SCOTS
CMSW

Document 892

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 44 - 07.06.82

Author(s): 852

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Text

7 June 1982

Dear Mum & Dad,

Thanks for the phone call last week - a pleasant surprise! I've recovered from my bout of low spirits, I enjoyed a relaxing weekend, and I've finished off Ch 1. of the thesis. I handed the chapter into Prof. [CENSORED: surname] today - he's going to hand it to Prof [CENSORED: surname] by Friday, and I'll receive their comments sometime next week. It's long - 102 handwritten pages; about 60 typed I suppose - so unless the Prof's decide I've to trim a lot, it's going to be a bulky Master's thesis. That should be the longest chapter though.

You should be getting a postcard from St Andrews-by-the-Sea sometime - Ann drove Yvonne, Nick and me down to this wee coastal resort on the Bay of Fundy on Saturday and we had a good day out. It's a nice enough town, established by Loyalists - Americans who didn't want to cut their ties with Britain and drifted north after the war of Independence. In the old graveyard I noticed the stone of one George Lamb (1798 - 1866) who came from Ayr, Scotland. On the way back we stopped at St. John, the largest city in N.B. It's an ugly place, with a perpetual bad smell from its pulp mill. But the scenery on the way down to the coast and back was gorgeous - forests, hills and blue lakes: just like the pictures in the brochures.

Yesterday I was finally talked into playing cricket with the West Indians (and a few Africans) and I had an interesting afternoon. In four hours of play I hit two sixes (we were playing with tennis balls) and got a sunburnt nose. Today I ache all over - I'll have to start exercising seriously again. I've slipped lazily back since Stacy's gone and I've had no one to egg me on. I'm hoping to get a game of golf in soon - I've found a girl in the Maggie willing to lend me some clubs which she's supposed to be bringing from home soon. I'm looking forward to that.

I don't know if I actually said in my last letter but I've written away to a professor in Saudi Arabia who used to study at UNB, to see if there's job vacancies there. I'm expecting the final word from Cairo soon and if it's negative I'll also write to Malawi and begin to look elsewhere. I'll write to the Bell School in the U.K. as well (if I can find the address - if Alison's in Glasgow still could you ask her to go to the careers office and get the address? There will be a TEFL brochure there.) The main problem with that is costs: I really don't want to ask you to continue paying for my education. Also, I'm still enjoying being abroad and experiencing different cultures, and if opportunities exist outside the U.K. I may as well take them. They pay far better than the U.K., too.

Anyway, I hope you're all well. Ann [CENSORED: surname]' mother had diverticulitis (?) and her symptoms were exactly like yours. Apparently it's quite common, and seldom serious. Keep downing the ruffage, Mum! I'll be in touch soon,

Love,
[CENSORED: forename]

This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document.

Close

Cite this Document

APA Style:

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 44 - 07.06.82. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 30 October 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=892.

MLA Style:

"Correspondence from Canada: Letter 44 - 07.06.82." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2024. Web. 30 October 2024. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=892.

Chicago Style

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech, s.v., "Correspondence from Canada: Letter 44 - 07.06.82," accessed 30 October 2024, http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=892.

If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2024. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

Close

Information about Document 892

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 44 - 07.06.82

Text

Text audience

Adults (18+)
Audience size 3-5
Writer knew intended audience

Text details

Method of composition Handwritten
Year of composition 1982
Word count 563

Text medium

Other airmail

Text publication details

Part of a longer series of texts
Name of series Correspondence from Canada

Text setting

Private/personal

Text type

Correspondence/letters

Author

Author details

Author id 852
Gender Male
Decade of birth 1950
Educational attainment University
Age left school 17
Upbringing/religious beliefs Protestantism
Occupation University Lecturer
Place of birth Ayr
Region of birth S Ayr
Birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Country of birth Scotland
Place of residence Bridge of Weir
Region of residence Renfrew
Residence CSD dialect area Renfr
Country of residence Scotland
Father's occupation Insurance Broker
Father's place of birth Auchinleck
Father's region of birth S Ayr
Father's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Father's country of birth Scotland
Mother's occupation Dental Receptionist
Mother's place of birth Ayr
Mother's region of birth S Ayr
Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area Ayr
Mother's country of birth Scotland

Languages

Language Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes In most everyday situations
Portuguese Yes No No Yes When trying to communicate with my in-laws
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes In domestic/activist circles; reading literature

Close