User:Rcallen7

Hi:

My name is Reid C. Allen. I am an electrical engineer living in the Western United States.

I lived in Argentina from April of 1960 to October of 1962, during the last part of the Arturo Frondizi era and the first part of the José María Guido period. During that period I was deeply involved with the Argentine people and learned to speak the Castilian Language in the Rioplatense mode. This included the use of some "lunfardo", the distinct sound of the letters "y" and "ll" and the "voseo" in place of the "tuteo". These are second person familiar forms (long since lost in English). The voseo is common in Argentina, Uruguay, some parts of Chile, and some parts of Central America.

In Argentina I lived in Córdoba; the Federal Capital (Buenos Aires city, in the Floresta, Liniers, and Belgrano districts); and also in San Nicolás de los Arroyos and Zárate, both in northern Buenos Aires Province. I traveled as far north as Córdoba, west to Mendoza, east to Mar del Plate, and south to Bahía Blanca and Azul. In 2007 I was able to travel to Iguazu Falls which is located at the point where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay come together.

I have retained my command of Castilian, and my love of Argentina. I suscribed to the airmail edition of La Nación until it was discontinued. I have an especial fondness for "Gaturro", the little cat which is the creation of "Nik" in La Nación. I have a collection of Argentine literature including some of the "Serie del Siglo y Medio" which was published by the University of Buenos Aires in 1960, and most of the works of Tomás Eloy Martínez. I would be very interested to learn if someone in Argentina is working on a redo of the "Serie" for the 200TH anniversary of the Primera Junta. I am fond of the folklore groups Los Fronterizos and Los Chachaleros.

I am especially interested in the accounts of Juan Perón and his second wife, Evita, without passing any judgment on the goodness or badness of them nor of their times in power.

I have traveled extensively in South America, Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. I also have a great interest in the history of the Spains and the languages spoken there (including Castilian, Catalan, Galician and Aragonese).

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I find religion to be an interesting, if somewhat risky, subject. I enjoy reading church history, both of my own church and Christianity in general. I enjoy engineering topics, reading history and novels in both English and Castilian, and traveling.

--Rcallen7 01:28, 28 June 2006 (UTC)