Lipstick Jihad

After our class on Thursday I found it very interesting how many people hated this book, and I really wasn't expecting such a strong reaction from people. Maybe I just have a different view on books or haven't studied memoirs as much, but I honestly didn't think that this book was as bad as most people made it out to be. I actually enjoyed the book with its flaws and all. I thought that because the book did have some problems that it actually made it more credible in a way. It made it seem more like someone telling a story about what they went through instead of being formal and writing this book like they were trying to tell the story perfectly. The way this book was written made it seem more like a citizen going through these situation and getting the truth from her instead of her maybe "sugar coating" it a little bit. I know that people didn't like that about the book, but I thought it made it seem more real even if it did take away from the quality of writing. I understand that the writing is the most important part, but some people would rather have their story heard for people to hear than worry about making sure that their writing is 100% perfect. I know that some people would disagree with me, but I do think that there is a better sense of reality in this book because it wasn't written perfectly. I agree that there were some things that were confusing in the book and she jumped around but sometimes people have to look past those types of flaws and realize what she was trying to get across in the book. I think she simply wanted to get her points across and get her stories out there. I know that for some not having this story be perfect takes away from the book, but for me I liked it. Sometimes people, and even myself, only look at the quality of a book instead of the stories and what is happening in the book and focus too much on the perfection of the writing. I like that she got her story out there and that she wasn't afraid to tell her story and let out her fears and everything, and many people would have a hard time doing that.

One of the most interesting things from this semester for me was having our Postcolonial Literature class at the same time that I was taking Images of the West in Arabic Culture class. It was very interesting to hear the opinions of everyone from one class and then compare it to what we were talking about in the other. It was actually surprising to see how the opinions and knowledge differed from one class to the other. It was also very interesting to compare the books that we had read for our class to the ones of my Arabic culture class. One of the most interesting comparisons I found was between the women characters in the books I have read from both classes. In my Arabic culture class we read the book Chicago which was about various different Arabic people living in Chicago and the identity problems and culture differences they were having a problem with. Each of the characters found themselves questioning their lives and wondering how they were supposed to fit into the American culture. That was definitely a topic of the book Lipstick Jehad. Moaveni had a hard time figuring out exactly what she believed in and what culture she felt she belonged to the most. Even though I read many different books in each class this same theme showed up in many of them. Arabs often times find it difficult to find where they belong when coming to America and trying to figure out our culture. It is interesting to see how different characters in the book deal with this issue. It is also interesting to see the stereotypes that are put on these characters and how they overcome the struggles here in America.

I loved going from class to class and seeing how the opinions and knowledge of the Middle East changed based on the class. In my Arabic culture class most people knew nothing about Arabic culture and had many stereotypes that they only seemed to get from movies and TV. It was kind of sad at first to find that people only really had a negative connotation of Arabs. Before taking these classes I didn't know too much about their culture, but I knew that many of the things that we see on TV are not exactly what goes on in the Middle East and many times the media puts a different spin on Arab culture. In comparison to our Postcolonial Literature class it was nice that people seemed to want to learn about the culture instead of thinking that what we all saw on television was true. It was nice to be able to learn about the culture in one class, and then come to our class and discuss deeper issues than what is on the surface. That is one of the most interesting things about our class was that the conversation was deeper and not only about learning the basics but having conversation about politics, culture, and the various books I learned more than I have my entire life watching TV or movies about the Middle East.

Lipstick Jihad

I have to admit that when I picked this book I wasn't quite sure what it was going to be about. I knew that it was about Iran but the title sort of threw me off. I don't know if it was because they used the word "lipstick" in the title but I thought that for some reason this was going to be a book about a love story and a tale of the good things instead of the negative. However, as I read further and further into the book I realized that my positive outlook about what the book was going to be about drastically changed. I began to realize that this book was about a struggle for someone who didn't feel as though they fit in, in both America or in Iran. I never quite realized just how difficult it was for someone from Iran to come to America and really try to fit in, and the problems they would face when they moved back to their own country. It was good to see Moaveni try to ignore the fact that there were so many cultural differences between Iran and America and I liked that she did try to fit into America just as everyone else. I didn't realize sometimes how hard people like Moaveni try to fit into our culture and not stick out. It was strange to see how hard she tried to hold onto her countries traditions behind closed doors, but wherever an American might see her she would act just like everyone else. I didn't realize either how hard it must be for someone to truly know where they belong or where they fit and even if they try hard to fit into American culture, Americans do not see Iranian's like we see every other American.

This book also shed quite a light on the condition of Tehran during this time. We got a good sense of what was happening last week when we read Persepolis, but this book helped show even more of what is going on in Iran. I feel that Moaveni really wanted to show her readers what goes on in Tehran and the struggles that her and her people go through everyday. I think it would be hard for many of the people living in Iran to not live with fear everyday and even the hope that they will one day be able to leave their country and find peace. I know for many the idea of leaving their culture and the things they know is scary, but for many it is the only hope they have for feeling safe and being able to have a positive future. This was another book that simply opened my eyes to the notion that there are people out there who just want to live a normal life and not live in fear that any day something could happen to them our their loved ones. It is hard for some people to understand the identity issues as well. For those who come to America, including Moaveny, many have a hard time finding their identity and truly figuring out where they belong and what they are supposed to do in many situations. This would be hard for anyone, but when the option is either not being accepted in America, or living in fear that you will be killed each day, most would pick living in America. It is hard for me to completely understand, but from what I have learned through the books we have read this semester it seems as though things need to get much better in terms of equality than what they are right now.

This is the second time that I have read Persepolis and I think it was very interesting reading it the second time as opposed to the first, simply because of the knowledge that I have obtained from this class. The first time I read it was in my Adolescent Literature class a year ago, and although we only focused on the literature standpoint and what teens reading this book would think, it was interesting to go through it again looking at it from the view of someone in that country and the things they go through not just what teens reading the book in America would think. In my Adolescent Literature class, we went through some essays that students wrote about this book and many of them included the surprise that Marjane had to wear the veil all the time and they were not up-to-date on all of the wars that were going on in the Middle East. And I think this could even hold true for many adults who have read this book who may not know anything about Middle Eastern culture or what goes on. The teens also said that this book was interesting because Marjane wanted to go against her parents and that the book seemed to portray her going through bad times once she got out of her country when the students thought that things would get better for her and she would have a better life. Many of them admitted that they thought she would be better off in a Westernized society as opposed to her own, but most said they wanted her to go back, even though she may feel oppressed, but it seemed that she was a better person when she was there. I found all of this very interesting in comparison to the things we have said in class about other cultures and people not fully understanding or maybe not wanting to understand the cultures and society of people in the Middle East. This was definitely a book that would be useful in teaching and allowing students to get an idea of what goes on in the Middle East.

I have always loved this book from the first time I read it. This was probably one of the first times that I ever read anything about someone from Iran and got to see the culture in a different way than what American culture seems to show. I found it very interesting and even intimidating when I realized that I may have the wrong idea about people of the Middle East and that I knew hardly anything about the way these people live and the customs they have. I found myself almost wanting Marjane to go back to Iran myself after seeing what happened to her when she was "Westernized". For Americans, seeing someone change their appearance and do things that are negative such as smoke, this may give us the idea that she is a bad child or that she needs to have some supervision and that she doesn't know how to act. But when you compare that with the things she went through and did in her own country it may not seem like such a bad thing. It is hard for Americans to put another culture and what these people go through everyday into perspective. We do not want to believe that there are places where war goes on all the time and people are oppressed simply because they are a women or believe in certain things. Books like this can help people understand and compare someone who lived in both Iran and in the Western society. I love this book and I think it is a great tool to help show students, and even adults what is going on in the world around them that they may not know.

There were many things in the chapter "The Eternal Forough: The Voice of our Earthly Rebellion" that I had a hard time agreeing with or even seeing as a valid argument. However, the author definitely made you think that maybe these ideas are reasonable. By the end of it I was almost questioning some of the things that I thought, but it really didn't change my opinion too much. The article was very well written and it was easy to read and understand. I thought her points were supported very well which is why often times I found myself almost questioning what I thought about the topics. I had a hard time trying to make sense of what the author was trying to get across and where they were getting all of their information from, and wondered from what perspective this was being written.

One of the biggest parts of the chapter that I had a problem with was when it walked about women and the opportunities they have in their countries and even the simply idea of thinking. In America as women we most times find it very easy to think what we want and even give our own opinions without being looked down on for that. In the article however it seemed as though the author was saying that because women do not have the chance or opportunity to think for themselves that they are "less intelligent". This was a very hard concept for me to think about. Many times we do not associate intelligence with the opportunity to think. Leaders of a country can definitely not control what someone thinks in their own mind, only harness what is said after. I do not think that because these countries do not allow women to speak their minds or only teach them the things that the society says are appropriate that they are not as intelligent as others. People have to realize that just because someone does not verbally explain what they are thinking or what they know, doesn't mean that they don't know it or have a valid opinion on the topics. I think people assume too much that the only people who are intelligent are those that make it known and verbalize what they know. I know that at least for me, I do not verbalize what I think in class very often, but that doesn't mean that I don't understand what is going on or have ideas of my own, I am just not a very outgoing person when it comes to being in class. I think that women in other countries who have their voice taken away from them do know a lot more than people give them credit for and people need to understand that.

When we were told to watch Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations I was so excited!! I absolutely love that show and couldn't wait to see how this was going to tie into our discussions and teach us about the Saudi Arabian culture. First, I was really impressed that he even chose to go there, I wasn't sure if that was because of things I have heard in the past or if that was really the truth of this culture. If I were him I would have been nervous going into the country knowing what I do about Saudi Arabia and how those who are not Muslim are viewed. I wasn't sure at first how welcoming and open people would be to talk about their culture, or even their food for that matter. Obviously, the food is available at restaurants and such but I didn't know if he would be able to get people to tell him about the types of food that the citizens of Saudi Arabia make and not necessarily only what is served in restaurants. We all know that food is often times different in a home than what a restaurant serves which always seems to be more of what the culture deems as it's food. It was nice to see this and get a feel for what the people of this country truly eat.

It was also surprising to me that a women would have been allowed to walk around with Anthony and that others wouldn't view that as a bad thing, especially for someone who is married. It doesn't seem like women have many freedoms especially walking around with a man who isn't her husband and talking about their culture. I would think that those seeing this would have a problem with it and that questions about it would probably arise. I think it was nice though that we could get the perspective of a women and not necessarily always from a man's point of view in Saudi. It isn't too often that people are able to hear what women think and their views on things and I think Anthony did a good job of showing what this culture is about not only with the food but with thoughts and beliefs as well. It was good to watch a show that didn't talk about all the negativity about women and the culture of Saudi Arabia, but a show where people were having a good time and enjoying each other's company without the stresses and problems that arise for people there, especially women. It gave me a totally new perspective on what the people not only eat, but their culture as well. Seeing all the food made me want to go there as well because it all looked so delicious!!!!

I loved the book, The Bastard of Istanbul, I think it helped to portray exactly what people need to know about the history and people of Turkey. Before this class I honestly knew nothing about the Armenian genocide or anything that it entailed or what it was about. After reading some people's blog and then reading this book I have a very good idea what it is about and also the feeling and emotions that people who live in Turkey and also those who live in America think about it. At first, I would have thought that the Turks probably view the genocide the same way that some people feel about those in Germany as something that happened in their history that they can't really get away from as hard as it is to face. This is not true for Turkey, as most deny that this even happened. It is hard for me to understand how someone can deny that something happened in their history. Of course, not everything that has happened in America has been perfect, but that doesn't mean that people can deny what has happened in the past. I know that in a lot of cultures certain books that have been viewed as too harsh in showing the history of the country have been banned. Maybe it's just because I don't have any ties to Turkey or its history but I don't think that this book portrayed Turkey in a light that people should be angry with. Shafak understands the problems that people have with this history and gives a good depiction of how some people try to get away from the history and others understand that they cannot run away from it.

I think that because Shafak showed people's views of the genocide from not only people in Turkey but also Armenians that are living throughout the world as well. This book teaches how being an Armenian in Turkey is different than being an Armenian in America and how the people in these different countries view the genocide. I think it is smart of Shafak to show the views from people living in different ways and not just various people living in Turkey, it shows readers that Armenian people have very different opinions and live their lives accordingly. Those who are living in America have to learn how to act in America while those living in Turkey must live close to the history and what happened in the past. Near the middle of the book I did find it hard to follow all of the different names and keeping the characters seperate. I thought it was funny that the girls never thought that they had to learn what others had to teach them because they thought they knew everything they needed to already. However, when it came to teaching someone something they always thought they knew what was best for everyone. I think this was an amazing book and taught me so many things that I didn't know before. I think it was beautifully written and I find it sad that people Armenians had a problem with this book because I don't think it depicts them too terribly but teaches people what went on and the feelings that people have.

It was very interesting reading Lauren's blog about her grandmother. It is nice to hear the view of someone who is so close to the events and has to live with the idea of the genocide. I also think it is cool that they went on a cruise to meet with other Armenians and that it seems like it was a positive experience for them since they had left and no longer lived there. I learned a lot about the genocide that happened from reading Lauren's blog and most of it was information that I didn't know. I didn't realize that only some people concider it a genocide and I guess I don't understand why someone wouldn't consier it as such when 1.5 million people died for no reason other than the fact that they were Armenian. I guess I don't understand how someone couldn't consider it as a genocide when innocent people died just because of their decent. It was good to hear that her grandmother and great grandmother got out of the country before this happened. I also didn't know that they had to have a cross on them in the form of a tattoo just to show that they are Christian. This would definitely scare me because it is a target on them for saying that they have this specific religion when the others are Muslim. All of this information was very interesting and I learned a lot of things I didn't know. It always helps put things into perspective when you can hear the stories of someone who actual went through these thigns in their life. It really helps make it seem real when someone can give you such specific details about what they have to go through because of the genocide.

I chose to write about the topic of Milan Kundera for the Turkish Literature group. He was born in 1929 in Czechoslovakia but ended up living in exile in France for most of his life. Milan is a writer that not only writes in Czech but in French as well. Until 1989 the book of Kundera were banned to be read in Czechoslovakia because of their Communist government, but after the Velvet Revolution the books were allowed to be bought and read again. He was born to a middle class family and not only loved to write but learned how to play the piano from his father. He would later to go on to study musicology and musical composition from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. When he was a teenager he became a part of the Communist Party however he wanted to reform Czechoslovakian communism. Even though he went to many schools and got a good education he was still very committed to the communist party and doing things for that as well.

Many of his earlier works were strictly written about communism. Although he wanted to be considered as a novelist many people had a hard time considering him and such as only saw him as a political writer. As time went on however the considerable amount of political talk started to diminish from his writings. One of the most interesting facts that I found, was that his writing influenced the future thoughts and philosophy of Nietzsche. The first novel he wrote called The Joke was banned and people in Czechoslovakia were not allowed to purchase or read the book. He criticized the Soviet invasion and the start of Communism there which caused for this book to be banned. His second book was written in France called The Book of Laughter and Forgetting. This was a story of different people and their opposition to Communism. Much of the writing includes his thought and what was going on while he was in exile.

Much of his writing is about immortality and characters that he makes up and always seems to be concerned with the physical appearences of the characters. He believes that the connection between what he writes and the imagination of the readers is closely related. He wants his writings to be thought of deeply and wants the readers own imagination to help mold the stories that he writes. He was also known to not only write one novel at a time but start many so that he could develop his ideas as he wrote on other novels. This would help him not only have one idea for a book but vary what his thoughts were. I think that this is a good idea and would help a writer who wanted to overlap and get all of his opinions and ideas into all of his books. He sounds like he knew what he believed in and he stuck to that and didn't let others change his opinions. From the sounds of his books it seems as though it was about people that a reader could relate to and truly understand.

While preparing for our presentation today I learned things that were scary and interesting all the same time. I knew some of the basic facts of Israel and what their religion entails. What I never realized was just how much Israel has gone through in history. Israel is one of the earliest countries and areas that anyone populated which makes the history just amazing. I also did not realize just what the Israeli's were fighting for and why the fighting had gone on for so long. It was also very interesting when I started looking through pictures of Israel and specifically Jerusalem. I have seen pictures of things such as the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock but never really delved into what they stood for or even what group of people used them. I knew that the Western Wall was for the Jews to pray, but I didn't realize just how long it's been there and all of the history that is behind it. I also did not realize that the Dome of the Rock was based for Muslims, I know don't laugh! It was very hard to find a picture of Jerusalem with the picture of the Dome in it which I thought was very interesting.

The part that shocked me the most was when I searched Google Images for pictures of the military. I found some good pictures of the soldiers and what they wore and carried with them. What was interesting was when I typed in "Israeli military and civilians". Honestly, I was slightly taken aback at first. I didn't realize that pictures of children in body bags and people shot on the roads would come up. I always thought, and what we have talked about in class, was how we seem to be so sheltered in America from any of the real problems that are going on anywhere else. This seemed to show me though that we may not be as far off as we think. Pictures of the gruesome truths and what these people go through is a second away on the computer, and if people want to find this it is so easy. It shocked me that this was what came up and I guess it's a good thing because people do have access to learning about the real problems and what these people must go through on a daily basis.

Beaufort

This movie is one that I thought helped me better understand what Israeli military go through. It is hard for me to say how much different this is than what American armies go through, but I would assume that many of the feelings and fear are similar. Basically the only characters in this movie are those in the bunker and we never really see any enemy around them. It is focused solely on what the lives for these soldiers in this bunker are going through. An interesting fact is that the director, Joseph Cedar, was once in the same IDF group as these young men. Once I found this out it helped to validate that what we were seeing with these men and the fears they had were real and honestly what people went through in this situation. Once of the most interesting aspects of the movie was how these men seemed as though they were prisoners within the walls of the Beaufort castle. It didn't seem as though they had any control of situation, even what went on within these walls. It seemed to me that these men never thought that the war was going to end, and even if it did, they wouldn't realize it because we got the illusion that they were trapped inside these walls. They were constantly afraid that the enemy was going to attack and we always saw the men going through the hallways, never without their army gear and never without fear that a shot would be fired and the war would continue. After watching the movie, and finding out that the director himself had gone through in the war himself, I wanted to see if the actors had gone through war as well, and what basis this story had in terms of reality.

I found that many of the actors had not actually been in combat, and many people had problems with that because they would not accurately be able to portray what happens in war. The director, "Cedar commented that the actors had to spend a month at an actual outpost preparing for their roles" and becoming acquainted with how these soldiers had to live. This may seem crazy to us because actors in America are seen as rich people who have everything handed to them and live a glorified life. It seemed strange to me that people in Israel would expect an actor in a movie to have actual been in war, because in America this generally would not happen. One of the biggest things that I found frustrating was the fact that we never really got any idea from the enemy as to what was going on. Obviously, the men in the bunker were going to be scared and afraid that an attack would happen, but we never quite figure out what is going to happen or how everything is going to be carried out. It would have been nice to see both sides to the war, but still focusing mainly on what the Israeli side was going through. In all I thought this was a good movie and enjoyed learning about what soldiers go through in times like these. I think it was a good portrayal of a soldiers life and their fear for war.

After reading A Lake Beyond the Wind, I started thinking about how much is out there on TV, the internet, newspaper, etc. that truly gives accurate information about what is really going on between Palestine and Israel. I found some interesting sites, some with little information, some that tried to only show the history between these two cultures, and some that put all of the information out there. I first wanted to know what the exact history was between these two countries and what reasons both sides gave for why the conflict was even taking place. When Judea, the home for the Jews, was overtaken it was named Palestine and was later taken over by an Arab population. However, hundreds of years later the Jews wanted to reclaim some of the land and invaded the Palestinian land that was lived on by the Arabs. This is initially what caused the conflict. To most, it seems as though the Israelis and Jews are the ones to blame for the conflict because they started to take land that wasn't theirs. I know that I don't know all of the issues or information, but from everything I read this is what it appears to be. Most websites show the Palestinian people as the "good guys" who have the right to their land and that the Jews need to find other places to go instead of stealing other people's land. The website, http://www.mideastweb.org/nutshell.htm, gives a clear outline to the history, but definitely puts a Palestinian twist on the conflict and has topics such as "Palestinian Terror" and "Israeli Repression". From this it is easy to see that many think that what the Israelis are doing is wrong and that the Palestinian people do not deserve to live this way and should be able to return to their homes.

Another website that I found interesting was one for kids, http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/palestinianisraeliconflict1.htm. This site basically just shows the history from a very unbiased opinion. The website is full of maps that show what land was who's and when. However, it never truly gets into the harsh side of the conflict and chooses not to choose sides. At the end of the website is really the only time that the kids might get an opinion of someone else when it says, "The United Nations called on Israel to give back the territory it had seized, but the calls fell on deaf ears. Israel controls this territory to this day." It seems as though this site also thinks that the Palestinians are being treated the wrong way, but it never really comes right out and says that. I think it is interesting that there is virtually nothing on this site that would tell kids that there is a real problem and conflict happening in Palestine. It never talks about the people who are being killed, suicide bombing, or that there are people living in terrible conditions. I understand that some parents do not want their children to see pictures of people dead or bleeding or to talk about the specifics of war, but I also think that it is wrong to just let kids go on assuming that there is only a little problem happening and that people are happy and living good lives. It does not give anything but a history lesson and doesn't give the kids any indication that lives are being taken and that people have to live everyday in fear. I think this shows us how much we try to protect people, and kids, in this country from seeing what is truly going on. I am not saying we have to show a ten year old everything, but at least give them somewhat of an idea so that when they grow up they aren't totally shocked by what they may see in real life. This just goes to show that we do try to hide what people see, where we should be putting everything out there and having people choose what they show their kids and let people have their own opinions on the conflict.

I am reading the book, A Lake Beyond the Wind for my Palestinian book, and although it is interesting it is quite difficult to follow. I have a hard time remember which narrator is which as it jumps from story to story. It is hard at times to realize who is speaking, especially when the culture is so unfamiliar and it mostly new ideas that I am reading about.

The book does open with a very eerie feeling and lets the reader know that something major is going to be happening. You can tell that things are unsettled and there is going to be a conflict early on. The reader knows that good things will probably not be coming for the characters and from that point I knew that I was going to learn things about Palestine that I didn't know and had never seen before. It made me excited to keep reading, but also nervous because I wondered what kinds of things I was going to be exposed to that I had not known before. Although I enjoy reading about different cultures and the situations that are actually going on, I have to admit that it is scary to think that all these terrible things are going on in the world. I knew bad things happened, but when you see just how much it makes me uneasy about even my own safety.

The vest is the story is definitely a symbol for these people in the story. To many I think this is to show comfort and stability that they are trying to achieve. I also think that the vest is showing power that these people want over their own lives and their need and want to live in a country where the only worries they have are normal everyday troubles. I think the vest is used as a safety net for many and shows that some people think that with this that nothing is going to happen to them. Obviously, some characters have different feelings about the vest and see this as a need and want for peace and not as only the protection they seek. I think this is a good book, and the vest symbolizes and puts into perspective all of the things that people want in their lives, peace, hope, and safety. This is something that everyone is this country wants to achieve, and I think put was written to show what people want, but how difficult it is for them to attain it. Books such as this may be something that people need in order to realize what is going on and that maybe they should end what they are doing because innocent people are being affected everyday and that this fight is not necessary and peace should be found.

As I was looking up reviews on the movie Paradise Now, I found the controversy about this movie very interesting. While I was watching it, I never got the idea that this wasn't supposed to be a movie really about anything other than Palestine and what goes on there. However, after reading the controversy, many of the Israeli officials were angry that this was going to be called a Palestinian film. The American Academy Awards had quite the issue and there was much arguments from both Palestine and those in Israel. People in Palestine wanted this movie to show to others what goes on in their lives and I think that this is what the movie portrayed. After reading everything about this it just seems as though Israel and Palestine will find anything they possible can to argue about and that this should be something that is trivial compared to the things that are going on in their countries and the people that are being killed. Although I do think that it should be a Palestine film the Israeli writer Irit Linor wrote, "according to internationally accepted conventions, the nationality of a film is usually determined by the country that invested in it - and that while the film was categorized by the Academy as representing Palestine, it was produced with European funds, by an Israeli-Arab director." I suppose if you are going by those standards then this would almost have to be an Israeli film. Although I would think that this would make the film much less credible. This could simply be a way that an Israeli sees Palestine and not actually true facts or what really happens in Palestine. It is hard to tell exactly what this movie should be considered as, and after reading all of that it made me question if what happened in the movie was really something that I should take to heart as a part of the Palestinian culture, and to some extent I should, but how much is actually the truth and how much is the opinion of the Israeli director?
Paradise Now was an amazing movie and taught me so much about different parts of that culture. It is hard for me to put into perspective what the people go through in their daily lives, and what would actually bring them to watch to commit suicide while killing many others. I have always hate a weak stomach when it comes to war movies and that kind of thing, but the thought that there would be a movie about someone actually strapping a bomb to them is crazy to me. Of course, we have movies here about war and killing but for some reason when it comes to actually using yourself as the weapon is a crazy concept to me. Being in America we don't see movies made about things like that, I think because of the fear we have that something like this could happen over here. We don't want to bring those kinds of actions into any part of our culture, even in a fictional movie because that kind of thing does happen in other parts of the world. We only seem to portray people from Palestine and Israel in certain ways and then just try to ignore it as much as we can. This is why for me, watching a movie like this really sheds a new light on the things that happen in Palestine. I think that more Americans should watch films like this because it may help them understand what is really going on there and have a better grasp on the way these people lives and be thankful for the things that we don't have to deal with day to day.

Baghdad Diaries

I am in the group that is reading the book the Baghdad Diaries this week for class. I have not finished the entire book, but from what I have read already I am so impressed with al-Radi. She has to be one of the strongest people I have ever heard of. I know that there must be so many others stories like the ones she tells in her book, and it makes me realize just how much the people in Iraq and specifically Baghdad go through on a daily basis. It is hard for me to understand and picture what living in the middle of a war zone would be like, and I know that the pictures that are shown on the news and in the media is nothing compared to what actually goes on. Parts of the book actually put me to tears because I know that if it were me going through the events in this book that I don't think I would be strong enough to get through it. I know that survival is one of the strongest feelings a person can have and I know that I would do what I could to survive but I don't know how someone can stay sane and even happy at times in times and situations like that. I can't imagine what it must feel like to lay in your bed at night and hear bombs going off all around you and constantly wondering if your house was next. I think she does go about dealing with these issues in the right way however.
Even though it probably one of the hardest things to do I think that in order to get through situations like this that you must find the smallest joys and hold onto those. Things such as going to her friends houses and having her dog around are the things she has to focus on in order to keep herself sane. I know that I do the same thing when it seems like I have too much to do and a lot of stress with things in life, I have to take a step back and do something to either take my mind off the bad things and focus on what is good in my life. I think al-Radi has to do the same thing in a much worse situation. This book is definitely eye opening for me and gives me more of an idea to what people go through on a day to day basis. Although there are not a lot of big events in the book I still really enjoy it. I finally am getting a better understand of what life day-to-day is like and not only hearing about the big events of the war, but instead what goes on everyday. There are some things I never realized too, such as having to eat the food when they get it because there is no way to keep and preserve what they have.
I will say that I am a conservative republican and I supported what the war was doing. It is hard to see though how we can justify killing and causing innocent people to live this way. I know that we had to do something because if we didn't there could be much worse things happening in the world along with those who live in Iraq. I am starting to realize thought that there may have been a different way to go about the war and that maybe there was a way that we could have saved more civilian lives. I know there is really nothing we can do about it now, but maybe for future issues there may be a different way to go about things. I do feel bad that there are innocent people who have to live this way and that they deal with things on a daily basis that I hope I never have to live through in my life, but I do think that some of what happened with the war was necessary. I hope this doesn't spark too much political debate but I think that from reading this book and seeing some of the movies we have watched in class that my opinion about what is going on with the war are changing. As my knowledge grows about this part of the world, I think that I will be able to keep formulating a more well rounded opinion and better educated opinion and also be able to back up what I argue.

After watching the "Reel Bad Arabs" and having our discussion in class it made me realize that I need to inform myself on what is going on instead of just watching movies and taking what I hear off the news as the truth and how people in that culture live. I know that I mention this a lot, but honestly I never truly realized how sheltered my ideas about those in the Middle East were and how much I actually didn't know. It wasn't because I disagree with more of their culture or that I have something against them, I think it was the simple fact that I was unaware of their culture and what they went through so I never truly cared to come face to face with some of the horrible things that went on.

It was definitely ironic when the "Reel Bad Arabs" had the section about Aladdin. It is definitely true that this is one of the few options we have in America to decide how we are going to view those in the Middle East. The other is that all of them are terrorists, which along with everything being mystical and a fairy tale, we don't have many other opinions or facts to give us any indication as to how these people live or the things they go through in their lives, or even the similarities they have to people in the West. The reason that seeing a film that showed how people view Aladdin is ironic is because my 4 year old kids at day care that I take care of everyday had just watched the movie last week. Several of them asked me where this was, and why they were dressed this way, and if all people could live in a castle. I believe this ties in perfectly with what the video was trying to say. This is probably one of the first times these kids have been exposed to that group of people and the first impression they get is that this is magical and that's it. I honestly had a hard time explaining to them all of the questions they asked because honestly, I didn't know many of the answers myself. At the time I really didn't think anything of it, until I got into this class. Now I realize there really is no excuse as to why I shouldn't know the answers to those questions or why I shouldn't try to understand their culture better. It's true that many of them live in America and I should be willing to understand their culture to better understand them as people, and not strictly by what I see on TV.

During this week I found it very difficult actually to pick out the book that I wanted to read. I went over some of the options and looked up what they were about online and tried to figure out books that would teach me a lot about the customs and cultures that I didn't know already. I had a list of about 5 that I thought would be interesting but I ended up picking "The Panther in the Basement" by, Amos Oz and "Sand Devil" by, Michael Oren. Both of these books looked as though they would be interesting, merely by the title themselves. I am excited to start the reading and see what they are all about. See everyone in class today!!

The first day of class....

I have to admit that when I first walked into class I was a little intimidated because for awhile I wasn't quite sure what the class was going to be all about. Once we got further into it I realized that this class, although a lot of work, is going to be very interesting and give me great perspectives on literature and cultures that I do not know a whole lot about. I am hoping that by hearing other people's reports as well that I will better understand how people live in other parts of the world and be able to teach others about that as well. I also have to admit that I only really learn about the Middle East by what I see on TV, which I am sure is not the best way to understand what is really going on in the world or how people truly live. It will be good to read literature that is from authors from different countries who have actually lived in that culture. Hopefully, I will be able to take out some of the judgement I have about this area of the world through this class. I am definitely excited to start this class and wish it was more than one day a week!!