I fell into an absolutely wonderful groove this afternoon. I had a lecture this morning, and much reading to do before tomorrow's seminar. So I took my books and headed over to Värmlands nation (side note- I just typed that "ä" without needing to resort to multiple keys or a toolbar. It's right there on the Swedish keyboard, two keys to the right of "L". This is because I am at a student union computer. Still having trouble with that power source for my laptop. I ordered a converter off ebay, should arrive soon.)
Where was I? Right, Värmlands, my new nation. So I went there for their cafe, which they have weekdays from 11-5. I got a coffee (free due to my "new member" coupons) and sat reading about the difference between Roman, civil, and common law in a beautiful hall. All the nations are in the wonderful old buildings. Again, think of frat houses if they weren't lived in by frat boys but instead maintained by conscientious Scandinavians. The cafe is in a large hall with huge windows, decorative wood trim on the doors and ceilings, but a pleasantly modern paint job and furniture. There was light music and peoples talking unobtrusively all around me, my favorite way to study. After the lunch crowd left I went to the library for better lighting. The library is a smaller room, the walls completely covered with built in book shelves. I pleasantly studied and drunk coffee.
(side note 2- I've become quite the coffee drinker now. In America I only had a few cups a week, a 'social drinker' if you will. Now I actually have coffee in the morning to help me wake up, and usually some during the day. I suppose my mother, a lover of coffee, would be pleased)

The material is very interesting. I love history and didn't get enough of it in college. A brief summery for you readers. Rome had an advanced system of law, as they were an advanced empire having to deal with international commerce and all sorts of other various situations. The system is more or less a common law system, like we have in America (judge made law, based on judicial precedent). Rome falls, dark ages ensue. Around 1100 a Roman law book, the Corpus Juris Civilis, is discovered. The Europeans, enamoured to the point of fetishising anything Roman, regard this as perfect law. Universities spring up all teaching Roman law, and this becomes the default of law everywhere (except England due to crazy historical confluences such as William the Conqueror being such a bad-ass administrator.) The irony of this is that Europe idolized and follows what it considers "Roman" law, but its picture of Roman law is only a snapshot. Real Roman law (when the Empire was still around)was continually evolving.
Enlightenment happens in Europe, people want to codify everything, French revolution happens, cut to today where the continent has civil (statute based) law and England and its offshoots have common law.

OTHER CRAZY THINGS- Did you know that to this day, there is a Privy Council in Great Britain, which can hear cases as a last resort from not only England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (which have separate court systems, otherwise), but also from New Zealand, Bermuda, Sierra Leone, Gibraltar, and Mauritius. (Australia only opted out of this system in 1982!)

In my brief free time I do other things than read law. I got a library card from the city library and checked out Lolita, which I was in the middle of when I left for Sweden. I continue to practice the Ukulele, which I brought to Sweden with me. I found the chords to Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's spine tingling rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". I shall master it, as it only has 6 chords and none of them is that darned B flat bar chord which my fingers refuse to comprehend. (in there defence, they are cute little fingers that try very hard.)

My boots are falling apart, literally. I hope they last the winter. But as I got them for free outside "Moomers" (an apartment in Chicago. Word to the wise- if you haven't named your apartment you are, as they say in Sweden, lame.) just before I left for China, it's OK if I have to pay for new ones at some point.

Lastly there is the snow. It is thick and deep and falling and beautiful. I continue to bike in it, with surprising ease. The only problem is the cold. Biking my face feels like when you go skiing. It got down to 5 degrees F.

As I go, I request that you, reader, go find out about the law in your country. It's interesting! Unless your a law student, in which case for the love of god stop studying law for one night and take your spouse out to the movies or something. People get divorced over less, you know!

-The Wandering Norseman-