Got my drivers license this week. The process is they have to translate your US license into Arabic then have you come in to take an unflattering photo to go on the license. Of course this also means I can now drive here and I'll be getting a car this week. I'm just going to get one on a 2 yr lease for now. Lease payments here include all necessary insurance along with required maintenance and they will come get the car to do the maintenance and leave you one in it's place while they have it.
I also received my Work Permit which is another hard card much like the drivers license with another unflattering photo on it. This is the important one to carry and to have at all times for identification.
Did you know that the "close door"buttons in elevators in the US is turned off in every elevator in the US. They truly aren't active. Strangely enough here they are active so you can simply press the button and the doors close right away. It's great for limiting who gets on with you. Remember that when you see the new M. Night Shamylan movie that's coming out in a few months.
Out shopping the other night in a bookstore and came upon two old magazines on a book shelf beside some sports books. After pulling them out and looking at the cover I realized I was holding two copies of the first issue of Sports Illustrated in my hands. Dated August 16, 1954 with a picture of Eddie Matthews on the cover. I've been a subscriber for about 30 years and had never seen the first issue. My boss and I left them there and as I thought more about it I decided to go back two nights later to buy them. In the meantime he looked them up on E-Bay and it turns out they are worth between $150 - $200. So we went back and each bought one for about $10.
I've finished two books recently on my Nook (like a Kindle only tied to Barnes and Noble). The first was "War" by Sebastian Junger. If you want to read a detailed account of combat in Afghanistan this is the book to read. It will also be out in theaters since the whole time he was writing they were also taping operations in Korengal Valley. I believe the movie has the title Restrepo.
Another book I just finished was "Sh*t My Dad Says" by Justin Halpern, hilariously funny, but pretty foul language. I think this started as a blog and website and has finally gone into a printed format.
Soon the Kindle will become a paperweight since there is no way to download anything from Barnes and Noble here. I may send it back to the states to one of my girls to use because it's cheaper to download books than buy the printed version.
Stay Cool,
Okay, I'll bite...who is Eddie Matthews? I wasn't even born then. I'm looking forward to my Kindle's arrival in September (it's on back order--it's the latest version with 3G and WiFi built in) and am now soliciting "plausible excuses" to justify having one to my fellow Library board of Trustee members...They will lynch me, fer sure. As for Sh*t My Dad Says--- I follow Halpern on Twitter -- he's got a huge following and you can look forward to the cinema movie sometime next year. I know who's been signed to play the Dad... :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your driver's license...did you have to take a road test or written exam? Or do they figure if you can drive in the USA you can drive anywhere? Are you driving on the right or the left hand side? Do tell.
Glad to hear you'll be leasing a car. I thought you might get a Segway--- and then I'd have to do a long-distance vehicle intervention. Happy, Happy--- knock 'em dead!
PICK ME FOR THE NOOK, PICK ME! :)
ReplyDeleteOk, lots of good information here and I can't let it go. So, they took 2 unflattering photos of you. I love it! You're making it very easy for me to challenge you taking responsibility for your unflattering photos. Just smile....they won't be unflattering. Or do they have some sort of special cheese cloth they hold over the lens that makes everyone appear unflattering? Just kidding....but you did lay it out there and I noticed no one else was going to give you 'The What For' about those unflattering photos.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of asking my kids for a Kindle for Christmas. I graduate with my MBA in December and want to make time for pleasure reading again. Did you find the Kindle comfortable to use, for example, in bed or while traveling? I've seen people using them in many mass transit settings and think they's be great to have while traveling, or even at the beach or lounging around. But I worry about eye strain. Have you noticed any?
Sarah is in the early running for the Nook (associated with Barnes and Noble)because she's doing more pleasure reading than her sisters, they're studying.
ReplyDeleteI am comfortable traveling and reading the Nook, I've heard good things about the Kindle too. It's easy to use in bed, no eye strain that I've noticed. It's a little less bulky when it falls on my face or chest when I fall asleep reading as compared to a hard cover book.
By the way, for US citizens with valid drivers license, no road test required. It just takes about a week to get it translated into Arabic, but then you just go in for a picture and get your new license issued.
ReplyDeleteA co-worker of mine who is almost legally blind loves her Kindle because she can select the font style and size for every book she reads on her Kindle. My Kindle is on back order and scheduled to arrive sometime in Sept. Can't wait!
ReplyDelete"Did you know that the 'close door' button in elevators in the US is turned off in every elevator in the US. They truly aren't active."
ReplyDeleteSeriously? Why? I've had so many doors respond when I press this button... What's your source for this information?
That's pretty awesome, about the Sports Illustrated. Seriously! You know how I love old and used books, so I can totally be thrilled about this magazine find for you. What do you plan to do with it?
I could not stop laughing over "Sh*t My Dad Says." I really enjoyed the book. It started out on Twitter, then he started a following on Facebook as well. Turned into a book deal, and while I don't believe there's a film being made, a TV show is either in the works or on air, with William Shatner as Sam Halpern (aka the father).
I'm surprised, you can't download things to your Nook over there? That's a shame. Will you get a Kindle, then?
As far as who gets the Nook, I'm inclined to say, pick me, especially since Sarah gets to have a GPS, but I have many print books and I highly suspect I would be too cheap to buy books for the Nook. Still really tempting, though... So don't rule me out!