Ostoliya
“What’s your occupation?” asked a strict customs agent. Muna looked at him innocently and said, “Yes, we are occupied.” You see, Muna is an FOB woman (Fresh Off the Boat) who came from Palestine and was about to begin her Dream-Big journey in America.
Yes, ‘Amreeka’ is a result of a phonetic transfer for ‘America’. It’s spelled Alif Mim Ra Ya Kaf Alif in Arabic. So it’s not the Arabs’ fault to pronounce it that way. In fact, it’s a perfect transfer which shouldn’t be considered as ‘foreign’ by the Americans. But in this poignant movie, it reflects more than a linguistic complexity. The transfer of cultures, of beliefs, and of hearts, is evident. Muna, a fat single mother, symbolizes an independent soul who gets through all the tough ‘immigration checkpoints’ in her new life in America. Fadi, her 16-year-old son, (whose name sounds like ‘fatty’ in American pronunciation) embodies a naïve soul who faces the conflict between an exciting settlement and an unexpected estrangement.
But for Muna and Fadi, America will always be Amreeka. And as for me, Australia will always be, er… Ostoliya.
.jpg "Big Lesson")
Salam,
Hilmi,
Elo….panjenyolah….
Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha 1430 H.