*Note: this was written some time in July and never published. So here it is now:
In the wacky, irrelevant and possibly quite unworthy of reading tales of Amirah Yasin, this odd-halfway point of summer finds her haphazardly lying on her sister's bed amongst a pile of semi-folded clothing, accompanied by a well-traveled notebook and a copy of
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, inhabiting her house for the perhaps the 3rd time. Having spent the day attempting to find that ever-evasive balance of procrastination and doing enough housework and unpacking to fool one's mother, she, after a bit of whining, anger, crying, insistence and indifference, managed to obtain permission to drive the 5 minutes to the library and also managed to buy a carton of tin-roof sundae ice cream. After a visit to the library and realizing that she is on first name terms with the librarians, she wondered if this was a) a positive sign for her bookish ways and a good sign for her potential writing career or b) yet another socially unacceptable way of her very being.
(
Deviating from third person here): Is it bad that all I ever deign to do in life, when home, is to soften up my mother enough to let me go to the library? Let me paint a picture with my imagination brush (again, though,
Scrubs, why did I never watch you, Zach Braff, that luscious brown hair, those naselly monologues with gems of phrases): the library is a beautiful, quaint wooden building whose outside sends me messages of love and warmth. I'm on first name terms with the librarians and all I ever wanted since kindergarten was to become one. However, I then discovered that alphabetizing lent little room for fun outside of me people watching and dreaming up stories about the library-goers. Still, I worked up the courage to finally ask my life-long question to the librarians: were there employment opportunities and how did one find out about them?
~Momentary Interlude of My Fears~
Librarian peers over her horn-rimmed glasses. "Is it for you, dear?" Shakily I nod and wonder how to run out of the room when she inevitably will laugh and say "But no! How could we ever take you? You're a monstrosity of a library-goer with your late-returns!" Despite my insistence that it was only that one time, when I couldn't bear to return The Sweet Far Thing since I was going through withdrawal at Kartik's tree-of DEATH transformation, they refuse to consider me. *Cue cackling of librarians while they all begin to close in on me, shrieking insults and holding up classics I've never read. "We can't hire a girl who hasn't even read Moby Dick! Who do you think you are, just because you've read a few Jane Austens? Haven't even read Crime and Punishment! *thunder booms in the background as they throw books I've been meaning to read at me and I stagger down the stairs under the weighty classics*
However, Theresa My Favorite Librarian's answer was that there *were* employment opportunities, and I'd love to take you on! But when do you get back to school?
Though in the end employment was not possible because I went back to school too early for training, I did a little jig outside that the library had not rejected me and might've had me work there. Huzzah!!!!
I was going to be taking a class this summer to be productive! Get ahead! But I just got back from being abroad, and I have a feeling that this will be my last summer or last bit of time for a good long while that I'll get to kick back and relax. Additionally, it's Ramadan, and it's blazing hot, and to go to the city I'd have to travel with my dad at 4:30 AM, arrive by 6AM, and get to class for 10. My sleep schedule would go awry. I would be more dazed and confused and out of it than usual. Also, maybe I'll get to experience more of the benefits of Ramadan by being home, instead of constantly active. Things I should address, since I haven't blogged in a while:
1. Does anyone read this in the summer? I just want to know.
2. My study abroad!
My spanish ha mejorado indeed. My host family was great. At first, I was afraid that I was annoying to my 13-year old host brother Victor, but after a bit we were grinning together as our (host) mom told us we'd better finish our food or the verb morir would be in our future, or complaining about each others' choice in television (Los Simpsons vs. Como conocí vuestro madre). Or my host mom and I would laugh at Victor's secret girlfriends, and he would tell us we would be single forever. It was really a good look at a close mother-son relationship, and I'm glad I met such genuinely nice and good people. If they ever needed anything, or needed to come to NY, I would hope to help them in a heartbeat. Overall, I think they were my favorite part of the trip.
As for Spain: it was arid, it was beautiful, there was fast talking, there were dark-haired mysterious looking guys, there was a lot of ham and beer, and seafood. I think that the big cities- Rome, Madrid, Paris, NYC, etc are all similar in some ways. I'm not saying Madrid wasn't different. I'm just saying that if you're looking for something
totally new, a big city is not the place to go (if you're from NYC.) Nonetheless, I had a good time. Fortunately, my Hunter-students group was cool. I got along with everyone there, and we generally had a good time, drama-free.
It was my first birthday not with my family, which was not a big deal, but I like being with people I love on my birthday. Otherwise it's a little lonely. In
The Namesake, I remember Gogol (or Nikhil, not sure what his name was at the time) spent his birthday with a bunch of strangers that he'd just met. They didn't know him, they were just casually informed that it was his birthday, and drunkenly, everyone was really nice and kept wishing him a happy birthday, but I felt sad. Sad that he was spending the day with strangers who didn't know him, and sad that he was conscious of this. Was that better than spending it with his family? Maybe to him. I don't know. But anyway, that instance of his always made me not want to ever do that. To be so lost that I spend a disaffected day with...strangers, who would forget me by the next day and vice versa. But anyway, wow I digress: I had a really nice day! I went to the El Rastro flea market, and later picknicked with my group in the park. We went around and played those camp games of our yesteryears, the "Rosebud" (not referencing
Citizen Kane though I wish I were clever enough to do so here) where you go around in a circle and everyone says a good thing that happened, a bad thing, and something they hope will happen (about the trip). Surprisingly, no one mocked it, but instead we went around and ...it felt meaningful and touching. Serious things were said, sad things, funny things, but all true and genuine. Imagine a group of twenty year olds sitting around a massive pile of cheese, oodles of cookies, olives, fanta naranja and a lot of chocolate, with pollen flying all around them, and sharing feelings and thoughts around a circle. It was precious.
If you're reading this and would like to know general things about the abroad trip (for Spain/Europe): I think going for a month is enough time. If you can't do a semester, a month is more than enough. It was for me! I mentioned my thoughts on the city - I think I might've liked it more had I gone to a more country area that was slightly different. What matters is that your group of abroad students aren't terrible (I mean, solo is fine too. But it helps). Ahah- there were a lot of students from Florida, California and Arkansas, West Virginia there. They were okay, but some couldn't handle the diversity and extremely liberal ways of NYC. I'm not even kidding. When they said they were from West Virginia, I totally...forgot that it was an existing state...I guess it is so irrelevant in my life..not in a mean way...just...if you live in NYC, you might forget about other states. Like West Virginia. (Who lives there? What do they do for fun? I'm being state-ist.)
Continuing on: People will help you with directions, taxis will cost a lot. The ice cream is sometimes better, and the soda is always better. No one eats and walks at the same time, and you will grow to love olives. It's more beautiful and romantic (in an old-fashioned sense) there. There is more history, a deep-rooted culture. We have culture, we are cool and different (yeah usa!) but we don't have nearly as much history. (They are a little bit
too into la historiaaaa though, not going to lie, Prof Maria.) You will at times miss and love your home country and be proud of it. Other times, when observing their smart energy conserving ways with escalators that only move when people are on it/ subway doors that only open when pressed, you will think your home country could improve. You might or might not fall in love with the country. I did not fall in love with Spain, though I suppose I maintained some sort of light crush. I'm glad I went, because it was the Europe experience I've always wanted to have, but I didn't pine to stay longer and miss everything about it the way I missed India. A lot of students go because we know some Spanish, there's a lot of partying, it's fun. It was nice, but it felt a little bland to me. However, I am really happy that I was so immersed in Spanish because my speaking skills improved a lot. I can think faster in Spanish. Woohoo! Something was actually accomplished!!!!!!
Not sure if I mentioned my older brother (a senior at Lehman-Macaulay) went through the same program with me, and my family came to meet us afterwards to embark on a 6-person 5-country trip that spanned about a week. After visiting the Alhambra in Granada (extremely beautiful), we went to Italy (Venice. Attractive people, friendly people, no cars, only water and boats, enthusiastic waiters, good food), Switzerland (Saanen. Where my dreams came true and we visited the filming location of
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge), France (Paris. The Seine River and Locks of Love...thingy was cool, we climbed the Eiffel Tower halfway ('twas late!), and England (Milford-Keynes and London. Where we had family and finally didn't have to stay in a hotel! I determined that I will live in England for a year at some point in my life. I just really want to. Oxford was awesome and made me pine to transform into a lit major and wear scarves and go to school there.)
Overall, backpacking/euro-railing around Europe with my family was ... an experience I was lucky to have. I can't wait to go back and explore more.
Amirah
