bilingual?

here is my dilemma.

I now do speak spanish.  I do like to read.  I’d really like to read books that were originally written in spanish, in spanish.  I’d like to read something a bit more difficult than Capitan Calzoncillos (which I read to nixon and saimon at valdivia and completely understood).  unfortunately, while I have progressed in my reading spanish past a third-grade level, it’s still not at the same place as my reading english, obviously.  so I go to the used bookstore and look at the books in spanish and they’re either A.  not originally written in spanish, so what’s the point, B.  thoroughly uninteresting looking, or C.  above my language ability (and quite lengthy).  I do feel that whatever I read will take me a while so I’d prefer to buy than lend, and I suppose that if I bought books new I’d have a larger selection.

so I’m looking for a used copy of a spanish language book, originally written in spanish, at an adult reading level but not ridiculously hard to read, and interesting to me, not necessarily a normal person.

reading: the event

 

the event, by juan jose saer

This book is by an Argentinian author, Juan José Saer, and I bought it for a dollar at my local used bookstore (see earlier post about local used bookstores).  I bought it because it met my criteria for book buying, it’s something I wouldn’t mind paying a dollar to read.  I, in general, like latin american lit.  though I’m sure there are exceptions.

this book was ok.  not as good as some, but not bad.  usually it’s not a problem for me when you’re left at the end of a book with very little resolution to any of the issues that come up, but in this case I was left feeling very much unfinished.  I think perhaps something was lost in translation, or maybe I just didn’t get it (entirely possible).  perhaps I should reread the thing; it’s short, less than 200 pages and can be read quickly by me.

this european magician, driven out of paris and plagued by the fear of positivists, moves to argentina to settle the pampas, meets a friend and a lady, becomes successful in business and tries to get his self in order.  the jacket says that he goes mad, and in many ways he does, jealous and suspicious and self-sabotaging.  outwardly, he’s the picture of south american land owner, but in his head he just can’t get it sorted.  there’s all the things you’d expect, lots of color and violence and sound and heat.

I’m not sure to whom I’d recommend it.  really I did enjoy it, and the end isn’t as bad as I make it sound.  it’s not something I’ll rave about, obviously, but I don’t miss the dollar.

halloweeny

this baby is a mummy for halloween, her mom dressed her up in white tights and a white onesy and a white hat and wrapped her in muslin pieces.  looks great with her big ol soft cast.

the interesting thing about living in the suburbs?  trick or treaters!  we’ve had more trick or treaters than I’ve ever had ever!  it’s fun.  they’re all wearing big coats over their costumes so you can barely tell what they are, solitos running around trying to get through as many houses as possible before it gets dark, little kids too scared to say anything, parents who make their kids say thank you, even one guy who put an offer on this house right after aaron and steph bought it (awkward).  only one michael jackson, a few witches, some star wars characters, bats and superheroes.  who knew halloween could be so entertaining?  trick or treaters never came to our house growing up, it was too out of the way.

books, 2008-2009

as I was in ecuador, I decided to keep track of all the books I read during my volunteer experience.  I’m not sure why.  because I like finishing things and making lists? so here is my list of the 98 books that I read in ecuador, august to august (that’s over 8 books a month, I had some slow patches where I didn’t read much). I didn’t leave anything out, no matter how embarrassing, and while some of them were really not good, some of them were really good and those I particularly enjoyed I’ve marked with an asterisk, in case you’re interested. some of them have stories behind them, like how the only reason I’d ever read a nicholas sparks is because melissa asked me too, she couldn’t believe I wouldn’t enjoy it (I didn’t). or how I’ve read everything stephenie meyer’s written, not cause I think they’re good books but because carolyn loves them so. or how I read the shack so elyse wouldn’t have to.  so if you’re really stumped as to why I’d ever read something you can ask.  and if you want to know what I thought of something in particular you can ask that too.

war by candlelight – david alarcon
eva luna – isabel allende
midnight in the garden of good and evil – john berendt
city of god – e.l. doctorow
how we are hungry – dave eggers
brief encounters with che guevara – ben fountain
diary – chuck palahniuk
a heartbreaking work of staggering genius – dave eggers *
i am america and so can you – stephen colbert
picasso’s war – russell martin
the red tent – anita diamant
grendel – john gardner
oh the glory of it all – sean wilsey
hotel sarajevo – jack kersh
the book of lights – chaim potok
the club dumas – arturo perez-reverte
barrel fever – david sedaris
naked – david sedaris
haunted – chuck palahniuk
the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime – mark hadden
falling man – don delillo
the last lecture – randy pausch
volunteer with the poor in peru – jeffrey d thielman and raymond a schroth, sj
a perfect friend – reynolds price
wind, sand and stars – antoine de saint-exupery *
the alchemist – paulo coelho
the wounded healer – henri nouwen
gilead – marilynne robinson
¡gracias! – henri nouwen *
the great train robbery – michael crichton
one big damn puzzler – john harding
the end of poverty – jeffery d sachs
no country for old men – cormic mccarthy *
a passage to india – e.m. forster
stranger than fiction – chuck palahniuk
the power and the glory – graham greene *
watership down – richard adams
quarantine – jim crace
breath, eyes, memory – edwidge danticat
my name is asher lev – chaim potok *
neverwhere – neil gaiman
confessions of an economic hitman – john perkins
miracles – terri blackstock
the wolves of willoughby chase – joan aiken
twilight – stephenie meyer
the vision of emma blau – ursula hegi
indecision – benjamin kunkel
traveling mercies – anne lamott *
the sunflower – simon wiesenthal
three to get married – fulton sheen
teachings on love – thich nhat hanh *
the 5 love languages – gary chapman
cry, the beloved country – alan paton
new moon – stephenie meyer
i know this much is true – wally lamb
eclipse – stephenie meyer
searching for and maintaining peace – fr. jacques philippe
the art of loving – erich fromm
shepherds of the night – jorge amado *
what is the what – dave eggers *
let your life speak – parker palmer *
no death, no fear – thich nhat hanh
here and now – henri nouwen *
breaking dawn – stephenie meyer
the storyteller’s daughter – saira shah
the dna of relationships – dr. gary smalley
chronicles vi – bob dylan
confessions – st augustine
permaculture (finding our own vines and fig trees) – carol coston, op
a tale of three kings – gene edwards
contemplation – james carroll
a sacred voice is calling – john neafsey *
life of the beloved – henri nouwen
the storm – kahlil gibran
dune messiah – frank herbert
confessions of a jane austen addict – laurie viera rigler
the walking tour – kathryn davis
the host – stephenie meyer
the wedding – nicholas sparks
a 7 day journey with thomas merton – esther de waal
the shack – wm paul young
reaching out – henri nouwen *
living a spirituality of action – joan mueller
under the fig tree – william breault, sj
the god of small things – arundhati roy
making sense of god – elizabeth a dreyer
gil’s all-fright diner – a lee martinez
thomas merton: a different drummer – robert j voight
heaven and earth – brother ramen
no man is an island – thomas merton
the princess bride – william goldman
the way of the disciple – erasmo leiva-merikakis *
dandelion wine – ray bradbury
blooming murder – jean hager
praying with therese of lisieux – joseph f schmidt, fsc
take this bread – sara miles
parables to live by – john and lynn samaan
the active live – parker palmer

wounded wing

this baby had surgery on tuesday to remove a big mancha from her arm, it went well but everyone especially her mom was nervous because it’s surgery and she’s a baby.  the sad part is she has bruises all over because they couldn’t find a vein for the iv because this baby is super chubby.

now she has a big dressing, covered by an ace bandage, covered by an immobilizing soft cast from her shoulder to her wrist.  when she waves her arm around she looks like a birdy with a broken wing.  I told her mom that I think that should be her halloween costume, cause it’d be super cute and really sad all at the same time, just as is her waving this club of an arm around.  she gets velcro toys stuck to it and it’s super funny.  only problem is, now she’s impossible to dress because as soon as you take off the immobilizing cast she pulls off the ace bandage and tries to play (this baby is the squirmiest baby ever, she also has a tendency now to smack you in the face with her huge right arm).  she may not be decent for the next two weeks.