People- the blog everyone have started commenting on is the one we did in class about the movie. this is the one everyone needs to comment on. sorry about the confusion. (very sheepish expression)

"We didn't know. The most important thing, Abba said, is not to stick out. Don't let them see you."
I think that this- this philosophy of life, built on silence, is going to be prevalent throughout the book. Prevalent throughout the book being code for "major-problem-that-will-nearly-make-the-book-end-in-tradgedy". I think that the dramatic climax of the book will be centered around how they sort of break out of the silence rut. Rather then trying to blend in with the crowd, they will finally let themselves be seen for who, and what they are. How will that play out? Or, do people think I am totally off the mark?

Postiete Numeriete Siete

The borders did not look how i always sort of...imagined them. You sort of expect all the pretty colors and neat dotted lines you see on the maps in class. Of course, it would look even more odd then the border actually does if the border actually was a dotted pink line. Anyhoo, they were a lot simpler then i'd though. Just chain link fences. Not even that high. No security agents in black tuxedos with earpeices and bazooka's, or sleek helicopters every 5 feet. Just tall fences. When Nadira, Abba, Ma, and Aisha tried to cross the Canadian border, it was fairly anti climactic. No sneaking under moats in the dead of night or car chases. They tried, and failed, and after hours of waiting, Abba was arrested.

Posteis Numereis Seis

"This house is being run by women," he grumbles in that sour mouth way of his. "Daughters are not daughters, and wives don't act like wives." -Uncle

Uncle seems like a pessimistic traditionalist to me. Jeezum- not a good combination. He just doesn't seem to get that the place he is in now is different. Gender equality for a start. Young people with power. His family is changing, shifting. People who were in the backround before are now finally starting to press forward. I think that this book is going to be all about people who never did anything before, who were content to sit in the back and let everyone else be the heroes As i said earlier, i think this book will be all about those people getting out their capes and tights and saving all the people who said they couldn't do anything.

Posto Numero Cinco

A lot of the names of the clothes Nadira and her family wear are completely unfamiliar to me, and it's hard to get an image in my head of people because i have no idea what they look like. And i figured that i would alleviate both my confusion and everyone else's in one go.
So here is what a salwar kameez looks like. And this here is a kurta.

Posto Numero Quatro

"We all agree not to notice"
This quote is a part of this raging conflict i really didn't get a feel for until i read chapter 5. Some people, like Uncle, Auntie and Abba, have one mantra- never tell anyone anything. Keep it quiet. Blend in. And then, completely on the other side of the scale, you have Nadira's cousin, who is part of a radically different group with a whole new view on how to deal with being an illegal immigrant. Their mantra isn't silence,it's the direct contradiction. Blow it out of the water. Shout it from the rooftops. We are here. You can't ignore us. We're humans too- humans with families and stories and dreams. So you've got half of the people trying to hide, and half hoisting signs into the air. Now that won't be problematic at all....

Postes Numeres Tres

"What that really means is I'm supposed to do whatever she says, and she gets all the credit."- Nadira, chapter four, p.28, ask me no questions by Marina Budhos

I think that Aisha is really letting this get to her head and that she has decided to be all cocky about it. I mean she is really treating Nadira really badly. I know that if I had someone treating me like that I would probably be really mad at them and I would have done the same thing that Nadira did. I would have said no. I mean who wants to be bossed around after having your father taken away and put in detention and while your mother is in a church somewhere waiting for your father to be released? I don't. I think that Aisha really isn't thinking about how Nadira feels about this and she really should stop and think about it, because they are going to get in many more fights if she doesn't.

I like what Lyndsay notices here. There's so much potential for Nadira to get overlooked, it's important to notice her. In the whole hustle and bustle of things, she is forgotten. Her father is being detained because he tried to get them to Canada. Her mother is staying behind to be near him so she can try to get him free. Aisha is going back so she can get into a University, and holding down the home fort. And Nadira's job, as usual, is just to follow Aisha.

Postos Numeros Dos

"Abba lets a slow, crooked smile spread across his face. ""You'll drive,"."
I really just love Abba. Despite the emnity between Aisha and Nadira, both of them still care about him very much. He is depicted as this man who is full of dreams, who wants the best for his daughters and to see them happy, and who appreciates an honest days work. To me he just seems like the sort that will stubbornly just keep going and going, no matter what. His biggest dream is to be a respected and legal member of a community, and to see his family happy. I respect that.