Welcome to my blog about my experiences while living in Algeria!I’ve completely changed the direction of my website, AlgerianWonders.com. I’ve set it up to import Ebay’s auction feed for all their Algerian items. There is some really cool stuff, such as banknotes, stamps, old books, etc. Lots of collectors items. I love it. Please stop by if you get a chance.
Cheers!
The insurance industry in Algeria is very different than the United States. There is not the fear of getting sued at every turn if you screw up. Most people work out disputes privately. You will never find anyone yelling, “You’re going to hear from my lawyer!”. LOL. Even, most small businesses remain uninsured against theft or damage. Insurance is just another, often seen as expensive, expense. Plus, you will find the mentality, which I see as pretty apathetic, that what happens is going to happen. Forget considering risk and using your God given common sense and weigh the odds. For example, allowing small children to sit in the front of a moving vehicle. (I’ll always complain about this as it only takes a minute to buckle them up in the backseat, so so stupid some people are!) Anyway…
Life insurance is not very popular in Algeria. I suppose if you are filthy rich, you’d look into it. But for the average person, they would rely on one’s family to take care of his/her loved ones who are left behind. Which has it’s pro’s and con’s. A woman who is widowed, for example, may become dependent on her husband’s family for support. If his family was never very kind with her to begin with, she could really be getting the short end of the stick at every turn. As a women, I certainly never want to be a dependent on anyone. I am an adult for crying out loud. But many women accept this circumstance for themselves. And the men think that’s enough for them.
Car insurance is required here. But, it is not very expensive even with full coverage. And most cars are still paid in full when bought, though car loans are becoming more popular. So, car owners can get away with the minimum coverage. I think my husband payed about $160 for 2-3 months coverage. Plus, you have to consider car theft is pretty low. People guard their cars like hawks. People either park their cars in locked garages(steal bars and all) or park in a 24 hour guarded parking lots.
As for home insurance. Home insurance is pretty non-existent. Unless, again, if you are a very rich family. The homes are made with bricks and cement, so the risk of fire is very low. And it’s sort of hard to break in to a place with several steal doors before you reach the main living areas of the home. It’s kind of like living in a fortress. And ALL the homes are like this. I believe it became like this during the war. As far as having coverage if someone is injured in your home. Well, if the family feels responsible they will probably help with fees if they can afford it. And bring them cake and fruits while visiting the injured person.
There is health insurance. Mostly used by the elderly and retired as it is supplied for by the government. But, the patient must first pay the doctor and submit the forms for remittance. They must wait for the government to reimburse them. Emergancy care is free. Outpatients have to pay at the public hospital. But if you have money you will certainly choose private care. The hospitals lack privacy and from what I’ve seen are pretty filthy, germs germs germs, blahh. I’ll save my rant for another posting.
So, there you have it. If you have questions, please feel free to leave it in the comments. Or if you know something I don’t. 
If I haven’t mentioned it before, there is a nice blog that includes photos of Algeria Maps. Most of which are satellite imagery from Google Earth. But, Djamel, the blogger has presented some very interesting stills for his readers. You should pop by when you have the chance.
Cheers!
Technorati Tags: algeria map, algeria, map, google earth, satellite, algerian maps
Did you know that when a child is born in Algeria they are issued two birth certificates? One in Arabic and one in French. If you offer a not so popular name in French then they have to guess the Arabic translation to put on the certificate. Not a very sophisticated method of translation. But, then, if you are not planning on porting over the Arabic version during your world travels, it may not make such a huge difference.
Technorati Tags: Algeria, birth certificates, French, Arabic, two versions
Today was Eid, the day after the last day of Ramadan. Just wanted to give you a rundown of what we did and some things about the day to give some insight to the traditions of this holiday.
First, nearing the end of Ramadan, you hear firecrackers going off here and there. The igniting of firecrackers are multiplied on Eid. Makes me a little nervous, since you will find small, unsupervised children lighting them.
All morning we could hear the Mosque calls. Many more than usual.
Actually, this Eid is referred to as the little Eid. The big Eid is in about 10 weeks time, when they kill the lamb.
One tradition for today is for all the children to have a new set of clothes and shoes to wear. And for adults too. But the emphasis on the kiddies.
In the morning the children are carted around to thier aunts and uncles and grandparents homes to visit and collect money, candies and cookies.
Today, we had a nice lunch with MIL and FIL and extended family(we live in a family villa). They served Eye-eesh, a tomatoe based soup with dried lamb meat. Very tastey!
At around 3pm, the whole family came around for cookies, milk and coffee. Which we all congregated in the dining room/living room to consume. The men sat at the dining room table as us ladies sat in the comfy chairs in the living room. All the cousins played outside. Usual conversation on the women’s side included talk about the hair stylist’s we all go to, thier pricing and quality of hair coloring, cooking, and the children’s school. Typical topics of discussion. No political talk there. 
Afterward, everyone parts and I scramble back to MIL’s kitchen to snake some leftovers from lunch, after taking care of my little ones. But, then, I am so so full. Can barely eat another thing! And hubby is off visiting friends.
And now I am here, surfing the net, and composing this post.
Below are some pics of the cookies my SILs prepared:
… and some chocolates.
Hope you all are enjoying your Eid 2007!
Echorouk Reports:
The number of fake cell phones in Algerian black market increased by 12 times in the last eight months compared to the year 2006.
A total of 20,393 fake cell phones were seized in 2007 while 1,709 ones were found out in 2006. These fake cell phones were found with cars drivers and in some eastern and western borders areas.
Please, can someone tell me what a fake mobile phone is? Are they rebuilt or configured by a no-name company? They obviously work, if people are buying them. I am not sure ‘fake’ is an appropriate description, or is it?
Technorati Tags: mobile phone, cell phone, Algeria, black-market, fake
Yes, us folks in Algeria have one more day of Ramadan to look forward to. Saudi Arabia is celebrating Eid tomorrow, however. Why is there a difference, you ask? Well, some very well skilled individuals watch very carefully for the first sight of of a waxing crescent moon the last days of Ramadan. When they see the crescent, in their country, that is the last day of Ramadan. And Eid will take place the following day. And believe me the act of waiting for news either way, keeps everyone on his/her toes. Not only will it be a relief to feast as you like, but all the preparation that goes into Eid. The cooking, cleaning, women needing thier hair done at the coiffure(hair stylist). Today was a very busy day out at the shops. So, I suppose they will all have a good rest tomorrow. Being Friday, when many businesses are usually closed, it will surely be a long day.
Anyway, may you all have a splendid Eid and eat lots and lots of wonderful cookies for me.
Technorati Tags: Algeria, Eid, Ramadan, Lunar, Moon, Crescent
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