December 24th, 2005
In the Spotlight
While many teachers spend their entire working lives in the classroom, Nikki Kamatos, fifth-grade teacher for many of us, has led a multi-faceted life, of which teaching was but one part. Growing up as a member of the Greek-American community in Duluth, MN gave her an edge; she attended a Greek after-school program, learned the language, and traveled to Greece several times as a child, immersing herself in the culture and getting to know her cousins, aunts and uncles.
Her eyes on the world were opened further when, as a student at the University of Minnesota in Duluth, majoring in political science and business administration, she visited Alexandria, Egypt as part of an honors program. There she developed a keen interest in the Middle East.
After graduating, Nikki moved to Chicago where she worked in market research and taught some high school courses. Life in the Windy City was interesting and fun, but she yearned to go overseas. When a friend of her brother suggested she apply to Aramco, she jumped at the chance. Fortunately for us, she got an offer and she moved to Dhahran in 1968. For the next ten years, Nikki taught in the Dhahran middle school and did individual tutoring as well.
She really enjoyed life in Dhahran. She loved her volunteer work with the Garden Club and treasured the many opportunities to travel. Nikki toured Istanbul with her Mom (who had grown up there) and visited Iran, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. She spent quite a bit of time in London, Lisbon, Sicily, Beirut and the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, and several parts of Syria.
Nikki left Dhahran in 1985, having spent the last seven years of her career in Engineering, working in the Scheduling Dept. As one might expect, Greece figured prominently in her retirement plans and her first year was devoted to visits with family and researching family history.
Nikki is happily settled in Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, where over the years she has demonstrated the same diversity of interests as in her younger days. She has taken several college courses in biology, taught courses in graphic design, led fund-raising drives for her church choir and done a great deal volunteer tutoring.
She is close to her family and keeps up with some of her former colleagues from Dhahran, Nancy Cool and Dolores Goetz to cite but two.
Great
Works
The Sex Lives of Cannibals–by J. Maarten Troost. This ridiculously titled book (the cannibals aren’t human and there’s very little sex) is actually well worth reading. Troost accompanied his wife on assignment to Tarawa, a small island in the western Pacific.
His observations on the challenges faced by a traditional society facing an influx of modern elements are very funny and often insightful.
Battle Ready–Anthony Zinni, with Tom Clancy. Former CENTCOM Commander Tony Zinni’s autobiography. Zinni is a very engaging writer with a simple, straightforward style.
Zinni recounts his career, which included a combat tour in Vietnam, an important role in Operation Provide Comfort (helping Kurdish refugees in the Spring of 1991), two operations in Somalia and his work as U.S. special envoy to the Middle East. He shares many insightful thoughts on the Middle East and the Bush Administration’s decision to invade Iraq.
True North – by Bruce Henderson. The fascinating story of the race between explorer Frederick Cook and Admiral Robert Peary to be the first person to reach the North Pole.
It’s a very compelling tale. The struggles of the respective parties are recounted in great detail. Their public battles to be recognized as the first to the pole were perhaps even more dramatic. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat.
American Traveler: The Life and Adventures of John Ledyard–James Zug. Ledyard was an American original. He was one of the first students at Dartmouth, sailed the Pacific with Captain Cook and spent many an evening dining with Thomas Jefferson in Paris. He later traveled across Europe and Russia. A great read.
iTunes – Apple –This is the coolest thing to come around since the invention of the shwarma in 1142. Are you tired of buying CDs, only to find you only like the one song you’ve heard on the radio? At iTunes you can listen to thirty seconds of a song to see if it’s really what you want and buy only the ones you want.
Even cooler than the songs/download is the ability to listen to dozens of radio stations, baksheesh. There’s a very cool one from London (Virgin Radio) that’s a little reminiscent of Radio Bahrain. The fun starts at www.apple.com/itunes.
