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!!!