coulis
2/29/2008 09:57 EST
I stumbled upon this forum by chance and am glad to have found it! I moved to Algeria in 2001 and found the experience to be an unhappy one. I felt like a prisioner as I was told not to go out because if anyone saw me they would call the terrorists to come get me...at the time blond hair and blues stood out like a sore thumb.
I also found the family life unbearable. With people constantly crowding you (and we had our own apartment) there was little chance of privacy and small things like getting dressed were actually a challenge.
Unfortunatly at the time, most places were still not safe to visit and I only managed to see Cherchel, Tipaza and Anaba over a three year time period.
Because of my experiences there, I have refused to return to Algeria. My spouse has been trying hard recently to get me to return but I am hesitant. I am told that Algiers has greatly improved and there are far more foreigners and amenities than before.
Is this true? How does one get in touch with the English speaking community there? At the time that I was there my embassy did not offer services or cultural events to help expats meet. Even at the English schools at the time, the classes were taught by English speaking Algerians.
I was so lonely and so unhappy and just really have no interest in going through that again.
Any input?
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MBA
From: Netherlands
2/29/2008 13:43 EST
Hi there,
I feel so bad for you,and about you going in there; really. All I can say is, like i have done it with others before, is to follow your instincts, your heart, and make the right decisions. Do not go if that's will make you so unhappy, you will not have a good time at all. Because the familly there if you think they are too crowded for you and noisy etc (which is true), they would'nt change beleive me, unless you have your own place, private with you and your familly; you would get your peace of mind; in the other hand the country did improved indeed in many ways. still of course a lot to be ajusted there in term of freedom, security and so on.
You know, it is very difficult to advice someone who already had a bad experience, so what i suggest is to relax and think about it and if you have a skype account we can maybe chat and talk about stuff like that or email me at beautifulbeast99@hotmail.com.
I am ALG/Dutch,and have experience with the country.Don't hesitate. No need to panic there is always a nice things to do, to see in Algeria, the problem is, if you don't know people you'll be living in your own world getting crazy...
Cheer-up there is worse..(countries).Talk to you later. Greeting.
Natalie
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dasamitabha
From: Gabon
3/1/2008 12:27 EST
I feel sad after hearing your story. Algeria has changed a lot lately, but yes, from a European viewpoint it has a long way to go, which it will never go due to certain fundamental differences. I am strongly in favour of Algeria maintaining their own culture and not apeing the west, but having said that they surely do need to get to civilized limits and really fast for their own benefits. But please also understand that they are a race who have been exploited badly for ages, and inhumanly by the white world for centuries... its only understandable that they still hold a grudge towards their opressors for so long. I am sure it will weane away as they realize tha the generations have changed and so has the mentality. All non Algerians also need to interact well with them to help eardicate these old scars and the world will be a nice place to live. Natalie knows Algeria very well and she knows Europe pretty well too. She is a good friend of mine as well and I am sure you can interact with her and you'll love to have her as a friend. Good luck to you.
Amitabha
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coulis
3/3/2008 08:21 EST
Thank you both so much for responding. It is very hard to return after a bad experience. Really it was mostly family problems. Even though we had our own place I often felt at times that people would go out of their way to make life miserable. It is unfortunate because it is my spouse stuck in the middle and suffering the most.
Even going out to shop or walk in Didouche was challenging. People had a tendancy to stop in the street and stare as I walked by. At wedding and such the women would stare then while they stared would whisper to the person sitting next to them. I would always leave when the giggling started.
I could'nt help but feel like the circus freak.
There were some kind people. Many shopkeeper are very generous with foreigners and I made a friend with a deaf man at a produce stand....I would try to use sign language with him and he would always pass me something for my rabbits.....
I guess it wasn't all bad. As time goes by I forget some things. My biggest problem was with family. I know they won't change but how do you get them to be more considerate?
I know one girl who had a problem with her mother in law always walking into the bedroom without knowing and she would scramble to dress and throw her ciggerette out. She stopped doing this and the more often the mother caught her and her husband nude and smoking, the less often she barged in.
I find the method a bit brash but if makes them "get it".....
I don't know....its so confusing....I really don't understand the mentality. It seems as if the nicer I was, the meaner they became.
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coulis
3/3/2008 08:29 EST
I also need to agree with D. in her assessment that other nationalities do not treat algerians well. The way the french behave drives me crazy! I am not french but have family there and my spouse does business there....the way we are treated.......disgusting! The germans and the yanks can be just as bad.
And this whole visa garbage.....granted, there are some algerians that don't return after being given a visa but most of them do return because they find that the european countries are not a dreamland to stay in. I hope someday to see more visas for algerians. I believe that if they are just permitted to travel as they wish, there will be less problems with immigration. Other countries don't understand that they are really just very curious people.
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mahdiyyah
From: United Kingdom
3/15/2008 07:35 EST
Dear Coulis,
Hi, Mahdiyyah here, you may have seen my previous posts about my experiences of living in Algeria so I won't bore you with details. Suffice to say that if you need a friend or want to ask specific questions etc, please feel free to e-mail me directly at mahdiyyahbensaid@hotmail.co.uk and I'll see if I can help. I know a number of English people in Algiers although there really aren't many of us. The embassy still is inactive in my opinion which is why we girls stick together! I agree with many of the things which have been posted here as my husband is also Algerian and hates the way he is treated by the French but also other Algerians. He says the reason I like it here more than him is because the Algerian people treat me with respect. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful family in law although we do live 40 mins drive from them!!!!! However I have many friends whose family in law have made their lives miserable here so I do understand. It sounds like one of your stipulations needs to be to live maybe a short distance from them so they are not in your face all the time. Hope to stay in touch.
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dasamitabha
From: Gabon
3/16/2008 01:29 EST
There you go...one of the old timers of this forum Mahdiyya comes back to life and replies 3-4 posts simultaneously... But I am surprised that you are in Algiers for only 9 months??? I remember you being in this forum much before that, no? Dear Coulis, Ginga and Arabica... just go ahead and live your life wherever you go. Every place is different, but they are all mostly liveable as people do live there. Some of them are not liveable, but that was not done by themselves, rather some external big bullies screwing them up due to their own vested interests. And Algeria is not one of them. As far as driving goes, I have seen many other countries which are worse, and some countries in Europe do qualify as well. About left handed driving, well I come from a right hand driving country due to its colonial past as well, and I needed some time to adapt... but the whole world (about 74%) actually drives left handed, so the sooner u learn it, the better. But left or right, women had always had trouble driving (lets say others had bigger trouble with women driving)...and possibly that is not gonna change anyway...lol...
I am staying in Singapore these days and that will be my 6th country of residence and its also VERY different from the rest... good luck to u all...!!
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