The Library

Cause it's gone. Left around Saturday. Temperature at noon yesterday: 11°C/ 50°F. *shivers* I sat in front of my computer, wrapped in a blanket. And this morning I noticed: I did exactly the same thing one year ago. With the not so little difference that one year ago I was in New Zealand and it was winter. This - *points out of window* - pretends to be summer! Wherever the wanker went, I hope he's having a thoroughly unpleasant time. Just when term finished, too, and I finally would have had the time to enjoy the sun. Typical.

But at least, I managed to write some (a lot) yesterday. Not what I had planned to, though - bad Cira! Just, when I woke up, I had this bunny hopping over my blanket and sticking its fuzzy nose into my face, and I couldn't resist. It was fun. ( But )

So. Now that I've complained about the weather and my writing, I can go on to some more interesting topics. Like the book I read last week: Watching the English by Kate Fox. Anyone know that book? I highly recommend it. It's funny and really interesting.

Kate Fox is an anthropologist and in her book, she set out to define the Rules of Englishness. I'm a bit sceptical about taking everything she says at face value - which I have to do, me not knowing any English people - but the book's still good. Not only because I learnt the Rules of Englishness. Ms Fox gives lots of examples and often contrasts English behaviour with, say, Japanese or American behaviour. Fascinating, that. Plus, it proved some things I noticed about fanfiction. But that's something for another rant. ^-^

I also kept thinking about how things are in Germany while I read the book. And yes, in a way discovering the Rules of Englishness helps me understanding the German national character. ( Some thoughts about German national character and English sense of humour. )

But if you allow me an aside: literature very nicely demonstrates the difference between the Germans and the English. Look at the big names in German literature - Goethe, Schiller, Lessing, Brecht, and so on - and what they wrote. People always die in the end. Then look at what the English wrote while Goethe inspired a whole generation to commit suicide. I'm not good at 18th century literature, but I've read some of the works by Richardson, Defoe, Fielding, and Smollet. There's a marriage in the end.

There's a reason why I'm studying English Literature and not German Literature.

Yes, and now I'll really shut up and go and turn on the heater and get a warm, woolly jumper. I'm freezing.

Lovely summer this year, isn't it? Huh, typical.