Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SuperHero]

The White Castle by Orhan Pamuk

[Tiger Beer]

The Story of English - McCrum, MacNeil and Cran.

Book about the story of the English language.

[Underwaterbob]

[VanIslander]

The Secret Life of the Seine by Mort Rosenblum

A journalist's foray into travel writing about the French river and the culture of those who live on it. The author himself lived on the river for over a decade and describes some very interesting characters and weaves the history of France, Western Europe and geological post-Ice Age continential changes from the vantage point of the river. Interesting bits, though his inventions of puns and play on words are as annoying as they are original. I like how he pans Paul Theroux's suggestion he travel by kayak up and down the river to its source and mouth, and instead decides to drive along the shore where he can, using maps, trying to talk about the river (especially outside of the Parisian area he lives) on land. At first this approach seemed wrongheaded and distant but he meets a lot of locals that way, discovers ruins and townsites he would have missed, and explores streams and tributaries along the way. One learns how disgustingly polluted the river is yet still how remarkably beautiful. I feel I have learned a lot about Paris and an overlooked subculture as well a new perspective on the country and its development. I'm over halfway through, and am lamenting the fact. A not bad writer with some vivid insights into a noticed, significant but rarely reflected upon subject. A decent read.

[travel zen]

I've also read Gaijin.

Shogun was the first and the best. I think dude tried to repeat his runaway classic with the same formula. Shogun was waaay better and Gaijin came off very amaturish and yeah, boring too.

I tell you that Shogun is so different than Gaijin in that it is so very intricate and the characters are not so wooden like Gaijin. Didn't like the character developement and throwing the ultra-girly girl Angelique in there was ugly

[i_teach_esl]

passing
by nella larsen