Status Updates From A Place at the Table

Wreaths aren’t exactly a Hanukkah tradition, but at least Mom is trying.

This is true. Hanukkah wreaths aren't traditional at all. Lol!!

I'm still waiting to see how Elizabeth and Sara are going to get in trouble for using the ice cream maker at school without adult supervision. 🤔

I'm guessing that Elizabeth and Sara are about to get into trouble for using the ice cream machine in the classroom when they weren't supposed to.

Elizabeth tried to call out Maddy for being racist, but Maddy externalized/deflected the blame. 😠🙄 Still, Elizabeth gets an A for effort.

I'm so ready for someone to tell Maddy off. Hopefully Elizabeth will do that. Maddy needs to get hers. 😠

I nod vigorously. 'Exactly. Pizza changes to suit the culture of the people eating it. It’s basically like America itself. We all come from different places, and then we settle here and try to be American, but still retain our distinct flavors.'

That's an intriguing way to think about pizza. I like this idea.

But I know bubbles don’t last forever. There’s another part of me, my brain, perhaps, that’s telling me this is too good to be true.

I can relate to Sara's feelings. She's worried that her friendship with Elizabeth might be too good to be true. It can be easy to be skeptical of new people in one's life after dealing with cruelty from other people. Been there, done that.

Elizabeth still wants to hold on to Maddy to an extent even though her behavior is horrendous and racist. I guess their friendship is complicated because they were close in the past.

I looked up tindas because I didn't know what they were. They're a gourd from South Asia. It's fun to learn about a new food.

This is the true Elizabeth, in all her nerdy glory. I realize we all hide some parts of ourselves, crowding them into our bedrooms, where only our best friends can see.

This is a good point. 🙂

The Harry Potter references are starting to wear on me. There aren't a lot of them, but J.K. Rowling pisses me off, so they're getting to me.

Somehow I got two grandmothers who are amazing cooks and a mom who thinks Thanksgiving stuffing should come from a box.

Stovetop!! Lol!! 😆

I’m so angry, my voice shakes when I say, 'I hate it when people treat Mom like she’s not really Jewish.'

I was born Jewish, but I get where Elizabeth is coming from wrt her mom and the way that Elizabeth's bubbe treats her.

Thanksgiving break is next week. Two half-days followed by Wednesday through Sunday off school. I’m dreading being stuck at home, where Mom’s sadness hangs over everything like the smell of burnt toast.

Elizabeth's mom's grief is understandable and relatable.

Sara seems like she's going to be overwhelmed since she'll be working on two big projects for school. Good for her for correcting the art teacher's pronunciation of her name. 🙂

I agree with Sara about how friends stand up for each other. That's what being a good friend means to me. Elizabeth seems nervous about standing up for Sara in situations where Sara faces bigotry. I get why that might feel difficult, but standing up for a friend is always worth it.

Continued from my previous update.

I also learned not to be ignorant too.

Maddy's racist comment did not surprise me. These authors have done well with writing a detestable character. 😯😑

My mouth is frozen so tightly shut, I can’t even tell Maddy that not all Muslims are Arabs.

This was drilled into me by one of my high school humanities teachers. My classmates and I had to repeat back to her, 'Not all Muslims are Arab, and not all Arabs are Muslim.' I'm grateful for this because it meant that I was learning the truth.

On Christmas morning, there were pillowcases full of presents at the ends of our beds. That’s an English tradition. It’s way better than stockings by the fireplace.

I didn't know about pillowcases full of presents, but I know nothing about Christmas traditions in England. So that's not surprising. 😅 Again, it's fun to learn while I read.

My dad grew up in three different states, all along the East Coast. He doesn’t understand how Mom can miss a place almost as much as she misses a person.

Elizabeth really relates to and understands her mom.

Maddy continues to be a fucking brat. Not surprising. 😑😣

I liked reading about the girls's discussion regarding religion, though. 🙂

Elizabeth and Sara's mothers have hit it off wrt their friendship. The girls themselves have different opinions about Maddy, and Elizabeth continues to be blasé about Maddy's shitty behavior. Not the most fun thing to read about. 😥😶

This book is making me crave South Asian food. 😮😆 Fortunately, I have the ingredients for tikka at home. My mom and I just need more chicken.

As Mama drops our samosas into the spattering oil, Elizabeth proclaims, 'Hey! It’s a Pakistani knish!' Everyone stares at her, but a few girls nod.

That's an interesting way to think of samosas. I can see how samosas are similar to knishes, but samosas have more flavor tbh. Also, knishes can be baked. Frying them isn't the only option.

Elizabeth has a lot to learn about exoticism from Sara. I can understand why Elizabeth didn't see the harm in saying, 'I'm sugar. You're spice.' But, at the same time, I get why Sara wasn't fond of the comment and what it implied.

There are some uber religious Christians who are against Halloween in the United States, but that depends on the family and their level of religiosity. That's interesting to me because I see Halloween as harmless. However, everyone thinks of things differently.

But Halloween is a holiday with pagan roots, against the teachings of Islam.

This answers a question that I've had for over a year. I'm glad that I'm learning from reading this book. 🙂

I was right that Sara was jealous of the kids who went trick-or-treating. Perhaps that was a bit predictable, but that's okay.