Long and Informative (and possibly boring)

Today, while waiting for one of my classes to start, I wrote a list of things I had to do today. One of them was "write a real blog for once, idiot!" Ok, the "idiot" was added for your benefit, it wasn't actually included in my to-do list.

Today I woke up and it was utterly freezing in my room. It made getting out of bed really difficult. So i didn't do that for an hour. Then I had class - it was a seminar about the political background of the Pro Archia, the speech by Cicero that we are reading. The Pro Archia was given in 63 BC in defense of a Greek Poet who had claimed Roman citizenship in 92 BC. So why did they wait 30 years to contest his citizenship? That is a very good question. While Cicero attempts to make it a non political speech by talking about Archias' talents at writing and how the arts can help society, he is making the speech because of political changes that were occuring in 63 BC. Archias was in Lucullus's entourage, who was a very prominant politician and a member of the optimares (the best men - a socially conservative alliance in the senate). He had fought in a the third Mithridatian (Spelling might be wrong) but Pompey had claimed all the credit. Pompey was just about to return from the war, and his lackeys were testing the waters to see if the people who stood by Lucullus would be able to protect one of their own (Archias) and who would be on Lucullus's side. That is the political background in a nutshell. There is more about citizenship in Rome and the Social war that allowed Archias to claim citizenship, but then i'd need a bucket instead of a shell.

After Latin Oratory, I returned books to the library and took out some - here is something you need to know about me - I love etiquette books. Love them. I read them for pleasure. The more out of date, the better. However, today I took out a modern one. " Mind Your Manners" by Robert O'Byrne. I was intrigued by the fact that a man actually wrote an etiquette book. I skimmed through most of it - nothing he said was more than common sense and he didn't really go into the fastidious detail that makes etiquette books so interesting. However, there were some lines that are worth quoting. "School Reunions: Why anybody would want to organize/attend one of these events remains one of life's great, unsolved mysteries...Everyone will look odler, and possibly, smaller than you remembered." Maybe on further reflection there weren't so many great lines.

I went to the Botanical Gardens to eat my cheese sandwich and read about mobile phone use (This is a hint to my parents.)

I had Gaelic from two to three. I can't figure out how to describe that. I'll just include a sample conversation.
Co an t'aimn a th'ort?
Is mise Emma, agus Co thusa?
Is Mise Seamus. Ciamar a tha thu?
tha gu math, tapath leat, agus ciamar a tha thu?
tha gu math, tapath leat. Co as a tha thu?
Co as na Staitean. Co a tha thu?
Tha a Glaschu.

which means
What is your name?
It is Emma, and who are you?
I am James, how are you?
i'm well, thank you, and how are you?
i'm well, thank you, where are you from?
I am from the states. Where are you from?
I am from Glasgow.

That's pretty much all we know how to say - other than ask if the other person has sisters and brothers.

Then I walked home. Shockingly it didn't rain.

Ok, back in time. Yesterday was much of the same, class, rain, homework.

Over the weekend I spent sometime in the country with some family friends. I may have mentioned that. There is something about Scotland that is so natural. Almost every building I saw looked like it was supposed to be there. The roads were narrow and the fields were really really green. What I realized this past weekend is that I am an adult. People who I spent my childhood with now treat me like an adult. I guess it's a good thing i realized that before I turn 21, instead of after.

I hope this has been suitably long and more soon when something happens to me!