SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 880 Title : Correspondence from Canada: Letter 32 - 16.02.82 Author(s): 852 Copyright holder(s): Name withheld Text Eng. Dept. 16 Feb. Dear Mum & Dad, Sorry to be a bit later in writing again, but as usual I've had a busy weekend. Having classes on both Mondays and Tuesdays tends to pile things up. However, as this week's free gift I enclose some more pictures I've had duplicated and developed: one of me doing my famous "Rocky III" impersonation on the famous Philly Art Museum steps, and the other of me doing my famous Polaris missile impersonation (or Michelin man?) about to launch myself out of the snows of Fredericton in January. You can see how deep the snowdrifts are - I'm actually standing on the sidewalk with the road over one bank to the right, and folks' gardens over another bank to the left. The little thing you just see attached to my zip is the personal thermometer the [CENSORED: surname] gave me. Last week I had some free time from assignments to start on my first term paper, and I finished the first draft of that this weekend, so I'm well on schedule for Carole arriving. I've received a letter and postcard from Berlin, where she was visiting. She's by now been into East Berlin, but on the long bus journey from Tübingen, they passed through E. Germany and she wrote that it was desolate. Part of the autobahn can be cut off and used as an airport runway, and tank depots line the road. Cheap, off-white, plastic cars that the people use keep breaking down and are abandoned by the side of the road. The trip's sponsored by the DAAD and apparently the students are being treated like dignitaries. She'll be skiing in Switzerland now and is hoping to go to Paris in March before coming home. Stranded here in the wilderness, you begin to realise how close everything in Europe is to everything else! I've found a place for Carole to stay when she's here - Hugh, one of the guys in the Maggie with a single room, is going home to New Zealand for a month in March-April, so he says she's welcome to use his room. So that will be ideal. Thank Alison for checking with the Records Office for me, please. I got a "Progress-so-far-on-your-application" letter from the AUC last night and they've received the Glasgow Uni. transcript - and I know the last few bits and pieces from UNB have been sent off. So all there is to do now is sit tight and cross my fingers... I had another, very quick, bash at skating last week, up at the Aitken Centre where the Curling championships will be held. I was only on the ice for about 20 mins - because I was late in arriving - hardly enough time to get my balance on the borrowed skates. Ah well, I might go again. I went on Friday evening to see "The War Games" at the Film Soc. I'd seen it before in my first year in Glasgow but this 1966 banned BBC "documentary" about the effects of nuclear war in England was even more harrowing the second time. It's a disturbing film. I'm afraid I don't have your most recent letters by me just now, so I can't answer any questions that might be in them. I'm fine and healthy and happy - I only wish occasionally that this blasted snow would melt. A novelty's a novelty but after 2 months of the stuff .... with 2 more months of the stuff to go!! Ah well, take care of yourselves and don't be working too hard. 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. Information about document and author: 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: 618 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: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: In most everyday situations Language: Portuguese Speak: Yes Read: No Write: No Understand: Yes Circumstances: When trying to communicate with my in-laws Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: In domestic/activist circles; reading literature