When I was an MA student at the University of Arkansas, I used to get calls every week from my friends in Morocco. “How much do you make a month?” they’d ask. I’d tell them, “1,300 US dollars.” This was the stipend I got from the Fulbright program.
“Wow!” they’d exclaim. “$1,300! You’re rich now!”
These were the same friends who’d known me when I was homeless. They were aware that I’d lived for six years with no income, no shelter and often no food. Now, I was telling them that I made $1,300 every month. Naturally, it sounded like a lot, especially coming from someone like me.