Gasping and Squirming

"Behind me I hear hundreds of gasps. I don't move, but I can see them: girls and boys we pass in the halls every day; the mothers in their nice summer dresses and the fathers tapping the rolled up program on their knees; the little brothers and sisters squirming in their seats.
'I'm an illegal alien,' Aisha repeats, harder, faster now." (151)
As I read this I was shocked. I was so impressed with Aisha because she had finally accepted her for who she really was. I'm so happy for her. The people in the background gasping and squirming don't have to accept her, they don't have to even care about her. I'm just so proud of her and the rest of the Hossain family. :D
They have gone through so much in this book. I can't even imagine. If any of this happened to my family I don't know how I could manage. I would probably do the same as Aisha, I'd try to hide it but it wouldn't take me as long to accept myself for who I was.
When I finished this book, I took a moment to think about what happened. I thought of how it was a little boring in the beginning, awesome in the middle, and super predictable in the end. The end was super predictable, I mean through out the whole entire book you knew Aisha was going to work up the courage to say that, and you knew that she would become Valedictorian. You also knew Abba would get out of jail and they would be able to stay. In the long run, this was a good book, but it was very, very predictable.

Calm Before The Storm

"It's not about breathing. It's about making yourself clear as water, honest and calm." (147)

During this chapter, Nadira talks to Aisha about how she is giving up because she couldn't conquer anything. Aisha is giving up on everything and in the previous chapter, Nadira saves the day. In this chapter however Aisha is talking to Nadira and she isn't very nice. " ' Do you really believe that?' 'Yes.' She snorts. 'I always thought you were the brave one. But now I think you're a coward, Aisha.' "(147)
I'm so glad that Nadira stood up to Aisha yet again. Aisha is trying to put Naidra down because Aisha was supposed to be the one who saves the day. But it didn't happen that way, because Aisha gave up.
The reason I chose this quote was because I thought that it was a great couple of sentences. The whole book is about water and breathing in a way. Nadira relates everything to water, breathing, and maps. I thought that this was a great sentence because she is talking about how you should make yourself calm before the storm. (shoot now I'm doing it!)

Americans don't know how to be family

"Americans don't know how to be family. It's like this country, he explains; so many long distances between them. But now I'm not so sure he's right. This guy looks pretty sad, and besides, my family doesn't seem to be soo close anymore. Taslima and Uncle, they're barely talking these days. And Ma's been gone so long, I can barely imagine her face and smel and hands. Maybe that's what living in America does to you: It spreads you into far distances until you're just little bits rolling apart. It hurts me even to have a thought like that." (126)

As I read this, I was thinking about how my family is spread apart, from the east coast to the west coast. And how they are all so intouch with each other in the east coast and how I barely even remember their names. Nadira has a great point about this. America does kind of spread you apart until your just little bits rolling apart. It is so big and there are only so many people in our families. It happens a lot when you haven't seen someone in a long time. You start to think of things like this.

Really, Really Big Trouble (+ a great point Puja made)

"When I climb into the passenger seat, he flips open the glove compartment to show his gun inside. His breath is hot and scratchy on my face. 'You don't know anything.' " (120)

As I read this part of chapter 14, it made me think of something that would happen on TV. I don't get why Tareq was being so threatening towards Nadira. Maybe it was because he could get in really, really big trouble if something goes wrong with what he is doing. But, who knows?
Why did he have a gun inside his car, I don't know. I think that Tareq was doing something really big and illegal for Nadira and her family. He might have done smaller jobs for other people in the past, like making them a fake greencard. But for Nadira's family it is different, I'm not quite sure on what he is doing for them, but all I know is that it is something that will help Abba get out of jail. I think it has to do with a social security number of a dead person. But that part confused me.
Puja had a really good observation in our class discussion and her blog today. She said, "I noticed that in the end of both chapters 13 and 14 Nadira has been running." I realized this while I was reading, but I totally forgot when I stopped. Thanks for bringing it up again Puja!

FEARS and CONNECTIONS

"I froze. My mind went blank. I got scared." (112)
As I read this I thought of the past years of my life. I thought of how when I get scared I freeze and my mind goes blank, just as Aisha's did. It wasn't in the same position though, I got scared because I thought that something bad would happen to someone I loved. In Aisha's case she thought they were going to throw her out of Barnard because she was an illegal immigrant.
In this chapter I felt connected to Aisha and Nadira, more so than I usually do. I felt connected to them because they were going through a lot and they were lying to the teachers. In my life, I lie to my family about some small things and some big things. But they always figure it out, sadly.

The Shape Behind The Wall

"Yet I can feel Uncle and Abba, like shapes behind the walls." (89)
When I read this, it made me think of many things. Mostly the fact that when my mom's ex left, it felt like he was behind the walls. I remember the feeling, it is hard to have someone you love so much disappear/vanish from your life. Nadira is having a hard time adjusting, as did I. You can't just forget about someone you care about who has been taken away by the government or just left, you have to take your own time adjusting. I don't get why this feeling comes up when someone leaves, but it just does. It can get really irriatating, but sometimes it is the only thing you have to hold onto.

Kayla's Great Post!

Kayla made some really great points about Chapter 10 in her blog today! Great job!
BIG PROPS TO KAYLA!

Pink Elephants (drunk)

"We drink coffee and sip Cokes from the machine until our hands jump and twitch." (85)

I chose this quote because it made me think of a late night at my house, minus the machine. When I read this part of the book, I felt really sorry for them. I felt like if I were Aisha, I would be having a melt down of thinking it were my my fault. This was a very intense chapter, Ali Uncle got taken to jail and everyone is staying up really late hoping for the best. They are all wondering why Ali Uncle would have to go to jail, other than the fact that he doesn't have his papers. Taslima calls Tim, her "boyfriend" and lawyer, to help them. He doesn't do squat, he just talks to the people from Immigration. It didn't help at all. Tim is a really bad lawyer, I think he should find a different profession.
I have had experience with drinking Diet Coke until my hands jump and twitch, it is really funny to watch, but kind of scary at the same time. Mostly because you feel really, really hyper and it feels like you can't control yourself. Sometimes it feels as if you are drunk because you have had so much caffeine and you are super tired. It is really fun. You never stop finding things funny.

Debate Team?

"If you're going to fight an enemy, you have to understand their argument." (76)

When I was reading this chapter, this sentence popped out at me. It popped out at me, because I think that I have heard it before. Over the weekend, I watch The Great Debaters. I think that they said this in the movie. It is very true that if you are going to fight with someone you have to understand the argument first. People don't really do this, they just fight. I don't get why Aisha is bringing this up now because she was fighting with Taslima about the letter, as they she said it. This was a very interesting chapter.

I think Aisha should be on the debate team.

Bruises Show Like Dark Flowers

"It's as if Aisha is finally saying what we're both afraid to imagine: Abba crouched in a cold dark cell. Abba sitting at some table with a ceiling lamp glaring down on his face. Are they badgering him with questions? Letting him sleep and bathe and pray? Beating him with a stick until the bruises show like dark flowers?" (66)

In this paragraph, they are imagining the type of thing you see on a cop show. This does happen in real life, but when I think of that happening to someone I mostly think that they are just actors. I'm pretty sure that they are asking Abba questions about him and his reason for immigration and his expired visa. I'm sure they are letting him bathe for only a little bit, just enough so he doesn't stink. I'm sure that Abba can pray on his own time, unless it makes lots of noise. If Abba doesn't obey the rules that they have set for him than they might "beat him with a stick until the bruises show like dark flowers." (66) I hope that it doesn't come to assault, Abba seems like a good man and I don't think that he would disobey the rules. I don't think he would insult a guard, or an authority of some sort. Do you?

Today we watched part of the movie Wetback, it was interesting. Wetback is about two friends crossing the many borders of Latin America. They started in Nicaragua and are now crossing the border of Mexico. They are going to try and get to Canada to live a better life. A connection between this and the book Ask Me No Questions are the fact that both are trying to cross the Canadian border, because they will have a better life there. A few good quotes that I found in Ask Me No Questions about the border were:
"We go lient in the car. This is the last strech, past the signs for Bass shoe outlets and cigarettes sold cheap. We're going to leave the main highway soon and stop at the immigration station on the boreder between Vermont and Canada and tell them we're asking for asylum. We'll ill out some forms and it will take a long time, but then they'll let us go to the other side." (11)
"Our car slows and we see four - no, seven - no, maybe a dozen cars ahead of us. Around the bend a Greyhound bus is letting out lots of people: men in long white kurtas - knit scarves around their necks - and women whose shalwar kameezes stick out from their sweaters. Everyone is stamping their feet in the cold. Just beyond is a low brick building, the red and white Canadian flag snapping on a pole." (12)
"The tip of the man's nose is rosy red, and he's got gingery freckles all over his cheeks. 'Passports?' He says as if he knows not to bother. 'We are applying for asylum in your country, sir,' Abba replies. Ma is leaning forward to the left so sharply, I think she is going to fall into Abba's lap. The man shakes his head, droplets spattering off the brim of his hat. 'Sorry. We're full up here. Overwhelmed. People have been coming nonstop, and we can't process them all."

To be continued...

Ma is sexist!!!! Diablog #4 - Chapter 6

As I was reading chapter 6, a few sentences popped out at me. I chose the first paragraph:
"WHEN I WAKE THE NEXT MORNING, THE SNOW HAS melted and is dripping in a noiy patter off the fire escape. The window over the sofa is open a crack, and the air blows in, sweet and warm. I dig down deep into the suitcase and pull out a T-shirt and jeans and my nylon spring jacket. I can imagine Ma standing in the doorway, sighing, Why do you have to dress like a boy?" (42)

I chose this paragraph, because I loved the descriptive detail of "the snow dripping in a noisy patter onto the fire escape." It was very detailed, it felt as if I were in the room with Nadira. It felt like I could feel the air blowing through the window. The other part of it with Ma sighing, made me mad. It was sexist, if you wear jeans and a T-shirt your not dressing like a boy. I wear jeans and a T-shirt everyday, does that make me a boy? Men wear kilts in Scotland, kilts are basically skirts. Does that make the men in Scotland women?

Okay, so in the book they told us that they were chanting "Ask me no questions. Tell me no lies." I read it and I searched it on google. I found a picture of Uncle Sam, saying "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies." I thought that this was kind of ironic, because in the book they are saying "Ask me no questions. Tell me no lies." because they are trying to hide from the government and with this picture the person saying this is part of the government. I thought that was kind of cool, that it comes from both sides.
What do you think of the immigrants saying it to stay away from trouble with the government and the government saying it to recruit people for the war?

Diablog #3 - Chapter 5

"We try to get lost in the landscape of backpacks and book reports." -page 29

I chose this sentence because I thought it was a very good description of a school, and how the immigrants try to hide from it all. The first part of the sentence is really cool, "We try to get lost in the landscape" I love it because at first it sounds like they are talking about a painting. The way Marina Buhdos described it made it sound a lot better than something like, "We try to hide that we are now illegal immigrants." Do you agree?
In this chapter they are back at Flushing High School and they are trying not to have people know that they are now illegal immigrants. If I were part of their family I would have a hard time going to school because, first of all, it is called Flushing High School. Second of all, I would want to tell my friend that I might have to leave soon, because my father was arrested, and my mother was staying behind with him. I would tell my friends that I was only there for my sister Aisha's sake. I would be pretty pissed off.

Diablog #2 Chapters 3 and 4

The quote I chose was, "Nobody else in our family is fat, and sometimes I feel like I've been beamed in from another genetic planet." - page 26, Chapter 4. I chose this quote because it shows what Nadira thinks of herself. She thinks that she is fat and that she doesn't belong with her family. Nadira is very self-concious. She thinks that she doesn't belong anywhere. When I read this sentence I thought that Nadira was being stupid and that she wasn't fat. Whenever people use the word fat it sounds like an insult, but it isn't supposed to be an insult. In Computer Science in the beginning of the year we watched persuasive videos, one of them was about "fat talk". They were talking about how you should use the word "fat" and how you shouldn't say things like, "Have you lost weight?" because it isn't healthy to do fat talk. Nadira should watch this video with her sister and see what she thinks of it because it hurt me that she was calling herself fat because she isn't overweight, she is perfect the way she is.