Ali, responsible head of household and passionate master of Arabic cooking and music (though his poetry leaves something to be desired.) Between running a falafel stand in a mall and cooking for his own family, he somehow still finds time to play his music, garden, play chess with the neighbor and tend to the tensions around the house. He's a unstoppable spirit and sensitve soul just trying to be understood, why does that never seem to work out? |
Ali's neice, 12, just arrived from Lebanon, is slight in turmoil but she's not going to let this new culture throw her. She's out to figure it out and make it play by her ridiculous rules. A newcomer to school, mall and suburb culture, she's trying to maintain her childlike spirit in this frenzy of new American stuff.
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Ali's oldest son (at 14.) A bit vain, a bit girl-crazy and like most average American teenagers, Sahib can be at turns crabby, underhanded, clever or just completely lost. He likes to play jokes on Maisa that enable him to get a cousin-ly leg up and maybe some free cupcakes. |
Ali's mother ("Teta" being Arabic for grandmother.) Spends most of her time kniting and embroidering and complaining about the heat that Ali never seems to turn on in the house. |
Ali's father ("Sido" means grandfather.) Sido's main interests are UFOs, cosmic radiation, the lizard people, and giving Ali a hard time. Sometimes he remembers who his grandchildren are, and ropes them into his preparations for the alien landings, which are surely coming soon. |
Ali's youngest son is the quintessential American 4 year-old, loving all things Spiderman and Star Wars, and having a tireless ability play his own invented games. |
