thursday

this will be a brief blog because I'm feeling the efects of my 'flu' vacc.Don't like previous font too big.I have just read 'The Great arasb Conquests' Hugh Kennedy. the first half of the book is very interesting although the succession to Mohhamed is dismissed in few words and no account is given of the Sunna/Shia split, which is odd considering Iran is Shiite and therefore they must have spread Islam to Persia. Much of the Gulf is too but that is because so many people from the Iranina mainland settled there including my ex pa in law and even earlier my ma-in-law's grandparents.They still distinguish themselves from arabs and refer to themselves as Persian.All the people I met were bi-lingual Arabic/Farsi as well.I think the rise of the Ayatollah's shifted the ideas of the young. My step daughter sees herself as a citizen of Sharjah
In the little room I am reading Dornford Yates. Iwas lucky enough to complete my collection in the second hand bookshop in Holt. Reading these in instalments is a delight. I've finished 'Berry and CO'. Berry and his cousin and various relatives all libve together at Whiteladies and from here they go to france or travel to London. We are never told where the money comes from.his book had many letters from Berry on a variety of subjects each one wittier or odder than the last. I cannot imagine why noone has made a TV program of these books. the plots are exciting and the characters rounde and the dialogue witty.
After this I began my annual read of Helen Hanff and began with 'Q's Legacy'.I have a few of his books and it was reading him made me brush up my Latin and begin to learn Classical Greek. I can translate some of his quotes. Learning Classical Greek is like a long crossword and one can feel it building neural pathways but I love it. I now learn by myself because I'm not strong enough to go to the City Lit, where I began every week nor can I now afford it.So I have independent learners resources, could be known as cribs lol