intend to marry just for the sake of having "legalized sex". The marriage we plan will be acknowledged by the only ones I feel that are important, his immediate family. His brothers, his father, his aunt and cousin have welcomed me into the "family". Spoiled mama's boy? His mother passed away when he was 16, he worked while attending school and university, then has worked since then in a joint effort to support the household. He has concluded his military duties. Not pursue the K1? Yes, that is our intentions. We plan for me to be there at his side during the interview. If for some reason it is denied, we will pursue the K3 visa.

Desperate? Not in any way am I desperate to do this just to say I am married. If that were the case, I could have divorced my now almost ex long ago and remarried. To be totally and blatantly honest, I was in a long term online relationship with another man while still actively living with my almost ex. Our marriage was over, except the divorce, and had been for a long time. I cared for this man deeply, even considered marriage to him, except that in my mind and culture being a second wife isn't acceptable and not something I feel that I could have ever adjusted to. IF I had been desperate for a husband.............maybe.

So, all the advice, warning, words of wisdom have been weighed and taken seriously. Believe me, I am the last one to say that life will be perfect for us, but, we will never know if we don't try. Trying is the least we do, because I believe that he does love me and my children, and I know that I love him and need him in my life.

Not anyone in this world.

Simple question, easy answer. My finances have improved dramatically. The bills are paid up, and I have some savings now too. After much searching and changes of dates to travel, I lucked into a ticket for less than $700 round trip. I can't even stay at a motel in the USA, buy meals and sight see for a week at that price. My expenses in egypt will be minimal, just what ever shopping I want to do.