The Eighth Meeting with Hashim

I was a little worried Hashim wouldn’t remember that we agreed to meet today. For the first meetings, we met on Fridays at 2 but I asked him to meet me today at 2. Well, consider him thrown off. I texted him a little after two letting him know where I was sitting and I called my sister while I waited. Ten minutes later, Hashim runs up, keys in hand. Apparently he felt he forgot something but couldn’t remember what until he received my text. I’ve definitely had those days so I hold nothing against him.

I remembered from last time that Hashim was supposed to get his test results in today (for graduating the IEP program). When I asked him, he laughed and told me that he skipped school today and was enjoying a relaxing day. I guess his group of friends just bought a new video game this weekend and stayed up until 3 last night playing. These boys are quickly becoming typical college students. Either way, Hashim is fairly confident that he passed the program. If so, he’ll be a student at TCU next semester! I’m jealous that IEP doesn’t have to take finals. Instead, Hashim asked about the finals I will be taking. He was also curious how I prepare for finals. I told him about dead days and my schedule for finals. He then shared that when he was younger his mom made him study two weeks in advance for finals! I understand preparation but that sounded like overkill for a middle school student. Apparently in high school, his dad told his mom that Hashim needed to learn responsibility on his own. So it came down to Hashim preparing for finals four days in advance. Apparently this was a close call for Hashim – he said his grades started to slip in high school. Well, that is until his father gave him a talk about studying. Things have obviously turned around because Hashim was able to come to America to study.

Speaking of studying abroad, his sister is going to the English program at the University of Texas. Hashim’s grandparents are coming down with his sister and will be staying with her. Hashim is rather thankful that his grandparents will be visiting for a few days then going to Austin. While he loves his family and sister, his grandparents would check on him too much. He also is glad they will be there to support his sister. The culture in America is extremely different than in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, women cannot drive and never just go talk to men. Hashim understands his sister has a lot to get used to and hopes she will adapt quickly. We talked about these cultural differences and how Hashim adapted. It seems like the change was relatively easy for him. He says his sister is smart enough and she will adjust. I think she will be able to find plenty of people, especially at a large school like UT.

Hashim and I talked about a few other things. It is amazing to see where we came from and how we have moved forward as friends. We are able to laugh together and share stories of our different experiences. I’m glad I was able to have this experience and I hope Hashim got something out of it too.

7th Meeting With Hashim!

Hashim and I met at Union Grounds as always. I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but there was a marketplace going on the first floor of the BLUU. Small businesses set up booths and sell small gift. Hashim immediately asked what was going on upon his arrival. He seemed really surprised that there would be a marketplace inside the BLUU. We didn’t talk much more about the marketplace but know he knows more about what TCU puts on.

Moving on from that, we talked about our weekend plans. Hashim planned to take one of his friends to the airport. After that, they planned on keeping busy in Dallas. They must love Dallas and Arlington because I swear he talks about going to Dallas and Arlington every time! They go to Dallas for shopping and activities while Arlington for food and cheap movie tickets. As always, he plans on seeing some movie this weekend with his friends. He wasn’t particularly excited about this one – he only knew Brad Pitt would be starring. I told him the last football game would be tomorrow and that he should try to make it. Hashim was originally planning on going until I told him kick off time – 11 AM. Hashim groaned about waking up early because that is not what weekends are for. He claims to never get up early on the weekends. My sister is exactly the same way – she cannot wake up for an early class or wake up early in general. So, I’ll find out Monday if Hashim ended up at the game.

We also talked about plans for next year. The IEP students took a standardized test to assess their knowledge of the English language. This test is what the students have been working towards and need to pass to complete the program. The results should be in Monday so Hashim will know if he can begin his undergrad at TCU! Hashim is trying to decide between mechanical engineering and chemistry. I told him about the classes I’ve taken and the engineering program. I didn’t have much information about chemistry besides that I did not like it. On the other hand, Hashim likes it because it is “a very logical subject.”  I’m curious to see where Hashim ends up going between these degrees. 

Sixth Meeting With Hashim

Finally, I was able to meet with Hashim again. Despite taking a few efforts to meet him, I received a text back that he would be available to meet. I was worried it was going to be awkward due to the somewhat forced circumstances to meet. Luckily, it wasn’t awkward at all.

Hashim opened the conversation by asking me about Thanksgiving Break. Being from Saudi Arabia, this is a holiday he didn’t celebrate or know much about. He asked a couple questions about what I did for the break. He was really surprised that I even went home for the break. I told him about my break and the time spent with my family. My mom starts to preparing the dishes on Wednesday and my sisters and I help cook the food Thursday morning. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins come over and bring different dishes for a late lunch. Hashim didn’t realize that Thanksgiving is a large family gathering. He expected that only immediate family gathered so he was amazed that my extended family came. He started laughing when I told him that even more family comes over for dessert. I’m not sure if it was the amount of family or the fact that they came over during dessert. Either way, I was glad to give him more information about Thanksgiving and how my family celebrates it. Then, Hashim told me how the IEP program put on a lunch for the students. The IEP program put on a traditional Thanksgiving meal for the IEP students in one of the BLUU ballrooms. I think Hashim enjoyed seeing the traditional Thanksgiving spread, but I don’t know if it is anything he is interested in doing again. Also, one of his teachers said that for Thanksgiving, everyone goes home happy and leaves angry. I was a little taken back by the teacher saying this. I understand family events can always bring up past turmoil and drama but I didn’t realize their teacher would share that about Thanksgiving.

Talking about Thanksgiving led us to talking about Black Friday. Hashim wanted me to explain what Black Friday was and if I went. I told him all I could about it (decent deals, lots of people, long lines). His group of friends decided that Black Friday was worth checking out. I’m not sure where all they went but they started out at Walmart. He couldn’t believe how long the lines were and how many there were. He definitely thought it was an experience. But, Hashim seemed to look down on Walmart. He said Target was much more organized and better in general. I agreed because I love Target and can spend hours in that store.

We talked more about the break and caught up in general. I was glad Hashim could meet again and we set up the next meeting to make sure I could get all eight in!

The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain

I can’t say I know Mark Twain’s typical humor. In the past, I have read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for class and seen a local rendition of the play in Zilker Park. Despite this, I can’t nail down his humor and pretend I truly know what his humor is. But, reading The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain has given me a new appreciation. I really enjoyed skimming through the sections of the book. It was also interesting to see the variety of lengths under the sections. For example, “Liberty” only had one quip, while “Lies” right below, listed six quotes. Also, there are quotes from a range of topics on Twain. I think it is amazing how much he has been quoted throughout his life in letters, books, lectures, and stories. Naturally, everyone talks about multitudes of things over a lifetime. But, it really shows Twain through the range of quotes that have been deemed wit and wisdom.

I found an endless amount of quotes I liked. I picked a few for class, but there were many others I found to be funny, classic wit, or pieces of wisdom. There is a single quote listed under “Golf” – Golf is a good walk spoiled. I have always heard a variety of golf jokes and always found them funny. My immediate family grew up playing tennis, never golf. My grandfather’s on both sides played golf. My uncles play golf. My cousins can golf. Despite this, like Twain, I never had an appreciation of golf. Until recently, I still didn’t understand where the fun came in. My best friend golfed throughout high school so I shared the bit of wisdom. He laughed and somewhat agreed—walking 18 holes really isn’t that fun though.

Another thing I noticed throughout reading was the variety of sources. The editor, Alex Ayres, compiled from multiple sources and repeated several. I noted several times that I bookmarked quotes from “Notebook.” I listed some that I liked or connected with.  

“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”

                “There are many scapegoats for our sins, but the most popular is Providence.”

                “Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

                “When you fish for love, bait with your heart, not your brain.”

Like I said, reading through the book has given me a refreshed appreciation for Twain. I might not agree with every piece of wit or wisdom, but overall, I was able to draw insight from them. Along with Tales of Juha, I have really enjoyed our last readings. I plan on keeping both of these books to look back to later. 

Finishing Tales of Juha

Truthfully, I did not laugh while reading the last sections of Tales of Juha as much as I did during the previous sections. The final selections spanned the following chapters: Juha the Butt, Boastfulness and False Pride, A Witty Rogue, Cowardice, Justice and Generosity, and Critic of Despotism. I enjoyed the reading and found several of the anecdotes to be funny but very few to be laugh out loud funny. I’m always a little disappointed in the readings if I am not laughing out loud. While this entirely restricts many types of humor, I just want to laugh! So instead of bearing down on the ones I didn’t laugh at, I wanted to point out a couple that I did.

                One of the first stories involved Juha visiting a village where he had heard the people are very miserly. To his great joy, a man gives him a bowl of milk. Juha warmly thanks the man for the milk. But in return, the man begins to point out the flaws in his happiness. To begin, he says he only gave it to Juha because a rat fell in it. Juha grew angry and threw down the bowl. The man yells to be careful—his daughter uses it to “piddle in.” I didn’t find the rat particularly funny, but I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at the phrasing “piddle in” and the fact she uses the same bowl he drank out of to “piddle in.” When I read this part out to a friend, he didn’t start laughing until the end either. I think the cognitive shift (the unexpected word phrasing) and the schadenfreude (thank goodness that wasn’t me!) pulls this joke together.

                Another laugh out loud anecdote comes from the Cowardice section. Here, Juha’s neighbor comments on hearing a quarrel from Juha’s house. Juha assured him that he did hear a fight between him and his wife. His wife hit his cloak which then tumbled down the stairs. His neighbor, still confused, asks how a cloak could make so much noise. On the sassy side, Juha tells his neighbor not to be so fussy about the details-- he was inside the cloak! I liked Juha’s feisty response to a simple question. Even though this section was deemed “Cowardice,” Juha made light of the situation. The joke creates a humorous visual of the neighbor’s first interpretations to what actually occurred. To clarify, I don’t find abuse funny or as something that should happen. I laughed because of the surface content of the joke.

                Overall, I enjoyed the Tales of Juha. I was surprised at how many of the types of jokes in Classic Arab folk humor translate to our generation, especially as Americans. The book exceeded my expectations and has been one of my favorites that we have covered this semester. 

Tales of Juha - Part Two

As we continue reading Tales of Juha, this book has become one of my favorite books we have read. This time we read “Social Satire,” “Cunning and Resource,” and “Naïveté and Stupidity.” I enjoyed each of the sections but my favorite would be the last section, “Naïveté and Stupidity.” In this section, Juha is portrayed as someone who is naïve and not on the bright side. While he is not the butt of the jokes, he provides someone to laugh at. His thoughts are silly, adolescent, and laughable. He seems very sincere in some of the anecdotes. I think this section is in great contrast with the first section of “Wit and Wisdom.” The difference portrays the essence of Juha. He is a diverse character who represents a range of stereotypes.

                A few common ideas/themes appeared in several anecdotes. For example, one of my favorite stories from last time involved the “Race Winner.” In the anecdote, Juha and his wife have been married for three months. At this point, his wife is ready to give birth to a baby. In the first section (“Wit and Wisdom”), Juha is on the snarky side. He plainly lies out that something isn’t right. The baby did what most babies do in nine months in three months. Juha jokingly wants to name the baby “Race Winner.” But, a different picture is painted in the section “Naïveté and Stupidity.” Here, Juha is puzzled at the situation. He asks “what is going on here?” He knows that women carry a child for nine months. But, when he begins to question his wife, he falls into the not as brilliant stereotype. Contrary to the previous Juha, Juha is easily influenced by his wife. Instead of being witty and turning the table, the table is turned on him. Somehow, Juha is convinced three months to each the mother, father, and baby totals to nine months. I thought the stories alone were funny, but the way they compared added to the humor. I experienced a cognitive shift during the second one because I expected it to follow the same line. I experienced the same thing with another story involving donkeys. Juha is riding on a donkey along with a number of other donkeys. He counts the donkeys but always forgets the one he is. Continuously causing conflicts with himself, he gets on and off the donkeys. I thought it was interesting to see the straight comparison between two folk tales. The anecdotes had the basic theme but a different way of telling the story. I’m curious to see if there will be more similarities like these throughout the book. Also, I’ll be able to share some more stories with Hashim!

Fifth Meeting with Hashim

Keeping with tradition, Hashim and I met at Union Grounds. He warned me that he might be a little late because he was coming back from a field trip. Hashim showed up only five minutes after I did. But he was definitely worn down. I asked him about his field trip and he did not hold back his frustration. Friday, the IEP students went into Dallas. They were given two options: visit the aquarium, or visit museums. To his dismay, one of his good friends wanted to go to the museums instead. So, Hashim went with him and had a few up and downs. They waited in line at the first museum but before getting in, one of the teachers told the students they didn’t have time for this museum. Hashim was a little agitated for waiting and moved onto the next museum. He shared a few other funny incidents that happened during the trip. Looking back on his storytelling, I could see how animated he was. Hashim paused at all the right points, added animation, and talked with his hands. It is impressive that he is able to do so in a second language.

Another point of discussion was the infamous statue. While we were sitting, Hashim pointed out the statue and asked me how much I thought it cost. I was surprised that he had heard about the statue cost! We talked about the controversy surrounding the statue. Hashim hadn’t actually heard anything about the statue besides the cost. I told him what we had talked about in class. As we joked about the statue, several adults took pictures with the statue. Most were touring the school with high schoolers and I’m assuming others were alumni. Both of us were unaware that people liked the statue! Before we wore the subject out, a certain SGA President brought a small group of people to the statue. I pointed out to this certain person and explained who he was. I wanted to quiet down but Hashim mocked the statue as the certain person passed! Retelling it now is funny, but I was embarrassed when it happened! To change the subject, I brought up the reading. I explained that we have been examining humor from a few cultures and just started a book on Arab culture. I could tell Hashim was immediately stunned that we were beginning Arab humor. When I told him the book focused on Juha, his astonishment turned to enthusiasm.  He had no clue that there were translated versions of Juha. He started to explain just as the introduction to the book. He told me that there are so many stories of Juha. Juha is sometimes poor, wealthy, idiotic, genius, and everything in between. He asked me what stories we had read and the format of the book. I told him we had started on “Wit and Wisdom” and shared a few that I could remember. He laughed along as I retold them. He then told me that he didn’t care for reading when he was younger. He never read or focused on books. But, holding his hands about 5 or 6 inches apart, he demonstrated the size of the one book he did read. This one book held stories of Juha. He said he would thumb through it and read the short stories. The tales of Juha held a great impact on his childhood. He was eager to share information about Juha and how it really is a staple in his culture.

I was glad to meet with Hashim again. Each time we meet, conversation flows easier. We are always able to find something to talk about. Again, I’m glad I am able to teach him about our culture just as he teaches me. I’m curious to keep reading Tales of Juha so I have more things to share with Hashim.