S04.E08: For Every Joy There Is a Price To Be Paid

[greekmom]

Quote

Nicole's frustrations come to a head; Daniele bids NYC a final farewell; Kris and Jeymi have a romantic getaway; Jen makes a reluctant return to the family farm; Debbie and Oussama start over; Gabe gathers the courage to come out to Isabel's parents.

First Look: 24/03/23; TLC: 26/03/23; Discovery+: 26/03/23;

[Frozendiva]

Mahmoud teaches Nicole how to pray. She thinks that might help her deal with her circumstances and frustrations. He then wants to take her swimming.

Gabe and Isabel talk about him telling her parents he is trans and wonders what will happen if they don’t accept him. Will Isabel still choose him?

Jen packs up to go back to the US to apply for the right visa. Guess she didn’t think of phoning the US Embassy for any guidance. Anyhoo, Rishi makes the grand romantic gesture of pulling out a ring and officially proposes to her. She says yes.

[magemaud]

2 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

Jen packs up to go back to the US to apply for the right visa. Guess she didn’t think of phoning the US Embassy for any guidance. Anyhoo, Rishi makes the grand romantic gesture of pulling out a ring and officially proposes to her. She says yes.

I'm still really confused about this whole story. I thought the whole premise of TOW was that Jen was MOVING PERMANENTLY TO INDIA AND MARRYING RISHI? Then she found out she got the wrong visa so she has to go home after 30 days? To be honest, she seems kind of casual about having to return to the US without knowing when she'll be able to return. Like, "Oh well, bye bye, see ya, off to the airport." Then in the preview, she's still there wrapped in a towel and confronts Rishi about sending photos to another woman? Was that scene filmed before the farewell? 

And another thing, although I'm sure immigration isn't his area of expertise, but Rishi has a law degree. Didn't he do anything about making sure she was coming on the right visa? 

Edited March 25, 2023 by magemaud

[1011101010001]

1 hour ago, magemaud said:

Then in the preview, she's still there wrapped in a towel and confronts Rishi about sending photos to another woman? Was that scene filmed before the farewell? 

I figure there is a time jump and she returns.  They have done it with other couples.  

I thought when they found out she had to leave in a few days they would have sex again.  It could theoretically be another two years or more after all.  Strange it wasn’t even discussed when their primary attraction appears to be physical.

Edited March 25, 2023 by MrBuhBye

[DEL901]

I thought Mamoudzou teaching her how to pray was ridiculous.  She could be copying phrases without much understanding.  I would have thought after she made the commitment, there would have been some training in a more formal setting to help her understand the precepts of her new religion, at the very least.  

[greekmom]

Why didn't Mahmoud provide the prayer in written English? Isn't the prayer important than the language? Then she can study it, refer to it and memorize it.  Also, why didn't her sister in law teach her the washing ritual?  Mahmoud isn't a nice person.
The little dutch boy asked a valid question about the swimsuit and Mahmoud dismisses her questions with a  "wtf are you asking me??" look. Seriously these two do not belong together.  If I had to armchair psycho analyze Nicole, she is the type who would get into an abusive type relationship because she self hates or has low self esteem.

Ok where did Carol Baskins get that peacock fan and how was she able to cart it over without damaging it? 

Gabe should have been smarter. Not do the show. Marry Isabel and not tell the parents his secret. 

I agree with the poster above. Rishi is a lawyer. He should have been able to assist her or provide some legal direction.  
 

[magemaud]

8 hours ago, DEL901 said:

I thought Mamoudzou teaching her how to pray was ridiculous.  She could be copying phrases without much understanding.

I remember a time when Catholic prayers and responses were in Latin so people just repeated them from memory, pronounced the words badly and probably didn't have any idea what they were saying. But at least there was some attempt to teach them. There must be some kind of Muslim equivalent to CCD that Nicole could study. 

Edited March 25, 2023 by magemaud

[Frozendiva]

If Nicole was serious about converting, why didn’t she talk to any Muslim friends or drop by/call a local mosque in LA to ask for help about learning prayers, the culture, customs, etc.? Surely there are women who would be willing to teach her a few things. My circle includes people from various cultures and faiths, and at least if I asked, someone would give me some tips or contacts.

Rishi certainly could have gone to the India visa application site and told Jen exactly which visa to get, to not mention she is getting married to an Indian citizen, etc.

[Welshman in Ca]

19 minutes ago, Frozendiva said:

Rishi certainly could have gone to the India visa application site and told Jen exactly which visa to get, to not mention she is getting married to an Indian citizen, etc.

Maybe she told him she didn't need any help in that department as she seems the type to not ask for it and get offended if it's offered. Or maybe he told her to figure it out as she's so independent, you would think she could read a visa application correctly as it's not her first rodeo.

[magemaud]

6 hours ago, Frozendiva said:

If Nicole was serious about converting, why didn’t she talk to any Muslim friends or drop by/call a local mosque in LA to ask for help about learning prayers, the culture, customs, etc.?

Now I’m remembering that she hadn’t even told her parents that she had already converted, so she obviously wasn’t practicing her new religion while in the US 

[goofygirl]

Nicole is beyond a moron.  That swimsuit, for example.  She actually BOUGHT that thing, so she KNEW somewhere in her tiny reptilian brain, that she was gonna be covered up for the REST OF HER LIFE!

You would think she could have gone to a mosque in LA and asked the Imam to point her in the direction of someone who could help her with this religious transition.  But no.... She had to go to the flea market and buy some clothes and a beret instead.  Her parents need to take her over.  She needs a minder STAT!

[Auntie Anxiety]

On 3/25/2023 at 3:09 PM, Frozendiva said:

If Nicole was serious about converting, why didn’t she talk to any Muslim friends or drop by/call a local mosque in LA to ask for help about learning prayers, the culture, customs, etc.?

That’s cute.

No Brains.✔️

No Foresight.✔️

No Ability to Learn from Past Mistakes.✔️

[DEL901]

Nicole…he isn’t refusing to compromise.  He is actually doing a lot of compromising.  What you want is for him to let you have your way, but he literally can’t.   That said, he shouldn’t have laid hands on her…thank goodness there was a camera around.  But he has finally realized that this won’t work and they need to end it.  Nicole says the words, but then she looks for him to return and capitulate . 

I actually like Debbie and Ousamma.  I think they are both good hearted well intentioned people.

I refuse to acknowledge Krix.  

Danielle is the worst, but Yohan is showing his true colours as well, telling her she has to obey him.  

Edited March 27, 2023 by DEL901

[TwirlyGirly]

Dear Nicole, 

I asked Google:

What do Muslim women wear under a burkini?

And in less than a minute, I knew the answer:

It's not necessary to wear anything under the pants, but many women wear a sports bra under the top because when swimming, the top can get filled with air and water and ride up, exposing your breasts.

Signed,

A Helpful Viewer

P.S. You should consider getting a cell phone with internet capabilities. Oh! You HAVE one? Girl - USE the damn thing! 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by TwirlyGirly
Changed one word.

[1011101010001]

5 hours ago, goofygirl said:

She needs a minder STAT!

She needs a conservator like Britney.

32 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

Danielle is the worst, but Yohan is showing his true colours as well, telling her she has to obey him.  

Once he found out she lied about NYC he turned surly.  But it’s somewhat understandable.  She’s older, out of shape, horrible personality, probably can’t give him a kid, wants to retire at 42, crazy witchcraft practices, all she had to offer was a green card.

[1011101010001]

Also Danielle knew she was moving for months and her apartment looked like that the day before she had to move?  And I wonder what her teenage students had to say about her going on for two seasons about how much she likes his massive tool.

Edited March 27, 2023 by MrBuhBye

[renatae]

I don't know what Daniele is thinking, but her insistence on proving herself smarter than Yohan to everyone, including him, will not serve her well. Combine that with her insistence she won't comply or compromise with him, and this relationship is doomed.

If Rishi cannot bring himself to tell his parents, I would certainly not be heading back there until he did. Too much up in the air.

Add Nicole and Mahmoud to the "done for" pile.

Seeing Bialzebub on Pillow Talk is not convincing me he is Mr. Jolly. So fake. Get rid of him, TLC. PLEASE.

[renatae]

49 minutes ago, renatae said:

I don't know what Daniele is thinking, but her insistence on proving herself smarter than Yohan to everyone, including him, will not serve her well. Combine that with her insistence she won't comply or compromise with him, and this relationship is doomed.

If Rishi cannot bring himself to tell his parents, I would certainly not be heading back there until he did. Too much up in the air.

Add Nicole and Mahmoud to the "done for" pile.

Seeing Bilalzebub on Pillow Talk is not convincing me he is Mr. Jolly. So fake. Get rid of him, TLC. PLEASE.

 

[lilysmom]

10 hours ago, MrBuhBye said:

She needs a conservator like Britney.

Once he found out she lied about NYC he turned surly.  But it’s somewhat understandable.  She’s older, out of shape, horrible personality, probably can’t give him a kid, wants to retire at 42, crazy witchcraft practices, all she had to offer was a green card.

Yes, now that she's moved and "given up" her job, a pension jump for not staying at her teaching job for 20 years, her apartment, her friends, her debts, and has gone "all in" to the DR, he is realizing the dream is gone for real. It was one thing to put up with her superiority when he thought NYC was the prize, but now, there is nothing left there. I liked the surliness!

I also thought it was so very interesting that with her superior intellect in all matters (business, driving, packing up a house, paying rent and bills, etc.) that she left it up to him to anticipate exactly how many suitcases she was bringing with her when she came back and rent a vehicle large enough to transport everything.  Personally I hope all her suitcases do end up all over the highway!

 

[magemaud]

18 hours ago, goofygirl said:

Nicole is beyond a moron.  That swimsuit, for example.  She actually BOUGHT that thing, so she KNEW somewhere in her tiny reptilian brain, that she was gonna be covered up for the REST OF HER LIFE!

She's claims to be so fashion minded but chose something that looks like a wetsuit on her stick figure body. I found a ton of Muslim appropriate swimwear that doesn't look like you're going scuba diving. https://us.lyraswimwear.com/collections/swimsuits

[CrazyInAlabama]

1 hour ago, lilysmom said:

Yes, now that she's moved and "given up" her job, a pension jump for not staying at her teaching job for 20 years, her apartment, her friends, her debts, and has gone "all in" to the DR, he is realizing the dream is gone for real. It was one thing to put up with her superiority when he thought NYC was the prize, but now, there is nothing left there. I liked the surliness!

I also thought it was so very interesting that with her superior intellect in all matters (business, driving, packing up a house, paying rent and bills, etc.) that she left it up to him to anticipate exactly how many suitcases she was bringing with her when she came back and rent a vehicle large enough to transport everything.  Personally I hope all her suitcases do end up all over the highway!

 

I only want to have the suitcases go all over the highway, if the camera crew gets every second recorded, and I get to watch it. 

[magemaud]

1 hour ago, lilysmom said:

Personally I hope all her suitcases do end up all over the highway!

But she will blame it entirely on Yohan

[DEL901]

2 hours ago, lilysmom said:

Yes, now that she's moved and "given up" her job, a pension jump for not staying at her teaching job for 20 years, her apartment, her friends, her debts, and has gone "all in" to the DR, he is realizing the dream is gone for real. It was one thing to put up with her superiority when he thought NYC was the prize, but now, there is nothing left there. I liked the surliness!

I also thought it was so very interesting that with her superior intellect in all matters (business, driving, packing up a house, paying rent and bills, etc.) that she left it up to him to anticipate exactly how many suitcases she was bringing with her when she came back and rent a vehicle large enough to transport everything.  Personally I hope all her suitcases do end up all over the highway!

 

The pension jump that she gave up by leaving after 19 years on the job and not putting in one more makes it clear, if it wasn’t before, she has to leave.  Kudos again to the sleuth who found out about her bankruptcy.   She literally cannot sponsor him.   And she calls him a liar!

[lightninggirl]

Mmmmmm buñuelos!!! That and pan de bono make my world go 'round. ❤️ I could never move to Colombia because I'd soon qualify for "My 600-lb Life." I was literally drooling at the morcilla/blood sausage on that plate. I get that Kris is upset about Jeymi not telling her family about the wedding, but she needs to respect how people come out to their own families in their own countries.

I thought Maccchhhhmoood was kinder but this episode with the bathing suit? What a passive aggressive little dick. Pushing Nicole into the pool was so juvenile and shows his literal aggression toward her.

Also, "I'm not wearing hijab and i'm not going to cover my hair" and pulling off the hood covering while actually wearing a burkini is ridiculous. As someone who always avoid getting hit by direct sunlight in case I accidentally age, that burkini is an absolute dream.

Daniele's apartment looks like that AND she has to be out of there by 5p the next day? How much did she have to pay for 11 suitcases to board that plane? Glad she gets her wish of living in her tropical paradise and Johan got the bait-n-switch. I love how she's so excited and glowing at the airport talking about her 'beautiful life' and then she's all "I didn't tell Johan I had 10 suitcases, so why didn't he bring a van?" AND then doesn't let him drive? I can't.

I'm wondering if Oussama got Debbie to his stomping grounds and decided, "OK, gramma, yeah, this ain't working." Also, that was a GORGEOUS camel. God bless it. ❤️ I'm not sure if I believe Oussama when he says he's not embarrassed by being seen with her but I'm sure they all think she's some crazy American senior citizen who's 'whooping it up' in a foreign country.

Jen's family is right - she's going to get her heart broken. She's definitely not the brightest bulb in the tanning bed, and Rishi really really can screw her over if he wants to because he's got the upper hand - at least intelligence-wise.

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by lightninggirl

[FrancescaFiore]

Ugh, what a dull episode. 

Nicole behaves like a bratty child, so does Mahmoud. Neither of them is mature enough to be in a relationship. Every scene with these two makes me want to knock their heads together and tell them to just break up already. There is no affection between them outside of the performative pet names they call each other, almost ironically. Seeing him get all pissy with her when she asked if she's required to wear something under the swimsuit (a totally legitimate question - I wondered too) really drove home how little slack she's getting cut being an American in Egypt. She's going to have some questions and it isn't going to work if Mahmoud bolts out the room in a huff every time his wife needs him to answer a question about his culture. I just hate these two together. I don't think I've ever hated two people as a couple on this show more. I also very much hate the cultural norms in Egypt. It's a gazillion degrees outside ALL THE TIME and the women are forced to wear dark, heavy fabric that covers them from head to toe, even in a swimming pool. Meanwhile, the men are free to remove their shirts and get relief from the stifling heat. The oppression and double standards of that culture make me angry at Nicole for agreeing to participate in it. Love is not only blind, but stupid as hell, too... evidently.

Jen & Rishi... I don't care. 

Gabe & Isabel... the show's producers are really slipping. The attempted cliffhanger about whether Isabel's father will accept Gabe was executed so poorly, it was like they'd never done a cliffhanger before. Obviously, Isabel's dad is fine with it. The most no-drama drama ever.

I can barely even look at Danielle anymore. She's just so annoying and ridiculous. "I didn't tell Yohan to rent a bigger vehicle or that I was schlepping 10 suitcases with me, but he should've psychically known so now I'm going to blame him for my lack of planning." And then the audacity to insist on driving the car and claiming to be a better driver than him. She's got a shit ton of unpaid tickets that say otherwise. I loathe her. It's amazing how differently she was portrayed on Love in Paradise, where she was just a girl who fell in love while on vacation. Now she's this hypocritical harpy trying to "manifest" a life where she doesn't have to work or pay off any of the massive debt that she's left behind.

I couldn't help but smile while Debbie was enjoying that camel ride. She's such a weirdo, but a delightful one. In no way do I think she belongs in a romantic relationship with Oussama, but in that moment, they seemed to really be digging each other and the experience they were sharing. I thought it was sweet.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

On 3/25/2023 at 5:36 AM, greekmom said:

The little dutch boy asked a valid question about the swimsuit and Mahmoud dismisses her questions with a  "wtf are you asking me??" look.

Gabe should have been smarter. Not do the show. Marry Isabel and not tell the parents his secret. 

I agree with the poster above. Rishi is a lawyer. He should have been able to assist her or provide some legal direction.  
 

At first, I thought Mahmoud was going to the living room to ask his mom that very legitimate question. Instead, he ran into the laundry room? Makes no sense.

Gabe and Isabel are likely in this for the $$$, free airfare and visa fees, and/or a Pillow Talk gig (where their back-and-forth would probably be entertaining). As you and others have pointed out, he wouldn't even have to tell her parents if he wasn't on a TV show.

Methinks Rishi isn't too sad to see Jen leave. He can allow himself to be married off to a nice Indian woman who won't mind being everyone's lifelong house servant.

Meanwhile, Danielle continues to be a horrible person. Yohan is about two snide comments away from telling her to hit the bricks.

[1011101010001]

2 hours ago, magemaud said:

She's claims to be so fashion minded but chose something that looks like a wetsuit on her stick figure body. I found a ton of Muslim appropriate swimwear that doesn't look like you're going scuba diving. https://us.lyraswimwear.com/collections/swimsuits

I thought it looked like a superhero costume with that weird design on the front.  Should have got one with a lightning bolt.

1 hour ago, lightninggirl said:

but she needs to respect how people come out to their own families in their own countries.

Also Kris is much older and just came out to her mom so why doesn’t she allow the same amount of time to Jeymi?

1 hour ago, lightninggirl said:

How much did she have to pay for 11 suitcases to board that plane?

I think she was also shipping 16 boxes.  How many candles and scent diffusers can she own?

1 hour ago, lightninggirl said:

Also, that was a GORGEOUS camel.

I just learned recently that MERS spread to people via camel.

[1011101010001]

1 hour ago, FrancescaFiore said:

Neither of them is mature enough to be in a relationship.

Did Nicole say she hasn’t been in a relationship for ten years? That is super odd as 28-38 would be prime dating years for a single person.

[Natalie68]

16 hours ago, DEL901 said:

Nicole…he isn’t refusing to compromise.  He is actually doing a lot of compromising.  What you want is for him to let you have your way, but he literally can’t.   That said, he shouldn’t have laid hands on her…thank goodness there was a camera around.  But he has finally realized that this won’t work and they need to end it.  Nicole says the words, but then she looks for him to return and capitulate . 

I actually like Debbie and Ousamma.  I think they are both good hearted well intentioned people.

I refuse to acknowledge Krix.  

Danielle is the worst, but Yohan is showing his true colours as well, telling her she has to obey him.  

I do as well.  I didn't expect to but those two weirdos really are a cute match.  I liked it when he was sweet about her inner girl coming out.  

[1011101010001]

1 hour ago, FrancescaFiore said:

Seeing him get all pissy with her when she asked if she's required to wear something under the swimsuit

I was thinking he thought that was a question she should direct to a woman and how would he know but of course he didn’t express that.

1 hour ago, FrancescaFiore said:

She's got a shit ton of unpaid tickets that say otherwise.

I thought it was for skipping tolls but yeah she is insufferable.

1 hour ago, FrancescaFiore said:

In no way do I think she belongs in a romantic relationship with Oussama,

I think she wants platonic companionship and he gives off asexual vibes so maybe she thought it would work.

[FrancescaFiore]

5 minutes ago, MrBuhBye said:

I thought it was for skipping tolls but yeah she is insufferable.

For some reason, I remember them being parking and speeding tickets.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

4 minutes ago, FrancescaFiore said:

For some reason, I remember them being parking and speeding tickets.

I think there were also some tickets for driving on toll roads without prepaying or somesuch.

(I've never lived and driven in a state with toll roads, so I'm not really familiar with them. The closest was when we rented a car in Florida for a few days and just paid the rental company for their SunPass or whatever they called it so we could drive on toll roads without worrying about it. But my understanding is that if you drive on those roads without the necessary setup, you get fined big $$$).

[1011101010001]

29 minutes ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

I think there were also some tickets for driving on toll roads without prepaying or somesuch.

(I've never lived and driven in a state with toll roads, so I'm not really familiar with them. The closest was when we rented a car in Florida for a few days and just paid the rental company for their SunPass or whatever they called it so we could drive on toll roads without worrying about it. But my understanding is that if you drive on those roads without the necessary setup, you get fined big $$$).

Yeah they used to have toll booths with gates in my state so there was no way to shirk paying.  But now they have open road tolling to speed the flow and people are supposed to have transponders linked to a credit card.  They still have toll booths and gates to the side for people paying cash or tourists but there is nothing stopping scofflaws without transponders from going through the open road lanes.  But if they do pictures are taken of their license plates and they are billed for the missed tolls with fines added.  

Edited March 27, 2023 by MrBuhBye

[1011101010001]

Found this.  So $80k in dodged tolls and $4600 in parking tickets.  I don’t think parking tickets have any bearing on whether someone is a safe driver but she is a deadbeat who thinks she is above the law for sure:

Daniele was making $1,300 less than her monthly expenses and owed $36,000 for her Yonkers apartment. The 90 Day Fiancé star also listed a Bronx apartment, and it appears as though she was no longer living in Yonkers at the time she filed for bankruptcy. Daniele also owes over $60,000 in student loans and $80,000 to EZ pass. She says the $80,000 is business debt. Some other expenses are $4,600 for parking tickets and various amounts for credit card debt.

[FrancescaFiore]

18 minutes ago, MrBuhBye said:

Found this.  So $80k in dodged tolls and $4600 in parking tickets.  I don’t think parking tickets have any bearing on whether someone is a safe driver but she is a deadbeat who thinks she is above the law for sure:

Daniele was making $1,300 less than her monthly expenses and owed $36,000 for her Yonkers apartment. The 90 Day Fiancé star also listed a Bronx apartment, and it appears as though she was no longer living in Yonkers at the time she filed for bankruptcy. Daniele also owes over $60,000 in student loans and $80,000 to EZ pass. She says the $80,000 is business debt. Some other expenses are $4,600 for parking tickets and various amounts for credit card debt.

Stellar sleuthing work! She's oh-so financially responsible! So I guess she's a good driver, but an epically shitty parker. Either that, or she was unable to manifest a legal parking spot in the Bronx. 

[DEL901]

If Yohan thinks the suitcases are excessive, wait until the boxes arrive.   It will really sink in that she has no intention of returning to the US and he is stuck in the DR with her!

[1011101010001]

I bet she is calling the unpaid tolls business debt because she was driving to work lol.

[Oregonrain]

Poor planing again on Nicole's part. She was right in saying that Mohomoud was being inflexiable regarding  her choice in dress but she could have brought modest clothing with her to Egypt that is more suitable to her style. She could have brought a modest swimsuit that is not a burkini. I have seen suits with long sleeve rash guards and knee shorts. While not a full burkini, still covered up enough to satisfy the modesty requirements. If Mahomoud objects to that, at least she can say that she tried and can use that as proof of him not compromising on anything. Same with regular dress. She is already dressed very modestly in my opinion but objects to wearing the hijab. That is totally understandable but he objects to her wearing anything other that the full covering instead of modest clothing with a head covering. THere are hijabs made of lighter fabrics and more colors. He seems to expect her to wear the abaya which is the dark covered sheet covering you from head to toe. That is no a religious requirement because if it were, all muslim countries would be that strict. Some countries allow women to dress modestly with a head covering similiar to how she is already dressing. Egypt is not one of the more strict countries which tells me that it is Mohomoud's issue and not completly the norm in Egypt. Many women go uncovered in Egypt.

[Welshman in Ca]

15 minutes ago, FrancescaFiore said:

Stellar sleuthing work! She's oh-so financially responsible! So I guess she's a good driver, but an epically shitty parker. Either that, or she was unable to manifest a legal parking spot in the Bronx. 

I'm not sure that makes her a good driver but she sure as hell is an irresponsible selfish bitch who despite all of her cheating the tolls & lying about moving Johan to the USA still blames him for everything that she doesn't like in the world including not having the psychic ability to know he would need a bigger vehicle. He should have just said yes I have room for all of your crap but you'll be walking along behind me to catch anything that falls off or get a fucking taxi bitch.

But I'm only jealous of her because hey it's never her fault, no wonder kids today think they have no responsibility if this how their teachers are (apologies to any good teachers).

[KateHearts]

This was ironic: Nicole (after 10 minutes of arguing with Yohan about who would drive and telling us how much more experienced she is and how many accidents/tickets he has had): "I didn't want to argue about the driving situation; I was too tired to."

Although I really couldn't tolerate Maccchmoody and his mini tantrums every ten minutes, I continually scratch my head that Nicole is baffled- baffled, I tell you!- that Muslim culture is conservative, that women cover themselves, that yelling at your husband in the street could cause him public shame, and that someone who converts would need to ACT MUSLIM! 

The above two women are great examples of women who would rather scream about how they are MODERN, INDEPENDENT WOMEN and really think they are going to walk into another country, another culture, rooted in customs centuries old, and change THEM because they are just so great and inspiring and progressive.

Thank you, Debbie, for being a woman near my age bracket who isn't a harping, embarrassing caricature of a woman who fears getting old (by being brash, exposing your lady parts, throwing drinks and trying to convince everyone how you really are just a 20 year old at heart)! Sure, she is pursuing someone 1/3 her age, but she handles their disagreements calmly and actually makes sense when she talks about what she expects.  

I am finding Gabe and Isabel very boring. Every week : "I love Isabel. I hope her family accepts me. We are meeting Isabel's family. Will they accept me? If they don't accept me, is the relationship over?" We have seen this formula over and over: "I'm younger/older. I'm trans/gay. I'm not Muslim. I won't wear a burka. His/her family doesn't know about me. I don't like his/her friends- they're trying to break us up." I'd much rather watch people try cultural food, have parties with friends and family, explore their new countries and the differences they experience.  All of these stilted "relationship" conversations and worrying about people accepting them is getting dull. 

Now that I've seen the weird eyes on Jen I can't focus on what she is saying. And her vocal fry is making me really, really dislike her.

[Welshman in Ca]

2 minutes ago, Oregonrain said:

Poor planing again on Nicole's part. She was right in saying that Mohomoud was being inflexiable regarding  her choice in dress but she could have brought modest clothing with her to Egypt that is more suitable to her style.

Compared to a lot of males in Egypt & his religion he is more than flexible and the blame for her being so miserable lies squarely at her door for being so fucking stupid to think that both would bend to accommodate her. And being American has no bearing on it, no matter where she's from the rules are the same.

I mean jeez, even I had a McDonalds before moving to the USA and that was more homework than she did.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

6 minutes ago, Oregonrain said:

Egypt is not one of the more strict countries which tells me that it is Mahmoud's issue and not completely the norm in Egypt. Many women go uncovered in Egypt.

Mahmoud's uncle even said that if Nicole had remained non-Muslim, nobody in Egypt would care what she wore.

[DEL901]

5 minutes ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

Mahmoud's uncle even said that if Nicole had remained non-Muslim, nobody in Egypt would care what she wore.

That’s the part that slays me.  She didn’t have to convert and his family is tolerant enough not to require conversion or to require a non-Muslim to adhere to their rules.  However, once she converted, that is a game changer.  A “cafeteria Catholic” may be tolerated.  But the same doesn’t apply to her new religion.  

[Baltimore Betty]

2 hours ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

At first, I thought Mahmoud was going to the living room to ask his mom that very legitimate question. Instead, he ran into the laundry room? Makes no sense.

That look on his face when Dutch Boy Paint asked about what to wear under the burkini, that was the face of some one who does not like the person that asked the question.  I thought it was funny he went to the kitchen to smoke but when the cameras found him he hid it in his hand, is there something about smoking being a no-no being Muslim?

If they broke up because once because of the same problems they are having now what made Dutch Boy Paints think this time would be any different?  

 

[StatisticalOutlier]

More and more places don't have toll booths at all.  You either have a transponder (some are state-specific and some are linked with EZ-Pass and will work in any of the EZ-Pass states), or they take a photo of your license plate and mail you a bill. 

The Golden Gate Bridge (tolled inbound only) has an interesting system--the usual transponder-type account with a pre-paid balance, or a license plate account that gets charged when you cross the bridge, or get an invoice mailed based on your license plate when you cross the bridge, or a one-time payment that can be made online or over the phone or in person at a customer service location (but no toll booths) in advance or shortly after you incur the toll.  I don't know of any other place that lets you pay for a single toll in advance.

Suffice to say that if you travel all over the country, wrangling the toll road system is a challenge.  But if you're just driving in one region, it's manageable, and relying on invoices mailed via pay-by-plate is just asking for the fines to be racking up.  Of course, if you're not planning to pay anyway, who cares how much it is.  Certainly not Danielle.

I wish they still had tollbooths where somebody like Danielle would be prevented from continuing and they'd make her back down the shoulder all the way back to the entrance.  Or seize her car and make her walk.  I'm not picky.

[1011101010001]

45 minutes ago, KateHearts said:

worrying about people accepting them is getting dull. 

It also has nothing to do with the concept of the show because many American families would be transphobic.

[Kiss my mutt]

When I read that one of the cast members was trans, I honestly thought it was Jen. 

[My Girls]

1 hour ago, Sir RaiderDuck OMS said:

Mahmoud's uncle even said that if Nicole had remained non-Muslim, nobody in Egypt would care what she wore.

So true.  I grew up next door in Libya, am Caucasian and NOBODY cared that we didn't wear a burqa or hijab.  The Libyans were very tolerant of other culture's dress,  and I'd bet the Egyptians are too.  I don't know if she'd be safe wandering around the streets of Cairo though.  They don't have a lot of respect for women.  I heard stories of how the Libyan women were made to walk in front of the donkeys in the minefields.  I guess the donkeys were more valuable to them.

[magemaud]

4 hours ago, FrancescaFiore said:

There is no affection between them outside of the performative pet names they call each other, almost ironically.

My favorite is "honey bunny" 

[magemaud]

3 hours ago, FrancescaFiore said:

For some reason, I remember them being parking and speeding tickets.

No, she's racked up over $60K in unpaid EZ pass tolls and fines! But I wouldn't put parking and speeding tickets past her, too. 

Sorry, I posted before I read the comments (bad habit of mine) @MrBuhBye is correct that she owes for toll evasion, moving violations AND parking in addition to back rent, student loans and other debts. What a deadbeat. 

Edited to add: How I envy those of you who are unfamiliar with toll roads! Here in New Jersey, almost everywhere you go collects a toll PLUS we have to pay to go on the beaches! 

Edited March 27, 2023 by magemaud