S03.E06: Proceed With Caution

[Dobian]

1 hour ago, Alonzo Mosely FBI said:

When Ari's dad isn't making bank and has to retire  that will be the beginning of the end. He's the bankroll. I feel like he "has to" keep working and is past retirement age for many doctors. Yes, yes many doctors work way past retirement age for enjoyment but this poor chap doesn't have the choice. ARI. 

We have friends with a deadbeat daughter.  They rent a second home to her and her husband for well below market, pay for their daughter's braces and other things.  They are both at or past retirement age.  She is finally quitting next year and he is still working.

[Mrs. Hanson]

2 minutes ago, Dobian said:

We have friends with a deadbeat daughter.  They rent a second home to her and her husband for well below market, pay for their daughter's braces and other things.  They are both at or past retirement age.  She is finally quitting next year and he is still working.

We have neighbors with a son who got into trouble with the law and was CLEARLY guilty yet they refinanced their home to pay for an attorney and still have a mortgage in their mid 70's for a house they bought in 1978.  And he has to live with them in our county.  They are unable to sell their home and move to a warm climate due to him.  Luckily he is employed, lol.

And I agree:  no kids on the show, ever.  And stop involving them in adult decisions, Tiffany!

[mamadrama]

17 hours ago, Chloe Dog said:

I actually understand where Ari is coming from - about taking the baby back to the States for a surgery I mean.  I spent the summer in a city 3 hours away, and when my dog needed a vet I took her home for her vet appointment.  It's not easy to trust a stranger/strange place with someone that precious to you.  It's not like going for a haircut.

I get where she was coming from, I myself flew back to the US for hyperemisis treatment during my pregnancy, but it's the context that bothers me. She didn't ask Bini, the child's father, she told him. She's taking their child to another country, a place he's not allowed to travel to, and didn't let him have a say in it. 

Remember when Steven was telling Olga that he was going to take their baby back to the US with him while Olga remained in Russia and she didn't have a say in it? 

[Mrs. Hanson]

8 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

Remember when Steven was telling Olga that he was going to take their baby back to the US with him while Olga remained in Russia and she didn't have a say in it? 

That one broke my heart as I will ALWAYS believe he was trying to take the baby to America and leave her in Russia.  The way he would berate her:  "What about US?  What about OUR relationship?" as she is is looking borderline fearful, dehydrated, and spent just trying to nurse her baby.  Now he is allegedly a yogi who can't touch his toes, they have called off the divorce and are going to "van life" it and stay together for the sake of their son.  I hope they are not shim shamming or she has a thing in her arm to have no further spawn with him.  

[MagicEyes]

3 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

Ari sure is able to turn on and off her melt-downs.  Not only did she ambush Bini in the barber shop with lots of other people there (which he fully recognized) but as soon as he left she stopped her crying and had a sly smile on her face. 

Ari and Bini are both really bad at fake crying. 🐊💧

[treeofdreams]

So Summit grew up learning to lie to appease his mother.

Jenny is older than Summit (old enough to be his mother?  I don't know what the age difference is.)  He lies to appease her.

That explains a lot about him - he is repeating what he learned from his family all his life.  Did he choose an older woman on purpose because of this dynamic?  Many people tend to choose patterns of relationships which are familiar to them from family dynamics.

It doesn't however, explain why Jenny has put up with his lies and sustained the relationship for so long.  Maybe there is a pattern there from her family situation.

[Cini]

11 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

Jenny is older than Summit (old enough to be his mother?  I don't know what the age difference is.)  

 

Jenny is older than Sumit's mother.  

[treeofdreams]

21 minutes ago, Cini said:

Jenny is older than Sumit's mother.  

Thanks, that fits!

[Texasmom1970]

11 hours ago, magemaud said:

Do you have a vaporizer for hoohah steaming? 

I do with Vicks; to keep the hoohah minty fresh. 

[Rootbeer]

For those who are wondering:  according the NIH, a typical surgery in Ethiopia costs $200 and up to $600 in non-medical costs although it appears that those include things like lost wages and travel and accommodations to get to a hospital; none of which apply in this case.  Meanwhile; airfare from Addis Ababa to Newark according to Expedia  starts at around $1200 per person.  Anyone think Ari would be  holding Avi on her lap for the 24+ hour trip or will grandma and grandpa have to pay for a seat for him to fly too?  Don't answer that.

As for health insurance, Ari is 29, so she cannot be on her parents insurance plan.  She is unemployed and has been for well over a year, there is no way she has health insurance from a job.  So, mommy and daddy are paying for Ari to be covered which would also require a separate premium for Avi.  Babies have to be added to their parents' insurance plans within a certain amount of time after they're born.  Insurance doesn't automatically cover kids unless they are newborns.  

BTW, if you're ever in the market for a C-section in Ethiopia, be prepared to fork over $57 because that's the typical fee.  A vaginal birth costs less than 8 bucks if you're strapped for cash.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK333492/

BTW, I once volunteered at a clinic in Kenya about 5 years ago.  We charged patients 2 bucks to see a physician and $15 bucks if they needed surgery.  The two bucks was put towards the surgical cost if they needed it.  That included a night in our clinic where they recovered lying on cots in a tent, nursing care and all medications.  This was cheaper than the local government hospital, but the prices from Ethiopia sound right to me since most people living there couldn't afford to pay what the local hospital charged, hence, the American clinic was a popular choice.  The average local's salary was about 30 bucks a month for working full time.  Let me brag about the fact that I performed some absolutely stellar hysterectomies for 15 bucks while there.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Rootbeer

[Dobian]

Areola isn't saving any money by flying the baby to the states for hernia surgery, and she can research doctors and hospitals in Ethiopia for the operation.  She gave birth to Avi there and already went through all of that with checking out birthing centers with her mom, so her argument that she is unsure about the safety of having a hernia procedure in Ethiopia is bogus.  Without insurance, the average cost of a hernia operation in California is $9,000.  Then you add travel costs to that.  And no, as was said above, I don't think she has insurance.  Unless it's very cheap insurance.  With a big deductible.

Edited October 5, 2021 by Dobian

[Cini]

13 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

For those who are wondering:  according the NIH, a typical surgery in Ethiopia costs $200 and up to $600 in non-medical costs although it appears that those include things like lost wages and travel and accommodations to get to a hospital; none of which apply in this case.  Meanwhile; airfare from Addis Ababa to Newark according to Expedia  starts at around $1200 per person.  Anyone think Ari would be  holding Avi on her lap for the 24+ hour trip or will grandma and grandpa have to pay for him to fly too?  Don't answer that.

As for health insurance, Ari is 29, so she cannot be on her parents insurance plan.  She is unemployed and has been for well over a year, there is no way she has health insurance from a job.  So, mommy and daddy are paying for Ari to be covered which would also require a separate premium for Avi.  Babies have to be added to their parents' insurance plans within a certain amount of time after they're born.  Insurance doesn't automatically cover kids unless they are newborns.  

BTW, if you're ever in the market for a C-section in Ethiopia, be prepared to fork over $57 because that's the typical fee.  A vaginal birth costs less than 8 bucks if you're strapped for cash.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK333492/

Interesting numbers.

The expense may not be the deciding factor, seeing that it's most likely her parents' money.

As far as flying goes, she does not need to hold him the whole time. She can request a bulkhead seat and bassinet that attaches to the divider wall.

[JocelynCavanaugh]

5 minutes ago, Cini said:

The expense may not be the deciding factor, seeing that it's most likely her parents' money.

It probably isn’t the real reason, but it’s the one she gave.

When Ari told Bini she had already bought the plane ticket, I don’t know why, but I was shocked. She truly is a selfish, conniving little brat. Bini was a fool to get involved with her.

If Ari’s father really can’t retire just because he’s supporting her (and as far as I can tell, this is just fanfic, not something anyone has actually confirmed), that’s on him for also being a fool.

Of all the people to ruin your life for, we have 2-3 men lined up here who may have Plaxicoed themselves for Princess Piggy. 

[Rootbeer]

40 minutes ago, Cini said:

Interesting numbers.

The expense may not be the deciding factor, seeing that it's most likely her parents' money.

As far as flying goes, she does not need to hold him the whole time. She can request a bulkhead seat and bassinet that attaches to the divider wall.

That was my point, Ari is the one who said the baby needs to have his surgery in the US because he is covered by health insurance there because they couldn't afford to do it out of pocket in Ethiopia since Bini is unemployed and so is she.  Clearly, she was lying about the reason to take him back to the US.  I would have no problem if she said she just felt more comfortable having the surgery done by a surgeon known to her father at a hospital where her parents have both worked.  For that matter, if she doesn't have insurance and her father is friendly with a pediatric surgeon who is in private practice, the surgeon might be willing to waive his fee although, most likely, there would still be several thousand in hospital charges for the outpatient surgery.  Daddy might also have an anesthesiologist friend for that matter which would trim another thousand or more off the bill.

[magemaud]

1 hour ago, Texasmom1970 said:

I do with Vicks; to keep the hoohah minty fresh. 

Up until now the extent of my home spa beauty regimen was cucumbers for my eyes and an oatmeal mask. 

5 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Who buys a seven year old girl a BEIGE party dress? 

Beige is traditionally reserved for the Mother of the Groom. An older friend with many children always said the MOG's official duties were to "Wear beige and shut up." 

[magemaud]

1 hour ago, Rootbeer said:

Let me brag about the fact that I performed some absolutely stellar hysterectomies for 15 bucks while there.

I hope you're a surgeon! 

[Frozendiva]

Ari and Bini: Ari, you had your baby in Ethiopia. Except for the expense and wanting any surgery done in the US, the doctors there are more than capable of fixing the hernia. You don't seem happy living in Ethiopia, you don't seem happy with your fiance, he isn't what you want now, and you had a visit from your former husband who brought back a lot of memories and probably just poured salt in your unhappiness. The great escape can now happen. Pretty crappy of you to just make the arrangements without consulting the baby's father about doing so and that it would be best for Avi. I can see going to the US for 2-3 weeks, to have the surgery, have the baby heal a little, visit with family and friends and then go back home to your life. Are you going to return? Keep in mind that Bini does have rights to his child. The spa visit was funny. Darcey's Turkish bath seemed more luxurious but it would be interesting to have butter rubbed in the hair and coffee grounds on the face as a natural exfoliant. Arguing with Bini at the barbershap was out of line. That is his personal time and between him and his barber. Maybe Bini will be happy to have a 28 day break from you.

Ellie and Victor: Get used to island life, Ellie. It is not always going to be paradise and you will get various hurricanes and tropical storms. You also may not have any insurance.

Jenny and Sumit: So now you find out that Sumit's mom had a baby girl who died within the first year of birth? Sumit lies to her to make her happy? He's also lying to you. How much are you still willing to put up with? Go back to the US and let Sumit make some other life choices. You have invested way too much time in this for no real payoff. He is not going to marry you. Counselling is most likely not their way and won't work.

Kenny and Armando: Kenny, Armando's dad is of the old generation, which you know about.  He is a proud man. Back off and give him time to get to know you and your family and accept you as part of the family. His giving his daughter the necklace was a lovely gesture of good will and love. Small steps. Cassidy, not all people grew up accepting gay parents or relatives. Especially in religious households.  There is more gay acceptance now but it is not across the board. More conservative states and countries are still problematic. You were lucky and Kenny was lucky. Get Hannah a pink or bright coloured dress - beige for a girl her age? Let her be a little princess for the day. I can see shopping in the early evening.

SteVen and Alina: Wonder what their first two weeks together were like. Whether they were on some 'honeymoon' period before they got to really know each other and whether any pink or red flags popped up. He still is looking for escape routes and other options. No, both are not ready to get married - to each other or really anyone. Maybe he wants her to dump him and is sabotaging the relationship to get her to do so.

Alina is playing a dangerous game with Steven and using Masha to see if he is husband material. Sweetie, you don't need Masha to do that. He is showing you exactly who he is and it is your choice to pursue a commitment to him. No real plans for marriage when he got to Turkey. The hitchhiking thing thinking it is quirky and cool and impressive. No, it is foolish. You do take time sharing things about yourself with someone, but he just seems to thrive on deception and half truths and double standards. Dating other girls while Alina thinks he is committed to her, sleeping with other girls while wanting her to be pure. Doesn't work that way. And letting her know in a by the way manner. Ugh.

I also found it hard to believe that he got to 25 years old without experiencing any alcohol. He wasn't any kind of rebellious Mormon kid who snuck a drink once or twice? Went to parties or social functions held by non Mormon friends and stuck to juice or 7 Up? He behaved like a 7 year old at the wine bar. Oh, wine smells yucky and then spitting it in to the glass and taking the time to be an a-hole and licking the glass like a lizard. Ugh ugh ugh. He embarrassed himself on international television, embarrassed his hopeful fiance, disrespected the wine bar, the poor staff person has to take that icky glass and wash it. Alina, this is what is in front of you. He is going to be like this. Do you want this? When he is showing you how he is, believe it. You deserve better. You're not going to get a lot of wine tastings as a Mormon. Really ask what kind of life you are getting into. He lies and manipulates.

[readheaded]

14 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

That was my point, Ari is the one who said the baby needs to have his surgery in the US because he is covered by health insurance there because they couldn't afford to do it out of pocket in Ethiopia since Bini is unemployed and so is she.  Clearly, she was lying about the reason to take him back to the US.  I would have no problem if she said she just felt more comfortable having the surgery done by a surgeon known to her father at a hospital where her parents have both worked.  For that matter, if she doesn't have insurance and her father is friendly with a pediatric surgeon who is in private practice, the surgeon might be willing to waive his fee although, most likely, there would still be several thousand in hospital charges for the outpatient surgery.  Daddy might also have an anesthesiologist friend for that matter which would trim another thousand or more off the bill.

I think Ari’s full of crap in general, but she and Avi could be covered by health insurance in the US. If her father’s medical practice has a group policy, she could be under it or they may be covered under an ACA policy. 

[Rootbeer]

16 minutes ago, readheaded said:

I think Ari’s full of crap in general, but she and Avi could be covered by health insurance in the US. If her father’s medical practice has a group policy, she could be under it or they may be covered under an ACA policy. 

Yes, but somebody is paying the premiums on those policies and I think we all know it isn't Ari.  Children can only remain on their parents' insurance policy until age 26 according to the ACA; so Ari cannot be on her parents' insurance if his practice covers them.  Of course, she could have bought on the marketplace through the ACA; but, once again, who is paying for insurance for her and the baby?  Not Ari.  Not Binyam.

I think she might have health insurance for her and the baby in the US; but there is no way she is paying for it.  And, her insistence that having US insurance made it cost effective to travel to the US for the baby's surgery is also untrue as I said upthread.

33 minutes ago, magemaud said:

I hope you're a surgeon! 

I hope so, too.  Otherwise, I've got a lot of explaining to do about the last 40 years of my life.

[Cini]

I think if her father has a group policy for his practice, they could have Ari covered as an employee. She may be run as a  consultant or some such thing.

We probably all agree that she is not paying for whatever insurance she has.  She is selfish and immature. I don’t like Bini any better though, he’s a user. 

[magemaud]

8 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

41 minutes ago, magemaud said:

I hope you're a surgeon! 

I hope so, too.  Otherwise, I've got a lot of explaining to do about the last 40 years of my life.

So you don’t “play one on TV”

[Dirtybubble]

6 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I am kind of over Kenny and his expectations about how other people react.  Armando even acknowledged that it took him until he was 20 to accept who he was so why should his parents have to adapt in a minute?  Because he was married they have to readjust their understanding of their son.  But, they do seem to be trying and his father is reaching out to Kenny and his family.  I really wish that Armando and Kenny would not discuss Armando's family in front of Hannah.  Her English is good and they could impact her perceptions of her grandparents who seem to be readjusting their perceptions and coming around even if it's not within Kenny's timeline.  I did think the relationship between Cassidy and Armando's family was sincere and lovely.

The crying has to stop!  I feel like it's emotional blackmail.  Give Armando's dad a friggin' break already!  I totally sympathized with Armando's family on this.  And Cassidy all the G.D. crying in the world isn't going to change the fact they have NEVER seen him with a man.  Good lawd people all the frigging crying at the drop of the hat

[Rootbeer]

40 minutes ago, Dirtybubble said:

The crying has to stop!  I feel like it's emotional blackmail.  Give Armando's dad a friggin' break already!  I totally sympathized with Armando's family on this.  And Cassidy all the G.D. crying in the world isn't going to change the fact they have NEVER seen him with a man.  Good lawd people all the frigging crying at the drop of the hat

I agree, it is unfair to Family Armando to constantly subject them to the histrionics.  I realize some people are more emotional than others, but both Ken and Cassidy are old enough to be able to control themselves in situations that are already fraught and I do think that they are both using their tears as a weapon of sorts to gain the sort of response that THEY deem acceptable from the family.  Armando's family has been nothing but kind and generous and open with Kenny and his daughter; they need to let them respond in their own way without subjecting them to the waterworks at every turn.

[Mr. Miner]

I mean, who doesn't appreciate a minty fresh hooha?

[Breedom]

9 hours ago, Kid said:

Wasn’t his behavior at the wine tasting nauseating????  Other than having the opportunity to be on television, WHAT does she find about him that’s attractive? 

It was embarrassingly disgusting. I think I actually cringed. SteVen, not only are you a grown man, you apparently are a grown man who thinks it's okay to stick your tongue into a wine glass, make silly faces and spit it all out in front of the woman who loves you. Add to that you are in a public place, in a foreign country and ON TV. That would turn me so off I would take the next flight outta there.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

19 hours ago, FrancescaFiore said:

Why did the family take Hannah dress shopping at night? 

 

18 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I suspect they filmed dress shopping at night, so they could close the store for filming.   Hannah is so adorable. 

Maybe they filmed it last December/January when the days are really short?

 

9 hours ago, Cini said:

I worked in a developing country in West Africa for a few years and everybody who could afford it, went to Europe /US for medical procedures. A quick google search shows that hospitals in Ethiopia are improving, but still suffering from a lack of basic supplies, power outages, overcrowding etc. 

What I found remarkable was that during the video chat with Mother Ariella, Bini asked who would take care of Avi in the US and Mother Ariella assured him that she would be there to look after Avi. At the pediatrician's office it was Bini undressing and dressing Avi, while Ariella sat by.      I'm all in favor of a hands-on father, but Ariella comes across as a hands-off mother.

The question is whether a simple surgery (make a small incision, stuff the intestines back through the hole in the abdominal wall, sew the muscle shut, close the incision) in an Ethiopian hospital is better for the baby than waiting a week, enduring a long-ass flight (complete with air pressure changes) back to the US, going to an American pediatrician, being referred to a pediatric surgeon, and finally doing the operation, all in the middle of COVID. That baby's going to have the hernia a month longer doing it Ari's way.

As for the mom: Methinks her real goal is get Ari and Avi home permanently. She likes Bini but ultimately considers him disposable. If Bini can move to America with Ari and Avi, great! If not, no biggie: maybe Ari and Avi can fly out once a year to visit him or whatever.

 

4 hours ago, treeofdreams said:

So Summit grew up learning to lie to appease his mother.

Jenny is older than Summit (old enough to be his mother?  I don't know what the age difference is.)  He lies to appease her.

That explains a lot about him - he is repeating what he learned from his family all his life.  Did he choose an older woman on purpose because of this dynamic?  Many people tend to choose patterns of relationships which are familiar to them from family dynamics.

It doesn't however, explain why Jenny has put up with his lies and sustained the relationship for so long.  Maybe there is a pattern there from her family situation.

Sumit's mother has learned that being hysterical and threatening suicide every few days gets her what she wants. No surprise that she's trying it now. Sumit's dad is ridiculous and it's easy to see why Sumit is the way he is. Jenny, on the other hand, is the way she is because she's dumber than a box of hair and wants her Prince Charming ending, even as it becomes increasingly unlikely. Counseling will be worthless for them. No way the parents show up and contribute anything worthwhile.

SteVen and Alina are terrible. PRO TIP: If you're asking a friend to catfish your fiancé to "test" him, best just to end the relationship and move on. Either your partner is someone you can trust or they aren't. And SteVen continues to be aggressively, unpleasantly weird. I'd like to know how he got women to sleep with him: his job was terrible, he has no social graces, and dresses like Walmart exploded.

Finally: Given all the iPads and MacBooks in this episode , Apple must be underwriting the show's increased costs.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Sir RaiderDuck OMS

[DiamondGirl]

I had a creepy thought after Kenny said he wants a baby.  Cassidy or another daughter mixed with Armando’s sperm.  And we thought Skyla’s aig would be bad…..🤮

[the-grey-lady]

Steven is loathsome. "I haven't been 100% honest with you"="I lied."

[treeofdreams]

 

I missed the beginning seasons of the show, so this has probably already been covered, but is Alina in this so she can move to the United States?  A lot of Russian women want to marry American men so they can move here.  If that is the case, she will probably put up with anything to get married to him.  And Steven seems to be pretty weak, so easy to control.  Look how she has been holding his feet to the fire to get him to be honest about his relationships.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

19 minutes ago, DiamondGirl said:

I had a creepy thought after Kenny said he wants a baby.  Cassidy or another daughter mixed with Armando’s sperm.  And we thought Skyla’s aig would be bad…..🤮

I know a financially well-off gay couple who have had two children of their own. What they did was take the sperm from one of them, impregnate a donated egg in vitro, then have the embryo implanted into a surrogate mother (who was not the egg donor). Since they live in a state that is not gay adoption-friendly, they had the surrogate mother fly to a state that supports gay adoption for the birth, then stayed in that state long enough to ensure the adoption proceedings were well underway before returning home with their new baby. They did this with each child, and I believe the cost for each was in the low six figures.

 

4 minutes ago, treeofdreams said:

I missed the beginning seasons of the show, so this has probably already been covered, but is Alina in this so she can move to the United States?  A lot of Russian women want to marry American men so they can move here.  If that is the case, she will probably put up with anything to get married to him.  And Steven seems to be pretty weak, so easy to control.  Look how she has been holding his feet to the fire to get him to be honest about his relationships.

She CLAIMS that is not the case, but I have my doubts. My guess: her plan is to marry SteVen in Turkey, move with him to Russia, wait for him to get homesick in a year or two, then say "Well, why don't we both move to America?"

Edited October 4, 2021 by Sir RaiderDuck OMS

[greekmom]

4 hours ago, Cini said:

Jenny is older than Sumit's mother.  

Jenny is 61 and Sumit is 32. So it's not even like the age difference is in the teens. It's an uncomfortable 29 year difference.

On 10/3/2021 at 2:24 PM, magemaud said:

for someone who claims his Mormon faith is "supremely important" (his exact words) he is certainly hypocritical. However, I'm Catholic and there are lots of people at my church who "cherry pick" what rules they follow (including me sometimes, Bless me father, for I have sinned...) 

Cherry picking is fine until you try to impose your cherry picking on others like SteVen does.  One night stands are fine but wine is bad. While I am sure Alina's thinking is wine is fine, one night stands are bad.  I cannot stand people who cherry pick but then impose their way on others. You do you boo.

Edited October 4, 2021 by greekmom

[heatherchandler]

4 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

For those who are wondering:  according the NIH, a typical surgery in Ethiopia costs $200 and up to $600 in non-medical costs although it appears that those include things like lost wages and travel and accommodations to get to a hospital; none of which apply in this case.  Meanwhile; airfare from Addis Ababa to Newark according to Expedia  starts at around $1200 per person.  Anyone think Ari would be  holding Avi on her lap for the 24+ hour trip or will grandma and grandpa have to pay for a seat for him to fly too?  Don't answer that.

As for health insurance, Ari is 29, so she cannot be on her parents insurance plan.  She is unemployed and has been for well over a year, there is no way she has health insurance from a job.  So, mommy and daddy are paying for Ari to be covered which would also require a separate premium for Avi.  Babies have to be added to their parents' insurance plans within a certain amount of time after they're born.  Insurance doesn't automatically cover kids unless they are newborns.  

BTW, if you're ever in the market for a C-section in Ethiopia, be prepared to fork over $57 because that's the typical fee.  A vaginal birth costs less than 8 bucks if you're strapped for cash.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK333492/

BTW, I once volunteered at a clinic in Kenya about 5 years ago.  We charged patients 2 bucks to see a physician and $15 bucks if they needed surgery.  The two bucks was put towards the surgical cost if they needed it.  That included a night in our clinic where they recovered lying on cots in a tent, nursing care and all medications.  This was cheaper than the local government hospital, but the prices from Ethiopia sound right to me since most people living there couldn't afford to pay what the local hospital charged, hence, the American clinic was a popular choice.  The average local's salary was about 30 bucks a month for working full time.  Let me brag about the fact that I performed some absolutely stellar hysterectomies for 15 bucks while there.

Her dad has his own practice, I believe, so she could be on his private plan through work. 

But really it has nothing to do with the money for her, she doesn't care about costs.  She just wants to go "home."

 

4 hours ago, Dobian said:

Areoloa isn't saving any money by flying the baby to the states for hernia surgery, and she can research doctors and hospitals in Ethiopia for the operation.  She gave birth to Avi there and already went through all of that with checking out birthing centers with her mom, so her argument that she is unsure about the safety of having a hernia procedure in Ethiopia is bogus.  Without insurance, the average cost of a hernia operation in California is $9,000.  Then you add travel costs to that.  And no, as was said above, I don't think she has insurance.  Unless it's very cheap insurance.  With a big deductible.

I thought she said that she ended up going home to have the baby.

 

[lightninggirl]

Areola, why are you wearing super tight jeans with a hole where your cooter might fall out to the paeds? 🙄 I'm not mad at her or her reaction about the baby having surgery. I appreciated the way that she reached over the baby to touch Biniboomboom when she told him that she wasn't mad at him but just mad at the situation, and also when she talked about understanding how he was probably panicked about her taking Avi and not coming back like the first American he knocked up. But way to go dumping that news on him in a public place where you can make a scene and Biniboomboom isn't able to really show his emotions or argue - he's literally stuck in a chair while you wail with your hands over your head (right as I type this, Biniboomboom's talking head said just this - at least he has her number).  Seriously, Bini, if you can't trust "another white girl" then keep your dick in your pants.

Kenny, don't put fucking words in Armando's dad's mouth about the wedding - it was the first that the dude was hearing about it. He needs time to relax on the idea and settle into it. Jesus. Also, Kenny's looking a little rough in those close-ups. He looks pretty exhausted, and it must be from all of the constant crying that he and his daughter do. I'm exhausted just watching them cry about EVERYTHING. Lord. That being said, I'll never get tired of seeing Armando's dad, whether he's weepy or not. ❤️ I love him so much.

Scary Hair walking around bitching that "the wifi really isn't great anywhere" is just unreal. Bitch, did you actually THINK AHEAD ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL? And holy shit, this woman literally tells Victor that he shouldn't be living on the island full time. Good for him for telling her that she "just can't run away." Does she not know that they have fucking hurricanes there, and also in San Andreas where she's proposing to live. It doesn't sound like she's ready to live anywhere that isn't the fucking Hilton.

Alina saying that she's not sure if she's ready to get married was the most sense she's made thus far. I'm glad that she's having her friend continue to try and catfish him, and I hope they nail him to a wall. Also, fuck him for saying that Jesus had friends who were female. He's the worst kind of christian - one who cherry-picks bible verses to bolster his own shitty actions. Kudos to Alina for continuing with her alcohol absorption by 'tasting' wine. 😂😂😂 SteVen, way to go bringing Alina to a public place and then dropping the "I'm not a virgin" bomb on her so she can't freak out. Here's hoping he tells her that he had sex while they were in a relationship and she starts throwing shit in the restaurant? And what's the over/under on SteVen actually deleting his social media?

Sumbitch is probably secretly doing a happy dance that his family is still so down on Jenny. That way, he can tell Jenny that he's having to choose between her and his family and how could she possibly make him choose? He makes a great point about growing up telling lies - "lie or suffer" is exactly the words of a child who has a narcissist for a mother. Sumbitch actually was really introspective about the death of his younger sister and making the correlation of the loss of the biological daughter and the loss of Sumbitch's ex-wife for his narc mom. He said that the bio daughter was someone that his mom could put her hopes and dreams into and when Sumbitch got married that transferred to his ex-wife, but what about the brother's wife? Their children? It's not like Sumbitch is their only child and there is no one else, or his parents are lonely old shut-ins or something.

[Pepper Mostly]

2 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

I agree, it is unfair to Family Armando to constantly subject them to the histrionics.  I realize some people are more emotional than others, but both Ken and Cassidy are old enough to be able to control themselves in situations that are already fraught and I do think that they are both using their tears as a weapon of sorts to gain the sort of response that THEY deem acceptable from the family.  Armando's family has been nothing but kind and generous and open with Kenny and his daughter; they need to let them respond in their own way without subjecting them to the waterworks at every turn.

Kenny's tears strike me as thoroughly manipulative at this point. There are easy criers, I get that. But Kenny and his damp daughter are not just easy criers. There's always an element of attention seeking and of trying to win sympathy for their poignant pain in their oh so easy tears. I'm fed up with the two of them. 

@Rootbeer, thanks for your posts! I really appreciated your insights. 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Pepper Mostly

[TzuShih]

14 minutes ago, heatherchandler said:

Her dad has his own practice, I believe, so she could be on his private plan through work. 

But really it has nothing to do with the money for her, she doesn't care about costs.  She just wants to go "home.

Yes.  I quite honestly think that a BIGLY part of Ari's determination to bring the baby home for surgery is so that she can spend some 'home time' with family and friends.  Covid no doubt made it impossible to travel.  So...as much as Ari makes me batsheet crazy, I DO suspect her conniving in THIS particular situation has a lot to do with homesickness.  😭

[magemaud]

3 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

Yes, but somebody is paying the premiums on those policies and I think we all know it isn't Ari.  Children can only remain on their parents' insurance policy until age 26 according to the ACA; so Ari cannot be on her parents' insurance if his practice covers them. 

But she was supposedly employed by her father, so maybe she qualifies for health insurance through his practice? 

[magemaud]

52 minutes ago, heatherchandler said:

I thought she said that she ended up going home to have the baby.

 

She planned to have the baby in Ethiopia and when her mother came they toured various hospitals until they found one that was up their standards. Her parents were going to come back the week of her due date for the delivery, but Ari went into labor earlier than expected and ended up having a Caesarean with only Bini present and they had done nothing to prepare for the baby because Mom and Dad were bringing everything. 

2 hours ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

Maybe they filmed it last December/January when the days are really short?

I did notice a little light up Christmas village-type house in the place where they were staying

[magemaud]

1 hour ago, treeofdreams said:

I missed the beginning seasons of the show, so this has probably already been covered, but is Alina in this so she can move to the United States? 

No, they keep saying the plan is for SteVen to move with her to Russia on a spousal visa after they marry in Turkey, hence "The Other Way." 

[Adeejay]

2 hours ago, greekmom said:

Cherry picking is fine until you try to impose your cherry picking on others like SteVen does.  I cannot stand people who cherry pick but then impose their way on others. You do you boo.

Bini is a perfect example of someone who cherry picks which tenets of his faith he wants to follow and obey.  He has rituals that he wants Ari and Avi to observe.  However, he sired a child outside the holy sacrament of matrimony and is living with a woman who isn't his wife.  

[Breedom]

1 hour ago, lightninggirl said:

But way to go dumping that news on him in a public place where you can make a scene and Biniboomboom isn't able to really show his emotions or argue - he's literally stuck in a chair while you wail with your hands over your head

ARI: What a drama queen. Crying uncontrollably, pained and pinched face, holding your head in your hands like you had to admit you just murdered someone to your unsuspecting husband. Good Grief. And all in a public place, with you just hanging around Bini's barber chair, letting everyone in the place witness this spectacle of poor behavior. Why would you treat your husband like this? Give the situation the respect it deserves, which is a private conversation about your son's surgery.  And then after Bini leaves, you just loiter around the barber shop. Why aren't you hiding your face in shame after you realize what just transpired and high-tail it to the streets and as far away as you can get from the shop? Poor Bini, having go back there for his next haircut, where everyone knows his business. In addition, purchasing a ticket to the US without consulting your husband? YOU ARE MARRIED NOW, DEAR. Little Avi has a dad, in case you don't know it.

[magemaud]

28 minutes ago, Breedom said:

YOU ARE MARRIED NOW, DEAR.

Actually, they're just engaged  

[lightninggirl]

3 hours ago, Adeejay said:

Bini is a perfect example of someone who cherry picks which tenets of his faith he wants to follow and obey.  He has rituals that he wants Ari and Avi to observe.  However, he sired a child outside the holy sacrament of matrimony and is living with a woman who isn't his wife.  

I have very christian parents and I had a kid out of wedlock, and then that kid also had a kid out of wedlock. My mother got a call from their church friend and she was crowing on the speakerphone about my grandbaby/her great-grandbaby, and the friend said that my dad was probably "pretty upset about having to go through the no-father thing AGAIN." Then this asshole proceeds to spend the remainder of the phone convo bitching about their pastor's father freezing him out because he was living with his ladyfriend without being married and how hurt he was that the pastor's father refused to speak to him (and then died without them reconciling). Of course, my mother didn't call him out on his hypocrisy and I had a few words with her afterward about that. He's in his middle 80s, so I don't have much hope for SteVen or Biniboomboom becoming enlightened before they die, either. Fucking hypocrites.

[Baltimore Betty]

12 hours ago, magemaud said:

ended up having a Caesarean with only Bini present and they had done nothing to prepare for the baby because Mom and Dad were bringing everything. 

Who could ever forget that crying and carrying on!  

[Xebug67]

On 10/1/2021 at 7:51 PM, greekmom said:

SteVen looks like he smells. Either he doesn't bathe/shower often enough, he doesn't wear antiperspirants or he smells musty. Like moldy towels.  
Avi is such a cutie baby. But Areola can't be running back to the States every moment things are not peachy keen. I mean, she wants to live in Ethopia she needs to trust the doctors there.
 

I feel the same way.  He's just so scuzzy looking.  Ugly AF.  Which is why I was surprised an episode or two ago when Alina said to him that he smelled good.

[Xebug67]

On 10/3/2021 at 6:23 PM, FrancescaFiore said:

Ari is a sadistic c***. I despise her.

Why did the family take Hannah dress shopping at night? 

Steven is a malignant sociopath. He had every opportunity to tell Alina the truth, but instead, he continued to gaslight her & downplay the fact that he's deliberately misled her/perpetuated her misunderstanding that he's saved himself for marriage.  Also, the whole Masha trap plot line is clearly the producer's doing. Alina isn't a schemer like Steven is.

Thank you lord Jeebus for sparing us the stunningly tedious Evil-en and Snorey this week. 

Ditto.  I was SO HAPPY that they weren't on.  I dread their segments like the plague.  Every time the camera zoomed in at the start of a different segment for a different couple I was praying, 'Please don't let this be Ecuador.'  There are times when it's somewhat difficult to guess which of the third world and/or crappy looking countries is coming up for the next segment, since this season we have Ecuador, Providencia, India.  Whenever I see monkeys in the street, however, I know that's Jenny and Sumit's segment.

With regards to Corey and Evelin, though not horribly overweight or anything, doesn't Evelin look a bit thicker this season?

 

[Xebug67]

On 10/3/2021 at 7:04 PM, DVDFreaker said:

Alina and Steven-Alina, just end it!!!!! Steven is a cheating asshole! I am laughing at his idiot face when he tries to sneeze and him saying that Jesus have friends that are girls and acting like a dog licking the wine 
 

Victor and Ellie-*Yawns*

Ariana and Biniyam-I just think Ariana wants to bring the baby back to United States for surgery AND bang her ex-husband

Kenneth and Armando-Kenneth needs to give it a rest about Armando’s father coming to the wedding or not! Armando’s father is a very nice man to put necklace on Cassidy, I like him! 

Jennifer and Sumit-What couseling would be good for? If Summit marries Jennifer, Summit’s parents are going to murder him and give Summit’s chopped head to Jennifer for keepsaking 
 

 

Steven is the epitome of an a**hat.  He will never NOT be an embarrassment to Alina.  Alina strikes me as someone who will grow into an elegant, refined, articulate, smart woman.  Steven will always be a backwards, s******, uneducated, uncouth freak.  I really hope that this is one of the couples that DON'T work out.  I want to see Alina free of him and his double standard, lying, sneaky, snaky, duplicitous ways and back home with her mother and grandmother.  Let her go on to university to get her degree in that incredibly interesting field she mentioned, and let Steven go back to selling bug spray.  These two are SO mismatched!

Fair weather Ellie loves Victor so much that she flew there to permanently live with him, but after seeing the devastation on his island she's now completely unsure that she can go through with staying there to rebuild and is ready to give up on their plans to run a bar business together.  So much for "for better or for worse".  I, on the other hand, would not have given him a second chance after the cheating mistress tattled on themselves to Ellie.  And she seriously needs to stop saying she gave up everything to go to him, because as we all know she gave up NOTHING.  This was just a dry run test to her, and the island (and Victor) flunked it.

Ari is yet another duplicitous, dishonest, suspicious, sneaky, back stabbing heifer.  The hospital and medical staff where she gave birth were good enough according to her mom, so she was fine about giving birth in Ethiopia.  Why then the need to go back to the U.S. other than it being nothing more than an EXCUSE for her to justify leaving the country with the baby and misrepresenting her reasons for leaving as being for the good of their baby.  I for one would never be someone who wants to live in some third world country that doesn't have any of the superficial amenities that developed countries like the U.S. and Great Britain have - primarily air conditioning and safe water to drink and refrigerators that make ice, to name but a few.  As spoiled as she is, I can relate to her wanting to go back to the U.S.  She just never should have done Bini this way.  Then again, Bini's the idiot that has gotten himself into this same situation twice in a row now.  The guy just can't/won't learn his lesson about NOT impregnating American women.  I do believe, however, that Bini is sincerely in love with that pig snout, perpetual smelled a fart faced Ari, and he clearly adores his baby, as do the aunts who have always been able to see through Ari for who she really is.

Every time that Kenny makes a snarky comment about Armando's sweet dad not committing to attending their wedding, I want to bitch slap him across his face.  That man seems to have made significant strides in a very short time to accept his son's life choices and choice of partner after what was probably a lifetime of being unfamiliar (at least first hand) with their lifestyle.  Good on him for showing his son all that love, as well as being so gracious to Kenny's daughter.  Kenny needs to back off and not shite all over Armando's happiness about the strides he HAS definitively made with his dad.  Everyone does not come around at the same time or in the same way.  The father is not expressing or exhibiting any prejudice towards Kenny or about their relationship, nor is the rest of Armando's immediate family.  That is HUGE to Armando.  Kenny seems to not want Armando to be hurt by his dad's possible non-attendance at their wedding, and purports not to want to burst his happiness bubble, yet he can't control himself and has to still make some type of comment on the way back to their place in the car when they left Armando's family's compound.  Deal with that situation IF it ever comes about instead of unnecessarily dwelling on it now and constantly complaining and finding unnecessary things to complain about.  Thus far this supposedly very conservative man has acted very progressively, albeit subtly so.

Jenny and Sumit wear me out.  All they ever do is have the exact same conversations with the only difference in those conversations being that they occur on different days - but the subject matter is always the same.  'Why won't your parents accept me, Sumit?'  'Why can't I come with you, Sumit?'  'I'm going to have to leave the country, Sumit.'  'When will you marry me, Sumit?'  'I love you more than anyone, Sumit.'  Yada, yada, yada.  I'm living for the moving in of the parents and what will probably be 24/7 insults and belittling of Jenny.

[Xebug67]

On 10/3/2021 at 10:57 PM, Texasmom1970 said:

Gonna go dig around in my fridge grab a few ingredients a open a spa. The look Ari was giving hilarious.

I was so horrifically grossed out by what Ari's face looked like with all that crap on it.  She seriously looked like someone had thrown up all over her face.  That did not look soothing or enjoyable to me in the least.

On 10/3/2021 at 11:14 PM, magemaud said:

Do you have a vaporizer for hoohah steaming? 

You're giving me new ideas for how I can use my Winnie the Pooh breathing vaporizer machine.  I just wouldn't want my husband to walk in on me when I'm using it that new way, though.  It might give him the wrong idea.

[heatherchandler]

43 minutes ago, Xebug67 said:

Ditto.  I was SO HAPPY that they weren't on.  I dread their segments like the plague.  Every time the camera zoomed in at the start of a different segment for a different couple I was praying, 'Please don't let this be Ecuador.'  There are times when it's somewhat difficult to guess which of the third world and/or crappy looking countries is coming up for the next segment, since this season we have Ecuador, Providencia, India.  Whenever I see monkeys in the street, however, I know that's Jenny and Sumit's segment.

With regards to Corey and Evelin, though not horribly overweight or anything, doesn't Evelin look a bit thicker this season?

 

Mostly in the face, which makes me think she got fillers.

 

[magemaud]

12 minutes ago, heatherchandler said:

Mostly in the face, which makes me think she got fillers.

People are also speculating that she got breast implants. It also appears to me that she got cosmetic dental work but it’s poorly done and looks like she’s wearing some kind of mouthguard. 

Did she also go to Turkey for her transformation? 

[Xebug67]

On 10/4/2021 at 4:35 AM, Cini said:

I don't blame Ariella for wanting to go back to the US for Avi's surgery.

I worked in a developing country in West Africa for a few years and everybody who could afford it, went to Europe /US for medical procedures. A quick google search shows that hospitals in Ethiopia are improving, but still suffering from a lack of basic supplies, power outages, overcrowding etc. 

Did you notice the headrest at the barber shop? I wouldn't put my head on that, who knows what lives in it. 

What I found remarkable was that during the video chat with Mother Ariella, Bini asked who would take care of Avi in the US and Mother Ariella assured him that she would be there to look after Avi. At the pediatrician's office it was Bini undressing and dressing Avi, while Ariella sat by.      I"m all in favor of a hands-on father, but Ariella comes across as a hands-off mother.

Ariella still seems to have psychological issues and it would probably be best for her to move back to the States, for her parents to raise Avi and for Ariella to get her tubes tied.

 

I totally caught that being said.  I instantly thought of all the speculation that we on these boards have been doing about the "nanny" not just being there for Avi, but to also be there to look after Ari, and also to oversee Ari's interactions with the baby.  I think to Ari baby Avi is nothing more than a prop.  But where Bini and the sisters are concerned, baby Avi is their life and their world.  They adore him.  Ari, not so much.  She's seemingly indifferent to him and definitely hands-off with him.  She does like to talk a good game though, like when she said what she said to Leandro about everyone loving the little guy.  She's said similar things on other occasions as well, and when she says those things it always comes across as dispassionately and objectively, as opposed to someone who is a doting mother.