a smile to say hello, i keep bumping into your name and i see we share a number of books. So, hello!

cute kid you have there.

posted by tcw at 1:14 pm (EST) on Mar 27, 2008

Tamara,
I've been meaning to respond but life has a way of constantly interrupting. So:

You commented that we probably share interests because of my PhD; I suspect that it's a bit deeper and that the PhD only reflects (at least I like to think) an interest in and greater engagement with the outside world. I've found, the longer I live, that my friendships tend to mean more with those who share a...less parochial view of the world and the place of the USA within it. I've learned the most from traveling elsewhere and talking with and even just being with people who aren't Americans. I like to think it helps keep me honest. And I find that my interests tend to reflect a larger world view.

Your interests, I will admit, are something I know not a lot about but would think must be quite fascinating. Indeed, Latin America is a place I've not (yet) visited, although Middle Eastern immigrants meses with my interest in that region. My focus, I'm a little embarrassed to admit, was US history. If I had one of those prized life "do-overs" I'd atone by earning a degree in one of my several other great interests: comp lit, Middle Eastern history (I'm particularly fascinated by the period between about 1860-1920, particularly--but not only--in Egypt), or medieval Islamic political theory. How's that for a grab-bag?

Your off-the-cuff favorite authors are intriguing, partly because we have so little overlap. Amado I have but have not yet read, de Montaigne is endlessly fascinating but not a favorite for me, Gibran is both thought-provoking and thoughtful, though sometimes I find to the edge of glibness, Benedetti I simply do not know, Neruda I've never been able to really understand, and Camus intriguing but again, not a favorite.

Hope this finds you well. What does it find you busy reading?

David

posted by Gypsy_Boy at 3:14 pm (EST) on Jan 23, 2008

How are you and the studies?
Rune

posted by Girkner at 4:09 am (EST) on Jan 8, 2008

Hi Tamara,

Thanks for adding me to your interesting library list. I'm new here and you're the first to add me! You're also the first to alert me that there are anarchist and middle eastern groups on here. Between the two of us, looks like we share 40 books!

Cute kid with you in that picture (and you're pretty, too :)
-Mesopo

posted by mesopo at 7:42 pm (EST) on Dec 31, 2007

Hello Tamara. I thought I would end up as the only one with "The Caucasian Tiger". Very interesting work on Armenias possibilities. I must admit that can fancy to look into armstat. Armenias statistic bureau. I like to dig further into this country. When this title showed up I just had to buy it.
Happy new year to all of you.
Rune

posted by Girkner at 3:44 am (EST) on Dec 31, 2007

Nice to hear from you. Lucky you. It would be nice to go down there. Argentina seems very interesting. I am not very much into that part of the world.
Rune

posted by Girkner at 3:21 am (EST) on Dec 14, 2007

How are the studies? Much Latin America at the moment?
Rune

posted by Girkner at 8:28 am (EST) on Dec 13, 2007

I see that you marked my library as interesting, so I took a look at your profile. The combination of Brazil and Lebanon among your books intrigues me... both countries I love... I miss Brazil at times... But I also miss New York when I am away from it... and Rome.

Nice to see the picture of you and the boy. Both of you are beautiful!

Cheers!

Jerry Monaco

posted by JerryMonaco at 10:24 am (EST) on Nov 28, 2007

Hi, Tamara. Dropping a line to say that I appreciate your marking my library as one you find interesting. Looks like you've got quite a collection yourself, I'll have to make time soon to look through it. And your (son?) is beautiful.

posted by citygirl at 4:54 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2007

My wife is armenian from Yerevan, Gayane. And we have two children, Andreas(4) and Ani Sofie (6 months). I have visited Lebanon though not Bourj al-Hammoud, but I hope. Armenian books require a lot of work to put in. They have established a ISBN catalogue in Armenia too, but I think it will take some time too have them linked too Librarything.
Rune Norheim

posted by Girkner at 3:23 am (EST) on Nov 13, 2007

I would like to take a closer look at your books. Not many have Raffi's "The Fool". Sad book. Are you Armenian?

posted by Girkner at 6:18 am (EST) on Nov 12, 2007

Hello Tamara,

Yes, my long awaited destination is Brazil!

When I was still in college, I was planning on specializing in 19th and 20th century Middle Eastern history; while "the plan" was ultimately scrapped in favor of the politics, culture and socio-economic challenges of Brazil, my Middle Eastern studies culminated in a fantastic summer tour of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel with a Professor and four other students. In other words, my earlier studies were not in vain (with luck, I may be able to continue them, at some point, as a second area of interest).

The hitch in my new plan (there's always a hitch): outside of the "Rosetta Stone" Portuguese program (a program which I has been little used, as I am more concerned about acing the GRE), I have absolutely no experience with the Portuguese language, and my limited Spanish experience is, at this point, more of a hindrance than an aid.

Fortunately, I have enough money saved up to start off with a decent language immersion course; when the money runs low, I hope to find an TEFL/TESOL school to sponsor me (and keep me fed while I continue to study Portuguese, and get to know the region and its people).

I was initially interested in studying in Brasilia (the farther away from the beach that I am, the more studious I will be...), but the afro-Brasilian culture of the north really sounds like the most interesting place to start. In the end, the final choice is three or four months away; I have far too much math to study before I let myself really commit to a specific city (be it Recife or Salvador) or program.

posted by BGP at 10:20 pm (EST) on Sep 14, 2007

Nice to see so many Argentina-related books! But you've got even more on Brazil; are you Brazilian, or just interested?

posted by languagehat at 3:34 pm (EST) on Aug 13, 2007

Thanks. I've finally finished entering all the literatura latinoamericana. I think we'll share a few more books once I've entered all the latin american history, culture and sociology books (I'm about 60% done entering my library, I'm guessing). BTW, have you considered tagging your books? You have some intriguing threads of interest running through your library (a result of graduate coursework, perhaps?), that could be represented nicely using tags.

posted by SilentInAWay at 1:03 pm (EST) on May 5, 2007