As you have noticed, I have a passion for books. My father and mother set the example for us growing up. They nutured this notion that acquiring knowledge is a form of worship. It is our duty to learn as much as we possibly could, and still be humble about it. Never act pig headed, superior or arrogant from the knowledge that you have acquired! Why do you think doctors think they are so great?! lmao. I'm kidding.
The best part about reading a new book is discussing what you've read. I love the heated debates and discussions!! Tempers flying and eyes bulging out from disbelief. People trying to force their opinions on you and you hold firm to your opinion! Such an insane and chatoic atmosphere, yet I love it!
So today, I went to the sharjah world book fair. Honestly, I expected something more. It was kinda pathetic. I could barely find anything :/ My dad found a ton of intresting books in arabic, but I was looking for some unique and intresting books in english. I should have been grateful they at least had a few books in ENGLISH. The only books I could find were the classics and Daniel Steel. Haha Daniel Steel is NOT A CLASSIC and never will be !!!
Of course I could not leave without buying anything. I decided that I will start building up my own library instead of adding to the library at home. I found a booth selling the classics in leather bound hard covers. The best thing about the Middle East is that you are allowed to haggle (Not in malls of course). You won't believe how low i got him to give me the books.
bwhahaha. Im so excited!
Here are the books i picked:
The best part about reading a new book is discussing what you've read. I love the heated debates and discussions!! Tempers flying and eyes bulging out from disbelief. People trying to force their opinions on you and you hold firm to your opinion! Such an insane and chatoic atmosphere, yet I love it!
So today, I went to the sharjah world book fair. Honestly, I expected something more. It was kinda pathetic. I could barely find anything :/ My dad found a ton of intresting books in arabic, but I was looking for some unique and intresting books in english. I should have been grateful they at least had a few books in ENGLISH. The only books I could find were the classics and Daniel Steel. Haha Daniel Steel is NOT A CLASSIC and never will be !!!
Of course I could not leave without buying anything. I decided that I will start building up my own library instead of adding to the library at home. I found a booth selling the classics in leather bound hard covers. The best thing about the Middle East is that you are allowed to haggle (Not in malls of course). You won't believe how low i got him to give me the books.
bwhahaha. Im so excited!
Here are the books i picked:
- The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (I loved this book when I first read it,
pure evil! muhahahah)
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens ( In history, I loved reading about
the french revolution, purely
chaotic)
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen ( This is one of my favorite books of all
time! I've bought soo many copies of
this book. From reading the book so
often it has torn. Thats why i've
decided to get it in hardcover.)
- The Odyssey by Homer (Mythology is always intresting)
- A Little Princess by Frances H. Burnett (The sweetest book
ever written)
In conclusion to my ramblings about books, go out and support the mediocore sharjah world book fair. 
posted by Arabized at
2:24 PM
12 Comments:
ooh i love the sharjah book fair (in the expo!).. last time i went there was about 10 yrs ago..
btw the prince is one of my favorite books.. very evil indeed.. it's very nice and short but i had to read it over and over to understand it.
i first bought it in italian (because i want to get the spirit of it) but realised it was written in an old form of italian (a bit like shakeasperian english) that i had no clue how to read and understand, then i bought the english translation.
a good read.
So im assuming you know italian?
hehe.
The book fair prolly hasn't changed that much, just its location. :p
so what other languages do you know?
and you also refer to things back 10 years ago, is there a reason for that?
Italian!
Biz... you know our plan? the castle! lmao!
Believe it or not: I have never been to Sharjah book fair. I don't know why, I think because I was told most of the books are in Arabic.
My language capabilities are like... negative? my Arabic and English are ok because I have been using them all my life, but they are even 'funny' which is ok if I speak English but when I speak arabic, it's embaressing. and I did try learning french, which was actually a really funny AND bad experience. :S
yes the french, HAHAHAAHAAH. I agree funny but bad experiences.
omelet du FROMAGE!
Thats about the only thing i remember, and it wasn't from french class.
damn uptight people!
I don't think i'd ever go back to that book fair.
I got hit on like never before. It was really discomforting, im here with my dad buying books. :/
Thank god my friends rescued me and took me to the ohh soo many malls in sharjah/dubai for nurishment.
"Omelet du FROMAGE"! loool
i know basic italian from evening classes i've been going to recently.. i can talk in very broken italian if i have to. enough to book a hotel or order a pizza.. nothing more. but i discovered (to my dismay) that i cannot read proper old italian books!
as for 10 yrs ago there's nothing much to it.. that's the last time i was in the book fair.. i grew up in uae u see but i've been studying/living/working in the uk for 7 yrs now...
so it seems things haven't changed much with the book fair compared to 10 yrs ago :)
hehe yes, you seem to know it.
How's studying/working/living in the uk??
oh and people are now fighting over the book 'The prince' after they found out i got it.
Let the best man or woman win. Its a fight to death. Good luck! :)
I found the book 'the prince' online and read few chapters... and no comments. But thanks, I won't be fighting for that book.
loser. haah ;)
oh yea and i LOVE THE ALCHEMIST.
Chub!!
Maybe if I read the Alchemist now I might like it. I READ IT WHEN I WAS 15!!
My dad gave my sister a book to read 'the world is flat', it's about globalizatione. I might read something from it.
HAHAHAAHAH!!
yes yes i can see me and your dad discussing globlization, lmao. Or he will end up taunting me, :/
having grown up in the uae i thought i could speak english and arabic but when i went to study in the uk i found that i could barely do both.. as my spoken english was crap, and my arabic got weaker the longer i stayed in the uk..
anyhow the studying bit is done (pfew) and now i'm enjoying being a slave in the corporate culture of the island (britain).
it's good actually because here they treat graduates with much more respect than in arab countries where you're expected to kiss ur boss' hand every 5 min and make him coffee etc.. as opposed to that i got top quality training in my job and my boss is actually happy when i share my opinions with him, especially when i disagree (but i have to have a point) or my visa will get cancelled lol.
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