Blog Post #16: Goodbye, we had lots of good times!

I had a lot of fun using Blogger for this unit, I can't wait to start my own real blog.
Thanks to Marina Budhos for writing this book, to Dan, for being sure we did our homework properly (annotation and all), and to the class for being great about blogging and commenting.
I also found out that Flushing is really a real place, so hopefully I'll visit it someday.
That would be really fun!
Bye until next time!

Blog Post #15: Chapter 17, 18, & Endnote Reading

I really didn't like these two chapters very much, they seemed a bit unrealistic, if very hopeful, which we must give them credit for. The comparisons and visuals are so good, I feel like maybe the author should concentrate on poetry or something so that the grammar that she uses could be more selective and brief; I feel like she got a bit tripped up on all the technicalities and that it dimmed the light of the comparisons and other parts of the book.
On with it:
Interesting sentence:
"When the gavel cracks, wood on wood, the air seems to explode with light. Abba turns around and I see he is crying silent tears." page 159
I felt that, as I just said, this ending was slightly unrealistic. I do not really think that anyone could go into a courtroom and have their problems solved just like that. But hey, I've never been to court, so I how would I know?
As I was reading the end-note, I thought that the government's treatment of the Muslims was extremely unfair. The govt. was viewing them as one whole group when I'm sure they felt that there are huge differences from the Muslims of Bangladesh are different from Muslims in other places. If you look up Muslim, you find out that Muslims are not JUST from one place. Minority groupings of Muslims can even be found in China, North and South America, and Europe. If you are a Muslim from China, you would not look anything like a Muslim from Bangladesh. The govt. of America was not being kind to these people and as Aisha said at her graduation. She wants what they want. A future.

Blog Post #14: Chapter 16 Reading

Interesting sentence:
"She laughs, tipping the can against her teeth, her voice sounding hollow and tinny. 'Do you really believe that?'
'Yes.'
She snorts." page 147
I could really hate her right now, if I didn't think that she is SERIOUSLY misunderstood and would benefit from a good long session (a few of them) with a psychiatrist.
She needs help. She's just not getting it.
Help for her could be anything, it could be as simple as telling someone what's really going on, which is what Nadira was suggesting, going to tell Mr. Friedlander, I really think that they should tell him. They would totally make Aisha Valedictorian, but I'm not sure if she deserves it because she's been so rude to Nadira. I know that her relationship with her sister has no direct impact on her studies, but I believe that the Valedictorian should be a kind and respectful person as well as excellent at her studies.
I don't feel that Aisha is very respectful of Nadira and her feelings. She (Aisha) needs to grow up a bit and then take another look at things. That's what I think anyway. Not everything is about what is going in school or your academic achievements and I don't think that Aisha's quite realized that yet.

Blog Post #13: Chapter 15 Reading (x-ray vision and arm waving)

Interesting sentence:
"I have my papers in my backpack, and I want to run down the aisle like I'm in some movie scene and stop in front of the defense table and wave my arms." page 129

I really liked this chapter, besides Nadira's apparent paranoia. People do NOT have x-ray vision to see through your backpack. No worries though, you might get called out on something, but it won't be taking money from a family account. Nadira seems like she really has taken a step forward, but she still seems too timid to me. Ah well... can't have everything!
I really like that Nadira took a step out for herself and her family.
It makes me really happy but she needs to let go of some of that paranoia or I will personally slap her (figuratively).
: )

Blog Post #12: Chapter 13 & 14

Interesting sentence:
"We walk in closer, and then I notice it, right next to a dish or rice and meat. A revolver. No one pays attention -- it might be a carton of milk for all they care."
page 122

This really scared me. What kind of person leaves a gun lying around?! And if they do, would you (or should) you be friends or acquaintances with them? I'm very glad that Nadira turned tail and ran the other way because I believe that there is a good chance that she would have gotten hurt had she actually stayed to do business with them. Just the idea of Tareq taking her somewhere so far away from Flushing to do something that is illegal makes me feel creeped out. No one should go with someone else that their entire neighborhood calls 'shady.' The older people are probably a bit smarter, no offense to the young ones. Truly, pay attention to your elders, dont' go with strangers! Nadira really knew hardly anything about Tareq. He was basically a stranger to her, whatever she might have said before that evening.

Blog Post #11: Chapter 12 Reading (mad as a March Hare)

Yeah, that'd be Aisha. She's clearly snapped and I don't think she's comin' back!
Oh well...
Interesting sentence (paragraph, really):
" 'Nadira, I've always been like these guys out here, running. You know me. I'll run in any weather. You give me a test, I'll do ten times better than you expect. I'll do anything.' She pushes her hands deeper. 'But what if I put myself forward, and then they take everything away?' She shakes her head once more. 'And then I realized. I can't do this anymore. It's too hard. Too big. Nothing's working. Not the letters. Nothing. Maybe if I just stop wanting so much, they can't hurt me. I don't want to stand out anymore, Nadira. It hurts too much. I don't want to stand out. Not anymore.' "


There are so many times in the past few months that I have felt like this, and been on the verge of a breakdown, just like Aisha, except she actually fell over the edge into 'breakdown' mode, and I didn't. It can hurt so much if you think that your teachers aren't apreciating you, or you think you didn't make the cut for something, but you tried so hard it hurt you, even when you knew you couldn't try harder. There is NO name for this hurt, and it goes beyond what a parent or friend can fix. I know that you just have to get up and keep going, but I don't have any idea how Aisha's getting up from this one! She got hit pretty hard. It's like a boxer. They hit and get hit, and when they get hit hard enough, they don't get up again.
It's sad, but it's life.
I recently read a book called 'Crank' by Ellen Hopkins and it mentioned that a ton of 'brown-nosers' become druggies because they can't handle the pressure after so long. I believe it too, it's really hard doing your best on everything, and then some. It gets very wearing and I sincerely wish Aisha the best.

Blog Post #10: Chapter 11 Reading

Interesting sentence:
"She leans back on the pillows. "I'm so tired," she sighs. "So very tired." "
This is never a good line. When one of the main characters says that they're tired like that/in that way, especially with a reference to pillows, it usually means that they are going to die. In this case I think it means that the old Aisha has died and a new one has emerged, or is going to shortly.
As Samara said on her blog post about this chapter it seems as though Nadira is just sort of sitting there, watching her sister change and not doing much about it. That sort of disturbed me. When I commented on Samara's I said that I thought maybe Nadira didn't know how to help Aisha and I still think that's the problem. Aisha has been so inaccessible for her whole life with Nadira, how is Nadira supposed to know how to help her now?