Blog #13-Chapters 17&18

"Because for all those years, my Abba-all of us-believed. They let us in, and they let us believe that we belonged. That we could hope for a future here. That one day I could go to college and carry on. And then they took that hope away. They broke my father's heart. And they broke mine too."-page 152

I am so glad that Aisha finally spoke out. She told everyone the truth, and she asked them to accept her for who she is and who her family is. What she says it true as well. People all think that they can come to the United States and have a better life and have more opportunities. To me it seems that the overall feeling outsiders have about the country seems to be a little too hyped. Once all these immigrants come to live here and are comfortable, the government comes and realizes that they don't want more people in the country and throw them out. They disrupt people's lives and make it really hard for them.

I think that Aisha did the right thing by telling people about their situation. It's like clearing up all of the lies that they have been living in, only it still doesn't make up for the lies she said earlier. I think that people will really understand her now and they will realize what a hard life Nadira and Aisha have had. I think, however, that it might have been more satisfying for the reader if Nadira was the one who said it. It sends a whole different message to the audience and I feel that it might have been more powerful. In the beginning of the book, we already expected Aisha to do a lot of public speaking. Nadira was the quiet one, and it would have shown how much Nadira changed if she was the one who told the whole story. 

Overall though, I think the book ended in a good way. It wasn't extremely realistic, but oh well. I really like blogging too! It was great! 

Blog #12-Chapter 16

"'I always thought you were the brave one. But now I think you're a coward, Aisha.' I see her stiffen a little, but still I press on. 'You gave up because everything stopped being easy. Just because you couldn't conquer this thing like you always did. I think, Aisha, that you're always thinking about doing or saying the right thing. Wearing the right clothes. Blending in. But sometimes...sometimes you have to tell them who you really are. What you really think. You have to make them see us.'"-page 147

Nadira again, tells her sister what she really thinks! I think that Nadira made some excellent points about Aisha. Aisha really shouldn't have faked she was just so people will accept her. I think she should be who she really is, even if she does stand out. It's better to stand out and show who you really are than to pretend to be someone else. It's strange how Aisha used to care so much about what she wore and how she should fit in. So what?! That's not all that is important! She should be proud to be who she is and others should respect her for that. 

I think that Aisha cared way to much about what others thought, and that's why she ended up falling off the high cliff she built for herself. The reason she fell was because instead of making a sturdy cliff, she made a weak one out of sticks. The sticks represent her fake self, the person she tries to be. If she was herself (the rocks) she would not have fallen off her cliff. Nadira made her cliff out of stone, and that's why she got all the way to the top, and stayed there. 

Overall, I'm kind of glad the way things turned out between Aisha and Nadira. Nadira self-confidence was boosted and even though Aisha's was lowered, I think she will regain it soon. 

Blog #11-Chapter 15

"She does all this like she's been dong it for years. I keep waiting for her to pull back or to ask me to translate something." -page 129

My first reaction to this sentence (and the paragraphs before it) was Woah! Ma really changed. We always talk about how Nadira and Aisha are changing, but this sentence really shows how Ma has changed so much. The last we really heard a lot about Ma was when Aisha and Nadira left her at the shelter. She was very quiet and shy then, never saying anything in English. From what we could tell, she didn't have very many friends outside of the group she knew from Bangladesh, and she really didn't want to be noticed very much. 

Now, a few months later (or maybe more), Ma is completely different! She seems very confident and certain of what she is doing. She seems to talk a lot in English, and she didn't need things to be translated for her. She has a lot of friends at the shelter, and they all know what is going on in Ma's life. She wears "western clothes" (as Nadira put it) and very relaxed. 

I have to say, I actually like this Ma better. She seems to know what she's doing and she has been living life the best she can in this situation. I'm just curious to see what happens when Ma and Abba see Aisha...she's really not in the same state as she was in when they last saw her. 

Blog #10-Chapters 13&14

"Then I run again, blindly, into the dark streets." -page 123

I chose this sentence because I noticed that both the two chapters we read tonight ended with Nadira running. Chapter 13 ended with "For the first time I feel like I can run, fast. And I run all the way to the bus." (page 119). The interesting thing between these two sentences is that Nadira is running, but for completely different reasons. 

In chapter 13, Nadira finds out that her father is going to a hearing.  Nadira thinks she found a way to get Abba released for sure. She seems to be pretty confident that her plan will work, and she calls a few people to get things worked out. I wasn't really sure what was in store for Nadira when she decided to use Tareq's help. He seemed like he knew what he was doing, but I felt that he wasn't to be trusted. I also couldn't believe that Nadira was using the money Abba saved for Aisha and Nadira to attend college. It seemed wrong to me that Nadira was lying to Ali-Uncle about that, but I felt that she was desperate to do something. After getting the money, she ran to Dunkin' Donuts so she could finish her plan. As stated in the book, Nadira felt strong and solid. She was sure of what she was doing. 

Chapter 14 was pretty different. Nadira is with Tareq, and they are at a house. Nadira is getting Abba someone else's social security number. I didn't think it was really safe of Nadira to do this because if her family was caught, they would be the ones blamed and they could get into even more trouble than they are in now. Nadira then has second thoughts about what she is about to do. I think that she did the right thing to leave because she didn't know what she was getting herself into.  It was smart of her to stand up to Tareq and tell him that she didn't want to follow through her plan anymore. She left the house, running into the dark streets. She has no idea where she is going and what might happen if someone saw her. She's all alone in a strange place, not very confident or sure about herself. 

It was interesting to see how Marina Budhos ended both of these pretty important chapters the same way, but in a different context. I wonder if running is going to be a recurring theme throughout the last few chapters of the book.

Blog #9-Chapter 12

"I don't want to stand out anymore, Nadira. It hurts too much. I don't want to stand out. Not anymore." -page 113

When I read this, I was really surprised. I didn't think the girls were standing out. They did their best to be normal and lead a normal life (except for the fact their both their dad and their uncle were in jail and that they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh) . Their parents, to me, were the ones who were really standing out more. A few pages before, I read the part about how accommodating their parents have been in order to make sure that Aisha and Nadira are NOT sanding out. On page 109, it says that Ma let Aisha stop wearing her head scarf because she was made fun of. That was really nice of Ma: she understood the situation and realized that the best way for Aisha to not stand out was to let her look like the other kids. 

Like I had written in my earlier post, I think the family will almost always stand out. It's pretty much inevitable. But it's not the sort of standing out that's flashy and all "in your face". It's the smaller things, like money, family, friends, that sort of stuff. Nadira's family doesn't really have that much money, and they have to be careful on what they spend it on. Because Aisha did NOT want to stand out in her college applications, she told Mr.Friedlander that she didn't need financial aid. The family is falling apart with their father and uncle being in jail. The only way to NOT stand out is to act like everything is normal, to go on with life like they used to. 

Aisha and Nadira are doing their best to be normal. I think that it's just hard. They have so much going on, but no one to tell. It really hurts to keep it all inside, and that is what I think Aisha is referring to when she says it hurts. It hurts to keep all these troubles bottled up inside her. And hopefully Nadira can talk to someone about all these problems shortly. 

P.S. I realize that I said that both Nadira's dad and uncle are in jail. I just want to clarify that I know that Uncle is back now, but I didn't want to constantly have to write both, if you catch my drift....

Blog #8-Chapter 11

"I wish I could just put a hand to her skin, stop her whirring inside." -page 93

When I read this, I was happy. Nadira wanted to help her sister, and she felt sorry for Aisha and all that she was going through. Aisha's breaking down right in front of Nadira. As Falcon pointed out in Samara's blog, Aisha gave up spending time with her friends so she could study. She wakes up in the middle of the night with bad dreams about her interview. She's pretty much just lost it! She totally did not know how to react to Uncle when he came home. She was just still, frozen like she had been petrified. I think that Nadira's intentions are good, but she just has to follow through on them. Hopefully, once things settle down, Aisha will be a little less stressed, and stop "whirring inside". I don't know who to feel bad for anymore! SO much is going on, and every character has their own set of problems. I pretty much feel bad for everyone! Their situation is so difficult. What do you guys think??

Blog #7-Chapter 10

"After the apartment is quiet again, I realize the thud-thudding noise hasn't gone away. It's my own heart, beating fast in my chest." -page 87

My heart would be beating super fast too, if I was in Nadira's situation. The whole thing is all together very scary and stressful. I don't know what the family is going to do now that Uncle has been taken to jail. Will they be able to go on with their normal life? I think that they will have to, but it will not be easy. The letter will be of utmost importance to Nadira and Aisha, and they will probably try to find out even more things they can do to help. What I am also curious about is how come the police only take one member of the family. Does that mean that as long as one member is in jail, the rest of them can live illegally in the country?? 

I also think that Aisha is being to hard on herself. She thinks that everything that goes wrong is her fault; that she could have done something to stop the current situation from happening. She had another meltdown at the end of the chapter and I think it is really lowering her self-confidence. She needs to learn that she is only 18 years old and she can't do things that adults can do. Even Taslima can't do anything, even though she is trying too. Taslima doesn't realize that Tim isn't doing anything to help save the family! I have a feeling for some reason that maybe Tim is working with the police in some way, and he tipped them off a little. 

Overall, very eventful chapter. I can see why Nadira's heart is definitely beating so fast; both her dad and uncle are in jail. She must be scared and worried, and I think that not being able to tell anyone else (outside of the family) about their issue is making it even harder for her. Sometimes, it is great relief to tell someone with no insight on the matter about what is going on....it gives you a different perspective of the actual problem. 

Blog #6-Chapter 9

"It's been a long while since I felt so good about Aisha. We're together, a sister-sister team." -page 78

When I read this, I was very happy. Finally, after so long, the two sister are getting along! They are working together to help save the family. I think that this bonding for Aisha and Nadira is good for them, and I think that a lot more will be accomplished now that they are a team. They seem to really understand each other and I think that they have finally found their connection between each other, now that they have the same goal. I think that this progress is also very good because it will help Ma and Abba. Hopefully this teamwork will continue throughout the rest of the book.

Blog #5-Chapters 7&8

"We didn't know. The most important thing, Abba said, was not to stick out. Don't let them see you. But I think it hurt him, to hide so much." -page 58

I think it hurt Abba too. He definitely does not seem as confident as he did when he lived back in Dhaka. He doesn't brag about Aisha's grades to anyone, doesn't tape them to the car windshield. Aisha still gets excellent grades and is one of the top students in her grade; doesn't that make her stick out. All her teachers see her, excelling in every class, and yet, Abba doesn't say anything about that. I think he seems to have forgotten his own logic. By going to Canada, that really made them stick out. There were tons of other illegal immigrants, yet the family stood out and they got caught. Abba got arrested, and  now nobody knows what is going to happen. 

In chapter 8, Aisha and Nadira go to Mr. Rashid's office. Nadira says that she and Aisha stood out there too. Everyone at the office was very formal and businesslike, and there they were, two high school students, trying to talk to Mr.Rashid. I think that whatever Aisha and Nadira do, they will always stick out, and it is inevitable. I think they have to just get their visa before they can start to blend in with all the other people. 

Connections between book and movie

After watching the movie and reading the book, I learned more about the two different types of immigration. It seems to be a lot harder to cross the border by walking through so many different countries, not to mention a little more dangerous. I think that it is unfair to call them "wetbacks" though, because what they are doing is pretty much equivalent to what Nadira and her family is doing. Both are trying to find a better life here in North America, and it isn't very fair to discriminate them depending on where they are coming from. 

Both immigrants have to sell all that they have in their home town and have to save up a lot for this trip. It must be really hard for them to leave all their belongings and friends and family. I think that what Nadira and her family is doing is maybe a little easier than what the immigrants from South America/Mexico do, but it is also more dangerous. The US Immigration system probably checks their database more often to check for expired visas. I don't think that the stations at the borders check as often since there are so many more people crossing the border. 

As stated in Ask Me No Questions when the family was leaving the US, " We weren't supposed to do this. We were supposed to stay and then one day roll the word in our mouths: home." (page 12). I think that the family had their hopes up and unfortunately, it didn't work out. The same applies to the immigrants who cross the borders on foot. They think they are safe and no one can see them, but then they get caught. Overall, staying in any country as an illegal immigrant with no papers, is extremely dangerous, whether or not you stay with an expired travel visa or if you cross the borders on foot. 

Blog #4-Chapter 6

""What are you talking about Aisha?" I whisper hotly. "You and your little perfect scores and your perfect this and that? Who cares if you're valedictorian? You're not going to college! You're not going anywhere!"" -page 52

Wow! Nadira finally spoke up to her sister!! She totally came out of her shell there! I had no idea she would be able to talk to her sister like that. Nadira was quiet while she heard her sister talking to her friends about college and her nomination for valedictorian. Then, all of a sudden, Nadira starts talking poorly of Aisha. I did not think Nadira had it in her to say such things to anyone, especially not Aisha. And the thing was that at the end of this, she said that she liked it. That made me happy! Nadira finally has some confidence! Even though I'm proud of Nadira for finally speaking up, I'm kinda stuck in the middle....was it good for Nadira to speak up for herself or is what she said very rude and disrespectful to Aisha?? What do you guys think? 

Celeste's Good Point

Celeste made a good point in her most recent blog. I totally agree with you Celeste, it would be really hard going back to school, not being able to tell anyone anything. I would be dying to tell at least my closest friends, maybe one or two teachers. I think that Marina Budhos did a good job phrasing that sentence though. She stated the fact that they were illegal immigrants in a very nice, almost metaphorical way. Nice job Celeste! 

Blog #3-Chapter 5

"Sometimes I wish I could lift out of myself and do something that really counts" -page 41

I think that Nadira is being too harsh on herself. She wants to try to live up to Aisha's standard, but I think Nadira should focus on being herself. There is really no reason she should want to lift out of herself. I think that Nadira's self-confidence might have gone down when Ma talked to her on the phone. Ma told Nadira that she was very patient and sweet, and thanked God for giving her such a patient daughter. I think that although Nadira was pleased that Ma said a few nice things, she wanted Ma to compliment her on something bigger, something that counted in her opinion. That might be why she wants to do something that counts. 

What I'm curious to know is what Nadira's definition of "something that really counts" is...I think she is doing something that really counts. She is helping out her family in times of need and she is helping others along the way. I think that Nadira is actually doing something that really does count, but she just hasn't realized it yet. 

Samara's Sweet Point

Samara made an awesome point in her blog. Before reading that quote, I thought that Aisha was very self-confident and smart as well. But then, after reading that, I noticed that Aisha seems to be a little insecure about herself. Like Samara said, Aisha might just be book smart, but when it comes to being secure about herself, she isn't very knowledgeable. I agree that Nadira has more of a personality than Aisha, and I think that we will see it grow throughout the book.  

Blog #2-Chapters 3&4

"Ma would save extra money left over from the food shopping and ask me to buy a phone card so she could call her mother when no one else was home in the apartment; her face brightened the instant she heard the click on the other end." -page 25

When I read this, I smiled. I felt bad for Ma; she moved to a new country, not knowing what it would be like. She had to learn to adapt to the ways of life here, which is probably very different than how she lived in Bangladesh. Materialistic things might be more important here in the U.S. than where they came from. People act differently and Ma might have felt that she did not fit in because no one could relate to her. I think that she also would have gotten very bored of being at home, doing nothing. 

I don't think she enjoyed living in the United States at first, but realized that it was best for her family. She didn't want to tell her husband or daughters that she did not like it here, so she pretended she was okay with everything. That might also be why she didn't want to call her mother when people were home. She didn't want everyone else to be homesick, and she didn't want them to go back to Bangladesh just because of her. She called home to try and go back to the old days when she always talked to her family, and things were easier. I think that after that initial homesickness, Ma felt a lot stronger and was able to carry herself better.