Reflection

I was born in Glendora, California, and was raised here most of my life. Going through preschool all the way up to second grade, I was put through the American way of life. One day my dad surprises us with luggage and tells us were moving to where we are from, Palestine. At first, my brother sister and I were excited, however we didn’t know what was in store for us. It was weird that Palestine were we come from, yet we were not used to the way of life there. Everyone spoke mostly Arabic, whereas my siblings and I spoke very little of it. At school, different classes were taught like Arabic class and religion. Also the teacher was able to hit the student if they misbehaved, which was very unusual in our eyes. Everything was just so different there, the way people drove in the streets, the way people talked, school, clothes, and it was really hard to make friends with people who were so different from me. My sister and I were constantly getting in trouble with our Arabic teacher because we were one of the ones who just couldn’t get the alphabet or how to write in Arabic. For a year we struggled trying to get used to where we were and then came the war. It was hard watching planed above and hear the crashing noises everywhere and that’s when my dad decided we would move back to America. Finally we came back and I continued 4th grade in America. We visit Palestine every now and then, but we realized California was where we belong.

apathetic

Word: apathetic (adj)

Source/page: Funny in Farsi (118)

Contex clue: Before the word, Firoozeh describes the feeling.

Definition: having or showing little or no emotion

Original sentence: The apathetic girl did not care much for the sick dog.

gendarmes

Word: Gendarmes (n)

Source/Page: Funny in Farsi/133

Contex clue: She mentions the gendarmes going through her luggage which indicates an officer.

Definition: A french Police Officer

Original sentence: In fFrance, the genderarmes are very strict when it comes to the street rules.

enviable

Word: enviable (adj)

Source/Page: Funny in Farsi/98

Contex clue: It is mentioned after the figs, pomegranates, sweet lemons and herbs.

Definition: Worhy of envy.

Original Senence: The enviable model had the perfect outfit on the runway.

Baklava

Word: Baklava (n)

Source/Page: Funny in Farsi (64)

Contex clue: when she mentios "flies to baklava" which hints its a type of food.

Definition: a Near Eastern pastry made of many layers of paper-thin dough with a filling of ground nuts, baked and then drenched in a syrup of honey and sometimes rosewater.

Original senetence: At the family gathering, my mother brought baklava, and we all ate it while sipping on tea.