Member: benitastrnad

Hello!
how is your paper on Kant going? Did you get some more time to do it? Nad how is Ida, is it still rainy at yours?
Today is my free day, but I have to do su much stuff, don't know how to get on: Have to read about 50 pages on Old English development for tomorrow... and I don't have any advances in my research on "Abra" by Joan Barfoot. I want to write my exam paper for this year about the book. It's incredible how much stuff there is on Margaret Atwood, but nothing on Barfoot. I think I have to stay another afternoon in our library, maybe I find a newspaper article, just didn't found out how to search for them online. I think I have to ask the librarian.
So I will go now, look for the 15 books an my piece of paper, just to find one out of it at the utmost.
Have a nice day, I guess you are still sleeping, must be round 6 o'clock at yours.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 7:13 am (EST) on Nov 12, 2009

I'm sorry I have to admit, that we really not celebrated the fall of the wall. BBut I to think Germany as a union is great and I admire the people 20 years ago, for what they achieved just by walking onto the streets in total piece, but I think all this celebration and stuff is way too much. Maybe it's just because I haven't lived in the seperated Germany(s) and so have no connection to it, don't know.
Kat is very hard stuff I think. I have dealed with him in school and to read his text about enlightenment until next week, but he hard to understand, at least for me. So your attending classes as well? That's interesting, do you have to do it for education some kind of further education?
You relly see hurricanes, wow. I just know them from TV, in Germany we are not going to have them, although we have really stormy winds here, increasingly the last years. maybe one day here will be one as well... But it was rainy here as well, but I don't think it was because some special-called phenomenon, just clouds. We don't have such exciting weather round here (To be honest: I'm glad about that)
I'm total exhausted today, it was one of my larger days as wll, but the real big thing is going to be tomorrow. I have to stay at university from 8 am. till 6pm. I have free lessons between the classes but its so much, I'm glad to have freetime on thursdays. :)
II'm going now to read just a bit an LT, then read in my book, but it is very likely that I don't make it to the book and just fell asleep.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 2:54 pm (EST) on Nov 10, 2009

I just read in the newspaper this morning, that they had a big celebration in Berlin at the Brandenburger Tor. They builded huge dominos jut like the wall was and coloured it the same ay and then let it fall again. On the foto I can see a lasershow and band in the background as wel, so might have been a great party down there. Unfortunately there is no article about this occasion, just a fotograph. this dominos should remined of the dominoeffect which cuases the fall 20 years ago.
Just thought it might interest you, so have a nice day.
By the way, I tried to find out what time difference there is between Alabahma and Germany, but didn't use the Internet, so is it tue that you are 7 1/2 hours behind us? Then you should be sleeping now, it is ) o'clock her, it must be 1.30 am at yours... wow

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:08 am (EST) on Nov 10, 2009

Hi there! I just wanted to let you know that I've really enjoyed reading your insights in the People of the Book group read. You've given me some different ways of thinking about it as I read. This is one of the many reasons LT is so wonderful, sharing with and learning from others, and growing as readers. So, thank you!

See you around the group read threads,
Andrea/spacepotatoes

posted by spacepotatoes at 1:15 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2009

Today it was raining, just the wohle day... drizzling and wet, so I was very unmotivated to go to my seminar but it was good that I went. We are just talking now about Margaret Atwood and her book "Surfacing". It's soe kidn of difficult because there are so much different ways to read it, I think for really understanding it I have to read it at least once more. In this seminar we are going to talk about Joan Barfoot "Gaining Ground" and Aritha van Herk "The Tent Peg" as well. I'm looking forward to "Gaining Ground because I loved it. Maybe you should read it, it's very interesting.
The 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall. Actualy no one mentioned it to me today and I hadn't turned on TV so if you hadn't wrote I would probably have forgotten. You see. It is no holiday in Germany. 20 years ago many people were happy that the wall has gone, because they were able to see there families again, travel freely and buy goods wich were not available in GDR, but even 20 years ago there has been the problem of levelling the two parts of Germany and it still goes on. Because of the failing economy of the GDR (and the Sowjetunion) the GDR was far behind the FRG and the state and government had to put a lot of money into what was called 'buildup East' (German Aufbau Ost), so the levelling of the two parts. It is still not right today and lot of people still think in West and East Germany (we have bad nicknames for inhabitants of the parts: 'Wessie' for West and 'Ossie' for East). The formerly Westpopulation thinks bad about the former Eastpopulation and the other way around. Maybe it's most impressive to see on income: The fomer west of Germany earns mor than one who lives in the East part (I couldn't find a proper article or statistic so fast). In both parts of the country there are still lots of prejudice against each other. It's a difficult situation about this day in Germany, but no one seemed to be happy enough to make it a holiday :). I'm not enough into this matter to tell you all the facts and opinions, and I'm not going to tell any prejudice. I think thats the worst in this situation, that everyone has prejudice against the other, not the difference in life or money or whatever. Maybe one day Germany will be a real union again, not just formal.
by the way I'm from the former east-part, I was born in Mecklenburg in February 1989, so I still a child of the GDR, but of courde can't remeber anything. There comes an example, I read about when there were the European Parliament election in June: In Mecklenburg-Western Pommerania we have a district called "Uecker-Randow" and there are always high votes for the national party NPD. There was an article about that in a German newspaper: It said, that the votes for this party are so high up in this northern county, because no one cares about the people living there. The politicians always promise to do something, for instance against the high uneployment, but in the end no one does, so the people get more and more unsatisfied. That's a good example for how the so called "New districts" are treated. Most politicians just don't see them. But I'm just sad about that. I can't really judge how much politicians do and what they should do better..
Besides: did you know that our chancelor Angela Merkel was born in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania?
Okay maybe I have bored you, that wasn't my intention at all, and neither I wanted to give you a bad image about the fall of the wall, I just told you what I see and I saw when talking with my parents about that topic. But I am interested in, how you (ot just you but the american people) see the fall of the wall, it would be interesting to see a very outside point on that.
I have just another thought coming to my mind: We DO have a holiday on the german Union but it's on 3rd October. I think, that's because even the wall fell in November 1989, the treaty or whatever, the real union was just reached or signed in October 1990, so we are not celebrating the cause but the conclusion.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 1:01 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2009

hi!
I just thought about your 'picture-problem' because it's very easy to upload a picture on LT, just takes 2 minutes.
So, if you want to upload go on "edit profile" and their you can type in all things about yourself and your library and so on and thier even is a column called "picture" and their you can upload one from your pc or (if you don't have it on pc) you can just type in an URL where your picture is already uploaded and then it will be shown. On the edit profile site you have to tick the option "own picture" (or however it is called in english" and that you must do (tick) everytime you edited your profile even if you don't aédit the picture.
I hope that helpes, but at least I don't mind whtether you've got a picture in your profile or not.

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 7:01 am (EST) on Nov 9, 2009

wow now I'm glad again that in Germany the state pays the university and students just have to pay just a few tuition, if at all. So I have to pay 40 Euros per semester, that's very little and my rent is low as well. I can live with just round 300 Euros a week. Although I must limit myself especially in bying books, clothes, expensive food and interior, because I really don't like my kitchen. It has just 2 little tables, a washstand, fridge, 3 cupboards and a hearth. It's always a struggle if I want to bake something, because I have to clean and tidy up the tables and make sure I have enough room, especially now in the before christmas time with all it's cookies it will be difficult not to have enough space to make them all... But I'm student, that's life. :)
So you're living all alone? I can't imagine coming home with nobody around, not even a pet but I know some people who like that: to have all the apartment for oneself just relxing after work and not to care about the behaviour and wishes of others. Yeah, sometimes that would be nice.
What are you reading in your book group? I just thought about seeking a group for me as well. But in Germany we are always a bit introverted and don't like to make new friends that easily, don't think about talking to strangers. That's very interesting: In my english lectures everyone talks to someone even they don't know each other and it's very easy to find someone to talk with. In the German lectures everybody just sits there with a face that says: "Don't speak to me, I just want to sit here alone." sometimes I feel a bit split, especially when I had an english class and then went to German and everyone's silent.. You had the impression as well? Maybe the clichés about the normal German is true...

posted by Tallulah_Rose at 3:40 am (EST) on Nov 9, 2009

Hi,

I finished "A Prayer for Owen Meany" this afternoon and wanted to let you know that I am going with the Wikipedia definition of presbyterian.

Wonderful book,

Robin

posted by libraryrobin at 9:33 pm (EST) on Oct 4, 2009

Thank you for backing me up on Olivia Joules. That's funny about you and your friend! Sounds like a situation I would find myself in.

posted by PaperbackPirate at 9:35 pm (EST) on Sep 22, 2009

Hi;
Mark and I have been discussing the possibility of another group read in November and want your input. We have narrowed it down to two books at this point. "The People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks and "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. So chat it up with friends or us and let us know if you are up for it and what you think. Probably the same plan as with "Pillars of the Earth" which seemed to work out perfectly for almost all of us.
Think it over and give one of us a shout.
hugs and looking forward to hearing from you,
belva

posted by nannybebette at 9:17 pm (EST) on Sep 8, 2009

Hello!
I really liked Un Lun Dun- I posted my review in the groups 100 Books Read in 2009 and 75 Books Read in 2009. The fantasy was fun , very clever and imaginative. I have put more of Mieville's book on my wish lists!
Regards
torontoc

posted by torontoc at 1:58 pm (EST) on Sep 8, 2009

Thanks for your comments about God of Small Things! I thought I'd LOVE it, or at least appreciate it, but my only time to read is on the train, and when I'm on the train, I need something I can follow easily.

posted by aliay at 9:44 pm (EST) on Sep 2, 2009

Hello
I have read all of David Mitchell's novels - I hope that he is writing a new one soon! Cloud Atlas has to be one of my all time favourites.

posted by torontoc at 11:44 pm (EST) on Jul 18, 2009

I saw your comment about the music for "Shadow of the Wind" and dug around a bit. Here's a link for info on The Angels Game music. =o) I would have posted it in the thread but I wasn't sure you'd see it. Feel free to share. =o)
~BD

http://www.randomhouse.com/ddpg/feature/...

posted by biggdiel at 11:13 pm (EST) on Jul 6, 2009

Thank you for your answer to my message about the site. I was feeling all alone in my feeling that the site is a good place for people who are more at home with books than with computers.

I'm not sure what the books we share say about either of us! In your random books I see The Way Things Work by David Macaulay. I don't think we have that one any more - my boys read two copies of it into rags.

posted by MarthaJeanne at 3:47 pm (EST) on May 29, 2008