Three Cups of Tea Top 10 List

Adam Anderson
Mr. Hatten
English 10
18 January 2008

Three Cups of Tea Top 10 List

I read the book “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. This is a list of the top ten things to know about it. The list does not go in order of importance.
1. The Plot:
The book is a true story about Greg Mortenson trying to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Greg gets into a lot of trouble, as one might imagine in Asia nowadays, so the book is about his struggle to build as many schools as he can, and to make sure they aren’t destroyed!
2. Some of the book takes place in Minnesota:
Greg Mortenson was born in Minnesota (35; ch. 4). Also, he later came back to give a presentation at Mr. Sports in Apple Valley (225; ch. 18). I’ve always lived in Minnesota, so this makes the book seem more real than it would otherwise. After all I have never been to Asia, and I surely don’t have a good idea of what it’s like.
3. How the title relates to the book:
The title “Three Cups of Tea” refers to the way business is done in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The first time you have tea with someone, you are a stranger. Then the second time you are a friend, and the third time you are family (150; ch. 12). This is very important to the story, because Greg feels that he is at home in Asia, so it is his responsibility to build schools for them.
4. Why Haji Ali is important:
Haji Ali was the person who inspired Greg to build the schools. When Mortenson was trying to hike up the mountain called K2, he got lost, and he came to the village of Korphe. There Haji Ali, the leader of the village, let Mortenson stay in his home and use his best possessions. When Mortenson learned that Korphe had no school, he promised Haji Ali that he would build one (ch. 2-3).
5. The authors:
There are two authors, Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. I assume that Greg Mortenson told the story of what he did, and Relin wrote about it (he is only in the introduction to the story). David Relin often quotes Mortenson and other people during the book. This can become irritating at times, because it often becomes repetitive, and it makes the story seem like a documentary instead of a novel.
6. The book’s purpose:
The book was written to raise money for the Central Asia Institute, of which Greg is the Director. The CAI website URL, www.ikat.org, is found at the end of the book, and from there you can make donations. During the book, Greg talks about how he raised funds for the CAI from giving speeches and writing articles, and it shows how much they need the money.
7. The fatwas:
Two fatwas (religious rulings) were declared against Mortenson, but both were eventually overturned. They used the education of girls as their excuse, but it was later revealed that this wasn’t anti-Islam. In fact, the Koran teaches that all children should receive education (199; ch. 16). Both times, it was clear that the fatwas were the results of religious leaders abusing their power to earn money.
8. Greg Mortenson’s wife:
Greg was a mountain climber and he met his wife, Tara Bishop, at an American Himalayan Foundation dinner (ch. 11). She played a fairly major role in “Three Cups of Tea,” because Greg often went back home to visit her and his children. She often worried about him while he was gone, especially after 9/11 happened (254; ch. 19).
9. Mortenson’s kidnapping:
While in Peshawar, on a mission to find if the citizens wanted to have a school, Greg was kidnapped and held for many days in a cell (ch. 13). This could answer the question that many people must have asked Mortenson: “If you spent so much time in Asia, how did you survive?” He was eventually released, after telling someone there that he builds schools.
10. The theme:
The theme of the book is to show how one person can make a difference in the world. This is mentioned in the quote on the front cover, instead of one of the fourteen other quotes found at the start of the book. Even though Mortenson received much help and money from others, one thing is certain: if he had never lived, the Central Asia Institute or a similar organization would not exist today.

Works Cited

Mortenson, Greg, and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea. New York: Penguin Group, 2006.

Three Cups of Tea Post 7-C

Chapter 22, page 297, "The Enemy is Ignorance": The news reporter for Parade magazine writes about Jahan. She was forceful in getting money from Mortenson. Parade advertises, gets letters--positive. Mortenson sets up "shock and awe" in his basement. He got money from people because of the magazine article. He gave raises and built a hostel in Skardu for students who continued their education. Jakub chained the school shut. Mortenson gave dynamite. The fatwa was defeated again. Bhangoo's boss, Bashir, showed explosions on TV--mad at Bush. Bhangoo dive-bombed Mubarek's house. Jahan said she wanted to be a Superlady.

Chapter 23, page 314, "Stones into Schools": Former king of Afghanistan on Mortenson's flight said US didn't live up to promises. No central banking in Afghanistan--hard to get money to the right places. Drove with Abdullah in the early morning to Faizabad. Car broke down in tunnel. Red-painted rocks. Rolled downhill in car. In the middle of battle, Mortenson drove away in goatskin truck. Driver fasting for Ramadan throughout the day. Went to Sadhar Khan. Discussed schools.

Three Cups of Tea Post 7-B

Over the course of the book, I was surprised at the number of times that Mortenson claimed to be educating specifically girls, or at least emphasizing them. It is true that educating girls is quite important. They are mostly responsible for raising and teaching the children, and therefore their knowledge will have a large impact. However, many boys are currently educated at primarily the Wahhabi madrassa schools in Pakistan, which teach hatred of the West (244; ch. 19). If this is true, isn't it very important to provide other possible schools for boys? After all, when you hear of someone who goes out with a plane or helicopter and commits suicide terror, it's usually a man (although recently more women have done so because they are less suspected by security).

Jahan, Haji Ali’s granddaughter, was very outgoing trying to get Dr. Greg to give her money to begin medical training. As the news reporter Fedarko said, “It was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen in my life… Here comes this teenage girl, in the center of a conservative Islamic village, waltzing into a circle of men, breaking through about sixteen layers of traditions at once” (300; ch. 22). Mortenson also seems ecstatic about this. I personally am not a fan of Islam or traditions. However, I have a feeling that Jahan doesn’t have enough perspective. “’I want to be a... “Superlady,”’ she said defiantly, daring anyone, any man, to tell her she couldn’t” (313; ch. 22).

Three Cups of Tea Post 7-A

Figurative language:
1. "Then three of the stars detached themselves from the heavens and drifted down to welcome the village of Korphe's visitors" (297; ch. 22). This is a metaphor, because the author is comparing the village leader and his friends to stars.
2. "Thanks to Mortenson, the students who studied within their stone walls had become each village's most carefully tended crop" (311; ch. 22). This is a metaphor, because he is comparing raising children to growing crops.
3. "Groups of men in flowing white robes floated between the town's lantern-lit all-night tea stands like benevolent spirits..." (318; ch. 23). This is a simile, because he's using "like" to compare the men to ghosts because they seem spooky.

Vocabulary:
1. limning (321; ch. 23): v. drawing the outline of something.
2. fusillade (323; ch. 23): n. continuous shooting.

Three Cups of Tea Post 6-C

Chapter 20, page 261, "Tea with the Taliban": The reporters at the Marriot Hotel, Mortenson talked to Taliban ppl. He went to the Afghan border, but they tore a page out of his passport, so he went to the US people in Nepal. Then he was interrogated. They finally let him go. He flew back to the US, where he had got hate mail.


Chapter 21, page 278, "Rumsfeld's Shoes": To Afghanistan . . . schools in Kabul. Then a fatwa was issued, banning Mortenson from working in Pakistan. Burned school. Parvi will go to court. Destroyed schools in Kabul--brought supplies. He got mad because the teachers weren't getting paid or weren't getting paid enough from the US support. Back in the US, Mary Bono took him around Washington. Talked to people. Turned down money from military.

Three Cups of Tea Post 6-B

Dear Greg Mortenson,

I read that you got lots of hate mail. "'I wish some of our bombs had hit you because you're counterproductive to our military efforts'" (275; ch. 20). Don't let that get you down. You are certainly not being counterproductive! If kids in Afghanistan are getting brainwashed, I think the problem down there is ignorance. That goes for America too. Propaganda seems to almost always favor going to war in Asia. When I was working on a paper for English 10, I was surprised to find that the saying "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is often used in a positive way. Revenge is something that we should not even consider as an option.

Another letter stated that, "Our Lord will see that you pay dearly for being a traitor" (275; ch. 20). I'm not quite sure what he (or she) was thinking when he wrote this. I assume he was referring to you helping Muslims. As far as I know, the Bible doesn't say that we should kill anyone of a different religion. I'm not sure exactly how we should deal with them, but if I needed to guess, I would assume that they might have a hard time following the Bible if they're blown to bits.

I'm glad to hear that you haven't given up. Even if it was bad to educate Afghan kids, they are still better off learning at your schools than at the madrassa schools. "But the World Bank concluded that 15 to 20 percent of madrassa students were receiving military training, along with a curriculum that emphasized jihad and hatred of the West at the expense of subjects of like math, science, and literature" (244; ch. 19).

I hope you continue to help build schools!
Adam Anderson

Three Cups of Tea Post 6-A

Figurative language:
1. "At night, the burning ends of their cigarettes glowed from the greenery like deadly fireflies" (262; ch. 20). It's a simile, because he's comparing the lit cigarettes to fireflies using "like."
2. "'The circus,' Suleman said, smiling proudly up at Mortenson, like a student demonstrating an impressive project at a science fair" (262; ch. 20). It's a simile, because the author is comparing Suleman presenting the reporters to a kid presenting a science project using "like."
3. "'I'm sure we can clear all this up,' he said, flashing a grin meant to be disarming as he took a pen out of his pocket and slid a notebook into place like a soldier ramming an ammunition cartridge into a military sidearm" (270; ch. 20). It's a simile, because he's comparing the soldier sliding the notebook to with using an ammunition cartridge using "like."

Significant Quote:
"'We women of Afghanistan see the light through education,' Uzra replied. 'Not through this or that hole in a piece of cloth'" (289; ch. 21). Uzra Faizad, the principal of the Durkhani School, is being interviewed about wearing a burkha. She explained that she felt safer wearing it, and it wasn't really important.

Three Cups of Tea Post 5-C

Chapters 17-19

Chapter 17: "Cherry Trees in the Sand" Bombing, Fatima Batool's sister died. Many people died. Had tea with Taliban people. They pump water for the refugee camp. Eventually, that place advanced.

Chapter 18: "Shrouded Figure" Shows presentations in US for money. Newspapers wrote about Mornenson. Complaints about Greg being unreliable. Went to weird old woman's house. Went dogsledding. Went to honor Mother Teresa. Mortenson nagged for money by lots of people. Worried about fighting. Had Khyber Bishop Mortenson.

Chapter 19: "A Village Called New York" Mortenson saw many Wahhabi madrassa buildings, which brainwashed. Inaugurated CAI water projects with George McCown and Faisal Baig. Musharraf became ruler of Pakistan. Ahmed Shah Massoud murdered by Al Qaeda. Heard about 9/11. Kuardu late inauguration with Syed Abbas. McCown flew away. Haji Ali was dead.

Three Cups of Tea Post 5-B

In Chapter 19, Haji Ali, the nurmadhar of Korphe Village, died, and I realized how large of a role he played in "Three Cups of Tea" up to this point. In the beginning, when Greg Mortenson got lost after attempting to climb K2, Haji Ali let him sleep in his house with their warmest possessions. He was the one for whom Mortenson promised to make a school in Korphe (33; ch. 3), so if it weren't for him, the book most likely wouldn't exist.

Also, throughout the book, Mortenson was referred to as Haji Ali's "American son," which shows that he influenced him in many ways. Mortenson's father had died when he was young (260; ch. 19), so he didn't know a biological father for most of his life. Haji Ali filled that role nicely, as he is willing to get in Mortenson's face and order him around.

"It had become his custom to return to Korphe and share a cup of tea with Haji Ali each fall before returning to America" (256; ch. 19). Many people were becoming impatient with Greg Mortenson, and he promised Tara that he would learn to manage his time better (229- 233; ch. 18). He doesn't have as much time as he would most likely wish to have, but he still set aside time to drink tea with Haji Ali. "'Doctor Greg, you must make time to share three cups of tea. We may be uneducated. But we are not stupid. We have lived and survived here for a long time'" (150; ch. 12).

Three Cups of Tea Post 5-A

Figurative language:
1. "Patches of purple lupines had been applied to the high meadows between mountains with broad brush strokes" (214; ch. 17). It's a metaphor, because he's comparing the scenery to a painting.
2. "The harvest he reaped from these envelopes made the slide shows just bearable" (225; ch. 18). It's a metaphor, because he is comparing earning donations to reaping harvest.
3. "When a potential donor in Atlanta began calling CAI's office dangling monetary bait, Mortenson bit down on the hook and booked a flight" (230; ch. 18). It's a metaphor, because he is comparing offering money to luring a fish with a bait.

Emerging theme:
An emerging theme in this book is death, because 9/11 just happened, and Haji Ali and his wife died. Also, Jean Hoerni died in Chapter 14.

Three Cups of Tea Post 4-C

Chapters 13 through 16

Chapter 13: "A Smile Should Be More Than a Memory" Mortenson went to Peshawar, but he was captured.

Chapter 14: "Equilibrium" Mortenson returned home, and Tara had a baby named Amira Eliana Mortenson. They finished the school in Korphe. He shows the picture of the school to Jean Hoerni, and he dies soon after that, leaving a million dollars to the Central Asia Institute.

Chapter 15: "Mortenson in Motion" The sher of Chakpo declared a fatwa against Mortenson. CAI meetings at hotel to discuss new projects. Mortenson decides to build three new schools. Pakhora, Kuardu, and Ranga. He met Syed Abbas Risvi, a Shia scholar. Held inauguration ceremony for Korphe school, opened.

Chapter 16: "Red Velvet Box" Got approval from supreme Shia council in Qom, Iran, in box. Gets lots of requests. Jan Junkpa told police he was Indian spy. Mohammed Aslam Khan (story of going to school) asked for school.

Three Cups of Tea Post 4-B

As I read the last few chapters of Three Cups of Tea, I have been forced to ask myself why this is the first time I've heard of about this.

Jean Hoerni, a very rich man who had been assisting Greg Mortenson for awhile, gave him a million dollars to make the schools when he died. Greg Mortenson built a school in Pakhora , Kuardu (where Changazi tried to have a school built), and Ranga (189; ch. 15). Shakeela, a girl who went to one of his schools, was the first woman in the Hushe Valley to have the opportunity to get a higher education.

Why haven't I heard about this in the newspaper?

Anyway, something else that surprised me was how controversial the idea of educating women appears to be. When the sher of Chakpo declared a fatwa (religious ruling) against Mortenson, he accused Mortenson of planning to educate girls at his school (184; ch. 15).

Something very similar occurred awhile back, and I got the idea that Muslims were against the female education. I was proven wrong when Mortenson got approval from the supreme Shia council in Qom, Iran, in a red velvet box. It explained that, "'.. our Holy Koran tells us all children should receive education, including our daughters and sisters" (199; ch. 16).

If that is true, why is it regarded as being bad before that? Although this whole idea might have been simply cultural, it isn't presented that way. It explained earlier in the book that the people of Korphe couldn't read (153; ch. 12). Maybe since they can't read the Koran, they assumed that it forbid the education of women.

Three Cups of Tea Post 4-A

Figurative language:
1. "The great curving ramparts of the Bala Hisar Fort loomed over the receding town, glowing in the fiery light like a long-dormant volcano on the verge of awakening" (157; ch. 13). It's a simile, because it uses "like" to compare the color of the rampart to the color of lava.
"... Mortenson lay awake much of the second night, test-driving and rejecting various strategies" (166; ch. 13). It's a metaphor, because he is comparing the trial and error of different plans to trying out vehicles.
"the rising sun iced the hanging glaciers of Masherbrum pale pink, like a gargantuan pastry dangling above them at breakfast time..." (206; ch. 16). It's a metaphor, because it compares the color of the mountains to that of a pastry.

Vocabulary:
1. rampart (157; ch. 13): n. a fortification.
2. phlegm (162; ch. 13): n. thick mucous.

Three Cups of Tea Post 3-C

Chapter 9 through 12

Chapter 9: The People Have Spoken: Greg was fired and dumped by his girlfriend. Mortenson started staying at Witold Dudzinski's appartment, which wasn't pleasant. Mortenson was mugged. He called Jean again.

Chapter 10: Mortenson ordered the bridge cable. He stayed in Changazi's house for awhile. The truck carrying the cable was blocked, so the Korphe villagers carried it. Then Mortenson went hunting with Twaha and others. Then they finished the bridge.

Chapter 11: Six Days: Mortenson turned down Marina when she tried to come back to him. Then he met and married Tara Bishop.

Chapter 12: Haji Ali's Lesson: Ghulam Parvi helped Mortenson get most of his school materials back. Then they built the foundation of the school. Haji Ali told Mortenson that he couldn't read.

Three Cups of Tea Post 3-B

Mortenson's life has taken a sharp turn for the better. During Chapter 9, Mortenson's girlfriend left him, and he was fired (101; ch. 9). To add to that, the school wasn't getting anywhere either. In order to bring the school supplies to Korphe, they needed a bridge (97; ch. 8)!

However, Mortenson soon met his wife, Tara Bishop, at mountaineer celebration (130; ch. 11). Also, Greg met Ghulam Parvi, an accountant of Changazi. He helped Greg get back the building materials, although some of them had been stolen by Changazi (137-138; ch. 12). Jean Hoerni decided to make a company for Greg's school to create one school per year (145). Finally, the men of Korphe cooperated very well and helped build the foundation for Greg's school (ch. 12).

Greg certainly could have given up during chapter 9, but he continued to follow his dream of the school. I must admit, however, that there was as much luck involved as there was persistence!

Three Cups of Tea Post 3-A

Vocabulary:
1. roguery (109): n. mischief behavior.
2. advocate (123): n. a supporter.

Significant quote:
"'Doctor Greg, you must make time to share three cups of tea. We may be uneducated. But we are not stupid. We have lived and survived here for a long time'" (150; ch. 12). Greg Mortenson is trying to make everyone work fast on the school. The villagers in Korphe like doing things at a slow pace, unlike Americans for the most part.

Examples of Debate

Here are some kinds of debates:

Arguing with parents: This usually occurs in a house or in a car. These debates help to decide where a family will go on vacation, whether an allowance will be raised, and other similar decisions. These debates often get no where and waste peoples time. However, these can help make better decisions when everyone cooperates. These debates aren't structured well, so family members usually end up shouting at each other.

Political campaign: This occurs in a rented auditorium. These debates usually are held to show citizens what viewpoint different candidates have. These usually don't help people to arrive at a better decision, because the candidates generally already have a viewpoint which their party supports, and it probably won't change during the debate. This form of debate is structured. Candidates are given time intervals to talk. This helps to get the politicians' viewpoints across in the time given.

Court cases: This happens in court houses. These debates usually serve the role of determining whether someone is guilty or not. They definitely help to come to better decisions, because the final verdict is the sentence of whoever is on trial. These debates are structured, and this helps to come to a decision in a timely matter.

Three Cups of Tea Post 2-C

Chapters 5 through 8.

Chapter 5: Mortenson contacted many celebrities asking for donations, but he only got one. He also met Marina. He sold most of his things, then flew back.

Chapter 6: Abdul Shah at hotel, bargained for lumber, Manzoor Khan taught him to pray.

Chapter 7: Riding on truck

Chapter 8: Different villages try to change his plans, arrived at Korphe.

Three Cups of Tea Post 2-B

I'm not sure what to think of all this. It seems as if every time Greg Mortenson tries to work with people, they try to trick him.

For example, Ali was constantly trying to persuade Mortenson to buy his lumber, as I mentioned in my last post. He was giving Mortenson orange soda to get him in a good mood, but at least he didn't give him alcohol. But that wasn't as bads as the other happenings.

When Greg came to the village of Khane, he was introduced in a unexpected way:
"I wish to thank Mr. Girek Mortenson for honoring us and coming to build a school for Khane village," Janjungpa said.
"A school for Khane?" Mortenson croaked, almost choking on the chicken.
"Yes, one school, as you promised," Janjungpa said, gazing intently around the circle of
men as he spoke, as if delivering a summation to a jury. "A climbing school." (88; ch. 8)
Akhmalu jumped in and argued that he would build a school for the children of Khane. Mortenson was going to build a school for the children of Korphe. This began a heated debate about which was true, and the argument lasted for four hours, while everyone ignored Greg completely. This had been a set-up. Greg had been invited to a feast so that the community could influence him to build a Khane school.

Later, Changazi claimed to have shifted Greg Mortenson's school supplies over to his other office. When Greg arrived in Kuardu, another feast was held. "'I can promise you no arguments. They have already agreed to see that your school is built in our village before winter'" (93; ch. 8). Mortenson left the room instantly.

Although Greg Mortenson was being constantly harassed by the people of different villages, I don't altogether blame them. In a rich community like ours, a school is a must, as the government provides them. We take it for granted. However, in a poor country like Kuardu, that is not the case. But schools are still thought of as being important there, and I suppose everyone deserves to go to school.

From the front and back cover, I assume that the Korphe school was completed, and perhaps Greg went back to Khane and Kuardu to make schools for them, too.

Three Cups of Tea Post 2-A

Vocabulary:
1. quixotic (53): adj. chivalrous, idealistic, or impractical.

2. dacoit (91): n. A gang member in India or Myanmar.

Significant quote:
"Finally, Ali adjusted the crisp white prayer cap on his head and stroked his long beard before naming a figure. Abdul shot up out of his cross-legged crouch and clasped his forehead as if he'd been shot. He began shouting in a wailing, chanting voice ripe with insult" (65; ch. 6). Abdul Shah was helping Greg Mortenson buy materials for his school. They were buying lumber from a man named Ali. He was constantly trying to prove to Mortenson what a good deal it was, having his son jump up and down on the wood, in comparison to other wood. It sounds just like buying a car!