final meeting with Leo

     Today was my final official meeting with Leo, and I can’t believe that I’m writing this right now. When I walked into Market Square, I realized that the semester was almost over. I can’t believe how quickly the time passed. When I arrived, it didn’t take me long to find Leo, sit down, and get the conversation started.

     The dinner started off nice because he unexpectedly paid me a compliment. He was looking at my I.D. on the table and said that I had a nice smile. It definitely made my evening; because I had spent the day stressed about how much work I had to do.

     We spent some time talking about his job, and about jobs in general. He enjoys working at the TCU Library. He said that it’s really not hard, but you have to “be patient.” I’m not sure exactly why that job requires patience, because he didn’t really explain about the job any more. He then told me about a his friend who wanted to get a Social Security card so he could get a credit card start building up good credit, but he needed to get a job first. However, this friend didn’t want to work. I thought this was interesting, because I don’t really know what international students have to do when they come here, or even what people from another country have to do when they permanently move here. But the whole process definitely sounds complicated. Leo and I also talked about possible reasons as to why college students get a job during the school year. He said that college students who have a lot of free time get a job. But I said that college students don’t get a job to fill up free time, they get a job because they need the extra money.

     He also asked me if I had a scholarship. I told him that I was a Dean’s Scholar and that I had some financial aid. I then asked him if he had a scholarship. I don’t think he said whether he did or not, but he did say that one of the reasons he wanted to change from a business major to a music major was because music majors can get a full scholarship. I don’t blame him because TCU is expensive!

     And of course, we talked about food. He made an interesting and true observation. We both had some nasty broccoli and rice casserole that seems to have cheese on it, so he said that it seems like cheese in America is similar to rice in China, because we eat a lot of cheese like the Chinese eat a lot of rice. We also talked about Market Square. He said how it seemed like there were a variety of wonderful foods at first, but now the food all seems the same, and he’s sick of the food. I definitely knew what he was talking about, because that’s how I sometimes feel about Market Square. I told him that Market Square could be good because they sometimes have “chicken nugget day.” For instance, today was chicken nugget day. He had never heard that expression before, and thought that was the funniest thing ever.

     I learned a new and interesting fact about Leo. He told me how he used to love to play video games, and how they would often distract him from his studies. But he said that instead of playing video games, he now reads Manga. He didn’t know the word for Manga, so he described it as a “Japanese animation book.”

     His English has definitely gotten better over the semester. He passed the test in the English Program, and can now take classes as a “freshman” next year, which is pretty exciting. I still occasionally have trouble understanding what he says, and he sometimes has trouble coming up with the right word to explain his meaning. For example, we were talking about how not eating lunch is bad for us because it damages our lungs. He couldn’t think of the word “lungs” at first, so he pointed at his lungs and asked what that body part is called.

     I can’t believe that that was my last conversation meeting with him. I hope to see him before the semester ended, and I enjoyed meeting with him over the semester. I’m glad that I had an opportunity to get to know someone from another culture, and teach him about ours. This is definitely something that should be continued next semester.

chillin with Leo 6

     Wow, I can’t believe that this was my 6^th meeting with Leo! The time certainly flies by. We met last Monday, at good old’ Market Square, as usual. We met earlier than we’d planned, because he finished working out early. So we met at Market Square, got our food, sat down, and let the good times, and the conversation, roll!

     Not long after we sat down, Leo happened to glance at the TV, which was on the news station. The news was playing coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings, which happened not long before we met. He asked me what exactly the news was showing, because he hadn’t heard about the bombing yet. I told him that 2 bombs had gone off near the finish line of the marathon, and that many people were injured and a few people died. He then asked me who did it, and I replied that they didn’t know yet, but that they were looking for them. I also told him that they had planted many more bombs around the city. One even went off at the JFK library, but luckily, no one was hurt and there were no casualties. I still can’t believe that the Boston bombing, as well as the West explosion, had happened. This week has been an awful week for our country, and I’m keeping Boston and West in my prayers.

     We also talked about the similarities between words in the Chinese and English language. For example, Leo told me that the pronunciation of “marathon” in Chinese is similar to the English pronunciation of “marathon.” Also, the Chinese and English pronunciations of “microphone” are  similar. I thought this was pretty cool, because the Chinese and English languages are so different that I couldn’t imagine that they shared any similarities. We also talked about how there are variations within a language. For instance, I taught him some American slang, such as the term “struggle bus,” which is what people say when they’re having a difficult time. I’m sure that this term is not used in Britain. Second, Americans say that they’re “going to the movies.” But the British say that they’re “going to the cinema.” Also, what we refer to as “trash” in America is called “rubbish” in Britain. The reason why we were discussing differences within a language is because I was saying that when we learn a language in school, it’s often the more formal version of a language rather than what people actually speak. I think that the topic of different languages is fascinating, which is why we often discuss it when we meet.

     We also talked about music because I had just watched the music video for Psy’s new single, “Gentlemen,” earlier that day. I didn’t really like it though, it wasn’t as good as “Gangnum Style.” So I asked him what he thought about it. At first, he didn’t know what I was talking about. But then, he remembered the song and how it went, and he said that it had a good beat, or “rhythm.”

      Leo is always fascinated by is the difference between the Americans and the Chinese people. He always asks me what I think the differences are. It’s hard, because I don’t want to make any generalizations. So I told him what my Chinese friend would tell me. She told me how they aren’t really allowed to date in high school, that the girls hardly wear, makeup, and that the parents and kids take grades a lot more seriously there. But I also told him what I’ve learned in classes about collectivistic and individualistic cultures. The Chinese culture emphasizes loyalty to the family, while the American culture emphasizes individuality, independence, and success, even if it means moving far away from your family. I always enjoy learning about other cultures. It’s intriguing to see how life is different in each country.

     I’ve really enjoyed meeting with Leo over the semester. I can’t believe that there is only one meeting left. It seems like only yesterday that we met and had lunch for the first time.

    

   

Mark twain quote

     One of my favorite quotations from The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain is found on page 180. In this section, Mark Twain is debating with a Mormon about polygamy. And the Mormon is telling Mark Twain that he can’t find a Bible verse that explicitly forbids polygamy. Mark Twain uses this quote as his reply, “Sure I can; ‘no man can serve two masters.’”

     I loved this quote because it was extremely witty. I’m pretty sure that this quote actually means that there is only one God, and no man can serve anyone but God, but Mark Twain took this verse and used it to prove his point. He uses it as an example from the Bible that forbids polygamy. Which is good because polygamy is wrong and illegal. It made me chuckle, because he is acknowledging that the woman is the dominant person in the relationship. So if a man is married to 2 women, then there are 2 dominant women ruling over him. And it’s not possible to devote all your time to both; you can only serve one at a time. It’s one of those funny little one-liners that made me giggle. I also liked this quote because it made me think about Mark Twain’s views on women. There are many quotes from the book that implied that he was a supporter of women’s rights. He even uses quotes that say that women are better than men. For example, he says, “there is only one good sex. The female one.” This is how he probably avoided fights with his wife. So not only did this quote make me laugh, it made me admire Mark Twain and think he’s awesome. And finally this quote, when applied to a man and a woman in a marriage, is true. The woman is the master and is always right. For example, my dad still needs to learn the lesson that my mom is right. “Even when she’s wrong, she’s right.” The movie “Meet the Robinsons” also shares this view.

litnciv8-Mark Twain

     I really enjoyed reading The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain, it was an awesome book! Mark Twain was certainly an interesting and funny character. He wasn’t afraid to comment on social situations or the current issues of the day. He seemed like a wise man, and yet a bit silly at times. His personality and beliefs reflected in his writing. And he made me laugh a lot in this book.

     There are a lot of really awesome quotes throughout this book. One thing that I immediately noticed was his disdain for the human race. I found 2 examples of his disdain. One of his famous quotes goes like this, “The human race is a race of cowards; and I am not only marching in that procession but carrying a banner.” Not only is Mark Twain critiquing humanity, he is critiquing himself as well. His analogy was humorous, because he is actually acknowledging that he is a greater coward than most humans. His humor also made me think about the human condition, and what a sad state it must be in if he feels like he needs to make this statement (Ayres 49). The second quote goes, “Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn’t any. But this wrongs the jackass.” This quote didn’t offend me. On the contrary, I thought it quite hilarious. I laughed, even though I realized that this quote does have a grain of truth. Our society, the human society, has a lot of issues. What’s even sadder is how he says that it is an insult to the jackass if we compare ourselves to it (Ayres 17).

     Mark Twain didn’t just critique human society, he also got specific and made witty and funny quotes about human flaws as well. One such quote goes, “St. Peter’s, Vesuvius, Heaven, Hell, everything that is much described is bound to be a disappointment at first experience.” Now at first, I merely found this quote controversial, because how can Heaven be a disappointment? Heaven is more wonderful than we can ever imagine. But then, I found the critical humor in this as I realized that Mark was criticizing the fact that people often build their expectations to such a high degree that they get disappointed when their expectations fall short. I just found it humorous that he exaggerated these “something’s” as monumental places (Ayres 232).

     I also noticed that Mark Twain was fond of making a lot of nonsensical quotes. One of these quotes goes, “Names are not always what they seem. The common Welsh name Bzjxxlwcp is pronounced Jackson.” I found this quote quite hilarious, and laughed after reading this, because it’s extremely random. I have no idea what Mark Twain was talking about. There is no way that Bzjxxlwcp is pronounced as “Jackson.” So I’m wondering what he was smoking when he wrote this quote (Ayres 161).

     Now one quote that stuck out to me because of its magnificent hilarity was his quote on women and polygamy. He was debating with a Mormon, who challenged him that the Bible did not say anything that forbade polygamy. Mark Twain disagreed and said, “Sure I can; ‘no man can serve two masters.’” This one made me laugh, because he was implying that the woman is the one who really wears the pants in the relationship. So if a man engages in polygamy, he’s serving two masters. I shook my head but then realized that this could be true, because my dad doesn’t tell my mom what to do, she tells him what to do (Ayres 180).

     When it came to the books we had to read over the semester, we definitely saved the best for last. This book managed to grab and maintain my interest. It was a long read, but Mark Twain is certainly an entertaining writer. He used critical humor, and made numerous witty comments. This book was an awesome compilation of his quotes. Now I actually want to go and read some of his works.

    

     

Blog 7, tales of Juha

     The Tales of Juha was the most interesting and funny book that we’ve read all semester. At first, because I am not of the Arab culture, I didn’t think this book would be so funny. But that wasn’t true, his book turned out to be extremely humorous. There were many different varieties of stories written in this book. These stories dealt with subjects such as wit, satire, cunning, stupidity, and boastfulness.

      In a lot of the humorous anecdotes, Juha was insulting another person, such as his wife. In one story, an ill Juha tells his wife to get dressed up and to put on some makeup. She inquires why, and he replies that if the angel of death saw her looking so splendid, he might take her instead of Juha (Jayyusi 47). In another story, Juha is married to an ugly wife, who looked like a man. So one day, when he sees a beautiful woman, he suggests to his wife that “the two of us marry her” (Jayyusi 21). After reading some stories like these, a part of me wants to feel throttle Juha for his offensive thoughts on women, but another part of me appreciates his wit and sense of humor. I’m not going to lie, I did chuckle at the fact that Juha would rather have the angel of death take his wife if that meant he could be alone. I also thought it was hilarious when he talked about the “two of us marrying her.” At first, I thought of a threesome. But I then realized that Juha could actually have been implying that his wife looked like a man, and so was more of a man. I appreciated the humor of these statements.

     Something I noticed is that Juha always has to be right, so he somehow always finds a loophole, or a way around a particular rule. For example, one story I found to be particularly funny is the story where Juha claimed to be a saint, he can even make the trees obey him. He commanded the tree to come, but it stayed stationary. So he started walking to the tree. When people asked what he was doing, he replied that “prophets and saints are free of all arrogance or vanity. If the palm tree won’t come to me, then I’ll go to the palm tree” (Jayyusi 103). I found this witty statement absolutely hilarious! I chuckled because he is determined to prove that he’s right and is a saint, even if he has to go to the palm tree instead of it coming to him.

     Tales of Juha is also hilarious because it Juha is a smart aleck who gives short, pointed, and seemingly obvious answers. For instance, a man once asked him if it was better to walk ahead of or behind a coffin in a funeral procession. Juha replied “as long as you’re not in the coffin, you can walk wherever you’d like” (Jayyusi 25). I’m not entirely sure why, but this answer made me laugh! I guess I laughed because it’s true, you can’t exactly walk when you’re the one in the coffin. Also, this answer is an example of the cognitive shift, because it was most likely not the answer that the man was expecting. He was probably expecting to hear “ahead of” or “behind.” Another humorous story that displayed Juha’s ability to be a smart aleck was the story where Juha was messily eating a meal. A man asked him a oddly worded question, which was “why are you eating like that, with 5 fingers?” And Juha’s smart remark was “Because, I don’t have 6” (Jayyusi 25)! This statement is an example of cognitive shift because the man was not expecting Juha to give this out-of-the-blue answer as an excuse for eating with his hands. Also, I enjoyed the wit and sarcasm behind this statement.

     The Tales of Juha was hilarious, and I can’t believe how many funny and witty little stories were in this book. This was one book I actually enjoyed reading. For the most part, it was a relatively easy read, although I could not understand some of the stories and therefore didn’t understand the humor. This book actually got me more interested in Arab humor and in the mysterious Juha himself. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.