Document 893

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 45 - 12.06.82

Author(s): 852

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

The Maggie
12 June.

Dear Mum, Dad, & Al,

Thanks for the letters. The weather continues to be gorgeous across the Big Water, and I've taken up health again - after playing cricket last Sunday with the Caribbean circle I decided to capitalise on the pain, and I went jogging down by the St. John several evenings this week. And this morning I even went up to the Weight Room with Kathy and Julian, and we worked out amid the muscular gorillas. This afternoon, too, I spent a few hours playing baseball, that North American virility-ritual, with about 15 folk from the house. That was fun and I did quite well, scoring a few runs. They've nicknamed me "Slugger" [CENSORED: surname], or "Slug" for short. Anyway, I'm getting a bit of a tan now, although I'm still spending most of my time indoors manoeuvring a pen. I've borrowed a set of golf clubs, however, and I'm hoping to get a game in soon. At ten bucks a round, though, I don't see myself getting my handicap down in a hurry!

Not a lot has happened this week. I handed in my first chapter of the thesis to be read, and although he hasn't finished it yet, Prof. [CENSORED: surname] says he finds it "eminently acceptable" so far. I've to see him again on Monday. I spent another day round at Ann [CENSORED: surname]', using her tape recorder, and I now have 12 hours of Arabic lessons copied. Which reminds me: could you send me the 2 "new wave" tapes with the Stranglers (London Lady, Get a Grip on Yourself), Playing Golf with My Flesh Crawling, Buzzcocks (Moving Away from the Pulsebeat) etc. i) if Al's not using them and ii) if it doesn't cost too much. Al will know what tapes I'm talking about. I'd like to shock the natives a little.

I'm still awaiting the Final Word from Cairo. I can't find the address of the Bell School, and so I haven't written off yet to them. I'll probably end up coming home destitute and broke, but I'm sniffing around still.

World news is rather depressing: one of Carole's close friends in Germany is a Christian Arab from Beirut, and that kind of brings the crisis in the Lebanon closer to home. It's a mess - I wouldn't trust Menachim Begin as far as I could throw him, and the Syrians are just as bad, really. However, there is the possibility, with the Arabs in some disarray just now, that the situation will settle down actually quite well, although with Israel anything can happen.

Good news: we're getting a lot of World Cup games here (usually Canada only shows the final). Ecosse v. New Zealand is on the French Channel on Tues. midnight (Archie McPherson eat your heart out!) and Scotland v. Brazil is on the CBC a week today at 1pm. Magic! I hope Kuwait beats England.

Well, it's time for bed after a tiring day: my bones ache all over! Best wishes to all,

Love,
[CENSORED: forename]

Information about Document 893

Correspondence from Canada: Letter 45 - 12.06.82