A Thousand Farewells - Nahlah Ayed

No Raptors news this week. Instead, here's a book review I wrote for school.

A Thousand Farewells is a compelling book that takes readers on a decades-long journey from Winnipeg to the heart of the Middle East.

Ayed bombards the reader with details - sights, smells, noises - adding depth to the story. The description of the mourners at the overturned mass grave in Iraq collecting arbitrary bones, convinced they were the remains of loved ones was sobering. Although Ayed does a fantastic job to make the reader feel like he or she is present at the scene, I had trouble picturing the it. A mass grave is something so unfamiliar to me that the scene seemed surreal.

Despite this, Ayed's details were integral is describing the many different stops in her journey. She made the cities feel tangible. Instead of Cairo described as a crowded city, it's described as a "monstrous, polluted metropolis." Amman was described as a refugee camp teeming with garbage, where sewage runs in the streets. A place where nothing is private, and a place where cockroaches inhabit the bathrooms.

Yet, as these details work to strengthen her story, they also work to complicate it. I was overwhelmed with names, and while her detailed descriptions of cities and settings were rich, at times I had trouble following her writing as she constantly traveled the Middle East, aside from her prolonged stay in Lebanon.

Still, even with some of these convoluted portions of the book, A Thousand Farewells succeeds in explaining the volatility of the Middle East and how historical events have shaped the region into what it is today.

And although the book is comprehensive in its reporting of the people of the region, I would've liked to see a more detailed analysis of the Arab Spring. The movement was so revolutionary for a historically oppressed people that I feel Ayed should've emphasized that portion of her journey more. I'm more interested in conflict and found myself more captivated when Ayed was writing about car bombings, large protests, or her brush with a violent mob.

One book that covers the balance between conflict and human interest well is War by Sebastian Unger. Unger was embedded with a U.S. Army platoon as they were stationed in one of the most violent regions of Afghanistan. While Unger's book focuses more around the fighting and violence experienced in the region, Ayed's book emphasizes what she considers the most critical element of any story: the human element.

If journalists are to learn anything from A Thousand Farewells it's that people are the story. The stories people share about a conflict, help put that conflict in the proper perspective. A recurring theme in Ayed's book was Middle Easterner's desire for a stable peace, something that would permit them to return home or live their lives safely. These people weren't die-hard Islamic zealots hellbent on the destruction of the West but were citizens seeking safety and opportunity.

A Thousand Farewells had a significant effect on me. While I found Ayed's descriptions of Winnipeg familiar, her insight into the Middle East and the compelling stories she relayed to her readers were profound. Her book gave me hope for a region that seems largely misunderstood by the West. A region that is viewed as nothing but a threat, even when it's seeking democracy and independence from tyrants. Reading Ayed's book made me understand that Middle Easterner's aren't unlike us. Most citizens of the region don't want destruction and death, they want freedom.

Gay has me unsure

"Breaking news: the Raptors have traded for Rudy Gay!"

Is what I would've said last week if I would've been blogging about the Raptors, like usual. Instead, here I am a week late. Enjoy!

As you all know, Jose Calderon and Ed Davis were traded for Rudy Gay last week. Gay is now the best player on the Raptors. I just don't think he's worth what he's getting paid. Over the next two seasons (not including this season), Gay will make $36 million. He's averaged around 20 points per game each season and saw his role diminished on a good Memphis team this year.

There's a reason Memphis dealt him. Gay's toxic contract kills cap space. The Raps are still under the $70-million tax level this year with a total salary around $66 million. For the 2013-14 season, assuming Kleiza and Gray exercise their player options, Toronto will have around $74 million in salary, placing them over the tax level. After next year, the only significant free agent the Raptors should consider resigning is Kyle Lowry. His cap hit is pretty small right now as he's making around $6 million per season for the next two years. Unless his production drops substantially, he can expect a raise.

Then again, Colangelo has shown that he doesn't manage the Raps using common sense, so expect Colangelo to offer Lowry a huge contract regardless.

Despite Gay's huge cap hit, the Raptors needed a shakeup. Unless they have a miraculous second half of the season, Toronto is already out of playoff contention anyway. Solid building blocks are in place though. Amir Johnson is playing well and Valanciunus has the potential to be a solid centre. DeRozan has shown improvement and Lowry is an above-average point guard. One thing is clear: Bargnani needs to go.

He's looked timid in games he has played this year, he'll be making more than $30 million over the next three years, and he hasn't developed into the dominant player that Colangelo was hoping for. Let's hope he can put together a string of good games and boost his trade value.