turning icloud email back on

I activated my new iphone 4s using my apple id(i did not have a @me email) everything set up automatically and I was receiving emails just fine. icloud email was on as well. I accidentally turned icloud email off and i believe there was another message that popped but but i must have tapped too fast because it did not last not. then, i went to turn email back on and it asked me to create and @me email. I called apple and they told me what i was describing was not possible since I needed an @me email to have icloud email. My sister got her phone as well and uses gmail as well and she does not have an advanced tab in the icloud mail settings. After calling apple they made me set up an @me email and now I have an advanced area that states my @me email. I don't know what happened but before gmail would delete on the server when i deleted it from my phone but now I have to delete it on both my phone and the server on my mac.

ANYONE have anything similar to this happen to them or know how I might be able to fix this?

Thanks!