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Today, we talked about the first 172 pages of the book "The Best We Could Do"
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Today, we talked about the first 172 pages of the book "The Best We Could Do"
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A group of friends discuss their favorite genres of books and their thoughts on a book they are reading. They also analyze the role of masculinity in different cultures and discuss the illustrations in the book. In another conversation, they discuss the concept of proximity and closeness in relationships. Okay, it's recording. So, can everyone like introduce themselves and say like their name, what genres they like to read, and yeah. Alright, I'll start. So, hi, I'm Justina, and I like science, science fiction. Hi, I'm Kim. Mom, by the way. Uh, actually, I like a couple genres, but my favorite used to be horror, and now I'm not really sure, but probably still horror. Hi, my name is Alexandra, and I can read like any book. Like, I don't really care about the genre. Hi, my name is Soleil. I'm probably the youngest of the whole club. Um, I like a lot of genres. I like fiction, historical fiction, but I lean towards fantasy. That's so awesome. Yeah, um, I'm worthing. I read, I also read mostly fantasy books because, yeah, I hate the world. So, yeah. I'm just gonna check if it's... Alright, so what did everyone like think of the parts that we've read so far? Oh, look at the cat. It glued me. It glued me for a minute. It was okay. I was not expecting it to be this heavy. Well, also, I think it kind of gives me a new perspective, because I don't think I've read that much about poverty or like having big families and the struggles that they go through, so I think it kind of opened my eyes to a new world. Because this is very real. Like, this is realistic fiction or based off of a true story. I don't really read those, especially historical ones. Yeah, I don't want to have a kid anymore. Because, like, I saw a part where, like, cats would give birth. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. I was like, oh. It's like exciting. Yeah, I was like, oh my god, you have to, like, swallow the baby. And I was like, oh. Okay, so for the question for the first chapter is, if we look at, like, the first chapter is all about her giving birth to her daughter, right? So if we talk about her husband, the main character's name is T. I don't know if I'm pronouncing it right, but her husband is Travis, and he stays in the room throughout while she's giving birth. And then we learn that her mom's husband, her dad, did not, like, stay in the room during her birth. Yeah, I think he was at the movie theater. I think, how do you guys think this highlights masculine roles in each culture? Okay. So it's like, he doesn't care much about, like, his daughter. Instead, he thought, like, he could just leave it to her, and then she, like, can't deliver. I would say it's more aiming towards, like, difference in time, but, like, difference in the year, I guess? Because, like, the father and mother of the main character is from an older generation, so, like, maybe in the past, like, female had to do, like, all the things, and then, like, children and taking care of children has nothing to do with males, but I think it changed now? Yeah. Because it was, like, more, like, the men, they expected the women to, like, give birth to their baby and, like, carry down their bloodline and stuff like that. So it was, like, expected for, like, the main character's mom to just give birth to the baby. Yeah. And I think even the first chapter really highlights all the things that happen, that people kind of neglect. Like, we've noticed, you know, like, brave mothers are, and all, like, the pain and stuff, and that they have to go through to have us, so I think it really talks about that. Because this whole time, we don't really see the dad, right? He's just there afterwards to say, oh, good job, I'll bring you some food, some warm food and stuff, but I don't think, like, there's some sort of compassion, but also they can't, they wouldn't be able to really understand, like, what the parents or the mom has been going through. Yeah, I think it also has to do with, like, the circumstance. Like, the circumstance where, at one point later in the book, I think we hear about how her mom also gave birth to people, like, in the road and stuff when they were fleeing Vietnam. And this, she's, like, in a delivery room with drugs, she, like, has a bunch of doctors around her, so maybe, I feel like maybe it's even the dad, for a thief, should have, like, been more present when there's worse circumstances for the birth, you know? Did you guys have any notes for chapter one? Can I share something I really like about, like, the picture? Like, they don't try to make it, like, not more scary, so when you see the picture, you see how serious the situation is. Like, when she gave birth to a baby, you can, like, almost feel what the character is feeling, in a sense. I was going to say, like, for the pictures, and, like, I guess it's a graphic novel, right? So, like, for instance, in the place where, like, she mentions that it's only her husband that's in, like, before, during, when she was giving birth, and not her mother, and then, like, the spotlight was on the empty chair in the corner, and that, like, and then the rest was really dark, like, including herself, which means, like, I guess this, it sort of portrays emotion, like, negative, you see, like, that lonely chair. Okay, and just to add on, also, the art style, it's very different from what we would usually read, because we're reading manga and stuff, all the characters would be, like, super pretty, like, really attractive. But this, I think, the reason I think this is such a heavy topic, as well, is because the art style is very realistic. It's, like, they just look like ordinary people that you would see in real life, or that could happen to us, as well. And I think, I think that's why, when I was reading it, it was, like, very heavy and gloomy, like what Justin said earlier. Like, even the bags under her eyes, as well, after she gives birth, on page 18, like, you could see the eye bags underneath her eyes, after, and, like, her visibly getting skinnier and stuff like that. I think that, those are all very realistic. Yeah, I don't think that the illustrator is glamorizing anything. Like, she's, because in other books, I feel like they kind of, if they're talking about something negative, I feel like they glamorize it, kind of, just to make the audience, like, stay hooked into the book. But this book is hooking us in, like, a different way, a more, like, you want to know what other bad things are going to happen, or what else is going to happen with the story. So, do you want to move on to chapter two? So, if we look at the picture at the bottom of page 30, we can see that, in the chasm, there's two sides of it. Page 30? Yeah, page 30. Oh my god! Yeah, yeah, my bad. I just didn't see it. Wait, where? Oh my god, now I don't see it. I think it's just the words. Oh, it's the words. What do you guys think the two sides are? Like, what is she talking about? Okay, so, she says it's one, I guess, one side is, like, she's close to them, in the way that they're family, but the other side is that she doesn't really know, like, what happened. Like, before she did all the research, she didn't really know why, like, her parents acted this way. So, it was, like, it was, like, close but not close. That is my idea. You can change it, yeah. Yeah, I think it's, the way that she specified it is more of a personal interpretation. So, she's using, like, context clues, which I'm also a bit confused. Earlier, the author said, but I fear if you're around them, I will always be a child, and they will be a symbol to her. So, it would be, like, the two sides that isn't, like, defined, but also, it's, like, how they view them. So, parents will always view their child as, like, oh, even if they're, like, 20 or 30, you know, they will always be a child to them. The way I interpreted it was that Bo is the past while Ma is the present. Okay, so, on page 31, there's a quote that says, proximity and closeness are not the same. I think that was more of a metaphor, you know. So, I think, never mind, you know, for festivals, it's just, I would say, let me change it, because I was thinking about it, too. Maybe it was between love and, like, hate, because, like, yeah, yeah, because, like, the relationship is, like, really chaotic if we read in the, like, later on, and also, like, I guess they did hint a little bit before. Like, when her mother comes to see her at birth, but then doesn't go in. Yeah, like that. I mean, yeah, I think this is just, like, what I can kind of relate to. So, there are certain people who I'm in proximity with that I'm close to, so, like, they're physically near me, but then there are also people that I'm close to but aren't within my proximity. For example, Alexandra, I barely see her in school. We don't even sit together to share any lunch and stuff, but I would consider us close, even though she's not within, like, proximity. But then there could also be people who, like, my classmates, who I can interact with every day, but we're not, like, close. I think that's a personal thing. Yeah, and then here, like, proximity and closeness. So, she's pretty close. Like, she's proximity-ly. Like, this is, like, I need to fix the word choice. She's not, like, she's close to her parents, but, like, not, like, good closeness kind of close. Physically? Physically close, yeah. Physically close to her parents, but they, like, raise her and all that stuff. But, um, after, like, her dad, Beau? Yeah, he's not, like, close, close with him, because he's, you know, he's, like, scared. She doesn't want to, like, interact that much with her dad, so, yeah. I kind of agree with, like, I can relate to this character, because, I mean, I live with my dad. It's, like, a physical proximity, but it's, like, I don't feel, like, you know, what I feel with my mom with him. Yeah. I kind of thought about it as, like, proximity is physical distance while closeness is the emotional, and then I thought, because Ma and Beau, they live together, right? But I don't think that they were, while they were living together, I don't think they were really communicating well. Like, maybe they were sleeping in the same bed, but they weren't, like, sharing ideas or thoughts. I want to add onto that, but it might be a little bit off topic, but, like, I guess it's just, like, you're communicating, and, like, I think communication is what, like, makes people close. Yeah. Yeah. Just extra thoughts. Communication is key. Should we go on to chapter three? Yeah. Okay. If we think about what job that Beau wanted to have, to, like, help out into the family, he wanted to be, he wanted to be a teacher, and we can, we know that in Vietnam he was also a teacher. Yeah. So I thought maybe that was, like, him trying to connect back with how life was for him in Vietnam. Can I just say, sorry, bringing us back, age 30, I thought it was, like, something about the art style, I thought it was really cool, because it's, I'm not sure, but it's the country on her back in Vietnam. So I think, I just wanted to point out how I thought it was really cool, and also the fact that, in one of the pages, oh, in page 38, they said, I love you, as opposed to my mother, I love you sticks in the throat, which is very true, especially for Asian parents, but also parents in general, because I think we're still not used to being that affectionate with our parents, so they use different ways to show us that they love us, even though we may think that, oh, they're just nagging us, or, like, they're, especially five-year-olds, like, my mom would probably suggest, like, oh, this would look really good on you, or, you should try it on your sister, but I think that's just their way of, like, translating and showing love. I think, culture-wise, you know, because my parents, they're, well, wait, like, they're not afraid to say, I love you, right? They're like, I love you, I love you, I love you, I'm like, okay, thank you, I love you, too. Yeah, yeah, it's hard for us, but I'm, do we have, like, grandparents? No? Yeah, grandparents. They don't, but, like, my mom and dad do. Yeah, I don't remember my grandparents, like, I kind of, like, hmm, they say I miss you, but I don't really say the words, I love you, that often, it's like, yeah. Yeah, yeah, my mom's love language is also food, like, after, like, getting into a fight, she comes into my room with a bowl of food, like, she's like, here, I'm like, okay, thank you. I was, like, you know, during, like, some break where you go back, and I'm like, I get, like, heavy, like, heavier, like, one or two, sometimes three kilograms back to Taiwan, because, like, you dump so much food. Yeah, I have, like, the, kind of, like, same experience as Alexandra, because one parent's American, one parent's British, my American parents are constantly saying I love you, like, almost too much, like, embarrassing, but my dad, I think he said I love you to me one time, and I cried, because it's, like, it was the only time he ever said it, but I think that's changing a lot now, because he's more comfortable saying I love you to my younger brother, yeah, so. Favoritism, but whatever, it's fine. Did you guys have any other notes for Chapter 3? Chapter 3, Chapter 3. Wait, like, what, what, can you just chop the three down to one? To three to one. I think it just lays out all the modes of a relationship in a family. So, I think earlier we discussed this, that Bo went to the movies when the main character's mom was going through labor. I think he's just, also, it kind of connects back to positivity and closeness as well, so, it's how they're both, it's just, they just lack so much communication. Like, in Chapter 2, Bo says, your mother is always saying things to make me look bad, which I don't think should be a common occurrence within a family as well, between, like, husband and wife. And she said, you went to the movies, and he's like, I was there for camp first, which is like, okay, yeah. But, like, you weren't there for, somebody else, when somebody else was born, which, yeah. Okay, I also have additional notes. So, like, on page 31, I like the fact, like, when they, like, it's also about the art. So, like, when they were talking about how, like, the main character and her brother were, like, home, at home, and then, like, was her father, it would be, like, What time? Okay, there was an interruption, so we didn't, so, yeah. Okay. So, I was going to say on page 71, and then, like, basically, just the pictures again, and then, like, I was going to say, like, I really liked how, for, when she described how she and her brother were alone with her father, they were, like, in three separate panels with just the smoke of her father's, like, connecting the panels. I would say, like, they feel like they're in separate worlds, like, they don't talk, I guess, and also, but, like, they can all smell the smoke. Yeah, that's what I think it's representing. And also, and there's a personal connection in page 81, so, like, when she was talking about, like, how she was scared to go out at night, like, around the house, because it was really dark. Like, I also had that, but, like, it wasn't because it was, like, I was scared of, like, the people there. Like, I knew my mom was somewhere, but, like, just because it was dark, I didn't want to go out, and then when I went out, I would also, like, convince myself that nothing was going to, like, come out to me, because, like, yeah, we're, like, in different, like, universes or something like that. I think in the sense, like, where you're at, like, in Taiwan, it's pretty safe to be, like, outside at night. Oh, I mean in the house. In the house? Yeah, yeah. Oh, my gosh. Like, when you don't have to get, like, go to the bathroom or get something to drink. Yeah, when I was younger, I used to, like, sometimes in the middle of the night, I would really want to go pee, but then... You wouldn't go? I wouldn't go, and I would dream of me peeing. What does it actually feel like? I don't know if I actually peed or not, but it was just because, like, it was so dark outside. I always thought that there was going to be, like, something, like, haunting me or something. Yeah, I know, like... Like, after 3 a.m., like... No, like, yeah. I don't know how they come out. I don't hang my legs, like, off the bed. I do now, but, like... They will tickle my toes. Because some sort of monster will come out and eat them. I don't know why I would think my toes is, like, yummy, but, like, you know... I don't think so, but I think something would think it's yummy. Yeah. I think I would convince myself that I was, like, acting like a badass, so I would go out. Oh, I would only go out. Because people would be, like... My brother would say, like, I dare you, you're not going to do it. So I would be, like, oh, really? And then I would go and do it. I would go out if my sister, like, wanted to go out. I would go out. Because then I would, like, suddenly need to go out. But, like, if not, I wouldn't go out. Okay. I think another thing about it is the way they portray abuse. Earlier, Worthing, you said that... This is so funny. I know! No, because we were literally talking about monsters biting off our toes off, and then... Anyways, back to abuse, right? No, but... I think what you said earlier, Worthing, about not glamorizing it, because it is... I think... Because Bo also lived a pretty hard life, moving in to a place that he's so not familiar with, and where he looks different from a lot of people, so... Wasn't there this kid who spit that gum on him? Oh, yeah. So I think that pressure alone, and the fact that he had to raise two kids while his wife was away, I think it was four. Yeah, two girls and a boy. Yeah, same thing at home with two kids. Okay. And also, kids can get noisy sometimes, so I could get why. But also, he... There's this one... Oh, yeah. Sometimes he played... Page 72. Sometimes he played with us, and it was good, but the problem was we never knew when his anger would strike. I love the illustration. Yeah, and I think that was so scary, to be living under that pressure of not knowing when your parent is going to put his anger out on you again. And also, just... I don't know, I think they lived such a harsh life as well. Like, 74, didn't he know that he terrified us? Like, that's... I don't know, I felt really bad reading that part. Yeah, and also, sexual abuse as well. Not just physical. From 74 to 75, when she got that... Oh, the phone call. Yeah, the phone call. Oh, that was... I was going to rate this book 18+. Didn't he, like... Did he blame it on her? No, I don't think so. I just wanted to ask if the person, her neighbor, how did he know when the structure was zero? Okay. That was Chapter 3, right? Yeah. Okay. So, can we look at the quote from page 100? Page 100. Each of Bo's stories about childhood has a different shape but the same ending. What did you... I kind of... That quote kind of stood out to me. I was like, oh, wow. Wait, wait, wait. Yeah, it also stood out to me, but then I kind of forgot about it afterwards. Oh, I was going to... It stood out to me, like, not because of anything else related to the book. It was just because, you know when the elder tells you a story, and then each time it's a little bit different? But, like, the whole structure is around the same. That's what it reminded me of. I was like, oh, yeah. I thought... Oh, sorry. I was going to say, I was going to say, and then you have to listen over and over again and be like, yeah. Mm-hmm. Oh! Yeah, you can talk. I thought it was, like, because I think probably a lot of his stories that he was telling his kids was negative, because he grew up kind of in a negative circumstance. But I think maybe what she means by saying the same ending, she's probably talking about how he came to America, and he had a kid, and he had a wife. So I think he's probably saying... I don't know if maybe he's saying it ended positively, or maybe it's just negative throughout the story. But, yeah. Yeah, because I think in this chapter four is where we can clearly see the reasons why Beau treated his children that way. So his father beat his mother badly, and then they threw her out. So Beau lost his mother at, like, a very young age. And then 114, his father beat him up. Like, he kicked him. When he looked at Beau, he looked, like, in elementary school, right? Yeah. And then he was like, you are not my papa, which is, like... That's sad. Yeah. I was going to ask, do you guys think that Beau considers himself a victim? Like, of his circumstances? I would say to some degree. Like, not completely, but, like, sometimes I guess like, Like, not completely, but, like, sometimes I guess like, he just thinks about it. But other times, like, you know, the other stuff takes over his mind. So, like, he wouldn't think about it. But, like, sometimes, yeah. Because I think at the end of one of the chapters, it was her showing Beau the, like, photos, the drawings that she made, and, like, showing the draft of the book. And he was like, oh, so now you know why I'm not normal. I think that's chapter five. Oh, yeah, I heard that, too. I saw that, too. I just don't know where it is. Page 130. Yeah. And then also, if we see on page 116, there's him talking about how he doesn't want to go see his dad again, it, like, kind of answers the question that we previously would have asked when they were talking about seeing his family back in Vietnam, and he was like, no, there's no point. So there's, like, built-up hatred and resentment there. Yeah. Oh, talk about, like, sorry, talk about how the front connects to the back. I do want to drag us back to, like, the very beginning, like, somewhere where, like, she was telling about, like, where she was born, like, which family she was born in, and then she did, like, draw her siblings, and there were two that were just black. Yeah. I don't know what I was that. That was, like, that, like, I don't know. I think that was the 29th. Oh, 29th. Yeah, yeah, it was, like, I didn't know why, but it looked creepy back then, so I kind of remembered it, and then afterwards, I found out they were dead, but, like, I thought that was cool, too. Yeah. In this chapter, we can see how, like, both childhood sort of, like, shaped his personality, because you got, like, beaten up by his dad, and you saw his mom got kicked out, and you have to, like, escape, and you can see, like, how maybe his harsh personality sort of surfaces, and that's maybe how he treated his children. Oh, yeah. Like, the victim becomes the abuser, or the abused becomes the abuser. Okay. Does anyone else want to say anything else about Chapter 4? Okay, come on. So, for Chapter 5, on page 131, there's a quote that is, Writing about my mother is harder for me. Why do you think it's harder for her to write about her mother? Because it's, like, an agent-parent relationship, and they don't know how to express their love. Like, in the very beginning chapters, you can see, like, trying to, I don't know which page, but you can try to, like, see her mother give her new dresses, like, cooking for her. Oh, yeah. And, like, even though she doesn't, like, really appreciate it, because she has, like, those green vegetables, and then she opens up and, like, oh, it's rice. But you can see how, like, they sort of have this parent-daughter relationship, but it doesn't, you know, work out. Even though her mother just tries to express love. Yeah, I think that's, you know, I was literally saying the example in the book, like, happened to you about the clothes. Like, her mom brought, her mom asked her if she wanted a dress, and she was like, no, I don't want it. And then you were talking about clothes as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, I was thinking that, like, then you can, like, compare to Boo. Boo? Boo? Boo? Okay, whatever. So, like, the main character's father, we use a different word. The main character's father, she has a better relationship with her mother. Like, it's not stranger-ish. So, like, sometimes her own, like, biases, like, you know how when you get close to somebody, like, it's hard to think of them as negative or, like, view them objectively? I think that was why, but yeah. Yeah, because, like, she was closer to her mom. She, like, she saw her mom in, like, her own point of view, like, since she was always with her mom. And then it was harder for her to write it because, like, when her mom talked about her own thoughts and her own point of view, the main character would have been, like, she would have been, like, because, like, she's never, like, seen her mom as, she's only ever seen her mom as her mom, not, like, as someone who's, like, someone, like, individual, like, something, someone, like, who's, like, just someone in general, not, like, she just sees her as her mom. So it's going to be, like, just, you know, so there's going to be, like, some biases and, like, some, like, you're my mom, you're, like, you're my mom, you can't, like, it's just, like, I don't want to explain it, oh my god. I think it's kind of like hearing about, hearing about the stories that your parents had, like, before they had you. Yeah. Like, hearing about how my mom has known me for my whole life, but I haven't known her for all of hers. So it's so, like, my mom met Snoop Dogg once. Like, she had the opportunity to go on a tour bus with him. Like, he invited her on her tour bus, and she told me about that, and I was like, you're lying. What? My dad could have been Snoop Dogg. No! But, um... That's so funny, that was so funny. But, yeah, it's, like, crazy to think that we, like, listened to his music in the car, and then she, like, yeah, crazy. I think, uh, Justine, I agree with what Justine said, because she basically, like, summarized my thoughts. And, yeah, I was thinking of all, like, literally the exact same thing. Also because we developed such a bias, and also I think, um, earlier about the proximity and closeness, she's closer to her mom, and I think to some extent we're all, like, mini versions of our parents. So I think it would be, she said, it's too tied up with my opinion of myself, because I think she understands how similar her and her mom are, to the point that if the way she would portray her mom is essentially a self-reflection of, like, her, herself as well. I think it's very hard to stay objective. I was thinking about that, about how it started off as her giving birth to her daughter, and it's kind of, like, reflecting, like, the story kind of goes back to how, when she was a child, and her mom. So it's kind of like she's comparing her as a mother to her mother. Yeah. Uh, I had more things to talk about. On page 139, there's, like, an image that shows Ma learning how to swim, and then we can compare that to kind of how, like, Bo, Bo learned how to swim, and we can see how different it is. On page 97, there's... Oh, like, cheerful. Yeah. Yeah. I think it was kind of like the difference of the circumstances, whereas Bo kind of grew up really in a negative way, but Ma learned very positively. Yeah. And, like, happy. They're in, like, the same country. Yeah. Um... Oh, on page 150, there's, like, an image that has, like, written things in it, and it says, marriage equals craft slash education equals freedom. What did you guys think about that? You guys, if you marry, like, you won't have, like, a job anymore. Or, I mean, in Asian cultures, like, you won't, like, think of having a job. Wait, can we pause? Sorry. You'll be a housewife. Wait, sorry. Okay, sorry, now. If you marry, you'll have to be a housewife, and then you won't have, like, a free woman traveling. And, I mean, this is selfishly speaking, but you don't have to think of, like, your kids or your husband or your family. You're, like, an individual living organism. And then, but once you're married, that's kind of not happening. And also, if you have education, you'll have more of an international or global sense of what's going on. Like, you'll learn social studies. You'll learn, like, your history. And then you won't, like, be susceptible to propaganda and some other news that are fake. You'll know what is the truth, which, like, gives you the opportunity to free yourself. Okay, because, like, usually when you marry, you, like, you have to start, yeah, you have to start thinking about, like, someone else instead of just yourself. Like, if you want to move to another country, you can't just move directly. You have to, like, talk to your partner and, like, discuss about that. And if your partner doesn't want to leave, you're just trapped. Like, you're just trapped where you're at. And as for education, yeah, education is really important because, like, everything you do, you have to, like, learn how to do it. You have to, like, educate yourself how to do it. And, yeah, that's just freedom. I was just going to say that I do agree with both of them. But, like, the thing, I guess the thought that stood out to me was, like, have you ever heard of the saying, knowledge is power? Yeah, that was like, oh, yeah, knowledge is power. And then I moved on. I kind of thought it was. Also, I feel like the chapter kind of talks about how the differences between Ma and Bo, they're both, like, being, when they start reading French books, they're kind of being, I don't know if this is the right term, westernized, they're talking, Ma was reading books about romance, whereas she had never read books about that before. And Bo was being, I think he was starting to agree with, he was trying, he dyed his clothes black, right? Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah. Because he was trying to, like. Wait, no, that was rebel. Yeah, he was trying to rebel, I think. Would that still be westernized? Westernized? No, would it still be westernized? Oh, I feel like, I think it was, what I mean by westernized is, like, change their own culture to adapt to another place's culture. Not essentially American culture, but just French culture. Can I add something? Like, on page 162, there's, like, a picture of two shoes. Like, one is his father's shoes and one is his own shoes. Like, Bo or something. And, like, you can see the difference in life, because one is having rubber, I think, yeah, rubber tires for sandals, and others were, like, their own shoes. I thought it was kind of, not cool, but, like, interesting to see on page 171, Bo's father says that, oh, they, you took their portion of food, so they're just eating in the kitchen. And I thought that was kind of interesting, because that's more of a, like, to oppress their wife is more of a French action. And it's reminiscent of the French, which I thought, oh, he's probably adapting these new mannerisms and things that he does because he's been so influenced by the French people that have come to take their country. To conclude, like, our discussion for today, I thought it was kind of cool to ask ourselves the question that gets asked, that Bo asks on page 168, which is, who would choose a world that had become so narrow, so poor, and gray? So I would say, to be honest, like, not personally, but, like, this isn't a personal connection, but I would say this thought might be a thought for, like, before a lot of revolutions, because, like, the Civil War was also, like, served, I guess, because it was, like, not the reality they wanted in, like, other wars before, but that was, like, not, this is, like, a world connection, okay? It's not personal, but, like, for myself, I would say that it's not a connection, but it's just, like, after reading those words, it just makes me feel, like, really down, because it feels like, like, the whole thing just says that the world isn't, like, the world, okay, the world isn't as nice or as kind to, like, what I see, because, like, what I see is different from what other people see. Yeah. I guess we count as privileged, to be honest. Yeah. So then it makes me think about, like, what about other people? Yeah. Like, this rabbit hole. Like, in Egypt, when I lived in Egypt, there was a whole, there was, like, a massive culture difference within, like, the suburbs of Egypt and the city parts, so I would go to, I would go to, I lived, for the first part of when I was living in Egypt, I was living in the city, and there would be, there's so much poverty there, where there was, like, people on the streets begging, so many, like, horrible things that are, like, just sad to look at, and then when I go to the suburbs with all my friends that own, that dads own the Skechers of Africa, like, they're so privileged, so rich, it's insane, they think that Egypt is a developed country, and it's like, no, you only see the parts that are happy to your eye, like, that please your eye, and that don't make you feel bad about how, maybe you have all this money, but you're taking money away from the people that you're paying nothing. I just thought about the personal connection, so it would, like, take me back. Like, you're talking from your life, I'm talking about from mine, I guess. It's not, like, a big one, like, not as big as yours, so, like, there's, like, a world where, like, my parents and I would, like, drive through every once in a while, and there would be, like, an old man, they're just sitting on the side, they're, like, you know how people, some people, some old people, they push recycled things to sell or something? Yeah, and then there was just, like, an old man sitting there at the same time, around the same time, because, like, and, like, the clothes he was wearing was, like, really bad, and, like, his shoes were sandals, and he was walking around a lot, and then, like, basically, one day it was raining, I do like the rain, I really like the rain, and then, like, but at the same time since it was pouring, the man was gone, and I was, like, wondering where the hell he, like, where did he go? I shouldn't be using that word. And, like, where he went, and I was, like, at the same time was thinking, like, what if, like, he doesn't have a place, a shelter to stay? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
