What is the What #5

Quote #1

"The scenery was astonishing, the peaks and valleys, the mist and the sun. We passed through the Kapenguria of Kenya, much of it mountainous and cool with rain. We saw birds with bright plumage, we saw hyenas and gazelles, elephants and zebras. And corn! So many crops, everything growing. We pressed our faces to the glass and wondered, Why couldn't they put Kakuma there? Or there, or there?" Valentino Pg. 454 paragraph 2



This is Valentino in Africa in a bus. He is riding with 21 other Sudanese and Somalis. While the group was in a bus they drove through what the quote explained. They saw many different animals. I was surprised how interested they all were then they saw the corn and asked themselves why couldn't Kakuma be there?


This quote relates to the first question because when Valentino and the other twenty people were in the bus passing the animals and corn they were so amazed and interested how there were so many animals and that crops were actually growing. This relates to the first question because in Africa they barely have any food growing because of how interested they were. I think Valentino came to America because he doesn't want to live of scraps and that everyday he works to just survive because there are barely any food. I think he came to the U.S because he just wants to get away from all the bad things in Africa.

I can relate to this because I went to Vegas during summer break. There were so many things there that I never see in San Diego. It was late at night and I felt wide awake. I don't know why because if I was in my house at that time I would be sleepy. I think that's just what Vegas does to you. I was in the car and I saw the huge black pyramid and the light shining from the top of it. I was amazed of how big the pyramid was and interested of what is in it.



Question #1
When you were traveling have you ever been so amazed and interested because you have never seen anything like it before?


Quote #2
"Here the students walked freely and wore clean white shirts with plaid skirts and scarves to match. I was too much. I wanted to wear a uniform, too. I wanted to be one of them, to know what to wear everyday, and to be Kenyan, to go to school along paved roads and laugh about nothing. To buy some candy on the way home and eat it and laugh! That was that I wanted."
Valentino pg 457 bottom paragraph to pg 458 top paragraph

This is Valentino alone in his sponsors apartment. He was so amazed about the lifestyle there. He compared the lifestyle in Nairobi to Sudan and there were many differences. He was so amazed that he spent an hour watching the streets from the second story window. Then he watched TV for three hours and watched a learning channel at some point. He was amazed that the book they were talking about in the channel was the same book they had in the refugee camp. He was filled with pride because what was good enough for the refugees was good enough for the Kenyas of Nairobi.

This quote relates to the first question because in the quote it explains what Valentino wanted. He wanted to be just like the other kids who weren't refugees and who has an easier life then him. He wanted to be one of those kids. He wanted to have a regular life where he just goes to school and walks on the road to home with his friends laughing about random things.

Character Judgement: I think that Valentino has a very difficult life. I think that he is a very smart person because he made decisions that kept him alive the whole time. It kept him alive from the lion attacks and the murahaleens. I felt sad for Valentino when he was telling his stories because most of them were tragic. For example when he was telling a story when William K died and he didn't really tell Moses. Both of his friends died and I felt really sad for him because he just lost both of his friends and he is already in a bad situation.

Question #2
Have you ever wanted to be like someone? Sort of like how Valentino was describing how he wanted to be one of those students and have his own uniform