My friend Manel claims that President Obama is closing municipal libraries. I presume he means Obama is indirectly closing libraries by bollixing the economy and forcing local governments to spend their monies in other ways because, as everyone knows, most local governments are suffering from a severe debt crisis and just can’t afford the services we’re all used to.
My experience with libraries is otherwise, however. I’m a cardholder at both the New York Public Library (NYPL) and the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL). Although both these enormous library systems threatened to cut back services in recent months, the community has stepped up and donated the millions of dollars necessary to keep the institutions open and operational with only slight adjustments. In the case of BPL, people gave $37 million to bridge the gap between what the local government budgeted and what the library system needed to maintain services. Since about three million people reside in the borough of Brooklyn, that means that residents gave an average of more than $12 each to the cause.
The Brooklyn system is an expansive one to be sure. There are sixty branches, in addition to the central library which is located at Grand Army Plaza adjacent to Prospect Park. That library is huge, with expansive rooms full of bookshelves as well as tables for reading, studying, or using computers. But the library doesn’t have a modern look or feel. It’s as if the technology of 2010 was piled on top of installations from the sixties. Shelves, tables, floors and ceilings are stained and pitted; bathrooms are old and unkempt; the formidable lobby is funky and unused; the revolving entrance doors seem like they’ve been spinning for a hundred years.
I’m lucky enough to live just a few blocks from the Cortelyou branch of the library. I pass by two or three times a week to pick up books or DVDs. I often reserve these materials on-line and they can be supplied from anywhere in the BPL system and then delivered to the Cortelyou branch. In this way I have access to almost all but the latest novels and films.
The only problem with this arrangement is that it requires that I interact with the Cortelyou branch staff. These people are singularly and notoriously rude. When you go to the counter for help, they act as if you aren’t there and continue to shuffle papers, arrange stock, or sip cold drinks from oversized containers. They greet only their friends and treat questions, even innocent ones from children, with the utmost disdain. If you address them in a friendly manner they’re apt to look at you as if you were from Mars. Every time I go to the Cortelyou branch I have to remind myself not to take things too seriously. But if I could, I would fire all of the workers there right this second. The money saved could be used to give the Central location a new paint job.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
YOU GOT CLASS!
Hello English language learners!
Here is a little lesson for you, sent from the real English-speaking world: Brooklyn, USA.
I know you are studying English very hard and you are doing a good job. Every day you are learning more things! That is good. But remember: the most important part of learning a language is being able to communicate with people and to understand them when they speak. Your English teachers are working very hard and are teaching you grammar which is very important, but I don’t think they are telling you some very important things. For example:
1. GOT is a verb! Many many people here use GOT instead of HAVE or instead of HAVE GOT. They say, “What do you GOT in your pocket?” and you say, “I GOT a gun in my pocket!”
They say, “You GOT a fever?” and you say, “No. But I GOT a runny nose!”
They say, “How much money you GOT?” and you say, “I ain’t GOT enough to buy candy!”
The past of GET is GOT and the past of GOT is HAD.
“Where did you GET your intelligence?” “I GOT it from my mother!”
“I didn’t come to work yesterday because I HAD a cold and I still GOT it!”
2. The word SNARKY is important. It’s an adjective. It means that something or somebody is mean, not nice, or rudely sarcastic. In America, it is very popular to be SNARKY, especially with your political enemies.
Innocent person: “I think Socialist programs are good.”
SNARKY person: “Yes. You’d like to live on a Gulag!”
Spanish people, in general, aren’t SNARKY. That is a good thing. But it is important to be able to identify and understand SNARKY comments and behavior.
3. GUYS is a group of people. The group of GUYS can be all men, women and men, or all women.
At a restaurant the waitress asks you and your friends, “What can I get you GUYS?”
At work your boss tells you and your co-workers, “You GUYS did a great job today!”
At home your mother asks your sisters, “What do you GUYS want for dinner?”
Some people think GUYS is sexist because one GUY refers to a man, not a woman. But the alternative GALS is not accepted in many places and GIRLS has been discarded because it is sexist. So, we have exchanged one sexist term for another.
4. In London, when you get on a train, an announcer says, “Mind the gap!” It is a very easy phrase to remember. Here in New York where many people ride trains every day, the announcer says, “PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF THE GAP BETWEEN THE PLATFORM AND THE TRAIN!”
When everyone is getting on the train, the announcer says, “STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS, PLEASE!” After that, everyone hurries inside the train and the doors close.
5. When using the Present Perfect tense, people often omit the word HAVE or HAS before the participle.
“I been to Brooklyn three times today. How many times you been there?”
“We seen those same guys at Grand Central Station!”
“They don’t want any pancakes. They already eaten!”
6. Finally, here is a test for you. Choose the correct answer and send it to latobpeter@yahoo.com. Prizes will be awarded! Good luck!
Which phrase do I use the most at the bookstore where I work?
a. Bye guys!
b. See you later, alligator!
c. Thank you!
d. You’re welcome!
e. Take care!
f. Thanks for shopping at Barnes and Noble!
g. You bet!
h. I hate when that happens!
i. I got blisters on my fingers!
j. You done?
Here is a little lesson for you, sent from the real English-speaking world: Brooklyn, USA.
I know you are studying English very hard and you are doing a good job. Every day you are learning more things! That is good. But remember: the most important part of learning a language is being able to communicate with people and to understand them when they speak. Your English teachers are working very hard and are teaching you grammar which is very important, but I don’t think they are telling you some very important things. For example:
1. GOT is a verb! Many many people here use GOT instead of HAVE or instead of HAVE GOT. They say, “What do you GOT in your pocket?” and you say, “I GOT a gun in my pocket!”
They say, “You GOT a fever?” and you say, “No. But I GOT a runny nose!”
They say, “How much money you GOT?” and you say, “I ain’t GOT enough to buy candy!”
The past of GET is GOT and the past of GOT is HAD.
“Where did you GET your intelligence?” “I GOT it from my mother!”
“I didn’t come to work yesterday because I HAD a cold and I still GOT it!”
2. The word SNARKY is important. It’s an adjective. It means that something or somebody is mean, not nice, or rudely sarcastic. In America, it is very popular to be SNARKY, especially with your political enemies.
Innocent person: “I think Socialist programs are good.”
SNARKY person: “Yes. You’d like to live on a Gulag!”
Spanish people, in general, aren’t SNARKY. That is a good thing. But it is important to be able to identify and understand SNARKY comments and behavior.
3. GUYS is a group of people. The group of GUYS can be all men, women and men, or all women.
At a restaurant the waitress asks you and your friends, “What can I get you GUYS?”
At work your boss tells you and your co-workers, “You GUYS did a great job today!”
At home your mother asks your sisters, “What do you GUYS want for dinner?”
Some people think GUYS is sexist because one GUY refers to a man, not a woman. But the alternative GALS is not accepted in many places and GIRLS has been discarded because it is sexist. So, we have exchanged one sexist term for another.
4. In London, when you get on a train, an announcer says, “Mind the gap!” It is a very easy phrase to remember. Here in New York where many people ride trains every day, the announcer says, “PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF THE GAP BETWEEN THE PLATFORM AND THE TRAIN!”
When everyone is getting on the train, the announcer says, “STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS, PLEASE!” After that, everyone hurries inside the train and the doors close.
5. When using the Present Perfect tense, people often omit the word HAVE or HAS before the participle.
“I been to Brooklyn three times today. How many times you been there?”
“We seen those same guys at Grand Central Station!”
“They don’t want any pancakes. They already eaten!”
6. Finally, here is a test for you. Choose the correct answer and send it to latobpeter@yahoo.com. Prizes will be awarded! Good luck!
Which phrase do I use the most at the bookstore where I work?
a. Bye guys!
b. See you later, alligator!
c. Thank you!
d. You’re welcome!
e. Take care!
f. Thanks for shopping at Barnes and Noble!
g. You bet!
h. I hate when that happens!
i. I got blisters on my fingers!
j. You done?
Monday, January 4, 2010
Favorite Books of 2009/Libros Preferidos de 2009
(Este post aparece en ingles y luego en espanol)
Besides being a year of unprecedented change for me, 2009 has been a year of unmatched reading. I’m just now finishing my 40th book which is pretty good for a slow reader like myself. Just one of the benefits of being unemployed for months and then commuting for almost two hours a day.
As a New Year’s offering, I give you the following list of my favorite titles. You’ll note that, for the most part, I’ve omitted the typical adjectives that usually accompany descriptions of books. In my opinion, all these books were “captivating,” “provocative,” “lyrical,” “infectious,” “entertaining,” and “wise,” among other things.
As always, thanks for your recommendations.
HAPPY 2010 and HAPPY READING!
What is the What by Dave Eggers – A Sudanese civil war refugee tells his story of survival and escape.
The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa – An otherwise nondescript man is bewitched by a mysterious woman as they traverse continents.
The Way to Paradise by Mario Vargas Llosa – A fictionalized account of the lives of Paul Gauguin and his revolutionary grandmother, Flora Tristan.
Desert by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio – The desert casts its spell on Berber soldiers as they skirmish with the colonizing French and also on Lalla, a young woman with roots there as deep as an oasis well.
Saturday by Ian McEwan – While pacing through a sleepless night, a London doctor witnesses the crash landing of an airliner; the rest of his day is equally askew.
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates – She wants to make their dream of living an exotic life come true and he thinks he does too.
The Grove by Josefina Aldecoa – A woman retraces her disappeared husband’s steps to one of the isolated Canary Islands.
Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem – Brooklyn neighborhood life in the 70’s as seen through the eyes of the only white kid.
Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene – A village priest and his sidekick drive around Spain in their clunker, dubbed Dulcinea, as they seek something.
Dorothy’s Song by Rosa Regas – An unappealing housekeeper comes to dominate the life of a young professional.
Carry Me Across the Water by Ethan Canin – An elderly Jew ponders his fortunate life.
Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago – The problems that arise when death takes a holiday.
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy – Two youngsters are abandoned in the Polish forest by their Nazi-fleeing parents.
Exit Ghost by Philip Roth – An aging Zuckerman returns to New York and finds himself irritatingly infatuated.
The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve – Why did flight 488 go down?
The Writing on the Wall by Lynn Sharon Schwartz – 9/11 provides the backdrop for a woman coming to terms with love and loss.
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth – Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 presidential election and the life of a Jewish New Jersey family is turned upside down.
The Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore – Babysitting involves much more than putting the kid to bed for a 20-year-old Midwestern university student.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz – Dominicans continue to pay the price for the excesses of crazed dictator Trujillo.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid – A brilliant Pakistani youth climbs to the top of the American corporate world and teeters.
2009 ha sido, para mi, un año de muchos cambios y muchos libros. Acabo de terminar el cuadragesimo lo cual representa todo un logro ya que leo muy lentamente. Sin duda me han ayudado los meses sin empleo y despues las horas diarias de ida y vuelta al trabajo en tren.
Como para celebrar el nuevo año os ofrezco esta lista de mis libros preferidos. Veras que en las descripciones no he incluido los adjetivos que se asocian con criticas. De hecho, en mi opinion, todos estos libros son “destacados”, “liricos”, “provocativos”, “entretenidos”, “sabios”, y mas.
Como siempre, os agradezco las recomendaciones y los libros que me habeis regalado.
Os deseo un feliz 2010 y que disfruteis de la lectura!
Que es el Que? de Dave Eggers – Un refugiado sudanes narra su historia de sobrevivencia y huida.
Travesuras de la Niña Mala de Mario Vargas Llosa – De continente a continente, a un hombre anodino le hechiza una peruana misteriosa.
El Paraiso en la Otra Esquina de Mario Vargas Llosa – Dos historias basadas en hechos reales: la del pintor enloquecido Paul Gauguin, y la otra de su abuela, la revolucionaria Flora Tristan.
Desierto de Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio – La Sahara domina las dos historias contadas: la del ejercito Bereber durante sus escaramuzas con el imperio frances, y la otra la de Lalla, una chica con raices mas profundas que un pozo desertico.
Sabado de Ian McEwan – Durante una noche de insomnio, un medico londinense cree que ha visto estrellarse un avion comercial; el resto de su dia tampoco sera nada ordinario.
Via Revolucionaria de Richard Yates – Una pareja de media clase sueña con dejar la vida aburrida norteamericana; pero que hara el en Paris?
El Vergel de Josefina Aldecoa – Como su marido la ha dejado despues de una estancia en Lanzarote, la mujer le sigue los pasos.
La Fortaleza de la Soledad de Jonathan Lethem – En los 70, el unico chico blanco del barrio (a dos km del mio) muestra, por comparacion, como Brooklyn ha cambiado – para mejor - en los ultimos años.
Monseñor Quijote de Graham Greene – Un cura de pueblo y su fiel escudero viajan por España en un Seat 600, que se llama Dulcinea, en busca de algo.
La Cancion de Dorotea de Rosa Regas – Sin ninguna razon aparente, una joven profesional se deja llevar por una criada sumamente desagradable.
Al Otro Lado del Mar de Ethan Canin – Un judio, ya mayor, contempla su vida afortunada.
Las Intermitencias de la Muerte de Jose Saramago – Vienen los problemas despues de que La Muerte decida tomar unas vacaciones inesperadas.
La historia verdadera de Hansel y Gretel de Louise Murphy – Abandonados por sus padres en un bosque polaco, dos chicos buscan salvarse de la pesadilla nazi.
Sale el Espectro de Philip Roth – Zuckerman, ya mayor, incontinente e impotente, vuelve a Nueva York y se enamora.
La Mujer del Piloto de Anita Shreve – Por que se estrello el vuelo 488?
La Escritura en la Pared de Lynn Sharon Schwartz – El 11-S hace que una mujer se enfrente con perdidas anteriores.
La Conjura contra America de Philip Roth – La victoria del aislacionista y amigo de nazis Charles Lindbergh de las presidenciales de 1940 crea panico y division en una familia judia de Nueva Jersey.
Al Pie de la Escalera de Lorrie Moore – Una universitaria que trabaja de canguro muestra plenamente la singularidad de la vida norteamericana.
La Maravillosa Vida Breve de Oscar Wao de Junot Diaz – Los excesos del caudillo Trujillo ensombrecen la vida contemporanea de unos chicos dominicanos.
El Integrista Renuente de Mohsin Hamid – Con los nuevos llamamientos a la guerra contra el terrorismo islamico, un pakistani llegado a la cumbre del mundo corporativo norteamericano empieza a cuestionarse.
Besides being a year of unprecedented change for me, 2009 has been a year of unmatched reading. I’m just now finishing my 40th book which is pretty good for a slow reader like myself. Just one of the benefits of being unemployed for months and then commuting for almost two hours a day.
As a New Year’s offering, I give you the following list of my favorite titles. You’ll note that, for the most part, I’ve omitted the typical adjectives that usually accompany descriptions of books. In my opinion, all these books were “captivating,” “provocative,” “lyrical,” “infectious,” “entertaining,” and “wise,” among other things.
As always, thanks for your recommendations.
HAPPY 2010 and HAPPY READING!
What is the What by Dave Eggers – A Sudanese civil war refugee tells his story of survival and escape.
The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa – An otherwise nondescript man is bewitched by a mysterious woman as they traverse continents.
The Way to Paradise by Mario Vargas Llosa – A fictionalized account of the lives of Paul Gauguin and his revolutionary grandmother, Flora Tristan.
Desert by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio – The desert casts its spell on Berber soldiers as they skirmish with the colonizing French and also on Lalla, a young woman with roots there as deep as an oasis well.
Saturday by Ian McEwan – While pacing through a sleepless night, a London doctor witnesses the crash landing of an airliner; the rest of his day is equally askew.
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates – She wants to make their dream of living an exotic life come true and he thinks he does too.
The Grove by Josefina Aldecoa – A woman retraces her disappeared husband’s steps to one of the isolated Canary Islands.
Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem – Brooklyn neighborhood life in the 70’s as seen through the eyes of the only white kid.
Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene – A village priest and his sidekick drive around Spain in their clunker, dubbed Dulcinea, as they seek something.
Dorothy’s Song by Rosa Regas – An unappealing housekeeper comes to dominate the life of a young professional.
Carry Me Across the Water by Ethan Canin – An elderly Jew ponders his fortunate life.
Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago – The problems that arise when death takes a holiday.
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy – Two youngsters are abandoned in the Polish forest by their Nazi-fleeing parents.
Exit Ghost by Philip Roth – An aging Zuckerman returns to New York and finds himself irritatingly infatuated.
The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve – Why did flight 488 go down?
The Writing on the Wall by Lynn Sharon Schwartz – 9/11 provides the backdrop for a woman coming to terms with love and loss.
The Plot Against America by Philip Roth – Charles Lindbergh wins the 1940 presidential election and the life of a Jewish New Jersey family is turned upside down.
The Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore – Babysitting involves much more than putting the kid to bed for a 20-year-old Midwestern university student.
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz – Dominicans continue to pay the price for the excesses of crazed dictator Trujillo.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid – A brilliant Pakistani youth climbs to the top of the American corporate world and teeters.
2009 ha sido, para mi, un año de muchos cambios y muchos libros. Acabo de terminar el cuadragesimo lo cual representa todo un logro ya que leo muy lentamente. Sin duda me han ayudado los meses sin empleo y despues las horas diarias de ida y vuelta al trabajo en tren.
Como para celebrar el nuevo año os ofrezco esta lista de mis libros preferidos. Veras que en las descripciones no he incluido los adjetivos que se asocian con criticas. De hecho, en mi opinion, todos estos libros son “destacados”, “liricos”, “provocativos”, “entretenidos”, “sabios”, y mas.
Como siempre, os agradezco las recomendaciones y los libros que me habeis regalado.
Os deseo un feliz 2010 y que disfruteis de la lectura!
Que es el Que? de Dave Eggers – Un refugiado sudanes narra su historia de sobrevivencia y huida.
Travesuras de la Niña Mala de Mario Vargas Llosa – De continente a continente, a un hombre anodino le hechiza una peruana misteriosa.
El Paraiso en la Otra Esquina de Mario Vargas Llosa – Dos historias basadas en hechos reales: la del pintor enloquecido Paul Gauguin, y la otra de su abuela, la revolucionaria Flora Tristan.
Desierto de Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio – La Sahara domina las dos historias contadas: la del ejercito Bereber durante sus escaramuzas con el imperio frances, y la otra la de Lalla, una chica con raices mas profundas que un pozo desertico.
Sabado de Ian McEwan – Durante una noche de insomnio, un medico londinense cree que ha visto estrellarse un avion comercial; el resto de su dia tampoco sera nada ordinario.
Via Revolucionaria de Richard Yates – Una pareja de media clase sueña con dejar la vida aburrida norteamericana; pero que hara el en Paris?
El Vergel de Josefina Aldecoa – Como su marido la ha dejado despues de una estancia en Lanzarote, la mujer le sigue los pasos.
La Fortaleza de la Soledad de Jonathan Lethem – En los 70, el unico chico blanco del barrio (a dos km del mio) muestra, por comparacion, como Brooklyn ha cambiado – para mejor - en los ultimos años.
Monseñor Quijote de Graham Greene – Un cura de pueblo y su fiel escudero viajan por España en un Seat 600, que se llama Dulcinea, en busca de algo.
La Cancion de Dorotea de Rosa Regas – Sin ninguna razon aparente, una joven profesional se deja llevar por una criada sumamente desagradable.
Al Otro Lado del Mar de Ethan Canin – Un judio, ya mayor, contempla su vida afortunada.
Las Intermitencias de la Muerte de Jose Saramago – Vienen los problemas despues de que La Muerte decida tomar unas vacaciones inesperadas.
La historia verdadera de Hansel y Gretel de Louise Murphy – Abandonados por sus padres en un bosque polaco, dos chicos buscan salvarse de la pesadilla nazi.
Sale el Espectro de Philip Roth – Zuckerman, ya mayor, incontinente e impotente, vuelve a Nueva York y se enamora.
La Mujer del Piloto de Anita Shreve – Por que se estrello el vuelo 488?
La Escritura en la Pared de Lynn Sharon Schwartz – El 11-S hace que una mujer se enfrente con perdidas anteriores.
La Conjura contra America de Philip Roth – La victoria del aislacionista y amigo de nazis Charles Lindbergh de las presidenciales de 1940 crea panico y division en una familia judia de Nueva Jersey.
Al Pie de la Escalera de Lorrie Moore – Una universitaria que trabaja de canguro muestra plenamente la singularidad de la vida norteamericana.
La Maravillosa Vida Breve de Oscar Wao de Junot Diaz – Los excesos del caudillo Trujillo ensombrecen la vida contemporanea de unos chicos dominicanos.
El Integrista Renuente de Mohsin Hamid – Con los nuevos llamamientos a la guerra contra el terrorismo islamico, un pakistani llegado a la cumbre del mundo corporativo norteamericano empieza a cuestionarse.
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