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[ Monday, April 28, 2003 ]

Economics Class Drama
Today Arash showed up out of the blue in my Econ class. Apparently, he had gone to College Park (high school) for a while, gotten his GED, and now has to come back to Las Lomas for some reason. It was so weird seeing him again b/c it had been a while. I asked him how Nasim (his older sis) is doing and he told me that she isn�t doing well. He told me that about a month ago, Nasim had complained of an ear infection. They took her to the doctor and the doctor didn�t give her any medication. Later, she couldn�t hear anything at all and her family took her to an ear specialist who said that she had nerve damage and it could�ve been prevented had she been given the right medication earlier.

I was so shocked at the start of his explanation that I asked him, �Are you serious? Are you kidding me? Are you trying to play a joke on me?� I don�t know; I guess I was just shocked to see him back and to hear the news. I think I offended him at first (I hope insha Allah he forgives me), and he was like, �Do I look like I�m joking?�

Man, I�ve been doing dua for Nasim after each salah today. I asked Arash if hearing aids would help, and he said that it�s so severe that it won�t. I can�t even imagine what she�s going through�man, to just wake up one day and not have your hearing. I hadn�t kept in touch with her after she graduated a couple of years back. She visited Las Lomas at the beginning of the year and I gave her a hug, but we were both in a rush so I didn�t get to catch up with her. We were never really close, but we always said �hi� in the halls. I remember I had asked Arash once before how she was doing and he said that she was taking classes at DVC (community college), and that she wants to go into dentistry. I wonder if she�s taking classes now�I don�t think she�ll be able to take any regular classes anymore. All I can do is dua.

We had to do partner work in Econ, and since Holly wasn�t at school today, I decided I�d work alone. The work is always pretty easy anyway. Arash didn�t have a partner either, though, so Mr. Bremer told us to work together. I�m kind of used to working fast and I don�t have much patience, but it�s cool. I bet if I were to go to Iran and study in Farsi, I�d have so much trouble keeping up with everything. I don�t know; I really want to help Arash out, but I feel kind of weird about it�I know Muslims are supposed to help one another, but I don�t like working with guys. I just don�t. I�m more comfortable w/ girls. I gave Arash my notes to copy at home. At the end of class, he said something about Econ being confusing and asked if I could help him out in the class. What could I say? Of course I agreed b/c I know it�s hard to be the �new� person in class and not know many people or what�s going on, and plus, he�s Muslim. I have to help. I hope we�re allowed to have a group�I still want to work w/ Holly.

Man, while Arash and I were doing the worksheet (me trying hard not to be arrogant while answering all the questions and slowly explaining it to him), Mr. Bremer walked over and started giving Arash the 3rd degree. It�s so like Mr. Bremer to put a student at ease. Yup. While I was trying to explain Econ concepts to Arash, Mr. Bremer butted in to ask Arash about Iranian restaurants. Let�s just say that that discussion somehow evolved to Ayatollah Khomeini and Shiites. I was so annoyed that I told Mr. Bremer that it�s not very nice to keep asking people questions and sometimes it makes people feel like they have to constantly be defensive (Hint! Hint!). He walked away saying that I�m uptight. Uptight!!!!

Earlier Mr. Bremer had gone on and on about North Korea�s nuclear arms�and then he turned to me and asked what should be done about it. I said something about diplomacy and cutting economic ties. Man, I�ll admit that I talk quite a bit about politics in that class, but that�s only b/c Mr. Bremer is so ignorant, and he says stupid things. But I am not an expert about terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and extremists. Whenever Mr. Bremer talks about the Middle East, he�ll turn to me to hear what I have to say�yes, it�s a good thing b/c it gives me a say in that class, and I can insha Allah educate people. But sometimes I just feel like he makes me the spokesperson for Muslims and terrorists together. Like Muslims are a total other species and I need to translate things for the class. And whenever I say something really important, he�ll have the last word and my whole point will be lost. Sometimes it feels like he�s just trying to exasperate me so that I�ll make a fool of myself.

Man, I just don�t understand Mr. Bremer. I remember that when Iraq was being bombed, he laughed and boasted about how much more sophisticated U.S. weapons have become since the first Gulf War. For once I stayed silent, but I felt like yelling at him to tell that to all those who have lost family members to those same weapons. �Smart� bombs�ha!

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[ Monday, April 28, 2003 ]

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