Read: Seventeen & Eighteen - Pages 149 - 159
Page 158
“Well. This is an unusual case. I grant you permission to file a new application for residency. Your papers will be accepted and processed. Correctly this time.” She pauses with the faintest hint of a smile and looks sharply at Mr. Rashid. “And make sure your lawyer his job.” She pushes the folder away. ‘Next!’”
I hated the ending to this book. I thought everything worked out way too smoothly, it seems totally unrealistic. In my earlier blog post [INSERT LINK HERE], I wrote about how Aisha might not even get into a good college because she stopped going to school, but nope, she’s still valedictorian...
I chose this quote because it just proves that life is turning bright (very quickly) for the family. The judge looks at the case file, and a minute later just gives them the thumbs up. As long as they file the papers correctly they are free to live in America, or Canada or wherever the hell they want. I just think that this was dismissed very quickly, and unreasonably. I mean, yeah, it’s great that Nadira and her family now have somewhere to live legally, but I think it turned out too happily, too quickly.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
(b)Log #12
Read: Chapter Sixteen - Pages 137 - 148
Page 137
"Aisha was the magic girl who lived above the dark tree branches and lit the way, leading us down the complicated bends." ... "But sometimes there's someone else, especially when the sky goes dark: the person guiding slowly from behind. That's who I've become in my family."
I thought that this quote summarized the family in the recent days really well. It always seemed like Aisha was the golden girl who got all the attention and praise. She was the one to lead the pack, but all of a sudden this disappeared. She no longer cared about anything, and she gave up. Then pulling up from the back, comes Nadira. Nadira now seems to be the one to carry more weight around the family.
This quote made me smile, because Nadira knows that she was always left behind, just following after the family. Now, though, she stepped up to Aisha's spot up front and she gets to guide from the front.
Page 137
"Aisha was the magic girl who lived above the dark tree branches and lit the way, leading us down the complicated bends." ... "But sometimes there's someone else, especially when the sky goes dark: the person guiding slowly from behind. That's who I've become in my family."
I thought that this quote summarized the family in the recent days really well. It always seemed like Aisha was the golden girl who got all the attention and praise. She was the one to lead the pack, but all of a sudden this disappeared. She no longer cared about anything, and she gave up. Then pulling up from the back, comes Nadira. Nadira now seems to be the one to carry more weight around the family.
This quote made me smile, because Nadira knows that she was always left behind, just following after the family. Now, though, she stepped up to Aisha's spot up front and she gets to guide from the front.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
(b)Log #11
Read: Chapter Fifteen - Pages 124 - 136
Page 132:
"I want to say that sometimes you can't know who a person is. Sometimes they don't know who they are either. They can appear to be one thing--Like me, fat and slow and lazy--but you can look at them another way too--and see something else."
This is totally true. It's just like 'don't judge a book by its cover'. Nadira appears slow, fat, and lazy, but is she really? Reading (most of) this book really lets us get to know Nadira, and she is not slow or lazy. When she wants something, hell, she'll get it! She wanted to get her dad out of the trouble, and she did. It may have taken awhile to come up with a plan, but she came up with one. The plan that she devised all by herself, was rather cunning. Don't judge a book until you've read it through. Don't judge a person before you've actually gotten to know them. That is a very important lesson.
Page 132:
"I want to say that sometimes you can't know who a person is. Sometimes they don't know who they are either. They can appear to be one thing--Like me, fat and slow and lazy--but you can look at them another way too--and see something else."
This is totally true. It's just like 'don't judge a book by its cover'. Nadira appears slow, fat, and lazy, but is she really? Reading (most of) this book really lets us get to know Nadira, and she is not slow or lazy. When she wants something, hell, she'll get it! She wanted to get her dad out of the trouble, and she did. It may have taken awhile to come up with a plan, but she came up with one. The plan that she devised all by herself, was rather cunning. Don't judge a book until you've read it through. Don't judge a person before you've actually gotten to know them. That is a very important lesson.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
(b)Log #10
Read: Chapters Thirteen & Fourteen - Pages 114 - 123
Page 116
"Abba cupped his hands around my shoulders and said, 'If you know how to breathe, you can get through anything.'"
What Abba said seems like something that Nadira should remember. If she would just breathe and calm down, she could come up with something that doesn't involve breaking the law. I think that at the end of chapter 14, when Nadira ran away from Tareq and his friends was when she recalled what her father told her. She realized that her father would not approve of what she was doing, so she got out of there. I'm not sure why she ran out into the darkness and tried to escape, when she had no clue where she was, though. If she took a deep breathe, she probably could have told Tareq that she couldn't go through with it.
Page 116
"Abba cupped his hands around my shoulders and said, 'If you know how to breathe, you can get through anything.'"
What Abba said seems like something that Nadira should remember. If she would just breathe and calm down, she could come up with something that doesn't involve breaking the law. I think that at the end of chapter 14, when Nadira ran away from Tareq and his friends was when she recalled what her father told her. She realized that her father would not approve of what she was doing, so she got out of there. I'm not sure why she ran out into the darkness and tried to escape, when she had no clue where she was, though. If she took a deep breathe, she probably could have told Tareq that she couldn't go through with it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
(b)Log #9
Read: Chapter Twelve - Pages 104 - 113
Page 110
"'Why bother? We're probably not even staying in this country.'"
Page 111
""But these last few weeks she's been acting strange. She's skipping classes. I keep asking her for the forms for financial aid. And then I got a call the other day from Barnard'" ... "'They say she never showed up for her appointment.'"
I think that Aisha has given up. She won't attend debate, she ditched her college interview, and apparently she's skipping classes, too! Even though she thought that they would get Abba out of prison and would make a big difference she doesn't seem to think that the letters that they sent will do anything, anymore. These things seemed so important to Aisha, but now she just stopped caring, it's all bull to her. If Aisha did something like this in the first few chapters of the book, it would shock everyone, but now, she's changing... And not really for the better.
I'm thinking that Aisha is starting to ruin her life. She could have accomplished some great things. Some of us thought that Nadira would be the one to ruin Aisha's chance at college, but Aisha is the one that is doing that to herself! I'm wondering if Nadira is going to try to do the job of the older sister and help Aisha through this 'rough patch', and get her back into the spot where she may become the valedictorian. I'm not really sure what to think, though. What do you guys think or hope will happen?
Page 110
"'Why bother? We're probably not even staying in this country.'"
Page 111
""But these last few weeks she's been acting strange. She's skipping classes. I keep asking her for the forms for financial aid. And then I got a call the other day from Barnard'" ... "'They say she never showed up for her appointment.'"
I think that Aisha has given up. She won't attend debate, she ditched her college interview, and apparently she's skipping classes, too! Even though she thought that they would get Abba out of prison and would make a big difference she doesn't seem to think that the letters that they sent will do anything, anymore. These things seemed so important to Aisha, but now she just stopped caring, it's all bull to her. If Aisha did something like this in the first few chapters of the book, it would shock everyone, but now, she's changing... And not really for the better.
I'm thinking that Aisha is starting to ruin her life. She could have accomplished some great things. Some of us thought that Nadira would be the one to ruin Aisha's chance at college, but Aisha is the one that is doing that to herself! I'm wondering if Nadira is going to try to do the job of the older sister and help Aisha through this 'rough patch', and get her back into the spot where she may become the valedictorian. I'm not really sure what to think, though. What do you guys think or hope will happen?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
(b)Log #8
Read: Chapter Eleven - Pages 88-103
Page 99:
"I'm sick of knowing too much about the adults. It's not such a great talent, I think, this putting things together. Not if it makes people so sad."
Nadira seems to be growing up and getting involved into the world of the adults. The hectic world that she is so new too must be so overwhelming for her. So many bad things happen to people she is close to, and she doesn't know how to deal with it. I feel bad for Nadira because she tries to help everybody, but it's just so hard. Her family and friends are in such big trouble, trouble that she can't get them out of. She tries so hard, but she can't succeed.
When Nadira went to go spy on the manicurist that works for Lily's father, she knew that what she would find out was not something good, but she did it anyways. She did it because she wanted to help her friend get through her problems, she just wanted to help, even though she was hurting.
"I'm sick of knowing too much about the adults. It's not such a great talent, I think, this putting things together. Not if it makes people so sad."
Nadira seems to be growing up and getting involved into the world of the adults. The hectic world that she is so new too must be so overwhelming for her. So many bad things happen to people she is close to, and she doesn't know how to deal with it. I feel bad for Nadira because she tries to help everybody, but it's just so hard. Her family and friends are in such big trouble, trouble that she can't get them out of. She tries so hard, but she can't succeed.
When Nadira went to go spy on the manicurist that works for Lily's father, she knew that what she would find out was not something good, but she did it anyways. She did it because she wanted to help her friend get through her problems, she just wanted to help, even though she was hurting.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
(b)Log #7
Read: Chapter Ten - Pages 80-87
Page 86
"Aisha shoves her plate aside and starts to cry. "It's all my fault. I should have been able to convince them to let Uncle out."
Aisha seems to think that she is so amazing that she could have been able to get Uncle out of this mess so easily. This is not something that you can just persuade the cops to let it slide. Aisha is not capable of doing this, nor is anyone else in her family. I really don't think that Aisha should think so highly of herself to think that she could have fixed it all. She is not the one to blame, the government is.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
(b)Log #6
Read: Chapter Nine - Pages 68-80
Page 76:
"'Come on, Taslima, let's not fight.' [Aisha] pulls close to her and smiles."
Page 78:
"It's been a long while since I felt so good about Aisha. We're together, a sister-sister team."
I didn't think that Aisha was going to change much. I thought that she would still try to be the boss of everything (Especially Nadira). In this chapter, she seems to have changed, though. To me, it looks like Aisha is doing her best to change for the better. She is trying to befriend and work well with both Nadira and Taslima. In the previous chapters, though, I highly doubt that Aisha would try so hard to make Nadira's life easier. I think that Aisha may really be turning a leaf into a new life.
Page 76:
"'Come on, Taslima, let's not fight.' [Aisha] pulls close to her and smiles."
Page 78:
"It's been a long while since I felt so good about Aisha. We're together, a sister-sister team."
I didn't think that Aisha was going to change much. I thought that she would still try to be the boss of everything (Especially Nadira). In this chapter, she seems to have changed, though. To me, it looks like Aisha is doing her best to change for the better. She is trying to befriend and work well with both Nadira and Taslima. In the previous chapters, though, I highly doubt that Aisha would try so hard to make Nadira's life easier. I think that Aisha may really be turning a leaf into a new life.
Monday, March 9, 2009
(b)Log #5
Read: Chapters Seven & Eight - Pages 55-67
Page 56:
"And then one day Naseem disappeared, gone to join the Mukti Bahini, "Freedom Fighters," who wanted their own nation. Every day my grandmother pressed her forehead against the window grate, praying her eldest son would walk down the dusty street. But it was not to be. The more grandmother prayed, the worse the news became. They heard about university students shot and professors murdered on their pillows. They heard about Freedom Fighters mowed down in dirt pits, Hindu villages riddled with gunshot"
This paragraph gave a lot of perspective on the troubles that Nadira's family had back in Bangladesh before they moved to America. It would be so horrible to live in a country in which you fear for your life. Nothing seems to get better, it always gets worse and worse.
The paragraph really illustrated how bad life was before they came to live in the US. Now that they think they finally live in a place where they can live like they should be able to, they find out that they really can't.
Page 56:
"And then one day Naseem disappeared, gone to join the Mukti Bahini, "Freedom Fighters," who wanted their own nation. Every day my grandmother pressed her forehead against the window grate, praying her eldest son would walk down the dusty street. But it was not to be. The more grandmother prayed, the worse the news became. They heard about university students shot and professors murdered on their pillows. They heard about Freedom Fighters mowed down in dirt pits, Hindu villages riddled with gunshot"
This paragraph gave a lot of perspective on the troubles that Nadira's family had back in Bangladesh before they moved to America. It would be so horrible to live in a country in which you fear for your life. Nothing seems to get better, it always gets worse and worse.
The paragraph really illustrated how bad life was before they came to live in the US. Now that they think they finally live in a place where they can live like they should be able to, they find out that they really can't.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Borders
Page 10:
"Abba asked me to bring out my map of the northeast. After I laid the map open on the dining table, Abba showed us the thick arteries of the highways, the spidery blue lines of the border.
In the movie, when you see the men crossing the borders, they seem extremely easy to cross. Some of the borders were just as simple as fence. The borders to cross into the US and into Canada are much harder to cross, than this.
"Abba asked me to bring out my map of the northeast. After I laid the map open on the dining table, Abba showed us the thick arteries of the highways, the spidery blue lines of the border.
In the movie, when you see the men crossing the borders, they seem extremely easy to cross. Some of the borders were just as simple as fence. The borders to cross into the US and into Canada are much harder to cross, than this.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
(b)Log #4
Read: Chapter 6 - Pages 42-54
Page 45:
"'I tell you what we have to do. We have to stop asking Allah for so much. Because everything we ask for on this earth, every gine we beg for, it is always taken away from us.'"
This chapter seemed to be all about Nadira and Aisha's uncle (Who we learned is named Ahmed). A lot seemed to happen at the breakfast table between Nadira and her uncle. Ahmed seems to be a very sour person, and knowing that so many people are being deported or being detained for not being legal citizens doesn't seem to be helping him become a nicer person. Ahmed seems to have very strong feelings about America and the legality of everything.
When Ahmed told Nadira that he thinks they should stop praying to Allah, I was rather shocked. Ahmed seems to have totally lost faith. Allah is the god that he has been praying to since (I assume) he was a child. If he stops believing in the god that he's worshiped for so many years, he must believe that there is very much wrong with the world.
Page 45:
"'I tell you what we have to do. We have to stop asking Allah for so much. Because everything we ask for on this earth, every gine we beg for, it is always taken away from us.'"
This chapter seemed to be all about Nadira and Aisha's uncle (Who we learned is named Ahmed). A lot seemed to happen at the breakfast table between Nadira and her uncle. Ahmed seems to be a very sour person, and knowing that so many people are being deported or being detained for not being legal citizens doesn't seem to be helping him become a nicer person. Ahmed seems to have very strong feelings about America and the legality of everything.
When Ahmed told Nadira that he thinks they should stop praying to Allah, I was rather shocked. Ahmed seems to have totally lost faith. Allah is the god that he has been praying to since (I assume) he was a child. If he stops believing in the god that he's worshiped for so many years, he must believe that there is very much wrong with the world.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
(b)Log #3
Read: Chapter 5 - Pages 29-41
Page 38:
"Whenever we talk about Aisha I feel two things: I'm proud, like I get to rest for a minute in the glow of being her baby sister, but then I get mad and wish there was some way I could make them notice me too."
I thought that this sentence gave a lot of insight on how Nadira feels about Aisha. I can totally understand that Nadira would feel really proud of her sister and everything that she has accomplished, and that she looks up to Aisha. Most younger siblings would be just like Nadira in this way. They look up to their siblings, and try to be like them. But of course, if their sibling is successful, they would be jealous, and Nadira seems rather jealous.
I think that Nadira is really proud of her sister, but she also really wishes that her parents would pay attention to her. Yes, she may believe that she is the younger sister, the stupid one, the fat one, but she is still there! She is still their daughter! Shouldn't they be paying attention to both of their children? Not just focusing their energy on the older, "more successful" one?
Page 38:
"Whenever we talk about Aisha I feel two things: I'm proud, like I get to rest for a minute in the glow of being her baby sister, but then I get mad and wish there was some way I could make them notice me too."
I thought that this sentence gave a lot of insight on how Nadira feels about Aisha. I can totally understand that Nadira would feel really proud of her sister and everything that she has accomplished, and that she looks up to Aisha. Most younger siblings would be just like Nadira in this way. They look up to their siblings, and try to be like them. But of course, if their sibling is successful, they would be jealous, and Nadira seems rather jealous.
I think that Nadira is really proud of her sister, but she also really wishes that her parents would pay attention to her. Yes, she may believe that she is the younger sister, the stupid one, the fat one, but she is still there! She is still their daughter! Shouldn't they be paying attention to both of their children? Not just focusing their energy on the older, "more successful" one?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Other Blogs
I was reading Nickie's newest blog post, and thought that she had a really interesting point. I hadn't thought about the idea that her country's past was so similar to her family's current life. I thought that this was a great connection, and wanted to suggest reading this post (and blog) for any fans of "Ask Me No Questions".
I was also flipping through Claire's blog and found a really interesting poll. You should check it out and vote!
I was also flipping through Claire's blog and found a really interesting poll. You should check it out and vote!
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