Hey guys,

Apologises on the lag of information, was super sick there for a while (no I didn't have swine flu). I finally took my last dose of antibiotics last night... Whoo HOo.... and I am feeling relatively better if still a little tired and stuffy. While I was sick I didn't get anything done... which really sucked  and just laid in bed all day and slept. So now I have major work to do on essays... I have one due tomorrow (which I am super stressed about) and one due Monday. I know I should be working on my essays instead of writing on this thing but I need a bit of a break... the topic of Chinese democratisation is like a marathon  for my brain (I still have about 800 words to go by tomorrow... ick).

I thought I'd take a little time to share two unimportant things that made me think recently:

1. Ok not to get all PETA on everyone (in fact I really like meat and have a few things made out of leather)but.....Today as I was on my way to a lecture I saw this rabbit (who was obviously either old or very sick) being chased and bitten by a pair of black crows... (though I am not one to meddle in cycle of evolution/nature) it made me kind of feel bad how the rabbit was being tortured and bitten by the crows so I tried to swat them away when the rabbit came close to me (don't worry Mom I didn't touch it, I'm not that stupid). As I kept walking I mentioned to the girl walking next to me how kind of sad it was and she said "It just has [some sickness], who care if its going to die any ways...".  I am sorry, but people like her are the people who truely scare me in this world... yea it was only a rabbit but if you can't muster sympathy and compassion for other living creatures (especially ones that are dying) then what really sets you apart as a human from other living creatures.... ?

2. Today in the library I saw a very old many wearing a suit of blue crushed velvet.... it made me chuckle and think to myself gosh when I am that old I hope I'm a badass like that....

Ok so those last two things were really admittedly unimportant but whatever... I need to take my mind of my essay for a while. By the way my California crew.... In a month the glatty returnth... now get rid of swine flu or I'm not coming home at all.... joking. The countdown begins.

xoxo

Glatty

Promise more...

...updates soon to come when I am feeling better... until then this picture will just have to tie you over.

Note: Only one beer had been consumed before the taking of this photo... I am just that attractive.

xx

Glatty

Academia

Today I ran into one of my professors in Boots (a store they have in the UK that I can only describe like if ULTA and a pharmacy had a love child....). He is kind of what you would think of the typical English professor with the posh-ish English (nationality  not subject) professor accent and the kind of academic personality that only comes from years of teaching at a university.  I don't think he remembered my name which is only to be expected after teaching as long as he has though I found it slightly comical. He recognised me though, and there was an awkward moment where I wasn't sure if we were just going to ignore each other or actually chat (we ended up talking, he asked me why I stayed, etc.). But the point of this story is... I love bumping into professors outside of the classroom and tutorial sessions. Its almost like seeing an animal in the wild. You have this image of them that you yourself build in your head and they themselves encourage with their daily classroom behaviour and then you see them outside of the classroom and your view of them totally changes.

To be perfectly honest though I am just glad I wasn't buying anything embarrassing. 

xoxo

Glatty

Smoking a Cuban...

Due to some unfortunate circumstances (i.e. the American trade embargo) I have never been able to smoke a cigar from Cuba.

Due to a more unfortunate circumstance (i.e. my chronic bronchitis here in Scotland that has yet to go away) I have given up smoking large cigars. My unfortunate health problem has presented a great problem while studying over here in Scotland because it is much easier to get my hands on a real Cuban cigar in the UK then it would be in the US. While not going back on my word and smoking a large cigar yesterday I was presented with the unique opportunity to smoke a Cuban cigarillo. For those of you who don't know a cigarillo is a smaller version of a cigar. There is no filter and you are meant to smoke it like a cigar (not inhaled like a cigarette).

One of my friends Ms. Scholarios went with her lovely boyfriend (for all intensive purposes we will call him Mr. German) on a trip to Slovakia and Austria. There Mr. German bought some cigars and cigarillos that had been imported from Cuba. When they came back to Scotland Mr. German was kind enough to share two of the cigarillos with Ms. Scholarios and I. Being that they were Cubans and cigarillos (not large cigars) I let myself partake in the uncommon pleasure (at least for Americans) of smoking them with her. It was a small pleasure that I don't usually don't allow myself anymore. (Don't worry Mom I wont start smoking large cigars again) But I documented it. Bahah. Cause when again am I going to be able to smoke something that came from Cuba?

From Cuba BABY....

Oh yes.

You can laugh at me because they are smaller cigars but the fact of the matter is I fulfilled a life long dream while not going back on my word about the larger cigars. 

xoxo

Glatty

P.S. It was completely legal since I:

A. Didn't try to smuggle them back into the States

B. Didn't buy them

C. Didn't go to Cuba

And some congrats are in order...

Well hello everyone at home,
First of all I would just like to apologise for not writing in a while. Things have been slightly stressful as of lately (I have tons of reading, papers and two presentations due in two weeks)... so unfortunately I wasn't able to travel for spring break... which to be perfectly honest kind of BLOWS, but I take solace in the consolation that perhaps taking these two classes will possibly make me a better politics student.... bahaha. Ok no, I would rather have a bad GPA and be travelling right now the locked in my room with a huge stack of International Relations textbooks but rationality got the better of me. Plus I rather like Scotland....a lot.

Secondly, I would just like to give a big CONGRATULATIONS to my little sister Glatty Jr. who officially accepted her spot and San Francisco State University. San Francisco is just going to have too much Glatt to handle. I am so happy that she is going to be in the same city as me and that she is pursuing what makes her truly happy!

Congrats to Glatty Jr.

Thirdly, well there is not really a thirdly I guess. More just me musing about life in general and my utter consumption into the life of politics. Either one day my studying is going to totally pay off and I'll be President or its going to blow up in my face and I'll find myself 20 years from now doing something totally unrelated to what I am studying.

Speaking of jobs, if anyone has any suggestions I am open. I think I am going to try and get and internship with the city of SF this summer but basically anything could happen at this point.

Fourthly, I would just like to wish a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Ms. JEN JEWELL! Wish I could be there celebrating with you in Aberdeen! Hope your birthday is fab! Love you!

Life is brilliant despite me being stuck in my room writing and reading. Take a little time to smell the daffodils (which grow like weeds here in Scotland).

xoxo
Glatty

The birthday girl!