Study Guide to Accompany

Study Guide to accompany

Funny in Farsi

By Firoozeh Dumas

Prepared by Dayle D. Hartnett, Ph.D.

And

Emily Levin Lodmer, M.A.

SPRING 2005

FIF “Leffingwell Elementary School” p. 3; "Hot Dogs and Wild Geese" p. 8

1. Why did Firoozeh and her family come to America?

1. What was her father’s opinion of this country?

1. Name two events that left Firoozeh feeling embarrassed.

1. Compare your first impression with Firoozeh’s impression of:

the U.S. in general

school in the U.S.

American people

Vocabulary Matching – Guess from reading; Do not look up!

Match the word or phrase on the left with the definition on the right:

1. humble

/ a. Person who assists with childbirth

1. Promised Land

/ b. opposite of graceful

1. adjustment

/ c. man seeking a wife

1. embarrassment

/ d. similar to, like

1. attributes

/ e. shrank back or made a face due to fear or embarrassment

1. midwfe

/ f. thinking about what to do in our current situation

1. suitor

/ g. Biblical reference to a place guaranteed to provide a good life

1. cringed

/ h. opposite of overly proud

1. awkward

/ i. correction or straightening

1. grossly underestimating

/ j. walked around without knowing the way or the final destination

1. wandered aimlessly

/ k. qualities or positive characteristics

1. pondering our predicament

/ l. shame

1. akin to

/ m. not admitting the full magnitude or seriousness of a problem

Vocabulary – Guess the meanings of the italicized words from the following quotes:

1. “He spent years regaling us with stories about his graduate years in America.” (p.8, paragraph 1)

1. yelling at usc. frightening us
2. entertaining usd. boring us

2. “He was to be our own private Rosetta Stone.” (p. 8, paragraph 1)

1. garden rockc. key to uncovering an unknown language
2. rock stard. trash collector

3. “Judging from the bewildered looks of store cashiers, gas station attendants, and waiters, my father spoke a version of English not yet shared with the rest of America.” (p.8, paragraph 2)

1. happyc. terrified
2. entertained d. confused

4. “We wondered how my father had managed to spend several years attending school in America yet remain so utterly befuddled by Americans.”

(p.9, paragraph 2)

1. understoodc. puzzled
2. charmed d. familiarized

5. “His constant attempts at communicating with Americans seemed at first noble and adventurous, then annoying.” ( p. 9, paragraph 4)

1. pleasing c. good
2. delightful d. bothersome

6. “After searching fruitlessly for elbow grease, I asked the salesclerk for help.”

(p. 12, paragraph 2)

a. vigorous effort in cleaningc. pet care powder

b. hand lotiond. hair gel

7. “My mother and I walked home empty handed. That, I later learned, is what Americans call a wild goose chase.” (p. 12, paragraph 3)

a. search for a savage birdc. children’s game

b. search resulting in disappointment d. zoo activity

First, explain what Firoozeh’s father meant by:

8.“homely” and

9.“horny drivers”

10.Then, explain what he actually said and what Americans understood him to mean.

______

______

Group Discussion: Please discuss the following questions.

1. Do you think Firoozeh loved her father and mother? Do you think she respected them? Explain your answer.

1. Which term best describes the tone of Firoozeh’s writing? Provide examples from the text to support your opinion.

a)seriousc) sincere

b)ironicd) angry

1. How old were you when you came to the U.S.? Explain how your experience was similar to or different from Firoozeh’s. If you came with your family, did you experience any of the same kinds of impatience or irritation that Firoozeh felt?

4.Do you read the local newspapers in English? Do you watch T.V. and/or listen to the radio in English? Do you think it is possible to live successfully in the United States without knowing English very well or at all? Support your answer with examples.

5.Have you or has anyone you know been responsible for interpreting for relatives? Share your experience.

6.In what ways have you gotten to know about U.S. culture since you’ve been here? What “American” experiences have you had? What Americans have you gotten to know on more than a casual basis? What American foods or holidays have you been exposed to? Have you taken advantage of local museums, theaters or other attractions? Share them with your group.

7.What is the difference between silverfish and goldfish? Why was it funny when Firoozeh’s mother confused the two?

FIF “In the Gutter” p. 13; "Save Me, Mickey" p. 17

Choose the correct verbs from this list to fill in the blanks in the paragraph below (taken from FIF p. 13): Hint: Look for markers (clues) in other parts of each sentence to help you choose the right verb tense.

growssupportedsurviveservewereremaining

grewhave supported survivedservesareremain

“My father ______up poor in Ahwaz, Iran. His parents ______

at an early age, brought down by maladies readily cured today. He and his siblings

______through teamwork, and now, even though they ______

well into their seventies and have many kids and grandkids, they ______the

central players in one another’s lives. They ______one another through

deaths and illnesses and rejoiced in one another’s good fortune. … The unbreakable bond

between my father and his siblings ______as a testimonial that even

though their parents lived very short lives, they did something right.”

1. What was the result of Kazem’s “hardscrabble life?”

1. In your culture, how much praise is given for:
2. trying
3. competence
4. excellence?

1. Look up Bowling for Dollars on the internet. What was it? What was Firoozeh’s father’s relationship with BFD?

1. Can you name other things besides bowling that “look easy from your sofa?”

In your group, list and discuss attractions you have seen in California.

Name / Attraction 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Name
Name
Name

1. What are the “little things” that impressed Kazem about America? What are the “little things” (if any) that impress you?

1. Do you enjoy activities in small groups or do you prefer large groups? Which did Kazem prefer? What about Firoozeh?

1. Where did Firoozeh get lost? Have you ever gotten lost? Where? When?

1. Go to Faculty Home Pages/Kathryn Sucher/ESL11A/Week 9. Download and read the short story “Wilshire Bus.” Why was the Korean man wearing a button that said, “I am not Japanese?” Define “racial profiling.” Have you ever been racially profiled (e.g. at the airport)?

1. Use the internet to find out what the author meant when she said the boy was “trapped in the Tower of Babel?” (p.21)

1. What was the cause of Kazems’ “newfound appreciation” for Firoozeh (p.22)? What was the result?

FIF “Swoosh-Swoosh” p. 24; "With a Little Help from My Friends" p. 31

Vocabulary:

The words listed in the left hand column come from the reading. For each word, write the part of speech, a definition and a sample sentence. The first one is done for you.

Part of Speech / Definition / Sample Sentence
1. upheaval / noun / violent change or disturbance / Firoozeh’s relatives came to America after the political upheaval in Iran.
2. tabula rasa
3. proximity
4. enlighten
5. unsuspecting
6. uncanny
7. encapsulate
8. slumber party
9. avalanche
10. frenzied
11. handicrafts
12. hosted
13. beneficiary
14. generosity

1. Are you very familiar with world geography? How did you study geography in school? In your experience, how familiar are Americans with world geography?

1. Have people in this country ever asked you ignorant questions about your country or culture? Give an example.

1. How does a person become a ”worthy representative” of his/her homeland? Are you a “worthy representative” of your homeland? Why?

FIF “Bernice” p. 27; "A Dozen Key chains" p. 42

1. Firoozeh writes: “In America, I have an ‘ethnic’ face…” (p.37) What does she mean? Do you have an ‘ethnic’ face?

1. Firoozeh says that in Newport Beach, “if not blond, then______.” (p.38) What does she mean?

1. Bernice heard that Firoozeh was Persian, but thought she said ______. (p. 39)

1. Firoozeh found that people in ______were either thrilled or horrified to meet an Iranian. (p.40) Why?

Vocabulary Word / Synonym / Antonym
ethnic
thrilled
horrified
mandatory
foreign
ancestry
curvature
hostage
fascist

1. In your culture/in your family do the decisions of men count for more than the decisions of women? Why? Give an example.

1. Look up summer camps on the internet. Name one. What is camp? Do youngsters in your country usually go to summer camp?

1. Why was Firoozeh embarrassed at the bus stop?

1. Why did Firoozeh decide not to bathe during the entire week at camp?

1. Whom did Firoozeh appreciate and why?

1. Why did she wish she could take a bath after the play?

1. Why did she lie to her father about enjoying camp?

Vocabulary matching:

Word / Definition
1. aversion / a. estimation of character
2. reputation / b. supposedly having divinely inspired power, very attractive or persuasive
3. prowess / c. decorous, decent, pure
4. charismatic / d. perfumed body powder
5. modest / e. position or condition
6. talcum / f. distaste, hatred, avoidance
7. status / g. ability, competence

FIF “You Can Call Me Al” p. 50; "Of Mosquitoes and Men" p. 57

Matching:Match the clue in column A to the answer in column B. There may be more than one possible answer per clue.

AB

1. Firoozeh’s father’s favorite place in the worlda) a red haired man

1. The family’s safe travel ritualb) the all-you-can-eat buffet

1. Firoozeh’s father’s favorite restaurantc) a red haired woman

1. Sign of bad luckd) holding the Koran over the doorframe

1. American eating phenomenone) Denny’s

1. Boring vacation spot, f) Las Vegas, Nevada

according to Kazem and Nazireh

g) Kauai, Hawaii

h) the sight of Nazireh approaching a gaming table

1. Have you ever been to Yosemite National Park? Locate it on a map or using the internet. Why did Firoozeh’s family leave Yosemite in such a hurry?

2.Are you a planner or an adventurer? When you travel do you like to have your accommodations reserved in advance or do you like to try to find an interesting place to stay when you get to your destination? Compare your method to Kazem’s.

Vocabulary:

Word or expression / Part of Speech / Definition / Sample sentence
exhibiting
psychologist
honeymoon
breathtaking
affluence
predictable
exotic
hardship
to brush up on
something
itching for adventure

FIF “The ‘F’ Word” p. 62; "Waterloo" p. 68

1. Why did Firoozeh find her name problematic? Why did she decide to change her name? What new name did she choose and why? Do you have both a name from your country and an Americanized name?

1. View the video “True Colors.” Answer the pre and post viewing questions. Then explain what Firoozeh meant when she said, “Call it coincidence, but the job offers started coming in.” on FIF p. 65 (paragraph 3)

Matching:

Match the clue in column A with the answer in column B. You may need to use some answers for more than one clue.

AB

1. “I am the Christopher Columbus of the family.”A. Switzerland

2. gifted swimming instructorB. Firoozeh

3. incapable of learning to swimC. Aunt Parvine

4. female Iranian doctor in SwitzerlandD. Kazem Jazayeri

5. the apogee of civilization for IraniansE. Farid

FIF “America, Land of the Free” p. 74; "The Ham Amendment" p. 82

1. Research Thanksgiving on the internet. How does Firoozeh’s extended family spend the holiday? Are their customs similar to or different from most Americans’? How did you celebrate last Thanksgiving?

1. Kazem gives thanks for ______.

1. Firoozeh gives thanks for ______.

1. View the film Molly’s Pilgrim and answer the pre and post viewing questions.

List 2 similarities between Firoozeh’s experience as a child immigrant and Molly’s.

a.

b.

1. Kazem celebrates his birthday on ______(date). Why?
2. What allure did Price Club (Costco), Denny’s, and time shares hold for Kazem?

Explain the significance of each of the following terms in Firoozeh’s life:

1. ham

1. Islam

1. oil

1. the Shah

FIF “Treasure Island” p. 88

Fill in the blanks with the correct tense of the verb indicated. Remember to watch for irregular forms and logical vs. illogical shifts in tense.

“When he 1.______ up in Ahwaz, one of my father’s greatest joys

a. grow b. grew c. was growing d. growed

was going to the movies. Had it been up to him, he would have happily spent his

entire childhood in front of the big screen, dreaming his life away. But movies

2.______a ticket, and tickets 3.______money.

a. required b. require c. were requiring a. cost b. costed c. costing

My father’s father, Javad, 4.______wheat fields outside Ahwaz.

a. owned b. owns c. was own

When it 5. ______, the wheat 6.______and there

a. rain b. raining c. rained a. grew b. grow c. grows

7.______money for movies, sometimes three in one month. When it

a. is b. was c. are

8______, which was often in Ahwaz’s arid climate, money

a. no rain b. not rained c. did not rain

______scarce. My father grew up looking at clouds and always hoping

a. was b. is c. are

for rain.” (FIF p.88)

Chronology:

Despite many “stumbling blocks,” Kazem was able to travel to the U.S., accept his Fulbright Scholarship and study in Austin, Texas, USA. Put Kazem’s wild flurry of events into chronological order. First, number the events as they happened: 1, 2, 3 -- then ADD a marker, such as first, next, then, after that, finally, etc. to indicate the correct order of events. Rewrite the corrected chronology on a separate paper in paragraph form.

A postal clerk informed Kazem that he had received an important letter a month earlier that could not be delivered.
Kazem was denied a passport because his identification booklet did not contain a death certificate – even though he was alive!
Kazem saw a poster, filled out a Fulbright scholarship form, and began dreaming about studying in America, even though his classmate told him Fulbrights were only awarded to rich and influential people.
He dreamed that someday he would return to America with his own children,…who would have access to the same educational opportunities as…the sons of senators and the rich.
Kazem complained of loneliness, asked to transfer to a livelier school, and was assigned a personal hostess to introduce him to the cultural life of the U.S.
By the time he arrived in Austin, he had already missed thirty-five of the forty-day orientation.
He returned to Abadan, quit his job, bid a teary goodbye to his sister,…and boarded a plane for Texas.
Kazem met Einstein.
Kazem obtained a passport thanks to the help of a kind administrator.
He went to Tehran for five days, but ended up staying 25 days.

©Hartnett, D. & Lodmer, E., Santa Monica College, 2005