Upon Arrival - Poem for Tala Abu Rahmeh

"Upon Arrival" is a poem written by Tala Abu Rahmeh and she is the speaker in her poem. She is a Palestinian author, who is living in U.S.A. Tala Abu Rahmeh is in a maze that she can not decide what is better. Is it better to stay in America or to come back to her land, Palestine? In Palestine, every one knows her and even if they do not, people should do. She shakes hands with her family and relatives even if she does not know or like them. Her mother always says "nothing like home" and of course people will come back to there country either today or tomorrow. On the other hand, she wants to scream; she did not use to live in this way. Tala used to wake up at the birds sounds and flowers scenes; not the sound of bombs and blood views. She used to be free with no checkpoints or fear of tanks. The writer used to cry over little things such as the milk has run out. In this poem, there are emotions as love, fear and terrible. She loves her land and she hopes it will be free like America, but she preferred the U.S.A life now. Tala Abu Rahmeh is in a storm between two lives whether to stay there or here. She likes her world in America and she said many times "I'm getting used to having dignity" "I want to scream." Tala loves her land and sure she wants it to be the best Finally, I think if she were to add other lines to the poem she will say:

"But I hoped to pick up the olive trees. I was getting used to my mother’s coffee and pastry."

"I want to scream again:
I hope to get Palestine back and I'm sure, Abu Ata’s milk

Honor

**Uncle Nabeel was talking about many values in the story. He is a prejudiced to his own think and Islam. Uncle Nabeel is a conservative man, who wants to apply the Islam rules in the home without thinking. He is joking and having fun, but he can not be late to punish someone breaks the rules. No one can persuade him or let him back; because he completely believe that he is right. Uncle Nabeel can not forgive someone who made mistakes in the religious issues and he will take his honor.
All of that is appearing in the story of "Honor." He always wanted from Rasheed to take his sister Sawsan to her job and come back for her. When Sawsan had her mistake, the mother and his brother tried to give him solutions to do. He decided that she broke the rules and should be killed. He was thinking of how he can return his honor without discussing the other sides.


**Yasmin and her family where carrying values too, but they were so different than Uncle Nabeel!!
They were democracy, free and peaceful. They can take decision by sharing. They care about the human life even there where a mistake. They can talk more easily and useful. They know the Islam rules and they act with wisdom. The mother was thinking and caring about Sawsan life by writing in journals. The father was worried about what might happen. Yasmine also was terrible about her friend Wafa and her family.


** I guess the author disagree with him. The writer wrote many disadvantages about Uncle Nabeel more than his good beliefs. She might wrote truly what her character is, but I feel that she wrote many bad details about him to let people hate him. He was controller, unfair, complicated, old traditional person and so on. At the end of the story, she didn’t want Sawsan to be killed and I think that this event happened with the writer automatically. She hated the character Nabeel and she didn’t want him to let what he wanted in the story.

** If we want to talk about the issue of killing for honor as Muslims, Christians and all the religions on the world; killing is a crime and the God will punish for that. As Muslims, God says in the holly Quran (ولا تقتلوا النفس التي حرم الله الا بالحق) and that mean, you must not kill people just by the right of doing that. These rights do not include Sawsan situation even is she was adulteress. Wafas family is following the Islam with other rules, but not from the Islam. They make the Islam as a cover to believe their own thoughts. Our God say for example, ولا تقربو الصلاة وانتم سكارى and that means, don’t pray for the god (salat) if you are drunk. Some people take the first part (Don’t pray for God) and they left (when you are drunk. That what happens now days, people take covers to protect their selves. Killing for honor was an old tradition for foolish and uneducated people. We hope people will have more wisdom and to not take religions as masks. I'm not with that sure, because of many reasons and the most important reason is HARAM.

Summary of Santa Claus in Baghdad

List of main events: (Santa Claus in Baghdad)
1- Amal wanted to reward her teacher Mr. Kareem by buying a gift for him and she decided a book.
2- Bilaal loved the character Santa Clause and he always said he is coming.
3- Uncle Omar, who was one from the relatives, was living in America and he always got some important requirements for Baghdad.
4- Bilaal thought that Uncle Omar is Santa Claus and he got toys.
5- Uncle Omar didn’t bring toys with him so Bilaal got sad.
6- Bilaal’s father sold some books to buy his son a toy and to get surprised.
7- Finally, Amal bought the book for Mr. Kareem and it was her father book which he sold it to buy the toy for Bilaal.





Santa Claus in Baghdad


Amal was a small girl from Baghdad. She was an elementary school student, who was sad about her Arabic teacher Mr. Kareem. He would leave the school as many others teachers did. Amal loved him so much and she planed to get him a gift to thank him for his efforts. She told her classmates to share that and they began collecting money. Amal preferred a book for her teacher and the girls agreed with that.
After school, she went to take her brother Bilaal from his school. Bilaal was seven years old; the slightest thing might throw him into a tizzy. Bilaal’s teacher was showing the class" Santa Claus" movie many times and that for the less quantity of requirement there in Baghdad. Bilaal was amazed by Santa Claus and he thought that Uncle Omar was him. Uncle Omar was a relative person to the family and he was living in America. He would bring many requirements and medicine that they need in Baghdad. Bilaal heard about Uncle Omar and he thought that he was Santa Claus; he would bring toys with him and he was always saying" he is coming." Finally, Uncle Omar reached Baghdad and Amals family was waiting for him and they were so happy. He opened the bags and he began picking some medicine and vitamins that they need. Bilaal asked him about his toy, the red car which he wished, but he didn’t bring any toys with him. Bilaal felt so sad and he began crying; Uncle Omar got impressed. On the next day, Amal heard a low voice between her parents. The father wanted to sell some books to buy a car for his son Bilaal, because he didn’t have money. Amals mother was telling him that those books were so important for his father. In the Evening, Bilaal’s father gave him a car and he told him that it's from Uncle Omar, Santa Claus. Bilaal felt so happy and Amal too.

After setting with Uncle Omar, Amal should begin searching for the best book for her teacher. She went to the book shops and she began searching for a good gift, a good book that Mr. Kareem will feel happy when he read. She went to many bookshops and she was searching. She was worried and she didn’t know what to buy for him, about Shakespeare or poems by Robert frost, especially that Mr. Kareem knew English well as Arabic. Finally, she found the book; very beautiful book with golden frames for Abu-Nawas poems. The book was expensive, more than what she had collected from the girls. After long discution, she took the book with the good price and she gave it to Mr. Kareem. Mr. Kareem was surprised and began with thanking. He liked the book very much, but he noticed something strange. The book was signed by his great teacher who taught him. Amals father was the teacher and the book was that book, which her father sold it for her brother toy!!!

My Favorite Story

I liked the second story which called Number One Son, because it was interesting. I liked the main character which was Ming, the young boy who was thinking about his future after his father death. He was worried about his life, but on the other hand he cares about his family. Ming was thinking in a normal way that any one can think, did his father loved him so Ming will take his place?! Actually, at the first of the story, I thought as Ming that his father didn’t like him and he was cruel, but at the end that was wrong and he was good with him. Ming decided to be the head of the family and that was the right one.

Incident in a Rose Garden

Responding to Reading

First Impressions of "Incident in a Rose Garden"


1- The poem of "Annabel lee" was talking about the theme of the death of a beautiful woman. The narrator was in love with her and he retains his love for her even after her death. Actually, the poem of "Incident in a Rose garden" has another feeling and impressions for me. This poem is talking about the death that it is unaccepted. It let me think about other ideas and to know that life is like the stage; with one entire and one exit. We have to live happy without any thing makes us sad, because you don’t know when death is coming.


Second Thoughts on "Incident in a Rose Garden"

2- The misunderstanding in the poem was when the boss was thinking that death will came to the old man. The gardener also thought that death will come to him, because he was old and it was strange to come for the young boss. The young boss didn’t even think 1% that death is coming for him, while he was talking with him.

I think that the author put this misunderstanding to let the reader think about it. To get shocked and surprised when they know that death came for the young master.

3- The Gardner was sure that the death will come to him after he saw him in the garden. He didn’t know that he could ask him, because he was afraid from death.

The master didn’t think about death and he was sure that it will come to the old man. The young master has other aims in his mind and he couldn’t think about death.

4- These techniques made the poem more interesting for me. I imagined the poem was really happened. The end was so nice, because the reader also didn't know that the death came to the master at the end.

Comparing the Poems

5- The death image in "Annabel lee" was the dead woman and how the narrator cares about her. The death image in the other poem was the scary man with scythe and skull head.

6- I liked the Rose garden poem, because the death ideas were so interesting more than that poem. The idea that death is unaccepted was so nice especially hoe the author wrote it in the poem.

Broader Connections
7- Some people got shocked and they may stop talking or moving for ever and some of them cry so much and they wear black clothes. Some people don’t care so much and they look for the happy life. These reactions are different from person to person, because it stands for the person him or her self. Also it stands for the dead person if he or she is a wife, husband, mother, father and so on. Death is coming for all people, children, young and old people. Some people die, because of their sick body or they are bad people. Sure there are more reasons for death.
Literary concepts: Rhyme and Rhythm- Personification

The first stanza
It was many and many a year ago,In a kingdom by the sea,That a maiden there lived whom you may knowBy the name of ANNABEL LEE;And this maiden she lived with no other thoughtThan to love and be loved by me.

The last stanza
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreamsOf the beautiful Annabel Lee;And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyesOf the beautiful Annabel Lee;And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the sideOf my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,In the sepulchre there by the sea,In her tomb by the sounding sea.

I think that the poem has the rhyme with same sound and also it has a musical rhythm. The six stanzas have also the rhyme and the regular musical rhythm.

Websites for Poetry

Three websites for poetry:
1- www.buzzle.com
2- www.sparknotes.com
3- www.wikipedia.com

Three reasons for choosing them:
1- Simple writings and words to understand
2- The owners of the sites are experts and success.
3- The style of the sites seems good and comfortable.
(I believe in the site style and décor, because you must feel relax while you are reading and exploring.)

The site I loved:
www.buzzle.com
Because, it’s a literary site in general and includes experts opinions and writings. Also it includes the reader different opinions and suggestion and they are not weak.

Primal Screen

Responding to Reading

First Impressions:

1- It's really a good statement; it attracted the reader to think about it. The words (just once) were the best for me, because I felt that the writer said to people (please, try just one time to break this rule to care about the real family life). In general, I loved the statement which talked about making a show about real-life family and to kick the habit of watching TV.

Second Thoughts:
2- Well, Mrs. Good man didn’t say that we have to stop watching TV and kick it out from the window. We can watch it but not as the primal thing in the world. I'm watching TV for sure as every one, but I'm watching it as Mrs. Good man said. I'm not creating from watching TV something important, for example: I don’t stop praying at time, because I'm watching a TV series. Good man essay was right and it had an important point, but maybe it didn’t affect me too much, because I'm doing that.

3- The argument which talks about (TV causes fights and it become a strong contender). This is happened in our real life; fights and problems all the day. In Palestine as an example, contains so many of fights and divorce cases, because of television series. I think that money doesn’t become an important thing as the TV is.

4- I guess that this presents the writer opinion. The TV becomes the most popular and important thing in life. The primal screen means the first screen or the main screen. Children, markets, jobs, praying are not primal screen; just the TV is.


Literary Concept: Newspaper Column:

a) The Gallup poll, Roper poll examples and researches. This sure information help the reader to believe more in what written, also to develop and to support the idea.

b) (The striking thing in all this researches about how we feel…….let it happen). This idea lets the reader to think about it. The writer is trying to tell us that we are not acting well; we know the TV problems, but we are watching.

Vocabulary Practice:
1- How to invest your many wisely
2- Exploring communication