A sheepherder from downcountry

[dirtsheep]

Hello folks,

 

Just got to Dragonmount a few days ago. You have quite a lively community here!

 

I have known about The Wheel of Time for a long time now...and steadfastly ignored it. Then, I listened to the first few books on Audible a few years ago. Delightful, but in the end not enough to keep my ADD-addled mind going.

 

Now, I'm actually *reading* The Eye of the World. It's a completely different experience for me than listening was...it feels deeper, more alive. I'm only 250 pages in. Given the above-mentioned ADD, I don't know if I can read 14 huge-ass books or not...but right now, I'm feeling very satisfied.

 

I am not quite sure why I started reading these...WoT was something that I was glad to know something about, but that didn't seem to be "mine." But for the past couple of weeks, images from the books kept coming to me. I wanted a life that was full of The Ways again, and Ogier (or maybe just one particular Ogier). So, I went out and bought the 4th book, so that I would know that I hadn't missed anything, and started reading. There is a wonderful bit there about Min returning to the White Tower. But that reading brought to mind all the stuff that had preceded it, and so I went and bought more books and started again from the beginning.

 

It's amazing to me how much RJ must have known about where he was going when he sat down to write this first book...it's chock-full of things that you don't notice on the first read, possibly, but stand out as subtle and brilliant foreshadowings of things to come. Very nice. He saw deeply into this world he made, and takes us there splendidly.

 

Anyway, I'm new to these parts, and will no doubt stand out as an outsider for a while. I hope y'all will be patient with my ignorance of your city ways.

 

Here's one ignorant question: I see reference to RJs blog in the introductory materials, but I'm damned if I can find it. Is it still around?

 

Good to have found y'all.

 

jeff

[Ledinna Sedai]

That's a lovely first post! Welcome to DM!!!

 

In here it shouldn't matter how many pages have you read. You can still be a WoTaholic! And as you say, the audible books may not be so 'deep' as the real ones but story's the same.

And from the reading problem: I don't know if this is possible, but could it work you read the books just little by little? As I said, I don't know... But it's really nice to have you here!

 

I can't answer the blog quesiton but here should be many others that can.

If you have any questions about DM, feel free to ask.

 

Hope you will like DM!

[Aiel Heart]

Welcome to dm!!!

 

Well staying around here should encourage you to read the books :D just beware of spoilers! They mostly hide around the general discussion boards

 

Which characters and parts have been your favorites so far?

 

This is RJ's blog--you will need to go to the bottom of the last page to see the first post and then work up and forwards from there :D (so scroll all of the way down and press the button that says "last" then scroll all of the way down again)

 

http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/blog/4-robert-jordans-blog/

 

The man was amazing. I wish I could have met him

[dirtsheep]

Hello Ladies,

 

Thank you for the welcome!

 

Ledinna Sedai, I see from your profile that you're only sixteen years old. What an amazing person you are. I used to teach Kindergarten through 8th grade in a one-room schoolhouse. So I've worked with people your age. But I don't think any of them might have shown up here as you have, yourself and comfortable. I know I couldn't have done that as a 16 year old (the old man said), 31 years ago (ahem). Good to have met you.

 

Hello Aiel Heart. Thanks for the link! I went to check it out. What a crazy world, where we can come and influence the planet, then make our way home before we're done. (Not that I'm not ready to make my way home).

 

Well, I guess I might be ready to make my way home.

 

Anyway, good to have met you both. Thanks again for the welcome to DragonMount.

 

jeff

[Ledinna Sedai]

*is pretty much speechless*

 

Th-thanks!

[Nynaeve]

Welcome to Dragonmount, dirtsheep! *sniggers*

 

It's funny but I'm currently experiencing quite the opposite. I read all the books (excluding the 13th one... I'm on it :P). But now I'm trying out the whole audio book experience. I actually started a reread and caved just as I was beginning book 4. But then a DMer visited me not too long ago and had all the audiobooks in his laptop. So I copied them all and am now listening to book four in my bus rides (I spend 4 hours a day on a bus).

 

I find that listening to audiobooks is not so bad, but at the same time I sort of lose my train of thought a lot so I keep having to rewind. And it also took me a bit to get used to the voices that read the book. I much prefer the female one, for some reason, even though the male one puts a lot more effort into accents, voices and trying to insert feelings into it lol All in all, not bad.

 

But, I've found that when I actually read the books I get a lot more invested in it. And certain parts that always shoot shivers down my back don't really do it when I'm listening to it.

 

Anyway LOL... I hope you enjoy yourself here. Dragonmount has a lot to offer. Discussions, socializing, RPing. You name it. It might look a little scary at first or confusing but there are always plenty of people around to ask, not to mention the rather detailed explanations.

 

And just as an added note.... I joined back when I was 15 myself. And this site has seen even younger members. The youngest I've seen is 12, I think. And you can always find people that act like they're 12 as well *laughs*

 

If you have any questions or just want to chat feel free to shoot me a PM!

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

Nyn

[dirtsheep]

Hello Nynaeve,

 

I suppose one has to show up at 15 in order to snag the name Nynaeve, huh?

 

Thanks for the welcome!

 

I don't have the time I used to to listen to audio books, but I'm very grateful that I had the chance to listen to them when I did. I think I might be quite a bit more lost in this new world if I hadn't had the experience of hearing all the names, their correct pronunciations, etc. Now, instead of being a strange new world that I must come to grips with in the first book, which seems like it would be quite a bit of work, it just feels like home, amongst people I already know and like.

 

It was an interesting decision to split up the books between two readers. Choosing a single narrator is a make-or-break situation for an audio book...the narrator has to attract you as well as the book itself. Choosing two seems like it ups the odds of failure. The two certainly have different styles of narration...the female reader seems very precise to me, somehow. The male reader reads too fast for my taste...it would easier to follow, I think, if he slowed down a little bit. But in all I think they did a pretty good production of the books.

 

One thing that really drove me crazy about RJ's writing is how often he used the word "dryly" to qualify how lines were spoken. "blah blah blah," Tam said dryly. "blah blah blah," Rand answered dryly. Blech. Once per book is enough for a word like "dryly." It's easier to ignore in the written text, somehow, than in the audio version :)

 

Best to you,

 

jeff

[Panchi]

You really notice things. i don't remember if there was any dryly.

 

Welcome and enjoy. If you have any problems just ask.

[dirtsheep]

You really notice things. i don't remember if there was any dryly.

 

Welcome and enjoy. If you have any problems just ask.

Pankhuri, I just discovered that you live in India! How cool is that? Sometimes this internet-thingie amazes me. I'm interested in hearing about it, if you're sharing.

[Panchi]

I am proud to be an Indian. The thing is you won't find many Indians here. I know of two others but they haven't been active.

 

What would you like to hear?

[dirtsheep]

What would you like to hear?

I guess I'd just like to hear all those things of which I'm ignorant. I've only been in the US, which I can't suppose is anything like a standard. What do you do? Where do you shop? How do you find these books? How would you enlighten me to a larger world than our press allows us to know? What would you tell me, if you could?

[Panchi]

What would you like to hear?

I guess I'd just like to hear all those things of which I'm ignorant. I've only been in the US, which I can't suppose is anything like a standard. What do you do? Where do you shop? How do you find these books? How would you enlighten me to a larger world than our press allows us to know? What would you tell me, if you could?

Well, I think I read most of all things. And I do others things like study, try cooking, writing, crafting, embroidery and I am excatly not sure what I know and what I don't.

 

I found the books in a local library. After reading till Knife of Dreams, I joined this site. After that I realized I needed a rereading so I decided to buy them from local bookstore. Still I have five more books to buy.

 

And I can't say anything about enlightening. For one thing, I don't know what your press says. One thing I remember reading in newspaper was that people there are protesting by not doing anything. Just sitting somewhere. Something like that happened here, a man Anna Hazare decided to stand up against corruption and held a 12 day fast. he had a lot of supporters. Half of my class supported him but I decided since many of the people who supported the cause won't shed their little corrupt ways, there was no point in supporting.

 

And I could tell you a bit about Indian culture. We have around 18 official languages. And many many local languages. The culture is diverse. Many religions live together in harmony. Well unless some misinformed people start fight over Hindu-Muslim issues.

 

I guess it is enough. If you want more, tell me. I would be happy to help.

[dirtsheep]

18 official languages! Now that is a fascinating detail. Here in America, we seem to think that everyone has to conform...that the route toward harmony is somehow for everyone to be the same, for other people to assimilate to our language and our ways. There is a lot of ugliness surrounding people who don't yet speak our national language. Which is so weird, really, because we're made up of cultures from all over the world.

 

Speaking of languages, I'm assuming that English is not your native tongue? But you write it beautifully...and I guess I assume that you're reading The Wheel of Time in English? Or maybe I'm wrong about that.

 

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to tell me a little bit about yourself and your country. We Americans are very ignorant about international affairs...I'll bet you know much, much more about us than we know about you.

 

Best to you,

 

jeff

[quickster23]

Welcome dirtsheep I just joined here a while a go my self and got a great welcome so I welcome you too. By the way I,m 14.

[dirtsheep]

Welcome dirtsheep I just joined here a while a go my self and got a great welcome so I welcome you too. By the way I,m 14.

Hello, Thread. BTW: What does "thread" mean? I can only think of the Dragonriders of Pern, where threads figured heavily, and which is surely the wrong message.

 

My next question: who let all these damned kids into the room? :) Surely you are just here to make me feel like the oldest person in the room, and thus irrelevant :)

 

I could not have read these books at 14...not sure that I can read them now, at 47. But I guess it's a sign of the evolution of the species that we have these people amongst us who can do such a thing. Good for you.

 

"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

 

j

[quickster23]

Welcome dirtsheep I just joined here a while a go my self and got a great welcome so I welcome you too. By the way I,m 14.

Hello, Thread. BTW: What does "thread" mean? I can only think of the Dragonriders of Pern, where threads figured heavily, and which is surely the wrong message.

 

My next question: who let all these damned kids into the room? :) Surely you are just here to make me feel like the oldest person in the room, and thus irrelevant :)

 

I could not have read these books at 14...not sure that I can read them now, at 47. But I guess it's a sign of the evolution of the species that we have these people amongst us who can do such a thing. Good for you.

 

"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

 

j

I chose threads because of the wheel weaving different threads in the pattern. For some reason most kids my age can't read books like these either guess I'm just special.

[Panchi]

18 official languages! Now that is a fascinating detail. Here in America, we seem to think that everyone has to conform...that the route toward harmony is somehow for everyone to be the same, for other people to assimilate to our language and our ways. There is a lot of ugliness surrounding people who don't yet speak our national language. Which is so weird, really, because we're made up of cultures from all over the world.

 

Speaking of languages, I'm assuming that English is not your native tongue? But you write it beautifully...and I guess I assume that you're reading The Wheel of Time in English? Or maybe I'm wrong about that.

 

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to tell me a little bit about yourself and your country. We Americans are very ignorant about international affairs...I'll bet you know much, much more about us than we know about you.

 

Best to you,

 

jeff

I remeber reading a book where the main character wanted everyone to convert to Christianity so the world would be better. I was not able to stand it and left the book in the middle. I believe varity is the spice of life. If all people had same ways, religions, it would have been boring. I don't like those who think that others should adopt their ways.

 

I read Wheel of Time in English and I don't think it is available in Hindi. I have been studying English and Hindi side by side. While I find reading and writing easier in English, Hindi is easier for me to speak and listen to. Maybe it is because most of my education has been in an English medium school so I am in a habit of reading and writing in English. But I never tried speaking in English much so I have problems with that. To understand English when I listen I am trying to watch movies in English and the currently going Vampire Diaries.

 

I chose threads because of the wheel weaving different threads in the pattern. For some reason most kids my age can't read books like these either guess I'm just special.

 

Threads, I am near about your age and I have been reading Wheel of Time for around two years. So you are not the only one. But I understand, whenever I tried to make any of my friends read the books, it has resulted in failure after failure. One even said that reading few pages of Eye of the World was one of the biggest mistake of her life.

[Ernmore]

Welcome Dirtsheep, Just thought you ought to know there are a few of us that are around your age or a couple of years older. Had my 49th birthday a couple of weeks ago. The young ones keep us young at heart though. And of course remember that "growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional".

[dirtsheep]

Why, thank ya kindly, Ernmore.

 

Yep, I'm a little stunned to be one of the old guys 'round these parts. For a while, you're a young'un, then, for a while, just about everyone's the same age as you, and then: wham, it hits ya that you're all the way on the right tail of the bell curve. Wow.

 

:) Good to have met you.

 

j

[Nyanna al'Meara]

Welcome to DM dirtsheep! (though it is a bit late, sorry)

 

Hahaaaaaa, INVASION OF THE YOUNG'UNS!!! No but seriously, we are always appreciative of what anyone older has to tell. It's shocking how much is lost these days as sadly many young people don't treasure the vast knowledge and experience that has always been handed down from generation to generation in the past. < Please excuse if that long sentence doesn't make sense lol. What I'm trying to say is that here it don't matter what age you are, everybody is respected and treated like family!

 

Hehe, love your name! I live in New Zealand, where there are many more sheep than people. Although we don't have any on our farm, there's sheep all over the place

 

Hope you enjoy DM!

 

Nya

[dirtsheep]

Hello Nyanna.

 

There are sheep there, yes, but are their dirtsheep? Dirtsheep are very reclusive creatures.

 

I liked your long sentence. Not sure I buy it, though...I've been around for a while, but haven't sensed any onset of wisdom.

 

Thanks for the welcome!

 

j