For The L♥ve of Reading discussion

This is such an interesting part of history and of today's world. I'd like to learn more. Fictional and non-fictional.

Suggestions??

Elyssa have you read The Historian? I thought it was an excellent portrayal of historical fiction with some fantasy of vampires thrown in. It turns out that the person Dracula actually did exist in the form of a homicidal dictator. Quite a large portion of the book takes place in Eastern Europe specifically Turkey & Bulgaria (Romania too) and in the past and present. It is very long, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!

My hubby's brother is very much into history and being Albanian knew quite specifically of Dracula and some of his many terrible doings. It's crazy to think that such a prominent character in literature is based on a true formerly existing person. I learned some stuff about Albania too that I did not know as I hadn't moved there yet.

Did you know Eastern Europeans nod their heads to say "no" and shake their head for "yes"? It gets very confusing at first and then you pick it up fast. I've been home for a year and a half and sometimes still do it to my family. :D

I didn't know about the nodding of the heads. That is really a culture change right there!

Thanks for the suggestion. I think I have the Historian. I'm going to have to scour my bookshelves now and pull it out to put in my TBR pile :)

How did you like living overseas. I absolutely loved it. I wish I couldn't of stayed. I def look at the US differently. I always thought that we butted ourselves into areas that we weren't welcome but to see it happen on a different end really puts things in a different perspective.

I think that if I were living somewhere else and with other people it wouldn't have been so bad, but you see it was Albania.

Being a woman in the country married to an actual Albanian who happens to be 14 years my senior is not an easy feat. It was my duty to be the cook and clean for the entire household of him and his parents and sometimes even more extended families. I was pregnant quite a bit of the time to top it off so I thought I might kill someone. Most of the men sat on their lazy bums and would not help. It was most upsetting and my husband was yelled at on a regular basis by me. (he agreed he deserved it)

I cannot quite convey that portion of it and how lonely I became because it was not "proper" for me to act as I normally do and my husband was always gone leaving me to clean endlessly. I was so upset and frustrated that I really never wanted to go back. But, I think we will be visiting in October or November this year.

I was raised as a very independent soul who doesn't take kindly to being told what to do and I value my brain over my cooking & cleaning skills (which is not to devalue those at all) so I didn't fit in much with my ways of thinking.

Also, to top it off, there was a large portion of summer we were without water and electricity. Electricity I could live without, but not having water was hard when I needed to clean. It's funny how much a person really does not need to survive. sometimes my mother cannot understand how i lived, but I chalk that opinion up to bubble mentality. It's really not that difficult. There are many a thing that Americans deem important that really aren't. *wipes hand across forehead* sorry for the long wind. :D

Jen wrote: "Elyssa have you read The Historian? I thought it was an excellent portrayal of historical fiction with some fantasy of vampires thrown in. It turns out that the person Dracula actual..."

whoa thats very different from Mediterranean europe

I've visited other parts of Europe when I was single and it was nothing like that. Germany was my favorite!!! Albanians are a different breed. The women there are most amazing though.

Whew, that was a long wind but it was a lovely story.

It is hard to stand up to a culture that is not your own but is apart of your life.

I know about living without for sure. Thailand, I lived in the poorest area of the country. However, I was lucky to live with families that were well off. I learned my place quickly within the family. I had maids, really! They cut grass with scissors. I helped the ground people sometimes, yup had some of those too. It was sobering to be sitting on a mat or tiny tiny stool picking grass to the height it need to be.

I tried learning how to cook with the maids. That only happened a few times. I was chased out because that was no place for me. But they showed me how to press soy beans that was fun. My family couldn't understand how I could do these things. But it was nice to help out. Although, I have no idea where my dirty clothes disappeared to. I never found out who or where my laundry was cleaned. Where is Scooby Doo when you need him?

When I was there... this is a sad story, but the first person you were with was the person you married otherwise you would be shamed and dirty. So I find out often that boys at school would rape their girlfriends so they had to marry. I actually pulled a guy off the girl in the girls room. Got his balls pretty good then got her out. (They were scared of me after that. :)) I found it disturbing. I told many of the girls around me you would never find a girl overseas marry the man who violated her. Although, this was horrible custom over time since I was there and shortly after I left it stopped being that way. I don't like seeing cultures change because they see what America is doing but I do like to see people stand up for themselves!!!

We should make a topic to share international stories??

Wow I kinda wish I hadn;t read that how disgusting it that....

I know what you mean Lyss, it's crazy the things that go on. I would like to share international stories. I think they are so interesting and fun!! I once check my email with Seth Green while in New Zealand. :D It was funny!

Seth is all over. I was at a bar with him on State street in Madison. I've ran into Jake and Resse Witherspoon in one of the museums in DC and had dinner in the same restaurant as Matt Dillon. He was macking on a few girls but hey, he's a star. This was all recently pretty cool.

I once ate breakfast sitting relatively close to that chick from Joe Dirt. The really hot blond. It was sweet. I was in LA and felt so cool. Couldn't stop staring at her though.

I've also met Harland Williams. He came down to The Improv in Tempe and let me tell you, he is hilarious! I shook his hand and got his autograph. My friend Brenda was in a movie in Ireland with Pierce Brosnan. She told me he is a total womanizer who wouldn't stop staring at her breasts.

eew

Most definitely!

I believe it! He is good enough looking to be. Although, I don't think he can be worse then Matt Dillon. Hmmm...

Never met Matt Dillon. Womanizer? Seriously, I think Pierce Brosnan is hot! I love the Irish!!

He does have some good movies and he does them so well. How could you not love Brosnan??

*Making international Stories Topic Right Now, same folder*

*raises eyebrow, gets curious and checks it out*

BTW - So my hubby is trying to get me to go to Albania in November and I think I might try to get him to take me to Turkey. I've been dying to see Istanbul ever since I read The Historian. I hear that the mosque there is like nothing anyone has ever seen (and I'm not even Muslim). They say the beauty of Istanbul is astounding!

OMG! I'm so going! I have been dying to go to Turkey. All of the history. Constantinople. Istanbul. Either way I want to be there for a long long period of time. I would also def spend time in the mosque. I love all religious centers that are not churches. I spend more time in Buddhist temples and wanted to be there then I ever did want to be a church growing up. The atmosphere is so different!!!