Document 886

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 38 - 14.04.82

Author(s): 852

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

The Maggie
14 April '82.

Dear Mum & Dad,

Carole's been here nearly two weeks now and term's crashing to a halt, so I haven't had much time to write. So much for apologies. We're having a good time despite the fact that last week brought over 20cm of snow to New Brunswick. Carole says it's a wilderness, and Fredericton is so empty it reminds her of East Berlin!

She arrived on the 2nd of April right on time, in the middle of the house dinner (at which I received the "Mr. Universe" award, by the way, to commemorate my efforts in the Stacy Campus body-building scheme). Mark drove me out to the airport, and when we arrived back there was a big "Welcome Carol" [sic] sign and she was assaulted by about 20 of the Maggie lunatics, which must have been quite intimidating after 23 hours of travel.

On Thursday we went with Helen [CENSORED: surname] to stay in Shediac for the weekend, and we had a great time with her and her family. On Good Friday we went cross-country skiing along the still frozen shore, by the still frozen sea, which stretched icily out towards Prince Edward Island. I felt like an extra in the more Siberian scenes from "Reds"! We saw the cows being milked at the [CENSORED: surname]'s farm and Mr. [CENSORED: surname] showed us around the fish and lobster processing plant which he also manages, and we ate very well. On Easter Sunday we all went to church, and then took a trip into the country to see maple sugar being made. That was interesting - the sap's collected from the trees and then boiled. It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup. The syrup is taken out and simply put onto the snow to make maple syrup candy, which tastes something like barley sugar.

We also went to see the new Julie Andrews film "Victor/Victoria" which was quite funny. Don't take Dad to it though, Mum - nearly everyone in it is "gay". It's basically a homosexual Pink Panther movie without Peter Sellers.

On Monday we returned to Fredericton and rather warmer weather. Most of the late snow has again vanished, but it's generally drab and brown. Tonight we took Helen out to dinner at a restaurant called "The Attic" across the river, and we enjoyed a good meal. We're eating well - Prof. [CENSORED: surname] has invited us out tomorrow!

Carole is really enjoying Germany now. She's improving her Arabic, preparing an edition of an Arabic astrology text of around the 8th or 9th century, and learning more about today's Middle East. Furthermore her German is getting much better and she can ski far better than I can. Which isn't saying much!

What do you think about the Falkland Islands crisis? I'm expecting my call-up papers any moment - in which case I'll be in the washroom. It seems rather hysterical from this distance. Well, I've got to go now. Carole's nibbling my ear. I'll write again soon.

Love,
[CENSORED: surname]

Information about Document 886

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 38 - 14.04.82