AMNQ Diablog #14

"We push forward, into the unknown. Go."

This was the BEST ENDING SENTENCE!!!! It really is bittersweet and mysterious. I thought it was a great ending because it shows how the family is going to continue their travels together and I really loved how the family seemed to come together right at the end. Even Aisha stopped being so bratty and rude at the end. Though this book was a little confusing in some places, I really enjoyed it.

AMNQ Blog Post #13 (DON'T READ THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE READ AHEAD! CONTAINS SPOILERS!)

"We were the people you don't always see, flashing our polite smiles, trimming hedges, parking your cars in lots, doing the night shift. You needed us and we needed you."
-Page 151

WOW! This was SO brave of Aisha and my opinion of her was TOTALLY raised! She is seriously brave to be saying all this stuff in front of these people. And this quote is totally true. It seems like a LOT of times the lower workers don't get the attention or the pay they deserve but they are still really polite with their wide and happy smiles! :D This seems like a VERY wise quote and I'm happy for Aisha but I'm wondering if people will tell the Immigration Police. I think that they will be leaving anyways so it won't matter.

AMNQ Blog Post #12

"He pats me on the head and doesn't let me go into the kitchen with the women, but makes sure I sit right next to him. I'm embarrassed, but I like this, being the special one."

This quote REALLY stood out to me. Nadira is really starting to feel special and like she has a place in the world. I think that she is SO used to Aisha being the one with all the parental credits that she is very excited when her father is praising her and being extra nice to her (after all, she DID save them from being deported). I also think this could have something to do with Aisha being so listless that Abba doesn't really have something to praise her for, so he is turning to Nadira for a daughter to praise but I mainly think that he is praising Nadira for her bravery. I think that Nadira should be really happy. I think that this is a step in the right direction for her and her family life.

AMNQ Blog Post #11

"Something silver glints in the corner of my eye. I freeze, turn around, and see it's a stick of gum."
-page 125

I REALLY think Nadira is starting to get REALLY paranoid. I mean, it's great that she is cautious but now it seems like she thinks everyone is out there to get her. Like on page 124, she's freaking out because people can "see the money through her backpack." I think that it's good that Nadira is cautious but she seems to be getting WAY to scared for no reason and that could give her unnecesary stress that she doesn't need in these hard times...

AMNQ Blog Post #10

"Strong lungs, they would say of Abba. Strong lungs give him staying power. He's the one that always lasts."
-Page 114

This sentence caught my eye because it seemed almost a tad bit ominous. I think it may be the part that says "He's the one that always lasts," but I'm not sure. I do think that this says something about Abba and his strength in trying to keep his family together. I don't think he completely succeeded but he seems very strong and he keeps his composure even in hard times. I think that somehow, Abba seems to understand Nadira more than any other person in their family. He gave her the power to swim and somehow, it makes me think that it boosted her self-confidence.

AMNQ Blog Post #9

"This is the first time I've ever done this, but I put my arms around my sister. She feels as if she's all bones, and she's shaking. I don't know what to say. So we sit like that for a long, long time."
-Page 113

This quote caught my eye because it's really strange to me. Have Aisha and Nadira really never given each other a hug before? Even when they were really little? I mean, seriously, what siblings never ever hug each other? I fight with my brother A TON but we still give each other hugs sometimes. I thought that it was pretty mature of Nadira to take a step in the right direction and help Aisha, especially when she's falling apart like this. I think that Aisha is really completely going to lose it soon and Nadira really needs to be there for her or else Aisha could really fall into depression and that could pose some serious problems. I really think this was a step in the right direction and a step towards bringing the sisters closer together.

AMNQ #8 ------>(THIS IS THE ONE TO COMMENT ON!)<------

"After that, something shifts between Aisha and me. It's like she's opened the door and wriggled over to let me into her private little world."
-Page 90

Yes! Finally the two sisters are coming together! I'm so glad because these girls are really starting to work together to solve their problems. Also, I feel like Aisha will really need support later in the chapter from Nadira because her spirits just keep seeming to fall lower and lower and I do NOT want her to give up the fight. I think that it feels like as Aisha is becoming more and more gloomy and depressed, Nadira doesn't really do a lot to help cheer her up. I think that she could try a little harder instead of just sitting on the side and watching, which isn't doing that much help. I also feel like Aisha is starting to open her eyes. I think she's starting to realize that she may not be able to get to college unless they start solving their current problems so she is getting to work right away. I am very glad that the two sisters are starting to work together. What do you guys think? Are the sisters going to keep working smoothly together or is something bad going to happen and is one of them going to explode? Please share your ideas...

AMNQ #7

"Taslima raises her cell phone as if it's some super-bionic zap gun that can make these guys disappear. But they don't disappear."
-Page 82

I found this quote interestesting for a number of reasons. I really think that Taslima is feeling really un-empowered. I think that she is used to getting her way because she is a strong (sometimes a little mule-ish) young woman. I think that she really wants a weapon a little tad bit stronger than a cell phone. I feel really bad for her in this situation because she is really trying to keep bad things from happening but she really wont get far with a cell phone. I also think that Nadira is really wishing that these weird Immigration Agent guys will leave as well, because she seems to get more and more nervous. Overall, this scene seems pretty awkward and uncomfortable for everyone, especially Taslima. O.o

AMNQ # 6

"Aisha and I can't stop laughing, and the sounds widen, making bright circles in the room."
-page 77

I found this sentence to be cheery and delightful, unlike most of the book. It seems like maybe the sisters are starting to agree as they go through this hard time in their lives. This sentence made me think of a water droplet spreading out in ripples of happiness. I really think these two girls needed something to cheer them up and keep them from being too depressed. Turns out, Taslima's funny story was the perfect thing! I loved this sentence best in chapter 9 because it was happy and really made the story have a more cheerful outlook. (*^_^*)

AMNQ # 5 (Sorry it's late)

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

I think that Nadira's whole family feels out of place when they first arrive in America. Like they are noones in a huge new place. Especially Abba since he is in charge of the family. I think he seems like a very proud person and doesn't like hiding but he knows it is for the best of his family. I think that it is best for some reasons and bad for some. It is good because they will have less of a chance of being arrested (oh well for that) and it's bad because it gives their family a pretty low self-esteem, especially for someone so sensitive, like Nadira. I also thought this quote was weird because most parents would want their kids to stand out and be themselves but here is Abba completely going against this. I found this quote was very interesting overall.

Border Crossing: Some commentary from the movie, Wetback, and AMNQ

On the website for the movie, Wetback, it says that 3,000 people embark on this journey every day and less than 300 make it to their final destination.

"We pass a sign: LEAVING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA."
-AMNQ, page 12

I wonder if some of the illegal immigrants aren't aware how dangerous their journey is? They make so many sacrifices and I can just imagine them getting to the U.S. which has one of the hardest borders to cross, and then being caught and sent back hundreds of miles home. That would really stink...majorly.

AMNQ # 4

""What are you taking about Aisha? I whisper hotly. "You and your perfect little scores and your perfect little this and that? Who cares if your valedictorian? You're not going to college! You're not going anywhere!"
Aisha looks as though I socked her in the chest."
-Chapter 6, page 52

Wow! Nadira really stepped out of her shell there! I think it seemed like the emotions about her sister was building up till Aisha started talking about being valedictorian and then Nadira got really fed up and her tolerance was gone! I won't deny that it was a little harsh of her to say this, but after all of the BS Aisha gives her about her weight, I think that Aisha really deserved it! I also think that Nadira realized she hit something when Aisha acted as though she was "socked in the chest." I really think it was good that Nadira proved to Aisha that she can stand up for herself. What do you guys think? Was it really mean and awful of Nadira to insult Aisha? Or was it good, because she is sticking up for herself? Please write a response, I am interested to know what you guys thought...

Addition to AMNQ post # 3

A quote from chapter 5 says that Tareq, one of the newest characters, looks like a tiger.
Here is an excerpt from the book:

"Ma calls him Bagh'a, which means "tiger" in Bangla, because he's got this wide face with narrow eyes and a fearsome temper"
-Page 33, Chapter 5

Tigers have broad faces with wide stripes and slanting eyes. It says in the book, Tareq has a wide face with narrow eyes. In the quote, the narrator also says that Tareq has a fearsome temper. Tigers can be very unpredictable and become angry very fast, just like Tareq. They are also very territorial and solitary. I think that saying Tareq is like tiger is a great simile because they have so many similarities.

AMNQ # 3

"Ma calls him Bagh'a, which means "tiger" in Bangla, because he's got this wide face with narrow eyes and a fearsome temper"
-Page 33, Chapter 5

If this book was a play, I can just imagine the words HERE ENTERS TAREQ really big on the page. He seems like a very fiery character that will come up later in the story. He seems like he is very proud and boisterous with his expensive boots and "souped up car with tinted windows and a major sound system." I think that Nadira is slightly in awe of him and his rebellious attitude because she doesn't seem like she has the guts to act like that. She may gain that later, but for now she is still pretty timid and Tareq is the complete opposite of her. Tareq seems like the type of character that the rest of Nadira's family would whisper about behind his back, like when they said there were rumours of him in a gang. I think that Tareq is an extremely interesting character and I can't wait for him to appear again.

---->DaVaughn made some great pointers in her blog<----

I thought that DaVaughn made some great points in her most recent blog. It is true that people can be ugly on the outside and be the sweetest person on the inside. I also think it was very insensitive of Aisha to call Nadira fat. I think that was very un-supportive of her to say that. Good job DaVaughn for getting all these important points! ^_^

AMNQ # 2

"After she's crawled under the covers, she keeps talking in the dark, rehearsing who she wants to be the next day."
-page 24

This was really interesting because before I read this, I thought that Aisha was super self-c0nfident and knew exactly who she was and wanted to be. After reading this, however, I feel that Aisha might just be smart in book knowledge and not really feel secure about who she really is. In another part of the chapter it says that Aisha wanted to wear the same clothes and talk the same way as the American kids in school. I think that Nadira definately has more personality than Aisha in the sense that she knows who she is, even if she does have a negative view of herself. I think that Aisha may be smart about memorizing like a robot things but doesn't really know he she wants to be.

AMNQ # 1

""We may be one of the poorest countries in the world," she told Abba. "But we are the richest in brains.""

-Aisha on page 3

This phrase really stuck out to me because it seems very true. A lot of extremely smart people come from Bangladesh. Also I thought the phrase was cool because (according to Aisha) people in Bangladesh have a lot of smarts but not as much material wealth which I thought was strange because normally people who are very smart can get jobs that give a lot of money which is what confused me a little about this quote. I thought the quote was witty too because Aisha made it up on the spot and to make up something like that would take most people a ton of time but Aisha is pretty much a genius so she could do that kind of thing.