THE KITE RUNNER by Khaled Hosseini

[kampanaryo_spy]

badung,

madayaw na yaka relate kaw nan TKR.

TKR has a lot of resonance for us pinoys because there are many similarities between afghan and pinoy culture as shown in/by the book, amo?

and afghans even have their own translation of "puhon, malooy an ginoo!" how's that again? inshallah?!

for the longest time i didn't know how to state in english the things that we did when we were young. yaon magpatalipsay balitaw nan bato sa suba? molaong dayon balitaw kita, adesir magpatalipsay: TALIPSAY, TALIPSAY, BAROTONG GAGMAY! when i reached that page where amir and hassan played 'talipsay,' i was so glad that, right there and then, i copied the sentence word for word! hahaha

but we didn't do what hassan did before he flew his kite: kicking the sand to know the direction of the wind. kami naadi, deretcho sa lang palupad. that was ingenious of hassan, right?

haven't started "A Thousand Splendid Suns," though i have smelled the book more than a thousand times. hahaha fetish ko yaon simhut-simhuton an libro. strangely enough, i found out that most of my writer-friends do the same also.

[badung]

K-spy,

Sorry, it took me a long time to say something. I tried to recall if I ever did play talipsay with my friends before, kay wara say bato sa bungtod. Wara bagan. An ako inkadumduman, sige kamin kaligo sa suba, tapos mangumbabit kami sa katig nan mga pumpboat na molarga, tapos kon layo-layuay na, amo pa mobuhi tapos molangoy pabalik sa kilid nan suba. Basta manga itumi kay bagan kami adto.

But of course, we also flew kites before. Papel de hapon, kawayan, tingkal. Tapos adto dayon dapit sa eskuylahan sa bungtod. It was unlike the kite flying and running that took place in the story kay wara say bagan adto contest naadi; basta sa lang adto kita gapalupad, di ba? But while I was reading the novel, I felt like I was in Kabul. Baba, Amir, Hassan and Ali were like our very own kababayans. Kay nanga sa may household help pa sa taraw sila Amir?

I like Amir. For someone who has received a tremendous amount of love from his father and from his best friend, his transformation is a message of hope. Suddenly, he was not the man he used to be.

I missed Baba. He was an excellent father. His mistake of sleeping with his servant was only a manifestation of how sinful man is. But he had a really big, big heart. I was also crying when Ali and Hassan were leaving since Baba was begging them not to. I loved Baba more when he worked at the gas station. Some people would just do everything for a son.

[badung]

Suddenly, he was not the man he used to be.

Aduy, K-spy, amo da sa baya ini nan kanta.

[kampanaryo_spy]

K-spy,

I like Amir. For someone who has received a tremendous amount of love from his father and from his best friend, his transformation is a message of hope. Suddenly, he was not the man he used to be.

I missed Baba. He was an excellent father. His mistake of sleeping with his servant was only a manifestation of how sinful man is. But he had a really big, big heart. I was also crying when Ali and Hassan were leaving since Baba was begging them not to. I loved Baba more when he worked at the gas station. Some people would just do everything for a son.

bads,

what made TKR emotionally wrenching was that there were missed opportunities: hassan not knowing Baba was his father; amir and hassan not knowing they were half-brothers; amir failing to ask hassan for forgiveness.

yes, it was hard not to love baba because he was selfless as to do everything for amir.

do you think ali knew baba's secret?

somewhere, there must be a symbol in the way the author used the names ali&baba? was this a subtle allusion to emotional thievery between ali&baba?

[badung]

K-spy,

Right. Chances are good that many of the readers were moved because of the relationships of the 3 main characters. For such a long time, the truth was kept as a secret and was only told when it was too late and was already impossible for Amir to ask for forgiveness.

I think Ali knew all along. How can a man not know if the son who grew up with him is not his own?

Please tell me about the symbols of Ali and Baba.

[kampanaryo_spy]

never mind the symbol badung. i must be overreading. 8-[

[Alibangbang]

Badung,
somewhere, there must be a symbol in the way the author used the names ali&baba? was this a subtle allusion to emotional thievery between ali&baba?


never mind the symbol badung. i must be overreading. 8-[

K-Spy,

NO...you're not over reading BUT reading below the surface.

Bads, here's why..

Fuse Ali & Baba. This fictional character is arab. Absolutely there is symbolism in the way the author used the names. Surely, for one thing, they stole happiness from each other).

[kampanaryo_spy]

abb,

hahaha a throwback to "A Thousand and One Arabian Nights."

i wonder if there's a discussion about this---the symbol i'm hinting at----in the discussion boards for TKR.

kon writing workshop pa lugar ini, iya-iya kitan spin nan theory on why---of all names---the author chose Ali and Baba.

makes me think: between ali and baba, who opened and closed the emotional sesame?

[Alibangbang]

bwuahahahahah....scare me!!!! How did you sneak up on me like that????

Aren't you supposed to be on the road?

================
hahahaha yes...the tale of Ali Baba and The Forty Thieves

Most likely there was, still is, lingering discussion. Remember... the need to cover all the bases, cross the t's and dot the i's.

K-Spy, I thought it was a no brainer, 100% proof luck. Ali & Baba, A and B, first and second checked! Baba, "father" was a sure thing and why not Ali? It's as common as Tom, Dick and Harry in that part of the world.

But now I realized ---a lot of thinking must have gone into it to make the connections, symbolism. You're right.

As to who opened and closed? They alternate??? Hope one won't forget the magic word on the way out But seriously how I would have wanted to be a fly on the wall at the editor's office when he and the author were plotting this one. You? Who do you think?

[kampanaryo_spy]

abb,

as i said, i don't wanna overread. in short, up to first level appreciation da lamang naa ako.

[Alibangbang]

abb,

as i said, i don't wanna overread. in short, up to first level appreciation da lamang naa ako.

K-Spy,
Teaser!!!!
Now it’s me who’s over reading "and" over analyzing!

Now, revisit this scene... –
“I looked at the photo. Your father was a man torn between two halves, Rahim Khan had said in this letter” then the narration went on about his fortunate side of half and his half brother's unfortunate side of half. We know why but, why is the line italicized not in quotation mark? "&" nevermind... I'm just over reading "&" over analyzing

Bads,

Re: Your point, "I think Ali knew all along. How can a man not know if the son who grew up with him is not his own?"

Right. Ali POSITIVELY knew Hassan was NOT his son. Remember the scene when Rahim spilled the beans?

Sanaubar wasn’t Ali’s first wife remember? He was once before married to a Hazara woman from the Jaghori (?) area. They were married for 3 years. She left him childless after three years then went to marry a man from some place else and . . . she bore him three daughters!!!.

Ali&Baba both knew that Ali was STERILE.
In a country where public opinion matters most, good did came out from bad - - - they save each other from public "lip service" after all Ali did produced a son and Baba kept his wholesome image intact.


K-Spy/Bads,
Nah pakatugon kona isab si TKR.

[kampanaryo_spy]

K-Spy,

Now, revisit this scene... –
“I looked at the photo. Your father was a man torn between two halves, Rahim Khan had said in this letter”

Nah pakatugon kona isab si TKR. [/color][/b]

abb,

italicization is a narrative device for establishing time or emphasizing attribution. hmmm, methinks it's still a long way to TKR's bedtime.

[kampanaryo_spy]

abb,

In today's Entertainment section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, it says that “Kite Runner” movie hits snags.

Ouch!

The 12-year old Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada, who plays Hassan, fears he and his family could be ostracized or even attacked because of a rape scene that he says he reluctantly acted in---a sequence the family wants cut.

Double ouch! But it's a pivotal scene!

Ahmad’s father says that in “Afghanistan, rape is not acceptable at all. This is against Afghan dignity. This is against Afghan culture.”

Ahmad who looks cuter than Zekiria Ebrahimi who plays Amir is paid $10,000, a hefty sum in Afghanistan, where teachers earn only about $70 per month. But the boy with the endearing crooked smile says he would never have taken the role had he known Hassan is raped. The family found out about the scene only days before it was shot.

HWAAAT!!!???!!! The book, what about the book?

Ahmad replies: “They didn’t give me the script. They didn’t give me the story of the ‘The Kite Runner.’ If I knew about the story, I wouldn’t have participated as an actor in this film.”

Hmmmm…..hype, anyone?

[Alibangbang]

K-Spy,

Hmmmm….very, very interesting. Yes the rape scene is crucial. TKR is not TKR without it.

Below is what I fount out.

“Manizha Naderi, an Afghan-American working in Kabul, said that if the film gets a lot of publicity, the family has reason for concern.

“If people don’t see it, then nobody knows, but it people see it, then… they’ll blame the family and say, ‘You’re giving Afghans a bad name’ “ Naderi said.

Mahmidzada said the company has promised to take care of his family if anything happens to them as a result of the film.

“I’m afraid for the security of my son, and for the security of my family” he said. “I’m not only concerned about threats from my neighbors or relatives. I’m concerned about threats from all Afghan people.

Now get this…..

Although he (Ahmad Khan) did not particularly like playing the rape scene, he enjoyed shooting the film and WANTS TO ACT MORE.

His (Mahmidzada the father) suggestion to the film company? “THEY SHOULD TAKE US OUT OF AFGHANISTAN”.

Hmmmmmmmm…..deepens eh? The best place to pursue acting is anywhere BUT Afghanistan.

You're right....is this hype or is this HYPE?

[kampanaryo_spy]

abb,

just saw the trailer of TKR.

Whew!

VISUALLY ARRESTING!

here's the link: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809765419/video/3598984/