Oh, WOW! Have you told folks over at the 'Partay'?

Golly... Not sure at all what to say, or where to go.

Geeze, you can't take your plants with you......

Yeah, i told them and posted the whole long sorted story over there. If you wanted to see it, it's in the preambles, etc.folder under the "reintroduction of Julianna" and you can hear all the juicy details. Then there is the recent update of how I am returning to jordan in 2.5 weeks for a week...

I could take my plants with me actually... but we may not live there. i don't know. i'drather it-- but he doesn't want me to give up what i would need to.. and he can't support us there (something that is important to him.. but also practical since i couldn't ever work).

he loves house plants by the way and has tradescantias, begonias, etc. Also loves gardening.

oh and here are a few pics... in the ones from Jordan, Ammar has the schmerkh on. the one of me in the mirror without the schmerkh is my new haircut.

Here is a link that might be useful: album

I enjoyed the photo tour-- the shot of the old crusader digs (so to speak) was really great.
Beautiful though it may be, I can't imagine wanting to live somewhere that I wasn't allowed to work. It would leave one more than a little vulnerable.
I hope everything works out well for you and for Christopher.

Hi Jen! It's not that I am not allowed to work, it's just that their unemployment rate is soooo high, and I don't speak Arabic, etc. There is equal opportunity for employment, but they choose Jordanians first over immigrants (unless you were more qualified, but the chances of that are low-- they are a hugely educated bunch, and many just have no work.

Wow! When you give an update, you give an update! I was going to post an update about how I moved to a place with unobstructed south-facing windows, but it seems trivial now.

I'll have to head over to wherever the whole story is and get reading! --nikki

lol! Oh come on. Unobstructed south-facing wondows is awesome. Be sure that your plants don't cook-- that is my new thing with my big bay window. The plants can stand the light levels, but the heat is intense.

if you want the whole story, i'd be happy to email it to you-- which is probablt the easiest thing to do at this point. The other place is a delphi forum, and set up as a semi-rival to this one :) I am not sure if i can even post the address or not? it has since morphed into something else and is no longer a place of "refuge."

Today I am feeling sooooo squishy because he asked about my divorce and said we needed to talk when i get there-- and for me to think seriously about where i want to live.. because... he has some new prospects now and he wants me to make the choice.

Oh and he said he is dying to be a father.

and he said a lot of other things that made me squishy inside.

I'll have to think about this.. because... I won't end up deciding based on where i WANT to be... but rather where he can make the best living he will enjoy the most and where i can do the same.. and where our children will have the best healthcare and lives. That really may not be the US or it might be. It's dependant on many things. We can also always move, but if he has a prospect in Jordan, it may be wise to take it-- as he may never get it again. We can always come back to the US. he's looking at jobs here and it's frustrating-- i can look forward to topping out at the regular anthro salary.. but him? With his fluencies... he can get a govt job for double what I could ever make.

sigh.

Well I added some new photos from the last time. it was Ramadan! So no touching lol. Anyway, the building is the building our apartment was in. We had the second floor with TWO balconies! Oh! It was so pretty.. and that is jasmine that was blooming below us.

So he asked me to marry him and I said yes. So we're getting married HOPEFULLY in late feb/early march. I am meeting with an immigration lawyer to discuss the possibilities on the 8th. He would love to get married this Christmas in Jordan and follow me, but it looks like that will take longer than if we get married here. We'll have two weddings-- one in the mosque (the first and REAL one) and one that is christian for me on catalina. I already have my dresses, etc picked out.. and i know the type of ring i am getting, and there is henna.. want links to pics? :)

Do we want links to pics?! he11 yeah! I can't believe it, what a whirlwind!

wedding jewelry-- the pink is for the vera wang (which will be at my "fake" wedding, ETFW= July/August maybe..), and the brown is for my real wedding dress:

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/phys000d/album?.dir=/7fce

and dress:

http://www.almuhajabat.com/products/703

I had to get different shoes-- so the Vera Wang shoes will not appear at this wedding... I will just hold on to them with the Dress and mantilla. I went shopping this afternoon before work, and grabbed a pair of nude thigh-high nylons (for the fettish guy) and then proceeded to run around stores looking for gold shoes-- what I thought would be the best.

Then I saw them. Olive green, 100% silk high-heeled shoes. They have a closed back and an open toe, look very 40s-- the EXACT style I have always wanted. Ankle strap is good, keeps them stable. Over the upper is a small patch of jewels-- green and 3 shades of brown. The brown jewels are the EXACT color of the jewels in my necklace and earrings. The inner sole is pale gold, the color I was looking for in shoes-- and thus where my feet show it, it matches the whole outfit. 100%. And? They were $60. And? they only had one size left-- a NEVER WORN, NOT DIRTY, JUST OPENED WHILE I WAS STANDING THERE (yes, did i mention I watched this shoe get stocked?? I was in the mall a total of 12 minutes, and I was there just at the right time) size 6. That was the last pair. My size.

I have been wearing them since 3.30 and they still feel good.

Now just to think about a gold shayla. This is my temp one-- in case I do not find one I like. Scroll over the colors and select olive, you will see it change color in the picture.

http://www.almuhajabat.com/products/61

I will likely wear a shayla during the contract signing. I will remove it afterwards. I plan on curling my hair I think... I may even use a few flowers in my hair. We will see what I can scare up in Irbed.

My ring? He told me yesterday he is taking my prefered ring photos to a jeweler today. He spoke to the man and asked about having a ring made for me, and decided this is the best option. The stones, he said, would either be blue or pink. Because he is awesome, he realized I like pink, even though I deny it emphatically.

I bought him a ring yesterday. It was poured today and should be mailed out on Monday, overnight mail. I chose titanium since he is barred from wearing gold.

http://tistyle.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/1-011.jpg

I chose the top ring, because it is classic and simple. The ring comes with a lifetime guarantee, and also a lifetime of free polishing. I had it inscribed.

I told my parents everything. It went rather well. Although they are probably concerned... they just told me to keep them informed. I explained all my reasons, and the only concern that was voiced was the religion of the potential children. They decided, based on my reasons given, I was making the logical choice once you take out the "too-fast" part. I do not want to hear about the "too-fast" part. I know how many months and days it has been.

I'll leave on Friday, November 18 on my mother's birthday. I'll come back, Nov. 28 via Amsterdam and hopefully Susanne. I cannot say what day I will get married. I have to bring my decree of divorce (proof I am single) and my passport to the Shari'a court for translation and approval with the court and the American Embassy. Then we have to get tested for "medical compatibility." Then we need to go back home to Irbed to get married in the court, ie sign the contract. Then we will have a small party. Next we have to go BACK to Amman another time to register our marriage with the Sharia court where he will get his family bo

-family book and then back to the embassy to register there..

He is thinking about a honeymoon in Aqaba-- I told him he can pick because I have seen so much less of Jordan than he has :)

Wow, there certainly are lots of details for you to tie up! Best of luck with it all!
Your jewelry and dress are beautiful. I hope you have the dress in your hands already- the site said it was out of stock :o
Just curious- what's the deal about being barred from wearing gold?
I suppose you'll probably be a little busy to touch base here again for a while, but again-- best of luck with it all!

Hi! Well they only had one so I got it!

The gold thing is men cannot wear gold or silk because it's an uneccesary use of weath and extravegance...

We got married yesterday after a lot of panic and running around-- and it worked out sooo well! We'll go to Aqaba Friday and Saturday. I am so excited!

Cpngratulations, and best wishes for the future!